It’s hard to overstate the importance Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976) holds in the world of horror. It’s one of the filmmaker’s best movies, for starters, not to mention a showcase for multiple iconic horror performances. It’s also the film that made Stephen King a household name – without Carrie, it’s not unreasonable to imagine the trajectory of King’s career going in a very different direction. It’s a stone-cold, unassailable classic, in other words, and today it’s been added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
The news comes to us from the good folks over at Bloody Disgusting, who noted its inclusion among all of today’s other inductees. Here’s the full list, in case you’d like to see the films the they inducted along with it (and before you ask: yes, House Party is in there):
- Mardi Gras Carnival (1898)
- Cab Calloway Home Movies (1948-1951)
- Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
- Charade (1963)
- Scorpio Rising (1963)
- Behind Every Good Man (1967)
- Titicut Follies (1967)
- Mingus (1968)
- Manzanar (1971)
- Betty Tells Her Story (1972)
- Super Fly (1972)
- Attica (1974)
- Carrie (1976)
- Union Maids (1976)
- Word is Out: Stories of Our Lives (1977)
- Bush Mama (1979)
- The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)
- Itam Hakim, Hopiit (1984)
- Hairspray (1988)
- The Little Mermaid (1989)
- Tongues Untied (1989)
- When Harry Met Sally (1989)
- House Party (1990)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Pariah (2011)
The National Film Registry’s website has a post up offering thoughts on each of the above films’ induction to the club, and has the following to say about Carrie‘s inclusion:
“Brian De Palma stands as an icon of the new wave of filmmakers who remade Hollywood and its filmmaking conventions beginning in the 1960s and 70s. After some intriguing independent efforts, De Palma burst onto the national spotlight with Carrie. Never one to feature subtlety in his films, De Palma mixes up a stylish cauldron of horrific scenes in Carrie, adapted from the Stephen King novel. Combine a teen outcast with telekinetic powers facing abuse from cruel classmates and a domineering religious mother, and you have a breeding ground for revenge, with the comeuppance delivered in a no-holds-barred prom massacre. The flamboyant visual flair and use of countless cinema techniques may occasionally seem overdone, but the film’s influence remains undeniable to this day, often cited by other critics and filmmakers for its impact on the horror genre.”
Well said, National Film Registry!
In related news: when’s the last time you actually sat down and watched Carrie? If you haven’t seen it in years, you might want to consider mounting a rewatch. The film’s overflowing with great moments and performances, from its horrifying opening scene (which perfectly captures the same opening scene in King’s debut novel) to, well, its horrifying final scene, which has been borrowed from, homaged, and/or straight-up ripped off by no small number of horror films over the years. It holds up, big time, and still ranks among the very best King adaptations of all time.
Anyway, congratulations, Carrie! You have once again become the belle of the ball, and we couldn’t be happier for you.
