Grease (is the word)

Sandy & Danny, a timeless love story.

There's nothing much one can add to the plaudits already reaped by the highest grossing musical in cinematic history because "Grease" truly is a remarkable movie. The way it encapsulates a "feel good" aura to enthrall the audience isn't something that happens very often, especially when the movie offers only a very simplistic script acted out by (back then) relatively unknown performers. In spite of the fact the movie version is much tamer than the original stage adaptation (something that was slightly more violent and superfluous with it's sexual innuendos - both of which have been lost in future stage productions since the release of the movie), "Grease" has all the right ingredients to justify the phenomenal success it's achieved over the years.

The movie's main plot is the basic "boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy tries to change to win girl back" tale - a storyline that's not exactly anomalous to Hollywood - nonetheless, it's the kind of plot that most can relate to because we've all been in Danny or Sandy's situation one time or another during our lives. And it's ingredients such as that which make this movie 'believable'. Moreover, "Grease" epitomizes the teenage angst experienced by the characters so well (the sub-plots of expressing teenage lust, being socially accepted and fears of making the transition into adulthood are prime examples of why the story of "Grease" is as relevant today as it was in the 50s when it was set, and in the 70s when it was written.)

Orange Crush.

Meet the Pink Ladies.

Be that as it may, "Grease" wasn't meant to be a thought-provoking movie, and the emphasis is most definitely the on fun factor offered. It is comedic more than anything else, but there are several tender moments portrayed mainly through the songs, "Hopelessly Devoted To You", "Sandy" and "There Are Worse Things I Can Do" which are as well-remembered as any of the goofiness displayed by the movie's misfits.

In the face of the fact a very simple script doesn't necessarily make a great movie, I'm sure there would be no legacy attached to "Grease" if it wasn't for the songs included on the soundtrack. Those were the catalyst to combine all the essential ingredients in the script to really make "Grease" shine. Upon reflection, it's quite bemusing that a movie (or story) set in the 50s didn't have more quintessential rock n' roll songs featured (sans the contributions from the 50s revivalists, 'Sha-Na-Na", of course). But the ones used have quite rightly become 'sing-a-long' classics nevertheless. From the disco-influenced title track, the feel-good "Summer Nights" and "You're The One That I Want", and the high-energy "Greased Lightning" (not to mention the ballads that reflected the movie's more tender moments), what you have is a soundtrack that enraptures feelings that not even the best script ever written could garner. So praise for the success of this movie should surely also be credited to Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey, John Farrar, Louis St. Louis and Barry Gibb for their brilliant musical offerings.

Bad boys drive hot-rods.

Cool boys ride the greased lightning!

The on-screen chemistry between John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is complimented perfectly by the strong supporting actors, Jeff Conaway (Kenickie) and Stockard Channing (Rizzo) - two characters who, in my opinion, could've easily made this a great movie without the insertion of the Danny & Sandy characters. However, I'm not so sure that, in reality, the "T Birds" who were supposed to epitomize all things "cool" would've allowed Doody, Sonny & Putzie to join their gang, but it did explain the unwritten "T-Bird" code that their members had to date the "Pink Ladies" (which, in turn, explained the inclusion of the lesser members of the girl gang). However, that's one flaw to be easily overlooked in a movie that's not supposed to be taken seriously, I guess. Saying that, what can't be overlooked is the fact some of the actors playing 'teenagers' looked too old to be doing so. Michael Tucci (Sonny) and Annette Charles (Cha-Cha) appeared to look way beyond their teenage years.

The rest of the supporting cast played their roles ever so well; from the comedic performances of screen veterans like Eve Arden (Principal McGee), Sid Caesar (Couch Calhoun), Dody Goodman (Blanche), Alice Ghostley (Mrs Murdock) and Edd Byrnes (Vince Fontaine); the menacing leader of the rival Scorpions gang, Leo (the late Dennis C Stewart); the obnoxious and not-so-innocent Patty Simcox (Susan Buckner); the ultimate 'high school jock' - and for a while, Sandy's love interest, Tom Chishum (Lorenzo Lamas); the one guy that epitomized the term 'geek', Eugene (Eddie Deezen); and Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward (the "T-Birds") and Didi Conn, Jamie Donelly and Dinah Manoff (The "Pink Ladies").

a timeless couple.

