The Many Faces of Carrie

Written by Kyle Slagley

High school is arguably one of life’s most awkward times. Not only are you expected to get up at the crack of dawn to listen to Mr. Philips drone on about the coefficient of friction as it relates to the physics of gravity (or something like that), but you’re also supposed to discover who you are socially, physically, and professionally!

All of this can be torture to even the hardiest of teenagers, but in his usual – and brilliantly twisted – way, Stephen King made it even more difficult for Carrie White. Even those that have never read the novel are familiar with the basic premise of Carrie, the debut novel that launched King’s infamous career as horror-storyteller-extraordinaire.

Carrie is an awkward and unpopular teenager struggling against the incessant teasing and taunting of her classmates. Upon discovering her telekinetic powers, she gets even with her vicious classmates in a violent and bloody melee that leaves her small town in ruins.

When King wrote the novel while living in a trailer, he concluded that he had written a flop. He was pinching pennies so tightly that in 1974 his publisher had to send a telegram to tell him the book had been accepted because he’d had his phone line disconnected to save money. Carrie would go on to sell over 15 million copies and launch his career.

The film adaptation starred Sissy Spacek and would come out in 1976 to mostly positive reviews. The film is now widely regarded as one of the best classic horror movies ever made and is one of the few horror films to ever receive multiple Oscar nominations. King himself was quoted as saying Carrie was “a good movie.”

Even though Carrie is now 40 years old, the fascination with the story is still very prevalent. On September 25, Ghostlight Records released the studio album of Carrie: The Musical, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Broadway charts. The album is from the 2012 revival cast and is the first time the show has been released on CD; the Original Broadway Cast of 1988 never recorded a soundtrack.

The Off-Broadway revival of the musical ran for 34 previews and 46 performances earlier this year, closing on April 8. Despite the relatively short life of the revival, it fared much better than the original, which in 1988 cost over $7 million to produce and closed after 16 previews and 5 performances – the most expensive flop in Broadway history at the time.

As if all that weren’t enough, the film industry has decided that one film isn’t enough. Next year, a remake will be released starring Chloe Moretz as Carrie. Though the trailer (http://youtu.be/RaHzUMq8iaM) reveals virtually no details about the film, it is said to be “a more faithful adaptation” than the 1976 version, which deviated from the book significantly.

Though the remake will obviously benefit King, after hearing about it he supposedly said “Why, when the movie was so good?” We’ll have to wait and see what his reaction is after the film releases on March 15, 2013.