Carrie

While Stephen King's 1974 novel and Brian De Palma's 1976 film are both undisputed horror classics, director Kimberly Peirce brings a contemporary dimension to her remake of this coming-of-age story, playing on the fact that teenage bullying has become a social-media-inflamed crisis. Quivering, vulnerable Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a naïve, troubled high school outcast so overzealously sheltered by her religious fanatic mother, Margaret (Julianne Moore), that when her first menstrual period arrives after gym class, Carrie is terrified that she's dying. The locker-room mean girls cruelly mock her, tossing tampons and screaming, “Plug it up!” Using her cell-phone to make a video, Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday) posts it on the web. When the gym teacher, Ms. Desjardin (Judy Greer), realizes what's happening, Carrie's classmates are reprimanded. Conflicted Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde) has regrets, but nasty Chris is defiant, which leads to her being suspended--meaning no prom. Smugly determined to take revenge against Carrie, Chris has no idea what kind of retaliation lies in store for her; along with the onset of puberty, Carrie has just become aware of her telekinetic powers. The scary, albeit campy, humor of De Palma's film has been replaced by an insidiously pervasive sadness. Gory and gruesome, Carrie is a downer of a bloodbath that feels far too evocative of today's real-life violence. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette (21 min.), a "Telekinetic Coffee Show Surprise" prank (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an audio commentary by director Kimberly Peirce, deleted/alternate scenes including an alternate ending (11 min.), the production featurettes "The Power of Telekinesis" (4 min.) and "Tina On Fire: Stunt Double Dailies" (2 min.), and bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a so-so remake.] (S. Granger)