I’m still bingeing on horror films during this last week before Halloween: I had a recording session last night but before I ran to the studio I caught the second half of the original Child’s Play film and the opening of its sequel. The Chucky marathon was part of AMC’s Fearfest scary cinema programming, and tonight I caught the end of the original Annabelle film from The Conjuring franchise before watching one of my favorite horror movies of all time.

Carrie (1976) is one of the best horror movies ever made. It’s also one of Brian De Palma’s best films, and it’s probably the best adaptation of a Stephen King book that the author likes — King actually thinks the movie is better than his book. There’s a lot to like about seeing Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving and John Travolta when they’re just babies, and Carrie‘s one of the only horror movies nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Actress for Spacek and Best Supporting Actress for Piper Laurie who played Carrie’s repressive, evangelical mother. Carrie was a breakthrough hit for De Palma, and the director’s signature split screens and overhead shots look great here. But I think I like Carrie for the same reason I like Taxi Driver: it’s a poetic but cathartic portrait of a person who comes into their own after being pushed over an existential brink.

Here’s a great making-of featurette that tells the story behind the film. Carrie White forever…

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