Walking into my local charity shop the other day (on the hunt for some cheap Halloween attire) I came across a very bland and old fashioned salmon pink dress, very popular in modern day trends I think. The girl in front of me wanted to purchase it, but stated that she had no money on that particular day and would return for it tomorrow. Upon arrival the next day she discovered it lavished in ‘blood red’ paint, and saw the label now stated “CARRIE” in large letters. No doubt you could imagine the horrors the girl felt when she saw the tarnished dress, but in reality the horror came to me.

Flashbacks of this 1976 classic, directed by Brian De Palma, came flooding back faster than a drooping bucket of blood poised to embarrass a young, fragile high school girl just wanting to be ‘normal’. If you’ve not seen the film before, then I would definitely recommend it as a strong psychological thriller more than a hack and slash style that became so popular in the late seventies. Film such as Friday the 13th and Halloween which were released in a similar period to this created a new wave of horror that is still focused on plenty today, and a number of heavy re-makes have been created to show this level of popularity (although really, sometimes they just can’t beat the originals).

The difference, I feel, between Carrie and other horror films from a similar period is the sense of attachment you can feel for this film; the sense of burden, loneliness and discomfort within a society and the effects it brings into light. Although I’m not saying the consequences of this suffering would relate to any person in reality, however I’m sure one or two people would re-enact the same bloody scenario if they could do so. The isolation represented in the story, as well as the directing, music and screenplay shown on-screen really bring out a chilling truth within our own thoughts and feelings, shown through the ups and downs of Carrie’s own life. I’m sure it takes someone really special to become a crazed axe murderer, or an un-dead machete wielding psychopath; but anyone in reality can be lonely, and that I believe is the scariest part of it all.

A rerelease of ‘Carrie’ is currently in development, and will be arriving in cinemas next year.

Tom Aplin