"CARRIE"//"THE FURY"//"DRESSED TO KILL"

CARRIE

(1976)

Starring: Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen and Piper Laurie as Mrs.White.

Directed By: Brian DePalma.

Based on the Novel By: Stephen King.

MGM Home Entertainment - 16x9 Enhanced 1:85.1 - Dolby Digital 5.1, Mono, Spanish and French Audio Tracks, Documentary "Acting Carrie", Documentary "Visualizing Carrie", Featurette "Carrie The Musical", "Stephen King and the Evolution Of Carrie", Animated Photo Gallery and The original Theatrical Trailer.

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A true horror classic based on the best selling novel by writer, Stephen King. Directed by Brian DePalma who directed films such as, "Dressed to Kill", "Phantom of the Paradise", "Body Double", "Obsession" and "Carrie" theme copy "The Fury".
Sissy Spacek brings Stephen Kings character alive in a great performance that earned her an Oscar nomination as a young teenage girl who is an misfit and outcast at her school.
Carrie frightened by the sight of her own blood after receiving her first menstrual period while showering, panics for help from her school mates only to be humiliated and laughed at. When she is sent home by the high school principle, a young boy on a bike begins to laugh at her and call her names. Carrie boils into a rage and the boy suddenly goes flying off his bike. Her very religious mother (played very convincingly by Piper Laurie)lights up in a violent rage. Carrie is slapped in the face by a Bible. "Why didn't you tell me", Carrie cries to her mother. Mrs.White(Laurie) begins to read from the Bible and explains to her daughter that what has happened to her is a SIN. Carrie is then punished and dragged and locked into a closet to pray.

The girls are all sentenced to gym detention by the gym teacher for acting terribly mean to Carrie. One of the girls Sue(Irving) begins to feel bad for Carrie. With the prom approaching she asks her boyfriend if he would take Carrie to the prom. He refuses at first but after some sweet talk from Sue he agrees. When he asks Carrie her whole world suddenly changes. She begins to smile and for once in her life she feels liked by someone. Now comes the hard part, telling mom she is going to the prom. When she returns home and tells her mother, her mother instantly says No. Carrie begs and pleas with her mother but her mother refuses. Carries rage begins to boil and her powers that over. Her mother is shocked at what Carrie can do with her mind and immediately determines that this is the Devil's work. Carrie tells her mother, "I am going to the prom and you can't stop me".

Carrie makes preparations for the prom. With a some kind advice from the gym teacher she begins to apply makeup to her face and begins to make a gown for the prom. Meanwhile the other teens are making preparations as well. Chris(Allen) and her boyfriend(Travolta) head to a pig farm and slaughter some pigs for their blood. They gather help from others to help fix the prom votes to make Carrie the homecoming queen because they have a surprise waiting for her that night.
It's now the night of the prom and Mrs.White is pacing the floor. Pulling her own hair and torturing herself she begs with Carrie not to go and uttering the infamous line "They're all going to laugh at you!". Carrie begins to feel the power taking over her. She turns to her mother and throws her across the room and pinned to the bed using her mind. "I'm going Mamma", Carrie tells her mother. At the prom Carrie is having the most fantastic time. Feeling like Cinderella it is a dream come true for Carrie. Meanwhile, the ultimate in humiliation is about to happen to Carrie. They take the ballots from and replace them with fake ballots. The homecoming queen is then announced and to her surprise it is Carrie. Carrie makes her way to the stage. Sue sneaks in the back entrance to the prom, to see if her plain to give Carrie a chance to be a part of things worked.

As she watches Carrie and Tommy heading for the stage, sue sees a rope going from underneath the stage..up the wall..and finds that it is attached to a bucket just above the stage. Meanwhile Carrie is now on stage just underneath that bucket. With flowers in her hand and a crown placed on top her head, Carrie feels like she had never felt before and has never been so happy. But all of that is about to change. In the mist of her glory it is all shattered with a pull of the rope. The bucket of blood is let loose and falls on top of poor Carries head. In a gown now covered in blood Carries eyes begin to widen. The doors then locked and the nightmare begins. A witch who is taking revenge on all the classmates who mother warned, "They're all going to laugh at you", came true. Carrie seeks her revenge by the forces within her mind.
"Carrie" is a classic horror film with a great ending that should hold up today by first seen viewers. In the shocker classic ending.
Piper Laurie was also nominated for an Academy Award for her stella performance. Following "Carrie" Laurie went on to play another disturbed woman in the independent Drive-In classic "Ruby".

