Blu-ray Review: Carrie (Arrow Video)

School, the workplace, social media... the reprehensible act of bullying today has more outlets than ever before, making Brian De Palma's "Carrie" particularly relevant in
this day and age.
Meet Carrie White (Sissy Spacek): a put-upon high school girl who lives with her religious zealot mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie), and is a prime example of a troubled teen
who must deal with a motley crew of girls and guys.

The offending party is headed by Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen) and Billy Nolan (John Travolta), with PJ Soles and cohorts adding their support to a most unsavory project.
Carrie befriended by PE teacher Miss Collins (Betty Buckley), who takes this troubled girl under her wing as tampons fly during her first period amidst a throng of cat-calling
teens. It's just as well Carrie has an alternative mother figure in her life as support at home is zero, thanks to her domineering mother who prefers Carrie to be shut away from any potential friends and admirers who may introduce her to real life.

Based on Stephen King's debut novel, De Palma's film cats Sissy Spacek as probably the most naturally beautiful girl in the picture, shy and awkward but with special qualities
to entrance the right suitor.
She also possesses the power to move objects at will; something that's triggered by rage whenever the situation feels threatening to her. Tommy Ross (William Katt) slowly comes to recognise her beauty and her pesonality, when his girlfriend Sue (Amy Irving) persuades him to escort Carrie to the school prom where things go very badly wrong.
The high school shoot is a prime example of De Palma's special brand of filmmaking prowess, beautifully lit with economic use of split-screen photography and tensioncranked up to 11.
The cast - several of whom made their film debuts here - are uniformally excellent, split between the good, the inbetween and the downright ugly, who are all ultimately tarred
by the same brush.
It's certainly a rip-roaring finale, leading up to that famous 'jump' moment that helps make this film such a memorable one.

"Carrie" has certainly stood the test of time, emerging as one of the very best King adaptations and a most worthy inclusion in Horror's Hall of Fame.

Arrow Video's Blu-ray release unveils a 4k scan that really shows off the intricate lighting with strong, stable colours.
The extras begin with a commentary track from Lee Gambin and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.
The pair deliver an informative track, taking in critical reception to the film and addressing accusations of De Palma as a misogynist.Lee talks about Piper Laurie - not first choice for the role - and Alexandra goes into the use of space in this film. King's book, the mythological feel to the prom and De Palma's lighting of his female cast members are just a few of the additional things discussed in this enlightening talk.

Next up is "Acting Carrie" (42m 42s)
This is a 2001 featurette, comprising of interviews with De Palma (who calls this film "one of the great cast experiences"), Amy Irving, art director Jack Fisk and others.
Key scenes are discussed, including the prom and shower scenes.
"More Acting Carrie" (20m 19s)
A continuation of the previous featurette, with input from Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley and William Katt who discuss the script, rehearsals and De Palma's energy.
"Visualising Carrie: From words to Images" (41m 33s)
De Palma, scriptwriter Lawrence D Cohen, editor Paul Hirsch and Jack Fisk discuss the FX shots; Pino Donnagio's wonderful score; the first draft of the screenplay and the famous 'rain of stones scene that was left out of the finished product.
"Singing Carrie:The Musical" (6m 24s)
This is another 2001 featurette, where Cohen recalls how a night at the theatre inspired thoughts of a musical, and Betty Buckley (who played a different character in the stage version) tells how one particular performance went from boos to a standing ovation at the finale.
"Writing Carrie" (29m 7s) 2016
Here, Lawrence D Cohen talks about King's novel, explaining why it was decided not to include that literally heart-stopping scene. He also explains the challenges posed on this production, and there's a great midnight screening story.
"Shooting Carrie (15m 22s) 2016
This is an interview with cinematographer Mario Tosi, who talks about his mix-up approach to lighting this film and about the tools he had back in the day, comparing them to today's ultra high tech world.
"Cutting Carrie" (25m 9s)
A 2016 interview with editor Paul Hirsch, who explains why he was less than enthusiastic about the split-screen device and waxes lyrical on the freedom De Palma gave him.
"Casting Carrie" (16m 3s)
A 2016 interview with casting director Harriet B Helberg, who reveals how Spacek got into character for her screentest; her thoughts on the film and why they were initially unsure about one of the characters.
"Bucket of Blood" (23m 53s)
A 2016 interview with composer Pino Donnagio, who talks about how "Carrie" changed his life and reflects on De Palma, Bernard Herrmann and the challenges posed by the film.
"Horror's Hallowed Grounds" (11m 25s)
A look at the film's original locations, including the pig farm and the high school playing field.
"Comparing Carrie (20m 43s)
A visual essay from Jonathan Bygraves comparing the 3 screen versions of "Carrie": the 1976 original, the 2002 TV film and the 2013 adaptation.
Margaret White's character; the use of telekinetic powers and timelines are just some of the subjects discussed.