Those moves!

"Grease" isn't above criticism though, and there were several things that could've either been elaborated on more or removed to make the story better. I'd have liked to have seen how Danny & Sandy met (I felt it was too rushed at the beginning of the movie); the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"-inspired ending removed the movie's credibility; the "dream sequence" with Frenchy and the Teen Angel was just too boring; and the 'Thunder Road' scene would've been more plausible if the director hadn't tried to copy a scene from "Rebel Without A Cause". Still, those are all minor gripes in an otherwise brilliant movie.

All in all, if you haven't seen the movie - and despite my spoilers, the outcome of "Grease" is as predictable as night following day - all I can say is I recommend you to do so. Watch it, and understand why this movie has achieved so much success and positive reviews over the years. There's also "Grease 2", but please, watch the sequel with caution as it's nothing…….let me say that again…..it's nothing like the original. 

Here's the movie trailer:

And since we talked about the songs that made the great soundtrack this film has, let's check some of the amazing music Grease has:

Summer Nights:

You're The One That I Want:

Saturday Night Fever

Where do you go when the record is over?

Although it may seem dated and cheesy to some viewers today Saturday Night Fever remains one of the most underrated examples of '70s pop-culture. It is undoubtedly the quintessential dance flick and remains one of the most entertaining films of all-time. Yet, behind all the music and entertaining aura you are actually viewing a drama studying the American class system and young rebellion. Though at times it is slightly exaggerated, it still manages to capture a vast amount of authenticity and ultimately the sights and sounds of the time.

Saturday Night Fever follows self-proclaimed "dance king" Tony Manero (John Travolta) and his love of dancing and the trials and tribulations of his life in the Bronx. He soon meets an arrogant fellow dancer named Stephanie Mangano (Karen Lynn Gorney). Quickly becoming attracted and influenced by the women he starts questioning the way he lives his life.

The film is not always upbeat and at times can be depressing, particularly the scenes depicting peer-pressure. Although both have their differences, both are very alike and ultimately want to be something "big". There are also the elements of jealously, rivalry, religion, rebellion, respect and racism added into the film. This captures the realism of the time and with more accuracy and honesty than a lot of films. Just take a look at the brief scene where Tony is on the tube, this is an oddly poignant, effecting and compelling scene presenting Tony's confused emotions.

Meet Tony Manero's gang.

Saturday Night Fever still carries the vibe, rhythm and atmosphere it did back in '77. It remains one of the most influential films for both the film-world and pop-culture. Infamously holding some of the greatest dance sequences ever committed film; you can feel the energy, emotions, time and determination that were spent perfecting the dance scenes to the finest detail. The lighting is perfect at creating the "disco world", the set-piece of the 2001 Disco is one of the film's many iconic highlights.

John Travolta dedicates himself to his dancing and character, fitting the role with a graceful ease. The film goes into depth at studying characters too, it shows how desperate everyone is to fit in and be able to make an impressive image. The fantastic shots on character's feet show the "strut" in their walk, representing their desire to maintain their reputation of being "cool". All the characters want to be something, while a lot of them will never add up to anything due to their working-class backgrounds. There are a fair amount of American social-comments scattered throughout the film and retaining a surprising amount of intelligent value.

The gloriously groovy and funky soundtrack is possibly the film's finest element. The music accompanies the dance sequences with an amazing amount of memorably robust imagery. The use of The Bee Gees' music is wonderful to listen to and also for helping to create an ambiguous atmosphere of love, drugs and sex. The shooting techniques in the disco are magnificent for filming the dance scenes and fit perfectly alongside the other technical elements.

You should be dancing too!

Saturday Night Fever is a far more professional film than one might expect, it has intelligence as well as entertainment, which is something that makes a more than just admirable achievement. It is a truly remarkable triumph and a film that deserves more appreciation than it gets.

42 facts you probably didn't know about the making of Saturday Night Fever.

1. John Travolta's sister Ann Travolta appears as the pizza lady, and his mother Helen Travolta appears as the woman for whom he gets the paint.

