Carrie at 50: The Movie That Never Stopped Being Relevant

Carrie turns 50, and Bloody Good Horror is going back to Brian De Palma's 1976 classic to figure out why it still hits so hard.

Based on Stephen King's first published novel, Carrie became a landmark horror film thanks to Sissy Spacek's unforgettable performance, Piper Laurie's terrifying turn as Margaret White, and De Palma's wildly inventive visual style. But watching it again 50 years later reveals a movie that is doing much more than building toward that infamous prom sequence.

We dig into the film's complicated relationship with sexuality, religious repression, female power, bullying, and coming of age, and discuss why this version of Carrie can actually feel more relevant today than some of its more recent adaptations. We also break down De Palma's use of split screens, color, camera movement and visual language, and why the movie's slow burn makes the chaos of its final act so effective.

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00:00 Welcome to Our Carrie 1976 50th Anniversary Review 01:49 De Palma Hot Take From Scarface to Carrie 03:39 Word of the Day Epistolary and King Novel Origins 06:03 1976 Cultural Context Movies and Music 10:21 Carrie Plot Recap 14:20 Rachel Take 18:55 Casey Take 20:43 John Take 24:41 Eric Take 31:13 Religious Extremism Sexuality and Mother Themes 36:10 Score Split Screen and Filming Style 39:01 Chris Hargensen Power and Teen Cruelty 40:58 Remakes Sequels and Modernizing Carrie 47:08 TV Adaptation Rant 50:34 Carrie Trivia 56:03 Back Half Patron Shout Outs Plus Rob Savage Interview 01:02:23 News 01:22:10 Fan Mail and Listener Questions 01:29:38 Final Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices