So, take this double feature as you will. Maybe you'll agree with my assessment of the themes of these films, maybe you'll just appreciate the different tones about people in the same kind of situation. Either way, I'm glad you're reading.
HOW THIS WORKS
Step 1) I pick a movie.
Step 2) I tell you about the movie.
Step 3) I tell you what we're looking for in a double feature movie.
Step 4) Another movie!
Step 5) Victory!
Carrie
1976, Directed by Brian De Palma
Does everyone in the room know how Carrie ends? I feel like everyone in the room knows how Carrie ends. It's one of the more iconic final acts in horror history, if you ask me. Well, JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T, THIS IS A WARNING THAT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS POST. Hence the all caps. I don't like to talk about spoilers, but I kinda think I have to this week.
If you haven't seen it - just go watch Carrie. Get the original. You'll be alright. I appreciate you reading this far.
"If only they knew she had the power."
Being a teenager is pretty rough, we all know that. But I also think it's rougher for young women. Some would say that's a generalization, but I think it's a fact. If you don't want to accept that, this post might not be for you.
If you know Carrie, you know it's the story of a seemingly ordinary young woman who has extraordinary powers. Carrie White is her name, and her power comes in the form of telekenesis, which allows her to move objects with her mind. Unfortunately for Carrie, the power seems to manifest the most when Carrie is upset. Like her first menstrual experience - which we see in the film's opening credit sequence, she's not prepared to deal with these powers when she recognizes them.
I emphasized the tagline from the film's poster above, because it gives us an important warning - no one knows that Carrie has this power. So she doesn't have a lot of support to deal with them when she realizes what she can do. The only person she seems to feel connected to is Tommy, a boy she's attracted to romantically (due to his gigantic curly hair and his poetic talent, obviously), and her feelings toward him are somewhat confusing to her. The reason for her confusion is obvious to the viewer - Tommy is partially being nice to Carrie because his girlfriend feels regret for bullying Carrie and wants Tommy to take her to the prom as a kind gesture - but Carrie only knows that one of the most popular boys in school is the only person who seems to be interested in being nice to her. Based on her past experiences, it's easy to see why she doesn't trust that.
If you're one of the people who knows how Carrie ends, you know what the biggest tragedy in the film is. But I'm of the mindset that this aspect of Carrie's existence - her inability to trust anything because she's so used to being treated poorly by the people around her - is a strong candidate to be the saddest thing about her story. It stems from the bullying she deals with, but more than that it comes from her overbearing mother, whose religious fanaticism blocks Carrie from her right to expect good, rational guidance from her mother. Her mother obviously cares about Carrie, but her care is based around what she wants Carrie to be, not who Carrie is. And that sets Carrie up to fail, despite her power.
Also involved in Carrie's misfortune are the educators responsible for preparing her for life, most notably Miss Collins, the physical education teacher at her school. Miss Collins is probably the most heroic character in the film; she does try hard to support Carrie. But she never really stops to ask what's going on with Carrie, she just tries to build Carrie up her own way and then focuses on punishing the bullies that are making Carrie's life difficult. That's not a bad thing - again, Miss Collins is certainly trying - but you have to wonder if things would have turned out differently if she had tried to understand Carrie more personally and find out what is actually going on in her life.
If you listen to discussions about the making of the film, you'll hear a few rumors about why Miss Collins, played by Betty Buckley, faced the fate she did in the film. Most of these are based on behind the scenes issues between cast and crew, so I might be reaching when I assign meaning to her fate in the film. It's a departure from Stephen King's novel, which gives some credence to the idea that director Brian De Palma had his own reasons for offing the character. Still, I think the choice to show her as one of the adults who breaks into laughter when Carrie is at her weakest - and most dangerous - point, does at least partially justify her fate to this viewer. Someone with trust issues with deep roots, like Carrie, only needs the smallest provocation to lose their faith in someone, no matter how helpful that person has been to them. This is another one of the film's great tragedies, regardless of the director's intent.
Carrie works as a horror film due to King's marvelous story and Brian De Palma's iconic style, and Carrie works as a character because young Sissy Spacek is able to make her so vulnerable and meek in the face of everything she has to deal with. The horror film aspect is more than enough to make this one of the all-time horror classics, but it's the character and her tortured journey through the film that really makes this a movie worth thinking about today.
