The Special Child: Review of Carrie

Carrie

Director: Kimberley Pierce

By Alex Watson

Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen Kings novel Carrie is an undisputed classic of the horror genre and the even today the telekinetic teen still has the ability to shock. There were sneers aplenty when it was announced that Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberley Pierce would undertake a re-imagining of this film. But can this tale stand up in the modern day and more vitally can new girl Chloe Grace Moretz emulate the same quality as Sissy Spacek?

Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz) is a shy high school outcast who is constantly tormented by her classmates due to her religious maniac mother Margaret (Julianne Moore). But very soon Carrie realizes that she has telekinetic powers that allow her to move things. When she is invited to prom, a cruel played by school bully Chris (Portia Doubleday) will force her to unleash her powers and give payback of the most brutal kind!

Kimberley Pierce’s new version of Carrie is by all account a decent try at putting a 21st century spin on Kings tale, but although it has its moments- it doesn’t really add anything different. Yes it in some cases its more faithful to the novel as we open on Margaret all alone giving birth and the raining stones are included for good measure, but these moments aside cannot give this movie a stand out feel.

The high school are one of more shocking aspects of the movie as we view the locker room scene being filmed on a camera phone and super bitch Chris posting the evil deed online! But the in many cases Pierce’s movie seems to want to get past these scenes as fast as possible to get to the end sequence. Because if this we never truly get to know our characters like in De Palma’s version and because of this a lot of memorable character traits get lost!

But what of our leading ladies? Well Carrie 2.0 is an interesting breed Through the immense cruelty that is piled on her it comes as no surprise that she snaps. Problem due to a slightly under cooked performance we never get the sense of fragility or lurking threat that was given to us so brilliantly before and this version of the troubled teen is harder to warm to as a result. The Margaret of this version is a more subtle and dialled down version than Piper Laurie’s crazed maniac of old, and in this version we see her puncture her skin repeatedly with sewing gear as penance for her sins. But this missing mania makes her character less memorable and the new Ms White doesn’t quite have the required threat onscreen.

But arguably the most talked about sequence in the new Carrie will be the ending prom sequence where Carrie’s anger comes full circle. Here the actions feels far too overblown and the murderous smile on Carrie’s face as she send people flying instantly makes us loose sympathy for her as she forms blood red eyes and beings floating in mid air. It is a shame that a talented director like Pierce has resorted to such measures but this sequence is one that is hard to top and in some ways, we miss De Palma’s use of split screen.

Chloe Grace Moretz tries her best as the new Carrie but despite some excellent work she simply cannot bring same heartbreaking quality that Sissy Spacek was able tho conjure up previously and on reflection, this may be been the wrong choice. Julianne Moore plays Margaret well and her new take is one of the films more memorable qualities, but it doesn’t feel quit as powerful as it should and because of this we come away with a slightly underwhelming feeling!

The new re-imagining of Carrie is one of the more superior horror remakes we have seen in recent times and it has enough not to tarnish the originals legacy, but it is also not a movie that will truly stand out on its own. By all accounts it is worth a look, but just remember, be nice to Carrie if you can because your actions will have consequences!

It’s My Prom Night: Review of Carrie

Classic from the Vault

Carrie (1976)

Director: Brian De Palma

By Alex Watson

There are many iconic moments in horror films, for instance we have the chilling final shot of a frozen Jack Nicholson in The Shining, The Shark coming from below to attack its victim in Jaws to finally the horrifying sex scene in Rosemary’s Baby where Mia Farrow is literally taken by Satan! But none have such an iconic final act than Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, Carrie, a finale which is guaranteed to leave you with a blood stained prom queen haunting your dreams!

Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is a social outcast at her high school due to her religious fanatic mother Margaret (Piper Laurie).  One day when she experiences her first period, a mean prank is played on her by bullies Sue Snell (Amy Irving) and Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen).  Feeling remorseful for her actions, Sue asks her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to take Carrie to the prom, which she accepts despite the protest of her mother. But Chris isn’t so forgiving and hatches a plan to get revenge- one which will end in tragedy!

