Reviewed by Johnny McNair

MGM Home Entertainment – 98 minutes – 1976 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

Someone once said, “Carrie had a better time at her prom than I did.” Well if you call having pig blood poured all over you and killing the entire student body a good time, then maybe Carrie did have one up over you. Carrie has become a classic since its 1976 release, not only because it’s a good movie, but just look at the cast of who’s-who that stars in the film, including one future Academy Award winner and a sweat hog that would become the icon for the disco scene of the 70’s. Carrie is one of those films that has been transferred to every format from Beta, VHS, Laser Disc, DVD, and finally Blu-ray. Released from MGM Home Entertainment, Carrie is ready to make you’re a night to remember.

THE MOVIE

Based on the Stephen King novel, Carrie tells the story of a high school girl, (Sissy Spacek), who is a complete misfit with no friends and a psychotic mother, (Piper Laurie), who is so deep into religion that she doesn’t even inform her daughter of her inevitable first menstruation; making Carrie a bigger freak in the girl’s locker room. Carrie does have one thing that makes her unique from everyone else around her; she is telekinetic and when pushed can use her powers to create a lot of chaos.

Her classmate Sue, (Amy Irving) feels sorry for her and convinces the school heart-throb, (William Katt) to take her to the senior prom. Carrie thinks that things have turned for the better and finally feels accepted, but little does she know that the school’s bad girl, (Nancy Allen) and her boyfriend (JohnTravolta), are plotting to humiliate her with a bucket full of blood. Big mistake, because Carrie is fed up with people messing with her and she’ll make them burn for it.

At the time of it’s release, Carrie casts was a bunch of no names, but like American Graffiti, it was the birth zone for many actors who are all familiar faces today. Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, PJ Soles, and the Greatest American Hero himself, William Katt. Another name that came out of this film is the future director of Scarface and The Untouchables, Brian De Palma, who should be givin plenty of credit for turning what could have been a forgotten horror flick, to one of the best thrillers in the genre. Yes, De Palma borrows his style from many directors, such as Hitchcock, but he does it well. The finale prom sequence with its insane split screen views and long slow motion shots make this film work without the overused CGI effects that would have been tossed in if the film was made today.

This film has a legion of fans that have bought it on every format it was available on throughout the years, so even though the Blu-ray doesn’t offer any bonus features, Carrie will still rise from the grave. For those of you who’ve never seen the film, definitely give it a rent first before dipping into your wallet.

VIDEO

Carrie comes to Blu-ray with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a full 1080p image, and though it looks better than the standard DVD, it’s in no way show off HD material. This was a very low budget production in the 70’s, so don’t expect everything to look vibrant like it’s floating off the screen. There is heavy grain and the colors are over saturated, particularly in the prom scene, but the details like the patterns on clothing look sharp, as do the close-ups of the character’s faces. Overall, the image quality is nothing that will blow you away, but for a film over 30 years old it’s acceptable.

AUDIO

If you’re a sound nut and demand to hear every cry, scream, and blood drop splattering onto flesh, this is NOT the film for you. Carrie offers a DTS-HD lossless 5.1 audio mix, but you wouldn’t know it by listening. Dialogue is very muffled and it doesn’t seem like much effort went into separating speech from sound effects. If you can distinguish the difference between the sound on the standard DVD and the Blu-ray, then you win a prize.

EXTRAS

Nada…Zilch. Unlike the standard DVD that offered some decent bonus features, none of them were carried over to the Blu-ray. Anyone smell a double dip coming?

BOTTOM LINE

Carrie is a good horror/thriller that has stood the test of time, but its Blu-ray debut is a letdown mainly because the cheaper DVD offers so much more. It’s hard to justify $40 retail asking price for just the film with a so-so image and lame sound, but if you’re a Carrie maniac, nothing is going to stop you.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 2.5

Extras: 0.0

Bottom Line: 2.5