Which takes me back to that ominous tagline: what if they knew she had the power? What if someone - anyone - was willing to help Carrie White along the way? What if her mother wasn't a nut job, or what if her teacher really talked to her and listened to her and helped her learn more about herself? What if her classmates who were upset by how their peers treated Carrie - and there are a few we see in the film - stood up for her and backed her up? Maybe Carrie could have controlled her power and used it differently. Maybe she'd have joined the X-Men (not sure if they're in this time line, but it's worth a shot) or maybe she at least would have been able to lead a relatively ordinary life, while maintaining the ability to get a beverage from the fridge while staying on the couch. (Let's be real, that's an ordinary life any of us could get behind.)
None of that happened, and that's what makes Carrie such a tragic story. Which, despite how great the film is, sucks. Carrie deserved better in the hands of the people in her life. She had power. We don't know whether she was chosen for this power, if she inherited it from someone, or any other explanation for how her life became what it was. But she never got the chance to harness it, because she didn't have support and she wasn't given the tools to be strong enough to deal with it. Again, that's a bummer.
So let's talk about a movie where that happens. It's a horror movie too - one with a comedic tone, but still a horror tale - and one that's been overshadowed (possibly rightfully, but I still defend it with all my might) by a remake. That remake - one of the most beloved horror shows in television history - probably builds a case for a sort of Anti-Carrie better than the film does. Alas, my heart still beats for this one.
If you're one of the people who knows how Carrie ends, you know what the biggest tragedy in the film is. But I'm of the mindset that this aspect of Carrie's existence - her inability to trust anything because she's so used to being treated poorly by the people around her - is a strong candidate to be the saddest thing about her story. It stems from the bullying she deals with, but more than that it comes from her overbearing mother, whose religious fanaticism blocks Carrie from her right to expect good, rational guidance from her mother. Her mother obviously cares about Carrie, but her care is based around what she wants Carrie to be, not who Carrie is. And that sets Carrie up to fail, despite her power.
If you listen to discussions about the making of the film, you'll hear a few rumors about why Miss Collins, played by Betty Buckley, faced the fate she did in the film. Most of these are based on behind the scenes issues between cast and crew, so I might be reaching when I assign meaning to her fate in the film. It's a departure from Stephen King's novel, which gives some credence to the idea that director Brian De Palma had his own reasons for offing the character. Still, I think the choice to show her as one of the adults who breaks into laughter when Carrie is at her weakest - and most dangerous - point, does at least partially justify her fate to this viewer. Someone with trust issues with deep roots, like Carrie, only needs the smallest provocation to lose their faith in someone, no matter how helpful that person has been to them. This is another one of the film's great tragedies, regardless of the director's intent.
Carrie works as a horror film due to King's marvelous story and Brian De Palma's iconic style, and Carrie works as a character because young Sissy Spacek is able to make her so vulnerable and meek in the face of everything she has to deal with. The horror film aspect is more than enough to make this one of the all-time horror classics, but it's the character and her tortured journey through the film that really makes this a movie worth thinking about today.
None of that happened, and that's what makes Carrie such a tragic story. Which, despite how great the film is, sucks. Carrie deserved better in the hands of the people in her life. She had power. We don't know whether she was chosen for this power, if she inherited it from someone, or any other explanation for how her life became what it was. But she never got the chance to harness it, because she didn't have support and she wasn't given the tools to be strong enough to deal with it. Again, that's a bummer.
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Now is the point where we diverge from the normal format of The Mike's Double Feature Picture Show. Because I don't want to have another movie that's a bummer. I want a young woman to succeed. I want her to have the confidence and support to use her power in a positive way.So let's talk about a movie where that happens. It's a horror movie too - one with a comedic tone, but still a horror tale - and one that's been overshadowed (possibly rightfully, but I still defend it with all my might) by a remake. That remake - one of the most beloved horror shows in television history - probably builds a case for a sort of Anti-Carrie better than the film does. Alas, my heart still beats for this one.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
1992, Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui
If you know this movie, you can probably understand why I initially thought pairing it with Carrie was a bit of a joke. It's a flawed horror comedy in a lot of ways, especially if you ask its writer, Joss Whedon, who hated the final product (but still had the opportunity to turn his idea into the iconic series five years later).
If you weren't there when Buffy The Vampire Slayer hit the big screen - and especially if you were there when she hit the small screen - odds are you agree with Whedon and might not have much affection for the first adaptation of Buffy's story. I get that. But I was there, in the theater, back in 1992 - and I fell in love with Buffy that day. Sure, that's partially because Kristy Swanson was a gorgeous sight to 11 year old Mike. (In fairness, I fell in love with Sarah Michelle Gellar as a 16 year old too - I have a type, apparently, and that type is VAMPIRE KILLER.) But I also fell for her because the character was unlike a lot of the women I was used to from the few horror movies I had seen before that point in my life. She was strong, she kicked butt, and she was definitely a slayer.