The great thing about De Palma’s version of Carrie is that it is not strictly a horror film, and in the early stages it stays more in the bounds of a high school/ coming of age drama, but the touches of horror are hinted at from the outset, in particular the infamous opening shower scene as De Palma glides in slow motion through the girls locker room to finally centre on Carrie innocently showering. As she gets her period she runs to the girls for help and instead of helping her they mercilessly throw tampons at her screaming “Plug it up!” As Carrie cowers in the corner, the feeling in the air turns frightening!

You could say that the real horror in the beginning stages is portrayal through Margaret’s stranglehold over Carrie. With her literally everything is a sin!  For instance when she learns of her daughter experiencing her period she hits her and reads aloud from the ‘good book’ how her Carrie has sinned and then drags and locks her to a closet to pray!

Mother and daughter are the centre piece of De Palma’s film because through her fears and fanatical religious beliefs Margaret has turned her sweet natured daughter into an oppressed recluse. But in a tense finale confrontation, Carrie will make her mother pay for her wrong doings and the repercussions will be of biblical proportions!

All the way through we can feel things building to an almighty climax- and in great horror tradition it is delivered with gusto. We know from mid way of Carrie’s powers of telekinesis and her fear of using it. But when Chris’ pitiless prank with a bucket of pig’s blood is carried out- Carrie uses her ability and turns a perfect prom night into a fiery massacre! As we watched the blood stained Carrie standing menacingly at the centre of a stage while others run for cover, our blood freezes in our veins!

But in many ways it is deserved pay back for her on who have been her tormentors, particular Chris Hargensen! And although she has caused carnage in so many ways- you can’t help but sympathise with Carrie White!

As Carrie, Sissy Spacek is spellbinding and is a presence we are drawn to throughout the movie. But where she makes her mark is in the final act, as Carrie gets her revenge the icy stare of Spacek, lit by the fires of Hades is truly unforgettable! Piper Laurie is an equally frightening presence as her mother Margaret; though it is border-line over the top, her representation of religious mania is just as memorable.

As the villain Nancy Allen make a notable movie bitch as Chris, the girl who is seemingly without a moral compass and as a result of her vindictiveness pulls the rope on the bucket that triggers the catastrophic prom night events!

Brian De Palma brought us one the most memorable films from years gone by, Carrie is both terrifying and immensely heartbreaking at the time and includes many memorable moments, including a finale shot which is sure-fire to make you jump from your seat!

A remake is set for 2013 starring Chloe Moretz and Julianne Moore- I wish them well! Just remember that if you take someone to the prom, be sure to look out for them because otherwise things could get out of hand!

Papa Don’t Preach: Review of Juno

New Cult Classic

Juno (2007)

Director: Jason Reitman

By Alex Watson

Late on in the awards season there is always a film that comes out of left field that no one expects. These film’s charm us and they are destined to be on people’s ‘films to watch’ list soon after! Jason Reitman’s indie film, Juno fits into this category. In its simplest form this is film which deals with the issue of teen pregnancy and the problems that arise from it. Usually when this subject rolls around the character is usually from some white trash background; Juno however, is the flip side of this story.

The story begins when smart, quirky Juno (Ellen Page) gets pregnant with her lifelong friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), because of this it means a premature descent into the world of adulthood, a world way beyond her super cool mannerisms. At first she at first considers abortion but then she sets out to find the perfect adoptive parents for her child and she finds them in the form of rich couple Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman) who both seem to be too good to be true. But then the problems begin to arise.

What makes this film so refreshing is that Juno is not presented as being some dumb kid who got drunk and then  pregnant, but as a hip, intelligent teen from a loving but blue collar family who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the beginning Juno has a seemingly blaze attitude towards her towards both her teenage years and her pregnancy in the beginning which exemplified in the scene where she informs her parents of her pregnancy and her plans to give the baby up, as she describes“And in what ah 30 or odd weeks we can just pretend that this never happened.” This shows just how young Juno really is and how she doesn’t seem to realize the risk of what she is prepared to do.

