"It has nothing to do with Satan, Mama. It's me.If I concentrate hard enough, I can move things..."
Carrie was the first novel horror maestro Stephen King ever had published -- which was fortunate, seeing as his wife had rescued it from the bin! It was released in 1974 as a run of 30,000 copies, but only 13,000 were sold in hardback. A year later though, the paperback version sold a staggering 1 million copies!
The book told the story of Carrie White, a shy teenager suffering abuse from her Christian fundamentalist mother. As a result of her repressed, tortured existence, she becomes a social outcast at high school; famously taunted when she has her first period in a shower, but doesn't understand what's happening...
As Prom Night approaches, Carrie is amazed when a good-looking boy (Tommy Ross) asks her to accompany him as her date, on the orders of his remorseful girlfriend Sue Snell. However, as Carrie's big day arrives, she's unaware of a spiteful prank to rig the Prom Queen vote and drench her in pig's blood... but the pranksters themselves are unaware Carrie has latent telekinetic abilities...
Not long after Carrie's book release, director Brian De Palma expressed interest in adapting the novel into a film. Lawrence D. Cohen turned King's novel into a faithful screenplay, although his subsequent drafts deviated from the source material.
De Palma held a joint audition for Carrie alongside George Lucas, who was trying to assemble a cast for his Star Wars picture. A common myth exists that Sissy Spacek was cast as Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher got the part of Carrie... but they switched roles when Fisher declined to do any nudity for DePalma's film. Fisher later refuted this rumour in Premiere magazine.
Whatever the circumstances, Sissy Spacek got the lead role and other actors soon joined the film: Piper Laurie as Carrie's religious mother, William Katt as Carrie's date Tommy and John Travolta in an early role as chief prankster Billy.Carrie had a limited release in 1976 on just 409 screens. After it received a wider release, the $1.8 million film made $5 million. In a year, it had made $33 million. Today, that total stands at $50 million. Reviews at the time were mostly glowing and the film received some Academy Award nominations (Best Actress for Sissy Spacek and Best Supporting Actress for Piper Laurie).
These days Carrie is considered a seminal horror film and one of the best (if not the best) Stephen King adaptation. Sissy Spacek's blood-soaked appearance at the Prom Night is now an iconic horror image, and the film itself has been parodied and referenced countless times.
But it's perhaps best remembered for that classic shock ending....
A Broadway musical was attempted in 1988, but it closed after just 16 previews and 5 dismal performances. A film sequel, Carrie 2: The Rage, was released in 1999. It so disappointed Stephen King that he pleaded in Entertainment Weekly that Hollywood never attempt another sequel. Duly, a 2002 made-for-TV remake was released, with Angela Bettis in the title role and a plot that followed King's novel more precisely (albeit now set in contemporary times.) The remake also flopped, although Bettis performance was praised.
Trivia1. Actress Betty Buckley (the gym teacher) went on to star in Carrie: The Musical as Carrie's mother.
2. The name of the school is Bates High, after the character Norman Bates in Psycho.
3. The blood dumped on Sissy Spacek was karo syrup and food colouring, although the actress wasn't opposed to having real blood used.
4. Melanie Griffith auditioned for the role of Carrie.
5. The actresses used in the opening shower sequence were reluctant to appear naked, until they saw some test shots of Sissy Spacek.
6. Sissy Spacek slept in bloody clothes for 3 days of filming.
Links
The Original Trailer
