brian de palma... would i say he was one of my favorite directors of all time? well, if i was able to judge him on the power of one film, then i would have to say the answer is 'yes,' ... and that one film would be 'carrie.' released in 1976, and based very tightly upon stephen king's practically perfect novel, 'carrie' is one of the most genuinely terrifying pieces of cinema i have ever seen. there is not one scene that doesn't add to the taught, gory, gorgeous pageant of terror, pain, dolor, and electric cruelty. impeccably cast, the story drifts and jangles along through expert pacing, keen screenwriting, and once-in-a-lifetime performances. i think i read the book in one day. i checked it out from the Griffin Middle School library, and couldn't put it down until i had finished it. sissy spacek is carrie. completely. piper laurie devours every scene she's in with the zeal of a jackal. amy irving is very real and serves as a solid 'everygirl.' the audience anchors a bit of themselves onto her as the carnival of holy tragedy swarms around her. william katt is just as he should be; the dumb blonde. and let us not forget nancy allen, as the poisonously popular christine hargensen. she is venemous and sexy as one of the Earth's most malevolent and plainly meanest creatures ever to walk amongst us; a typical teenage girl. i don't remember exactly where i found this shot of nancy, just about to yank the rope that spills the pig's blood, but i love it. it sort of represents the crossing of a line. sort of a theme in that movie, now that i think about it. do yourself a favor, if you haven't seen 'carrie' in a long time. find a good copy and roll it. it is amazing, and still holds up by any filmmaking standards of today.
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and let's not forget the cinematic jewel that is "Body Double"
(how late are the auditions goin' today?)
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