MGM home entertainment re-issues "Carrie" on DVD as a Special Edition to celebrate it's 25th Anniversary of it's original theatrical release in 1976.
The first DVD version was a bare bones disc with only the films theatrical trailer as an extra. This new release features some great extras! and a new 16 x 9 widescreen transfer.
First there is some bad news.. This dvd sports the same film transfer as it's first release with a picture quality that is less then favorable. The beginning of the film has it's most weak moment, from the opening shot of the girls playing soccer to the shower scene, there is specks, blemishes and grain. The rest of the film has allot of film specks and the color seems a little bit off. Though the picture looks a tad better from the first release but nothing more. The sound is also has the same re-masted 5.1 Dolby surround, that is good though not too much happening in the back speakers. The DVD also has the films original mono, Spanish and French audio tracks. Now the good news...
Included are two documentaries, both of them each have a running time close to 45 minutes.
"Acting Carrie" features brand new interviews with the cast (Sissy Spacek, Betty Buckley, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, Piper Laurie, William Katt and P.J. Soles) and director. This documentary is very entertaining and informative on the making of the film.
"Visualizing Carrie" Features more on the making of the film and with DePalmer discussing a deleted scene that was omitted from the film that showed Carrie as a little girl causing a rain storm of stones, but due to special effects issues it had to be cut from the final product. I also thought that this documentary was very good.

Other extras include: A featurette called "Carrie The Musical". "Carrie" was a ill faded Broadway Musical that closed after opening night. I remember when this was in previews and thought that this would be one fun strange experience. Thought unfortunately i never got a chance to see it. This 8 minute featurette features Betty Buckley who portrayed Miss. White in the play and Lawrance D. Cohen who wrote the screenplay to the film.
This was very interesting but unfortunately none of the music nor photos from this show is included.
A 6 minute Animated Photo Gallery, The original theatrical trailer and a written text section called "Stephen King and the Evolution Of Carrie".
This is a great DVD despite the Picture's faults. The extras alone are worth the price. This is a MUST HAVE for your collection! Back To The Top.

THE FURY

(1978)

Starring: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Amy Irving, Andrew Stevens, Carrie Snodgress and Charles Durning.

Directed By: Brian De Palma.

FOX Home Entertainment - 16x9 Enhanced 1:85.1 - Dolby Digital 4.0, 2.0 Dolby Surround, French Audio Tracks, English and Spanish Subtitles, Photo Gallery and The Original Theatrical Trailer.

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This is Brian DePalma's second take on directing a horror story about someone who possesses telekentic powers.
This pyschological thriller opens with a father and son vacationing in the Mid East in 1977. Robin (Stevens) is telling his father Peter Sandza (Douglas) how hard it is for him to live a normal life with his paranormal abilities. Suddenly, shots are fired out and mayhem quakes their happy little retreat. In the mist of the battle, the father and son are separated. Just then a loud explosion appears and Robin assumes that his father has been killed in the battle. Just then Robin is swept away by a secret U.S agency lead by Childress (Cassavetes). After Robin is taken away, Peter suddenly appears from the ocean. He knows that a plot was set against his son, and that he was being taken away due to his telekentic abilities. Peter now suddenly finds himself on a quest to rescue his son from the ruthless conspiracy set against him and his son.

Now one year later we meet Gillian(Irving) who is coming to terms with her own psychic abilities. While in school a Dr. Ellen and Hester (Snodgress) come to teach the students about the ability to work their minds. When Gillian is used in their test, they are all astounded by her telekentic powers. She sends an electric train moving into high gear and suddenly sees a vision of death in her mind. She screams as the trains rolls off the track. While the other students begin to mock her, the Doctor takes a notice to her and asks that she partake in their study at their Institute. Gillian agrees and is taken to the Institute. Instantly she becomes close to Nurse Hester and Dr. Jim McKeever (Durning). Meanwhile, Hester receives a secret phone call from her lover Peter. She rushes to pick him up and he tells her about his ordeal.Meanwhile back at home, Gillian stumbles up the stairs and grabs onto Dr. Jim. She suddenly sees a terrifying vision of Robin in the Institute. Suddenly Gillian finds herself connected to Robin and she fears for his safety.

Now Childress appears and begins asking questions about Gillian and her psychic abilities. The staff is hesitant to tell him anything about her for they fear they will take her like they had done Robin before. Now time is running out for Robin and Peter now feels his only hope for the rescue of his son is Gillian, and equally gifted teen who is tuned into Robin.. Hester unites the two together as they set on a quest to free his son from the enemy before its too late. Fav moments: Train Scene, Hester's run in with an automobile, Dr. Susan Charles Levitation, Dr. Ellen's bloody reading and let's not forget the EXPLOSIVE ending... makes it all worth the while.

Fox Home Entertainment delivers a very nice 1.:85.1 Widescreen transfer to a film that's over 20 years old. This film has never looked this good! The colors are striking and vibrant with a well balanced black level. There were a couple of night scenes that contained a considerable amount of grain, but this looks more like the fault of the film stock or bad lighting used during the production. The sound is presented in a 4.0 Stereo Surround track that had some very minor problems along the way. The dialog and music cues were crisp but occasionally they would appear to sound as if they were recorded too loud. But as i remember this problem existed with all previous versions of the film, so this also could have been from a problem within the films production in '78. The films Theatrical Trailer and a nice Photo Gallery are included. No other extras are included with this Fox DVD like MGM's Brian De Palma's release of "Carrie" and "Dressed to Kill". It would have been nice to hear a commentary from the director and cast and maybe some deleted scenes. All and all it's nice to see this film on DVD.