2. Norman Wexler's screenplay was adapted from the "non-fiction" magazine article written by Nik Cohn. Years later, Cohn admitted that the story, supposedly a fact-based account detailing the lives of Brooklyn teenagers in the early days of the disco craze, was a complete fabrication.

3. Filming was frequently halted on the streets of New York City because teenage girl fans of John Travolta would scream when they saw him due to his popularity from the ABC show Welcome Back, Kotter.

4. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, "maneiro" is a widely-used word, meaning "cool", taken from the character name, Tony Manero.

5. One piece of music from the soundtrack, "Manhattan Skyline" by David Shire became very popular as background instrumental music. It was been played in movie trailers, promotional films and commercials. It's the piece that Stephanie is dancing to when Tony invites her to coffee. 

What can I do for you ma'am?

6. Some VHS releases of this movie had the songs "Dr. Disco", "Disco Duck", and "K-Jee" replaced with a generic disco song due to royalty disputes.

7. Fran Drescher confessed later she was not wearing underwear when she did her scene with Tony just before his big solo dance.

8. More than 40% of the cast made their feature debuts in this film including, Joseph Cali, Shelly Batt, Denny Dillon, Fran Drescher, Donald Gantry, Adrienne King, Ellen March, Bruce Ornstein, Paul Pape, Lisa Peluso, Donna Pescow, Ann Travolta and mother Helen Travolta (her only feature cameo).

9. Allan Carr designed the ad campaign for the film. It was so successful, that producer Robert Stigwood asked Carr to help him produce his next film, Grease.

10. The film was rated R when it was released in late 1977. The studio was so eager to attract more young people to the film because they were buying the soundtrack album, that the film was cut by a few minutes and the shorter version was given a PG rating. The PG version was released in 1978. Both versions were released on VHS but only the R rated version was released on DVD. 

Troubled family.

11. An unedited version of "How Deep is Your Love" remains in the vaults. It is featured when Tony walks aimlessly to the subway, and is riding over to Stephanie's.

12. Jessica Lange, Kathleen Quinlan and Carrie Fisher were all considered for the role of Stephanie Mangano, Amy Irving was one of the finalists for the role.

13. John Travolta originally wanted his disco suit to be black, until it was pointed out that in the darkened disco, his co-star's red dress would make her easier to see than him.

14. In Tony (John Travolta)'s bedroom there's a poster for Rocky, a film directed by John G. Avildsen. The sequel to this film, Staying Alive, was written and directed by the star of "Rocky", Sylvester Stallone. In fact, Avildsen was the original director of this film but was fired by producer Robert Stigwood shortly before principal photography began due to "creative differences". John Badham was approached to fill in at the last minute. Tony also has a poster for Serpico on his wall. Avildsen was originally considered to direct that film as well, but left the project due to "creative differences."

15. The only scene that does not feature John Travolta's feet is the one where he's comparing his shoe to the shoe in the store window. 

Greedy little girl.

16. The white polyester suit worn by John Travolta sold at auction for $145,000 and purchased by movie critic Gene Siskel.

17. John Travolta ran two miles a day and danced for three hours daily to get in shape for this film. In the end, he dropped 20 pounds.

18. Production had to be briefly halted so that John Travolta could attend the funeral of his girlfriend Diana Hyland.

19. Bobby's car is a 1964 Chevy Impala hardtop. While director John Badham insisted on the Impala as Bobby's car, he was later told by Brooklynites that they would only drive an old Cadillac - and never an Impala. Each Impala (there were two used) was purchased by the film company for $1200. The Impala hardtop (with no post) is difficult to find today and will cost quite a bit more than the $1200 it did in 1977.

20. The soundtrack album sold over 20 million copies, and it was the top selling album in history until it was topped by Michael Jackson's Thriller six years later.

21. John Travolta had worked hard on the "You Should Be Dancing" sequence and threatened to quit the film when the studio suggested it should be shot in close up instead of full-body. 

Annete's madly in love with Tony.