The extras are rounded off with an alternate TV opening; photo gallery; trailer; TV spots; radio spots and a "Carrie" trailer reel.
There's also a booklet (which I haven't seen), comprising of new writing on the film by Neil Mitchell, author of Devil s Advocates: Carrie, a reprint of the Final Girls 40th anniversary Carrie zine, and an archive interview with Brian De Palma.
It's so good to see a classic film receive such reverential treatment.

Blu-ray Review: 3 Women (Arrow Academy)

The film industry is all about dreams, and Robert Altman's "3 Women" has its roots in a dream experienced by the director while his wife lay ill in hospital.
Millie Lammoreaux (Shelley Duvall) works as a therapist at the Desert Springs senior care centre, helping the aged during their final years. Millie is a word-aholic, endlessly talking to colleagues and neighbours who largely ignore her endless patter.

Enter Pinkie Rose (Sissy Spacek) who starts work at the centre, and is immediately taken with Millie's personality, telling her she's the most perfect person she's ever met.
While Millie spins tales of her male conquests and tries so hard to make them a reality, Pinkie stays in the background, causing Millie to react in an increasingly harsh manner.

The 3rd woman in this triangle is Willie (Janice Rule); the pregnant spouse of Edgar Hart (Robert Fortier) who claims he used to be a stunt double, and who divides most of his time between drinking and cheating on his wife. Willie reveals a talent for painting and it's her work that creates a series of striking murals depicting strange creatures. While she has little dialogue to deliver, Willie cuts an imposing presence whenever she's on screen, and has a major part to play before the credits roll.

Pinkie's character is another interesting one to follow, and undergoes a real sea-change following a fateful incident which also has a profound effect on Millie. Shelley Duvall actually wrote a lot of the dialogue for her character which was basically a magazine creation, following advice and trends in an attempt to become the type of person she'd read about. Her relationship with Pinkie establishes her as the dominant one, barely tolerating the new kid in town who possibly reminds her of the person she used to be before fake trappings took over.

Those of you yet to see this film, and who number Bergman's "Persona" and Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" as firm favourites will find much to stimulate and intrigue with "3 Women". The relationships, the transformations, the use of water and mirrors, even the dream sequence combine to make this an essential film in Robert Altman's illustrious career.
It's also a film that's difficult to get a handle on, though there's a conversation on twins (inspired by sisters who also work at the centre) that's says a lot about the central theme here, and its development en route to the haunting finale.

The Blu-ray presentation emphasises the overexposed, desaturated colours, with stable images and delicately handled grain.
The soundtrack is clear as a bell, with dialogue easy to follow (optional English SDH subtitles are available, but as someone who has hearing problems I didn't need them) and Gerald Busby's eerie atonal score is clear and crisp, greatly adding to the overwhelming sense of foreboding.

The supplementary features begin with a Shelley Duvall interview (5m 45s) in Cannes where she won Best Actress (Spacek won in New York for her performance as Pinkie). She recalls how her acting career began in a most unusal manner, and goes on to discuss her role in "3 Women". She explains how Altman shot in sequence as much as possible and why he got to really know his cast prior to commencing shooting.

'David Thompson On 3 Women' is a 37m 7s video essay by David Thompson, editor of "Altman On Altman" and was recorded in May 2015.
David talks about the director's early industrial films and his television work, prior to gracing the big screen.
We hear about Altman's interest in personality exchange; the dream that inspired "3 Women"; how he saw Spacek as "a lost soul looking for a body to inhabit" and how he saw her in "Welcome To L.A. and decided to cast her.
We also learn why Willie's dialogue was stripped down. It's a bonus feature to savour before settlign down to watch the film again as "3 Women" will richly reward multiple viewings.
A gallery and theatrical trailer draw the curtain on the disc itself, although there is another extra in the form of a booklet containing essays, stills and notes on the transfer.
"Women In The Dunes" by David Jenkins provides background on the film, and explores each of the leading 3 female characters.
There's also an extract from David Thompson's "Altman On Altman", where the director talks about the dream sequence (which he didn't particularly care for); a painting he did that was the genesis of his film; Gerald Busby's score and his admiration for the performances.

"3 Women" is available to buy now. it's locked to Region B, and is highly recommended.