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Movie Review
‘Carrie’ falls short of expectations by
Christopher Garcia Contributing Writer
When the remake to Brian de Palma’s 1976 classic film “Carrie” was first announced, a slew of collective groans
Carrie Directed by Kimberly Peirce Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde arose not just from critics, but also from fans of the original and of the horror genre. This second version of “Carrie” seemed destined to fit right in among the constant hammering of awful big-budget Hollywood remakes of classic horror movies, like the new spin on “Prom Night” (2008), the modern take on “Halloween” (2007) and a particularly poorly received “The Fog” (2005). However, the orginal skepticism surrounding the film began to wane as more details emerged — like the fact that Kimberly Peirce, the director of the 1999 indie classic “Boys Don’t Cry,” would be at the helm of the project. Audiences and critics felt optimistic upon learning that Chloë Grace Moretz of “Kick-Ass” (2010) and “Let Me In” (2010) fame would star as the eponymous Carrie, with Oscar nominee Julianne Moore taking on the role of Carrie’s fanatically religious mother. There is plenty that “Carrie” does right, but it seems that for every time it succeeds, something else detracts from its overall quality. Oftentimes, it’s a bad piece of dialogue that feels uninspired, dull or soporific. At other moments, it’s the fact that the film’s first half tries almost too
Michael Gibson / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
Chloë Grace Moretz is not as believably awkward as Sissy Spacek, who played Carrie in the 1976 film. hard to be a stereotypical high school movie — the subtle sense of creepiness and impending horror is greatly diminished by watching cheerleaders try to work out their superficial social struggles and woes. The acting in the movie is also only partially effective. Although Moretz plays the role of the monster rather well, she doesn’t become as genuinely awkward as Sissy Spacek in the 1976 film until the scene that sends her character over
the edge. This nuance in Spacek’s performance gave the original Carrie an extra element of humanity — something that seems to be lacking in this remake. Additionally, there was nothing in the actual production of the film that was particuarly exceptional. With nothing noteworthy about the cinematography and sountrack, it seems as though the filmmakers decided to play it safe. One aspect of the “Carrie” remake that worked well was its adaptation to the
modern day, allowing for the use of social media to further humiliate Carrie. Like in the original movie, the first time we get a glimpse of Carrie’s powers is after she is humiliated in the school showers for getting her period. As the girls pelt Carrie with tampons, a video is recorded of the event. This video is then uploaded to the Internet, where it is used to embarrass her later on. But once again, one step forward is met with bizarre filmmaking choices — numerous scenes feel both unnecessary and unwarranted. For instance, the very first scene of the movie shows Carrie’s mother giving birth in her bed with no assistance. As she pulls Carrie from her own body, she contemplates killing the recently born child — whom she calls a cancer — but hesitates. While the act of infanticide is very serious, the entire time the scene plays out on screen, one has to wonder why the filmmakers chose to show the birth at all. If they really wanted to demonstrate how close Carrie came to death at the hands of her mother, why not depict it in a different, less excessive manner, or merely have her mother mention it to her? Regardless of these flaws, “Carrie” has always conveyed the notion that the monsters in horror stories are not always the ones we would expect. The original novel penned by Stephen King, along with both “Carrie” films, portray Carrie as a victim of the circumstances surrounding her. Though Carrie ultimately turns monstrous in the end, before her inevitable transformation, the viewer is able to step back and look at all of the events preceding it. The presentation of Carrie as a victim pushed to her limits is what the movie does best, but unfortunately it is not enough to pull “Carrie” out of the pool of adequacy.
Album Review
Lucius’ debut album a huge success by
Caroline Welch
Daily Editorial Board
In today’s world of music, it’s getting harder and harder to be different. Whether it’s the unin-
Wildewoman Lucius Mom + Pop spired layered loops of Top 40 pop or the formulaic acoustic guitar riffs of indie rock, each new song feels like a regurgitation of its predecessors — albeit with a slight, nearly imperceptible twist. Now, emerging artists are faced with a twofold challenge: to deliver a praise-worthy, quality sound that also stands out amongst a crowd of clones. Novice indie-pop band Lucius has managed to achieve both. After Rolling Stone dubbed Lucius a “Band to Watch” back in August, the five member Brooklyn-based group has certainly lived up to the prophecy with the release of their debut album, “Wildewoman,” last week. Consisting of drummer Dan Molad, guitarists Peter Lalish and Andrew Burri and vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, Lucius is a mere two years old — though its two female leads have been singing together since their college days at Boston’s own Berklee College of Music. The strength of the album lies in its sheer diversity. “Wildewoman” avoids getting sucked into the insipid quick-
sand of musical monotony — no two songs are truly alike. Despite this miscellany, however, the record is in no way fragmented or disjointed. Somehow the group is able to fuse each number together seamlessly, creating a work that showcases individual tracks as well as the group’s overarching spunky, vintage-pop sound. Amidst Wolfe and Laessig’s intoxicating, synchronized voices and catchy, head-bobbing beats, Lucius is a strange contradiction — crafting a cohesive, unified collection in which every song remains uniquely autonomous from the whole. For fans of Lucius’ four-track self-titled EP that was released last year, a few of the tracks on “Wildewoman” may be familiar. After the opener, listeners will recognize the infectious “Turn It Around” from their sample. From Wolfe and Laessig’s very first “Ah-ah-ah-ah-Ha!” — a vocal interlude that punctuates the end of nearly every line in the song — the track sets a high-energy tone that persists for the next three and half minutes. Alternating between jumpy, make-you-wantto-dance verses and a slower, more melodic chorus, “Turn It Around” exemplifies the album on a micro-scale — effortlessly integrating two distinct sounds into a single entity. One song later, “Wildewoman” sounds like a completely different production. An old-time country-esque ode to lost love, “Go Home” is almost painfully slow, echoing the lonely, melancholic feelings of the narrator. Every note is lethargically
Zhuangchen Zhou / The Tufts Daily
Lucius performed songs from their EP at the Boston Calling music festival this past September. drawn out, requiring tangible effort from the instruments to propel the tune forward. The deliberately heavy tempo lends an air of tragic weariness to the piece, consistent with the lyrics. Wolfe and Laessig’s crooning is rife with dejection as they sing, “Press on my heart, I will say / I don’t need you anyway / I don’t need you, go home.” Another mellow number, “Two of Us on the Run” is both tender and ethereal, further showcasing the angelic vocals of Lucius’ front women. Clear and whispery, their voices drift poignantly over
the delicate plucking of acoustic guitar. When a powerful piano riff enters later — escalating into a subtle crescendo — listeners will be inevitably hit with chilling waves of goose bumps. Yet, the true highlight of “Wildewoman” is the impossibly addicting “Hey, Doreen.” Slathered with traces of harder rock in its pounding piano chords and thick drum beats, “Hey, Doreen” drives the momentum of the album. With cymbals shaking over electronic bleeps and a vibrating bass pulsating beneath the sultry, retro-tinged
yells of Wolfe and Laessig, this song is a force to be reckoned with. Culminating in an unexpectedly dissonant minor chord that fades away as quickly as the song began, “Hey, Doreen” is one audiences won’t soon forget. “Wildewoman” is not only a phenomenal debut — it’s a musical game changer. Innovative and refusing to surrender to convention, Lucius has raised the bar for new musicians everywhere and redefined what it means to be original in the indie-pop scene. Listeners can only wonder what the band will do next.