The young lady also possess a sly wit to her and seems to have a clever answer for just about every situation, but this is just a mask for Juno’s insecurities and how afraid she is to face the reality of the situation she’s in.

The main talking point of Juno that has divided the audience is the Oscar winning script by former stripper turned screenwriter Diablo Cody. The chatty and almost sarky dialogue was met with mixed praise where some hailed it for being clever and more alternative than other dialogues before. But some saw it as being merely an irritation and highly pretentious. In the early stages of the film the speech threatens to spoil the film before it’s got anywhere at all and seems to be maybe trying a little too hard to be original.

But through Cody’s impressive eye for speech it coaxes a different side to Juno and through it we begin to see someone who is sensitive, caring but yet tries just a little too hard to impress (this is represented through the scenes with the babies father). But overall the script is a minor gem possessing dialogue that is both different but at the same time very relevant.

Ellen Page gives a brilliant central performance in Juno, as the fore mention teen she is very off the wall and seems to take things a little too casual. But through Page she finds another side to Juno and we see how much this scenario has changed her and how much she is hurting! This performance is one the best and coolest that you will see in a long time.

Michael Cera is also impressive as Paulie, the boy who deep down truly loves her but tries to play it cool! Cera went on to impress in Scott Pilgrim Vs the World after this. But the real surprise is Jennifer Garner, her role and rich but incomplete Vanessa showed us another tender side to her acting post Alias, and her scenes with Jason Bateman are genuinely moving in the movie latter part.

Overall Juno may be cliqued as the ‘Little Film That Could’ but in my opinion it is something else entirely. Juno is not only a charming piece but it ticks the boxes of both the mainstream lovers and the more indie fans of cinema. It is a film which has a lot of reasons to watch it. The messages in Juno will devide opinion and maybe some may find this a little difficult to swallow, but you won’t find out unless you observe.

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Review of American Pie: Reunion

American Pie: Reunion

Directors: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg

By Alex Watson

Many of people’s teenage years (myself include) were spent watching the exploits of the American Pie series. The original films of the series were a simple tales of teenagers on the verge of adulthood and who were trying to make the most of the remaining years by partying and romping to the max! This premise provided us with many classic moments, such as Jim Levinstein’s humping of an apple pie and Michelle’s confession about her usage of a flute in Band camp! These scenes were the benchmark of teenage comedies of the early 2000’s and have yet to improved. But can the old gang still keep the laughs rolling in American Pie: Reunion?

It has been thirteen years since the class of Great Falls 1999 graduated from high school and they have since moved onto adulthood. Jim (Jason Biggs) is now married to former band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) and they have a child. Oz (Chris Klien) is now working as a sports presenter, Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is now a well travelled man, Kevin (Ian Thomas Nicholas) is working as a stay at home architect and Stifler (Sean William Scott) is well… still Stifler! The gang of friends return home for a delayed class reunion and here we they mull over the past and whether the future is really as they envision it?

There’s no doubting the nostalgic feel of American Pie: Reunion and for fans of the originals all our favourite characters are all present. But this time around it doesn’t feel as new and as funny it had previously. Many of the gags just feel depressingly familiar; at the beginning of the film Jim once again gets caught jerking off and Finch has another bathroom moment. While in the original we winced with laughter, here we merely sigh. Also even though the old gang are getting up to their old shenanigans by drinking and wondered about chasing young girls there is an overwhelming sense that they are really old enough to know better now and because of this we lose the original connection we had with them.

Directors Schlossberg and Hurwitz feel like they are trying to appeal to the fan base by cramming in as many old members that they can. The pairing of both Jim’s Dad and Stifler’s mum does raise the occasional giggle (especially during a post-credits scene) but apart from that it just feel like these characters were put in solely to fill up the numbers. American Pie: Reunion was an interesting to fill us in the exploits of our favourite characters post high school but it feels like too long in the making and by this point we have all moved forward with our lives.

