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[BD Review] A Good Retelling Of ‘Carrie’ Is Undone By CG Overuse

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Director Kimberly Peirce’s take on Carrie manages to wring a workable update out of Stephen King’s source material. While not revelatory, it’s a fairly good adaptation that will delight some viewers and make others wonder if it was at all necessary (though it may translate well to younger audiences unfamiliar with the property). The new film reinstates certain elements of King’s book that were missing from Brian De Palma’s classic 1976 film (and gets some mileage out of them), but if you’re looking for anything shockingly new you’re looking in the wrong place.

The new Carrie begins with a prologue that veers sharply into welcomely unfamiliar territory before settling into its retelling, sprinkling additions and subtractions throughout. Of course it’s not as good as De Palma’s interpretation, but it’s also not the stillborn effort many have been expecting since the film’s announcement. In fact, for the bulk of its running time, Carrie is a solid teen movie (despite the “R” rating, the tone indicates that Peirce is directly targeting the demographic she’s depicting).

I don’t mean that as a slight, it’s here – exploring the tortured emotions and souls of high school – where Peirce feels truly engaged. There’s something in her that really gets that torment and she more than ably brings it to the screen. The same goes for the scenes at the White residence. Everything between Carrie and her Mom (played with pale, dry-lipped venom by Julianne Moore) really works. Their relationship is full of contradictory emotions and intentions, all of which boil over nicely (at least when the overuse of CG isn’t an issue).

It also helps that the performances are universally solid (the one exception being Gabriella Wilde’s Sue Snell who is given too little to do). Moore and Judy Greer are standouts and, while I was initially concerned that Chloe Moretz was too poised and confident to inhabit the titular role, she manages to play insecurity nicely. The film’s secret weapon, however, is Portia Doubleday as Chris Hargensen. She is absolutely on fire here, villainous and evil but palpably vulnerable. She’s not on onscreen as much as she should be, but when she does appear the film operates on another level.

Where the film ultimately falters is in its overuse of CGI. A banal battle cry? Perhaps. But the slick manifestations of telekineses ladled over nearly every scene beyond the first act become overwhelming. For every surprisingly honest moment, there’s a needless effect waiting around the corner to undo it. It’s a bummer because all of the digital histrionics on display retroactively make the film’s good decisions look like accidents. There’s a lot of confident, good stuff in Carrie. It’s just a shame that she falls apart at the prom.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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