Inside the Carrie 40th Anniversary Event
Staci Layne Wilson
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She’s one of the most iconic and enduring females in horror history: Carrie White. She is a shy, friendless 17-year-old outcast who is sheltered by her domineering, extremely religious mother. After being bullied at high school by a pack of mean girls, Carrie unleashes her telekinetic powers at the senior prom and there is hell to pay for everyone.
Stephen King is the author of the bestselling novel and Brian De Palma is the director of the 1976 first film version – pretty amazing for two grown men to be able to so ably tell the tale of a high school girl. But it was the actresses who really brought it life. Sissy Spacek played Carrie, and Piper Laurie was the zealous mom. The bullies were portrayed by Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, and P.J. Soles.
In honor of the film’s 40th Anniversary, Shout Factory is releasing an all-new version of Carrie on Blu-ray (review) that’s been remastered and includes commentary and interviews with the key players. A few of them – Laurie, Allen, and Soles – were on hand for a huge prom-themed screening and gala event at the Ace Hotel’s movie palace in Downtown L.A.
There was a terrific Q&A following the very loudly, enthusiastically-received showing of Carrie, which was moderated by the famous TV showrunner and Carrie superfan, Bryan Fuller. In addition to the three aforementioned screen queens, the film’s editor, Paul Hirsch, was on hand and so was another actress from the film, Terry Bolo (she’s the only girl who was nice to Carrie White). William Katt, who played Carrie’s doomed prom date, even popped in for a video hello on the big screen.
We caught up with Laurie, Allen and Soles to ask them how it feels, 40 years on, to still be at the prom. Here’s what they had to say.
Piper Laurie:
I think I’ve been blessed. I feel fortunate I was invited to be in the movie. It’s amazing and big surprise it’s remained so popular.
Brian De Palma’s energy and imagination and the music and cinematography – the DP, Mario Tosi, made us look beautiful even when we’re not supposed to be, And it’s fun. Brian didn’t take it all that seriously, which I think that was a smart move. I did everything I could to play against everything that was in the original story, because it would have been dangerous to take my character that seriously. It works for the movie.
Fans quote almost all of my lines to me! It’s very flattering that the movie and lines have lasted. [For another look at the making of the movie, check out her book] I wrote my memoirs, and I just did my audio version of it. It’s called “Learning to Live Out Loud.”
Nancy Allen:
We had no idea Carrie would endure as it has. We knew we were making a good movie – you can feel it when you see the dailies. We were excited – and very excited to be making $640 a week and working as actors! As for us standing here 40 years later still talking about Carrie, I don’t think any of us expected that.
Fans say to me, ‘You were so bad – I hated you, but I loved you.’ And early on, they wanted to know what it was like to kiss John Travolta. And people ask about the car crash and I say, ‘No, no – we weren’t in the car!’
Brian De Palma brought a lot to the story that no other director could have. One thing he did was cast well and find really good chemistry with the actors, and he rehearsed us all – so by the time we got to set we felt like we’d known each other for years. Except Sissy – she wanted to stay apart, and that was good too. Then, on a small budget, cinematically, he shot it beautifully. He really brought out the sense of humor in the characters. It could have been humorless, which wouldn’t have been the same. And course, Sissy and Piper at the core of the film, that relationship is [great] – and they were both nominated for Oscars. Also, Brian changed the ending of the movie and that was much better.
[On the remakes] You have to find a film that almost worked and do that. You can’t remake iconic films.
P.J. Soles:
The most obvious thing that still resonates today would be the bullying aspect, but to us then, it was more of a horror and sci-fi thing, obviously, with the telekinetic thing. In today’s climate it may be a little strange, with us picking on her like that and it being [entertaining] but back then it was a horror movie and a fantasy film. It’s a time capsule of movies from the 70s. So this is based on Stephen King’s book, this is what he wrote about – and so, without the telekinetic powers, I don’t know how the movie would have ended.
There is a loyal original fan bases, but there are new fans to Carrie. I do a lot of horror conventions and I meet them all the time. Having worked with Brian De Palma on Carrie and John Carpenter on Halloween, I’m often asked what it was like to work with two masters of horror at the time. Neither one of them was really on the map at the time, but the staying power is incredible. I have young fans, even 20-year-old guys, come and weep at my table [at conventions] saying, ‘I loved you in Carrie! You were so bad!’ So as long as people know it’s entertainment, it will live on forever. Because, it’s the performances – I mean, both Sissy and Laurie were nominated for Academy Awards. For that genre, it’s unheard of. It really speaks highly of the film.
The Shout Factory Blu-ray has new stuff on it. I did an interview. I haven’t seen it because I don’t have a Blu-ray player, so… hopefully it came out well. I think there’s even new stuff with Sissy and Brian on the Blu-ray. It’s definitely worth it to get it for that because it’s been 40 years.
From the Press Release:
In 1976 Carrie, the “absolutely spellbinding horror movie” (Roger Ebert) directed by Brian De Palma (Scarface, The Untouchables, Dressed to Kill) and based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, premiered in theaters, forever changing the landscape of horror films and launching much of its outstanding cast into stardom. On October 11, 2016, the SCREAM FACTORY home entertainment brand celebrates the 40th anniversary of the film with a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 4K scan of the film and nearly 3 hours of bonus material.
The first film adaptation of a Stephen King book, Carrie was a box office hit, garnering Academy Award nominations for up-and-coming star Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner’s Daughter) and film veteran Piper Laurie (The Hustler), a rare accomplishment for the horror genre at the time. Featuring the first major film roles for John Travolta, who was then starring in TV’s “Welcome Back Kotter,” Nancy Allen (RoboCop), and William Katt (“The Greatest American Hero”), Carrie was also the big screen debut for Amy Irving (Yentl), P.J. Soles (Halloween), and Betty Buckley (“Eight Is Enough”).
At the center of the film’s terror is Carrie (Spacek), a high school loner with no confidence, no friends… and no idea about the extent of her secret powers of telekinesis. But when her psychotic mother and sadistic classmates finally go too far, the once-shy teen becomes an unrestrained, vengeance-seeking powerhouse who, with the help of her “special gift,” causes all hell to break loose in a famed cinematic frenzy of blood, fire, and brimstone.
Over the last 40 years the ultimate revenge fantasy has become one of the all-time great horror classics, and Carrie is now, finally, offered as a definitive, two-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray.
Special Features:
- NEW 4K Scan of the Original Negative
- NEW Interviews with Writer Laurence D. Cohen; Editor Paul Hirsch; Actors Piper Laurie, P.J. Soles, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, William Katt, and Edie McClurg; Casting Director Harriet B. Helberg; and Director of Photography Mario Tosi
- NEW Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting the Film’s Original Locations
- Acting Carrie – Interviews with Actors Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer, and P.J. Soles; Art Director Jack Fisk; and Director Brian De Palma
- Visualizing Carrie – Interviews with Brian De Palma, Jack Fisk, Lawrence D. Cohen, and Paul Hirsch
- A Look at “Carrie: The Musical”
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Carrie Franchise Trailer Gallery
- TV Spots
- Radio Spots
- Stills Gallery – Rare Behind-the-Scenes Photos
- Stephen King and the Evolution of Carrie Text Gallery
The Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition can now be pre-ordered over on ShoutFactory.com!
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