The cast does try their best to entertain us with Seann William Scott leading the way as Stifler, although this character is being to look dated, William Scott still provides us with my laughs. Jason Bigg is his usual nervous self as Jim but Alyson Hannigan’s Michelle has lost many of the quirks that made her character so memorable in the first film, her new character although mature just doesn’t seem interesting anymore. The real laughs are left to Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge as Jim’s Dad who prove that there is life in their characters yet.

As much as I want to love this class reunion and leave with my sides aching but I just can’t. It is nice to see everyone again but around this crowd you just want to head for the exit and maybe see them again sometime. It is worth die-hard fans checking this out but be careful of nostalgia, it doesn’t always make things better.

The Kid’s Are Alright: Review of 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord & Chris Miller

By Alex Watson

The original television series of 21 Jump Street, which starred a young Johnny Depp, was a massive hit in the USA from 1987 to 1991. The show followed the exploits of young police officer Tom Hanson who was seconded to a specialist police unit who focused on undercover work in high schools. The show was highly praised by critics for its smart approach to a variety of issues such as AIDS, hate crimes and drug use. It also made a teen idol of Johnny Depp and kick started his career. But in the UK, for many it remains unknown.  So now the new update hits our screens, but with some many high school films coming and going at the box office, how will this new version stand out from the crowd?

The modified story sees former high school class mates, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) who used to social opposites back in the old days. Schmidt was the class nerd, while Jenko was the popular jock. After making a major error when arresting their first suspect, the two are transferred to a re-established unit operating out of 21 Jump Street. Upon arriving they are told by their Captain (Ice Cube) that they will be going undercover in high school to infiltrate a drug ring. But upon their arrival back in their old world, they find school has become a different place from before!

21 Jump Street is one of the most original and funny high school films to come out in recent years. What makes it stand out is a zany quality it has surrounding it. Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall who co-wrote the script provide a variety of laughs, in particular a hilarious sequence when Schmidt and Jenko are forced to take drugs to prove ‘they’re real’ as they go through the different stages we see them undertake a variety of cringing moments.

The real quality of this film is that it stays away from the usual cliques of high school films, in this one the popular kids are smart ones (Dave Franco and Brie Larson) who are concerned about their future and see caring about the environment as a cool thing. The science geeks are as usual under-appreciated but they are by no means the target of bullying. Before we have seen the standard view of high school were jocks and cheerleader reign supreme, it is to Hill and Bacall’s credit that they take this story in a new direction.

In some places however, the film does come slightly off the rails. Although the laughs are there by the bucket load, the story as a result beings to drift as a result. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller at points seem confused about where they are taking the action. But it is in these moments of un-certainty that the film finds some of its biggest laughs, it is credit to the handling by Lord and Miller for pulling the film together when most needed!

Jonah Hill is on safe ground in 21 Jump Street as Schmidt- as a former nerd in his old life, we see the relish on Hill’s face as he is given a second chance at becoming popular. But when he takes it with both hands, it threatens to derail the whole operation! In films such as Superbad and Knocked Up, we have seen his ability to drive the comic moments of a film and in this he doesn’t disappoint. But out of the two leads, Channing Tatum stands out, he gives the movie its heart as the dumb jock who beings to realize that he is better than the facade he has been putting on. Tatum has been promising a lot since his early screen appearances, but in 21 Jump Street he proves to be a skilled comedian and this role he charms us on screen. It will be interesting to see how his career develops from here. There is also a hilarious, scene stealing role from rapper Ice Cube as the cynical and foul mouthed Captain. From the moment he comes on screen, the audience will be howling with laughter as he addresses the newbies with,

“You are here because you some Justin Beaver, Miley Cirus lookin’ muthas.”

At long last we have a high school film that doesn’t follow the same lines as its predecessors. We are given a world where knowledge is power and being different isn’t a crime. Tatum and Hill make a great, albeit unlikely comic pairing and I am counting the days until the new sequel is released! For one of the most off the wall and side splitting comedies of the year- get yourself down to your local multiplex now!