CARRIE (1976) Midnights This Weekend at The Moolah

“Pimples are the Lord’s way of chastising you.”

CARRIE (1976)  screens Midnights this weekend (April 28th and 29th) at The Moolah Theater and Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108) as part of  Destroy the Brain’s monthly Late Night Grindhouse film series.

Over the past few decades, almost everything ever written by Stephen King has been filmed for either TV or the silver screen; however, very few of these adaptations have come close to matching the extremely high standard set by CARRIE the first King novel to receive the movie treatment, way back in 1976 (which is when I first saw it at the old Webster Groves Cinema – double feature with DEMON SEED!).

Directed by Brian De Palma, this superb supernatural horror stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy and awkward teenage girl who is mercilessly bullied at high-school and further tormented at home by her overbearing, religious zealot mother (Piper Laurie). To make matters worse, at the same time as Carrie experiences her first period (during the film’s unforgettable opening shower sequence), she also discovers that she has developed telekinetic abilities that get more powerful but less controllable as she becomes increasingly distressed.

When a group of spiteful classmates (led by the gorgeous Nancy Allen and a young John Travolta) implement a nasty plan to humiliate Carrie during prom night, the poor girl finally snaps and unleashes her full psychic wrath on the unsuspecting revelers.

Determined to impress with his first major Hollywood movie, director De Palma pulls out all the stops to bring Lawrence D. Cohen’s excellent screenplay to life, displaying a confident and flamboyant style full of the fluid, gliding camera movements and impressive visual trickery that would eventually become synonymous with his work; these stunning visuals, combined with a lush orchestral score by Pino Donaggio and faultless performances from an amazing cast go to make Carrie an unmissable experience. Spacek’s central performance is astonishing: her touching portrayal of the vulnerable and withdrawn Carrie—always wary, yet aching for acceptance—is heartbreaking and anyone who has suffered the indignity of bullying will no doubt find the fiery prom night massacre a strangely cathartic experience. Also worthy of praise are Piper Laurie as Margaret White, who mistakenly believes that she is protecting her daughter, but is actually doing much more harm than good (although her motherly advice about skipping the prom was, for once, right on the money), William Katt as Carrie’s well-meaning prom date Tommy Ross, and Amy Irving as repentant bully Sue Snell, who is unable to thwart her school-pals’ cruel trick.

Stylish, beautiful, tragic, shocking, and even occasionally humorous, CARRIE is an absolute classic that deserves to be enjoyed again on the big screen and you’ll have the chance this weekend at The Moolah!

A Facebook invite for the Friday show can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/1244354125633856/

A Facebook invite for the Saturday show can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/371910453196131/

TICKETS ARE $7 AND YOU CAN BUY THEM ONLINE VIA MOOLAH’S WEBSITE.

THE PSYCHOTRONIC PRE-SHOW STARTS AROUND 11:30P WITH THE FILM STARTING AT MIDNIGHT.

The Moolah Theatre & Lounge serves alcohol until 2:30AM! Feel free to show up early and stay late to have some drinks and get friendly with the amazing Moolah staff.