Title Bout: Carrie Vs. Carrie

In The Red Corner: Carrie (1976). Written by Lawrence D. Cohen and Directed by Brian DePalma with Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, P.J. Soles, and John Travolta

In the Black Corner: Carrie (2013). Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lawrence D. Cohen, Directed by Kimberly Peirce with Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Ansel Elgort, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday, Alex Russell, and Zoe Belkin

Before it was a movie.

Both based on Stephen King’s first published novel, Carrie tells a story of a meek young woman tormented at home by her religious fanatic mother and bullied relentlessly at her high school. She discovers that she has telekinetic powers and, after being pushed too far, unleashes them upon her town.

Round 1 – The Director

DePalma gets to go a touch crazy in the third act, allowing him to explore with all kinds of crazy split screens and close-ups. His work before the prom doesn’t scream horror, but everything works so well, and the tension rises throughout, so I really can’t complain. His opposition, Peirce, does surprisingly well. She manages a slew of fun bits in the finale. Alas, the build up isn’t quite as strong, though I have to wonder if the studio didn’t get in the way.

Round 1 Score: The Original: 15 / The Remake: 12

Round 2 – The Cast

Spacek owns every frame of the original. She gives a truly heartbreaking performance and manages to give the flick a grounding in reality. Laurie is just as good, with her hyper-religious Mrs. White a thing of nightmares. The rest of the original cast is solid, though Irving is probably the strongest. The remake boasts fantastic turns from Moretz and Moore. Moretz plays Carrie with all kinds of sweetness, I really feel for the girl. Moore’s Mrs. White seems more grounded into reality, something that makes her more terrifying. Oh, And Elgort is down right amazing as the guy trying to do good.

Round 2 Score: The Original: 18 / The Remake: 16

Round 3 – The Script

King’s original book works because of its nontraditional process. Alas, that does make the adaptation a little more challenging. The original does alright, though it struggles in maximizing all of the setups and could use a little more work in driving the second act along. The original struggles in the same way, but gets points for an alright use of updating the nature of the bullying. Alas, the secondary characters in the Carrie remake couldn’t be more bland or pointless.

Round 3 Score: The Original: 10 / The Remake: 10

Round 4 –  The Effects

Carrie (1976) gets what it can out of a limited budget, with a few moments looking really solid. DePalma also helps by employing the split screen to help make everything feel more insane. Alas, King’s novel provides plenty of other opportunities that the 1976 film doesn’t capitalize on. The remake actually fares a little better, with a more encompassing prom destruction and more developed use of Carrie’s skills.

Round 4 Score: The Original: 12/ The Remake: 15

Round 5 – The Scare Factor

Alas, neither of these flicks end up being all too terrifying. While the remake is more intense in its conclusion, the original plays down Carrie’s humanity once she loses it. The makes her seem more like an unstoppable force of nature, and thus more terrifying. The remake makes a stronger case for Carrie revenging herself on her bullies, which allows a kind cathartic release without the scare factor.

Round 5 Score: The Original: 10 / The Remake: 5

Final Result: Carrie (1976) – 65/100 vs. Carrie (2013) –  58/100

Despite a strong cast and decent effects, the Carrie remake just can’t stand up to the original.