The Faculty (1998)

Another great ensemble horror film from 1998 is “The Faculty”, starring established horror or sci-fi actors like Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2”), Famke Janssen (“House on Haunted Hill”), and Piper Laurie (“Carrie”) as well as younger actors like Josh Harnett and Elijah Wood. The film was directed by Robert Rodriguez, who had already shown us that he knew how to have fun with a horror flick after directing “From Dusk Till Dawn”! “The Faculty” is basically a variation of the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” story with a few plot points adjusted so it comes across as its own movie. The special effects are fine but a bit outdated compared to today’s picky standards. I really enjoyed the film and the tension that is builds when the characters become aware that there might be an alien amongst them.

High school students from various cliques and social circles are forced to band together when their school faculty members become influenced by a water-based alien that is able to take over its host. First the school and then world conquest! The school’s drug dealer Zeke (Hartnett) becomes the unintentional leader of the group after he figures out that his special drug cocktail can kill the alien host. Armed with the drug, Zeke and Casey, the school’s paper photographer, go out hunting for the queen to save their school and their friends.

Favorite moment – there is “The Thing” like scene where Zeke forces the group of students to take his drug in order to prove that they are still human.  Like the scene from “The Thing”, one of them isn’t and destroys the lab and most of the drug supplies they need to kill the invaders.

Carrie (1976)

“Carrie” was Stephen King’s first novel to be published, 1974, as well as his first novel to be adapted into a movie, 1976. That is quite an achievement for any writer starting out, but as history shows us, it was only the first of many of his works to thrill the world as both book and film. And “Carrie” was the perfect story, a story which was being considered by several movie studios before director Brian De Palma read the book and quickly made some phone calls. The movie that followed was a critical box office success and was widely considered to be one of the best movies of the year. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress for Sissy Spacek and Best Supporting Actress for Piper Laurie.

The only drawback to the film is that some scenes feel like they go on for much too long, as if De Palma was stretching the movie out as long as he could instead of making it short and to the point. As it as, the film is currently only 98 minutes long, so such a technique was needed  as was a cheaper alternative than filming the scenes that were cut from the original novel.

Carrie White is an extremely shy seventeen year old girl who is bullied and abused at school by the other girls in her classes. She is humiliated and terrified when she has her first period why in the showers after a gym class and the other girls mock and harass her. At home it’s even worse; living with a single mother who is a religious fanatic who accuses Carrie of sinning and forces her to read her daily prayers while locked in a closet. But weird little accidents begin to occur and while in the library, Carrie begins reading a book about telekinesis. Out of guilt, one of Carrie’s tormentor’s convinces her boyfriend to take Carrie to the Prom (why? I still don’t understand why!?!?) and eventually Carrie agrees. At the Prom, events spiral out of control as Carrie falls victim to a prank and unleashes her full wrath upon the student body before going home and dealing with her mother.

 Carrie beginning to be soak in pig's blood

 Carrie praying

Carrie as the Prom Queen