22. When they shot the first bridge scene, director John Badham kept secret from Donna Pescow the fact that when 'the guys "fell off" the bridge they actually landed on a platform a few feet below. Badham and the other actors didn't tell her about the platform because they wanted a genuine look of horror and anger on Annette's face when Tony, Double-J and Joey appeared to fall off. Therefore Donna's reaction to them falling, and her facial expressions turning from horror and shock to outright anger, were real, and her next line, "YOU FUCKERS!", was not scripted.

23. When Tony's dad hit him in the back of the head the third time during dinner, his retort of "Just watch the hair!" and then his complaint about being hit on the hair after he had worked on it for so long was John Travolta's own reaction and not scripted, but since it was so in character for Tony Manero to say, it was left in.

24. The scene where Fran Drescher puts her hand on John Travolta's butt was not in the original script. Travolta and director John Badham thought that it would be something that a woman like Connie (Drescher's character) would do, however, so it was kept in.

25. After being shortened from "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" (the title of the New York Magazine article that inspired it), the working title of the film was "Saturday Night". When The Bee Gees added a song to the soundtrack called "Night Fever", the word "Fever" was added to the film title. This is the second time a John Travolta project had the title altered due to a song (see trivia for Welcome Back, Kotter).

26. This was one of the very first films to utilize the Steadicam, a camera-stabilizing device invented by Garrett Brown (who would win a 1978 Oscar for his invention). 

27. Five additional instrumental cues by David Shire were recorded for the film: "Barracuda Hangout", "Tony and Stephanie", "Near the Brooklyn Bridge", "Death on the Bridge", and "All Night Train". However, only one was credited, and all remained unreleased. 

Poor Annette!

28. Originally, director John Badham filmed the dance rehearsal sequence with Tony and Annette's characters playing music in the background at the same time with the action and dialogue; a form of production conduct not usually done. The song was "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs. However, after filming the scene, John Badham got word from Scaggs' people they did not want the song in the picture, and so the sequence was dubbed, with John Travolta and Donna Pescow recording their lines in a vocal booth, and in the end composer David Shire orchestrated an instrumental piece for the sequence; ultimately the song (the title still unknown to this day) was picked up by the National Football Leagues, and used to open and close the Monday Night Football program for over 20 years.

29. Two additional songs for the film ended up not being used. One was The Bee Gees singing their self-penned version of "If I Can't Have You", and Samantha Sang's "Emotion" (which was recorded by Destiny's Child in 2001 - the song was played on radio playlists after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks).

30. The movie was originally called "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night," the title of the New York Magazine article that inspired it. The film's title was ultimately shortened to "Saturday Night," as a direct reference to the fact that Tony (John Travolta) and his buddies inhabited 2001 Odyssey on Saturday nights. However, when The Bee Gees submitted the soundtrack, one of the songs, "Night Fever", was thought to embody the film's spirit better than the original. Director John Badham added the word "Saturday" and it replaced the original title. 

You're too poor for me Tony, I can't give you a blowjob.

You can't afford this hairy pussy Tony.

31. The elevated subway line shown in the film, the West End line, is the same one used in the famous chase sequence in Contra el imperio de la droga.

32. Film critic Gene Siskel often referred to this as his favorite film. He saw it 17 times and at one time owned the famous "white suit".

33. This was the first mainstream Hollywood movie in which the term "blow job" was used.

34. Fran Drescher's film debut.

35. Independent film director Lloyd Kaufman nearly dropped out of the film as a production assistant when longtime friend and associate John G. Avildsen left the project.

36. The line "Can you dig it? I knew that you could," spoken at various times by Tony and his friends was originated by Billy Crystal on a 1975 episode of Saturday Night Live and became a national catchphrase.

37. Filming was almost interrupted when a local mafia group tried to extort protection from the crew. In fact, the nightclub where the film was shot was hit with a small firebomb.

38. A group of Hasidic Jews, who were against the crew filming in their neighborhood, tried to disrupt filming and even tried to turn over one of the cars used in the production. 

Tony finds the awful truth about life.

39. Ray Liotta and David Caruso auditioned for the role of Joey.

40. The lighted wall and lighted floor at Odyssey 2001 were not actually at the disco, but added in for the film. The "blinking light" effect on the wall was created by covering the wall in tin foil and reflecting blinking Christmas tree lights off of it.