We can't forget, however, that Buffy wasn't always a slayer. She wasn't as clueless as Carrie White was before she learned of her powers - yes, in this universe slaying is basically a super power - but she wasn't empowered. She was just a cheerleader, a shopper, and a young woman who was adapting to her world. Those are three things it's perfectly OK for any young woman to be, but Buffy was chosen for a greater calling. Unlike Carrie White, Buffy was able to harness her powers.
One of the many differences between Buffy and Carrie is that Buffy has a lot of support and is given a lot of knowledge about her gift. Like Carrie, she doesn't get that support from her mother, who seems to be completely uninterested in her life. She also doesn't get much support in school, the only scenes we see with her teachers there only makes us wonder why anyone would ever consider going to her school at all.
Things for Buffy get a boost when we learn that the gift of being the slayer comes with a built in support system, in the form of a mysterious "watcher" (it's less creepy than it sounds) named Merrick, played by Donald (Freakin') Sutherland. Buffy isn't ready to embrace her powers when she first meets Merrick, but he's patient with her while being persistent in trying to help her realize her skills. Sutherland's Merrick isn't the most inspirational character you'll find in a horror film, but he's kind and consistent and does the best he can to convince Buffy that her skills matter and can be used to help people.
Also supporting Buffy is her love interest, Oliver (Luke Perry). We know that Carrie also had the support of the young man in her life, it's just that Carrie didn't have enough confidence to trust that support, and when she did it was too late for her. Buffy has had her confidence built up through the successes in her teen years and her popularity, but she still has to open herself up to different experiences to harness her powers as a slayer and meeting and being understood by someone outside of her comfort zone is one of the keys that motivates her to face the (actual) demons she must stand up to.
(I do find it a little bit problematic that Buffy's main supports in the film are both male characters, and do feel like Whedon improved greatly upon this in the television series. The last thing I want this post to say is that women need male support and male protection only, because that's incredibly far from what I believe. We'll talk more about this later, but it felt like a good time to point this out.)
Buffy isn't a perfect person, and you could argue easily that Carrie White is a more virtuous character at the start of each of their journeys. The sad reality of these films, and of life, is that it really doesn't matter what someone's intentions are unless they are given the tools to use their own gifts in a positive manner. Buffy shines in her role as a slayer, fights off a bunch of intimidating vampires (I'd hate myself if I didn't at least shout out to Paul Reubens and Rutger Hauer for their turns in this film, which are as entertaining as you'd expect turns from Paul Reubens and Rutger Hauer to be), and finds love. At the end of it all, we get the sense that she's ready to take on whatever happens next.
I wish so badly that these things would have happened for Carrie.
I also wish that these things would happen for all the young women in the world, even if they aren't telekenetic masterminds or super-powered vampire killers. This double feature was originally intended to be a comical look at two films with similar set ups - young woman with surprising power, struggle to understand and harness said power, high school dance - that tackle the issues in radically different ways.
But inspiration comes in the strangest packages sometimes. The more I thought about this ridiculous double feature, the more I thought about the women in my life. I'm blessed to know a lot of strong women, and I'm blessed to know a lot of young women who need help finding their strength. When I stopped to process my thoughts on these characters and these movies in relation to the women in my life, I couldn't stop myself from thinking of these women.
At the heart of both films, despite their supernatural themes, is a simple message: these young women need support. They are powerful. They are warriors. They are everything we need to keep society running, and they can preserve the good in the world someday. It is possible that they can do this on their own. But the odds are they're going to need someone to be there for them at some point.
From the moment we realize that, the challenge goes out to all of us. To the fathers and the mothers, to family members of all kinds. To Teachers, and to mentors. To friends, and to strangers. Will you be there for them? Will you support them? Will you accept them, no matter what their gift is, and be there to help them find their way?
If your answer to the above questions is yes, you're on the right path. It's probably not going to be easy, but you never know how much it might mean to them if you are there with your support and acceptance. It might help them avoid the fate of Carrie White and it might even help them fulfill their destiny, just like Buffy. It might save their life.
The poster for Carrie pondered what it would be like if "they knew she had the power."
I'm wondering why we can't just treat all women like they have the power.
I'm thinking the time to start treating them that way is now.
