By Melissa Garza
I wonder how many other women over the age of 30 still enjoy watching a good teenage horror flick. Admittedly, I’m a fan of everything from Sleepaway Camp (1983) to Nightmare on Elm Street (1984); from The House on Sorority Row (1983) to Killer Party (1986). Even cheesy teenage horror like Christine (1983) and Trick or Treat (1986) have their charm and are entertaining in their own right.
Sadly, modern teenage horror movies tend to be without the appeal of the older films. Ever since the 90s, this sub-genre has lost much of its punch. The intensity and entertainment aspects are lost in movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), the Scream franchise and Jennifer’s Body (2009). Still, whenever a new horror film emerges, I get excited and optimistic. Rarely, do I pass up the opportunity to view it upon release.
Without question, this fall I’ll be seeing the new Carrie (2013); though if history is any indication, it will leave much to be desired. For whatever reason, remakes of Stephen King’s films, even when King himself is involved, are especially bad. There were Children of the Corn (2009), Salem’s Lot (2004), The Shining (1997), and even the TV movie Carrie (2002) all of which were atrocious. They were without any of the charisma and magic that made the classics so special. Can the new Carrie capture the essence of the original? I hope so.
The trailer offers little insight into what the film will be. The visuals are intriguing as it appears that an entire city is on fire. Narration is used to provide insight into the downfall of Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz). Classmates of Carrie hint at the magnitude of her downfall.
First and foremost, a quality cast has been chosen. Moretz has proved herself a quality actress though Carrie is a very tough role to step into. Sissy Spacek is one of the greatest stars of all time and a large reason she is so renowned is because of her portrayal as Carrie. She looked like the girl next door and one could easily imagine her being picked on so viciously. Moretz is a beauty queen and despite her acting ability, that may work against her. One has to believe that this girl is going to be made fun of by everyone and bullied constantly. When someone looks like they stepped off the catwalk, it’s difficult to believe that others would be so ruthless with her.
Julianne Moore I believe will be perfect as Carrie’s crazy mother. I’ll be interested to see how much they use her and how different the character is from the original.
I have moderate hopes for the movie and am certainly looking forward to it. I’m hoping it’s not a train wreck as the world needs quality horror productions. The recent Texas Chainsaw 3D does give me hope as I had zero expectations going in and it was quite good.
One thing is for sure, when it is released, I’ll write the review and either encourage you all to see it or advise you to save your cash.