DRESSED TO KILL

(1980)

Starring: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson and Nancy Allen.

Written and Directed By: Brian De Palma.

MGM Home Entertainment - 16x9 Enhanced 2:35.1 - Dolby Digital 5.1, Mono, Spanish and French Audio Tracks,The making of Dressed to Kill" documentary", featurette Slashing Dressed to Kill", An Appreciation by Keith Gordon Featurette ,Animated Photography, Menu Based Advertising Gallery, "G","PG", "R" AND "X" Rated Comparison and the Original Theatrical Trailer.

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Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill", received plenty of controversy due to the films mix of sex and violence. The MPA had made De Palma cut out some of the nudity, language and violence to give it an "R" rating, The directors version of the film has only been available to be seen overseas until now on DVD thanks to MGM Entertainment. The "Dressed to Kill" DVD is presented with the viewing option of either the Unrated or R rated version.
In the opening sequence we see Kate Miller (Dickinson), erotically bathing herself in the shower as the opening credits play. Reminiscent to "Carrie", the camera moves in on Kate as she seductively washing every part and I mean every part of her body. She is suddenly grabbed from behind by what appears to be a mysterious stranger. The scene cuts to her in bed with her husband engaging in sex to suggest that this was some kinky fantasy in kates mind. Kate then heads to her psychiatrist office. She meets with Dr. Robert Elliot (Caine), as she talks about her sexual desires and needs. After her little doctors visit she heads to relieve herself from her sexual pressures to a museum for some peace and tranquility.

Once in the museum, in a now classic scene from the film, Kate glances around with no dialogue but brilliant camera movements by De Palma and a hypnotic score by composer Pino Donaggio. Suspense builds as Kate sees a mysterious handsome stranger lurking about the museum. The two make eye contact and Kates desires take control of her. The man then leaves and Kate follows right behind him. The stranger is waiting for her outside. Without hesitation Kate walks over and gets into the taxi. First a little kink in the cab then back to his place, they engage in a hot steamy afternoon affair. As Kate gets ready to leave this strangers apartment she stops by his desk to write a thank you note for the wonderful afternoon adventure she indulged in. She stumbles upon a health notice stating that her lover has V.D.. Shocked and stunned Kate hauls herself out of the apartment. As soon as she enters the elevator Kate remembers that she had left her wedding ring on the nigh stand. Now in more of a panic, kate pushes the button to head back up to the apartment. Now what more can happen to poor kate. As if contracting V.D. isn't enough and forgetting her ring. Well, as she's about to exit onto the floor she is attacked and brutally murdered in the elevator with a sharp razor by a mysterious blonde woman. A hooker by the name of Liz Blake (Allen) wittnesses dying Kate lying drenched in blood on the eleavator floor.
Meanwhile, back at Dr.Elliot's office, he receives a phone call from an old patient of his, who is a man who wants to a woman, by the name of Bobbi. Bobbi leaves a message on the doctor's answering machine saying that he has stolen the Doctors razor blade from his office and has killed Kate Miller with it. Liz is determined to find out who the killer is. With the help of Kate's son Peter (Gordon), who is a teenage electronic genius, they are determined to solve the crime. Will they be able to catch the killer? or Will Liz be the next victim in this deadly maze of obsession?
The ending is a scream!

This film has been compared to Alfred Hitchcocks "Psycho" in where the leading actress is brutally murdered in the first quarter of the film. As well as other Hitchcock touches. The film is not one of my favorite DePalma ventures. The film moves in a slow pace at times.
Why anyone would want to see the R rated version is beyond me, but I am truly glad that the Unrated version is finally also available. The film is presented in a widescreen 2.35:1, 16x9, Theatrical Release format The picture is stunning MGM did a great job in this transfer. The sound was also good with a new re-mastered 5.1 Dolby Digital surround track, though don't expect fireworks shooting from behind to front or visa versa. The disc contains The making of Dressed to Kill" documentary including Interviews by Brian De Palma, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen and more. Also on the Disc is a featurette Slashing Dressed to Kill, An Appreciation by Keith Gordon Featurette, Animated Photography, Menu Based Advertising Gallery, Collectible Booklet, Original Theatrical Trailer and a cool Unrated, R Rated and TV Rated Comparison Featurette.

Overall this isn't a bad film but not a very good (nor good bad) one either. It is worth it to see for DePalma's excellent film direction. Fans of the film will be very happy with this well produced special edition DVD. Back To The Top.
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