If you weren't there when Buffy The Vampire Slayer hit the big screen - and especially if you were there when she hit the small screen - odds are you agree with Whedon and might not have much affection for the first adaptation of Buffy's story. I get that. But I was there, in the theater, back in 1992 - and I fell in love with Buffy that day. Sure, that's partially because Kristy Swanson was a gorgeous sight to 11 year old Mike. (In fairness, I fell in love with Sarah Michelle Gellar as a 16 year old too - I have a type, apparently, and that type is VAMPIRE KILLER.) But I also fell for her because the character was unlike a lot of the women I was used to from the few horror movies I had seen before that point in my life. She was strong, she kicked butt, and she was definitely a slayer.
We can't forget, however, that Buffy wasn't always a slayer. She wasn't as clueless as Carrie White was before she learned of her powers - yes, in this universe slaying is basically a super power - but she wasn't empowered. She was just a cheerleader, a shopper, and a young woman who was adapting to her world. Those are three things it's perfectly OK for any young woman to be, but Buffy was chosen for a greater calling. Unlike Carrie White, Buffy was able to harness her powers.
Things for Buffy get a boost when we learn that the gift of being the slayer comes with a built in support system, in the form of a mysterious "watcher" (it's less creepy than it sounds) named Merrick, played by Donald (Freakin') Sutherland. Buffy isn't ready to embrace her powers when she first meets Merrick, but he's patient with her while being persistent in trying to help her realize her skills. Sutherland's Merrick isn't the most inspirational character you'll find in a horror film, but he's kind and consistent and does the best he can to convince Buffy that her skills matter and can be used to help people.
Also supporting Buffy is her love interest, Oliver (Luke Perry). We know that Carrie also had the support of the young man in her life, it's just that Carrie didn't have enough confidence to trust that support, and when she did it was too late for her. Buffy has had her confidence built up through the successes in her teen years and her popularity, but she still has to open herself up to different experiences to harness her powers as a slayer and meeting and being understood by someone outside of her comfort zone is one of the keys that motivates her to face the (actual) demons she must stand up to.
(I do find it a little bit problematic that Buffy's main supports in the film are both male characters, and do feel like Whedon improved greatly upon this in the television series. The last thing I want this post to say is that women need male support and male protection only, because that's incredibly far from what I believe. We'll talk more about this later, but it felt like a good time to point this out.)
Buffy isn't a perfect person, and you could argue easily that Carrie White is a more virtuous character at the start of each of their journeys. The sad reality of these films, and of life, is that it really doesn't matter what someone's intentions are unless they are given the tools to use their own gifts in a positive manner. Buffy shines in her role as a slayer, fights off a bunch of intimidating vampires (I'd hate myself if I didn't at least shout out to Paul Reubens and Rutger Hauer for their turns in this film, which are as entertaining as you'd expect turns from Paul Reubens and Rutger Hauer to be), and finds love. At the end of it all, we get the sense that she's ready to take on whatever happens next.
I also wish that these things would happen for all the young women in the world, even if they aren't telekenetic masterminds or super-powered vampire killers. This double feature was originally intended to be a comical look at two films with similar set ups - young woman with surprising power, struggle to understand and harness said power, high school dance - that tackle the issues in radically different ways.
But inspiration comes in the strangest packages sometimes. The more I thought about this ridiculous double feature, the more I thought about the women in my life. I'm blessed to know a lot of strong women, and I'm blessed to know a lot of young women who need help finding their strength. When I stopped to process my thoughts on these characters and these movies in relation to the women in my life, I couldn't stop myself from thinking of these women.
At the heart of both films, despite their supernatural themes, is a simple message: these young women need support. They are powerful. They are warriors. They are everything we need to keep society running, and they can preserve the good in the world someday. It is possible that they can do this on their own. But the odds are they're going to need someone to be there for them at some point.
From the moment we realize that, the challenge goes out to all of us. To the fathers and the mothers, to family members of all kinds. To Teachers, and to mentors. To friends, and to strangers. Will you be there for them? Will you support them? Will you accept them, no matter what their gift is, and be there to help them find their way?
If your answer to the above questions is yes, you're on the right path. It's probably not going to be easy, but you never know how much it might mean to them if you are there with your support and acceptance. It might help them avoid the fate of Carrie White and it might even help them fulfill their destiny, just like Buffy. It might save their life.
The poster for Carrie pondered what it would be like if "they knew she had the power."
I'm wondering why we can't just treat all women like they have the power.
I'm thinking the time to start treating them that way is now.