41. Director John Badham claims in the DVD commentary that for performing product placement of a Trojan condom in one scene of the movie, he was given a lifetime supply - and that he "donated" them all to someone else.

42. According to the DVD commentary, John Travolta used two suits in the climax of the film, he had to switch suits between takes because one would become heavily soaked with sweat and had to be dried while he was wearing the other one for subsequent takes. 

 Overall, a great film that depicts the many aspects of human failure and how we, the regular people find ways to escape from our troubled lifes. I so recommend it to everyone but, be warned this isn't just a dance movie, it is the bitter testimony of dreamers that don't make it.

Here's the cool movie trailer and, I'd like to dedicate this review to my wife who loves this film as much as I love her:

Pulp Fiction

One of the most popular movie posters of the film making industry.

Now is the time to face my destiny and review my favorite movie of all times. It'll be hard as hell to be as concrete as a diehard fan can be when it comes to evaluating a gem as Pulp Fiction is, in fact just like a movie line states "I'll try not to start sucking Pulp Fiction's dick so early" How can I start this entry by not saying Pulp Fiction is definitely one of the top ten most influential movies of all times? Quentin Tarantino changed the world in 1994. His film infected every corner of human activity changing our pop culture forever. Very few movies have achieved so much in the history of our miserable planet. One thing is to say there is a great movie, and another completely different thing is to say there is a movie that changed our culture. If Pulp Fiction was an album, definitely it would be the Nirvana's Nevermind equivalent. And just as Nirvana did change the world of music and young culture forever, Tarantino played his part as it was meant to be: naturally. There were movies before Pulp Fiction, and there was a whole new world of film making after Tarantino's tour de force arrived.

Instead of discussing the storyline and plot as I use to do, this time I will only be discussing why this movie is a must watch for every concerned human being in the world. Ok, I'm ready, are you?

Quentin Tarantino, the man.

Stars.

How the world was before Pulp Fiction.

The movie industry had long suffered the awful 80's style sickness and in the early 90's Hollywood protégées led the road with very decaffeinated films that didn't bring any news for us, the concerned fans. In those days talking about B-Movies and the exploitation genre was something in which very few people could have a say. Blockbuster wouldn't bother to add these bizarre genres to its stores, so it was very difficult to get your hands into a tasty VHS copy of an unworthy low budget movie. 

On the hand of culture, back then, nobody gave a shit about the good old days, vintage, AKA retro vibes were just words elder people would care to talk about and vynils LPs have long been replaced by tapes & CDs. Everything considered old enough wasn't worth the try. Only a few people did care about restoring the past for future generations, but yeah they were underground, not mainstream. This lack of interest in vintage culture not only blasted into oblivion thousands of worth watching films, but it also took six feet under music records, comic books, novels, celebrations, clothes and a lot more of overlooked human culture items.

The music industry also sucked, with Grunge and alternative music being the only exceptions to an industry that became a parody of the 80's worst pop artists. 

Mia Wallace.

Vincent Vega & Jules Winfield.

How the world is now, thanks to Pulp Fiction.

1. Movie makers learn how to make good movies, with few resources but with plenty of brains spent in the writting  of amazing scripts.

2. The industry was not afraid anymore of awarding films that weren't the usual romantic shit they got used to.

3. Thousands of blasted into oblivion movies were made available to willing fans from around the globe.

4. The exploitation genre, and B movies of all sorts spawned a new generation of movie makers, movie fans and grew a rich culture based on enjoying low budget productions like never before.

5. Quentin Tarantino, didn't came alone. He brought his pal Robert Rodriguez to change the world of film making forever. They taught us to appreciate  scripts instead of big hollywood names and special effects.

6. A whole new breed of people who heart vintage music was born. Artists like Fiona Apple, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lana del Rey are some examples just to name a few.

7. 70's Pop culture came back to life, and it lives today everywhere around the globe, you can see it in fashion, architecture, books, music, way of life, etc.

8. People who didn't know a shit about good movies (yes, I was one of those) did learn a good lesson they will not forget.

9. Obscure films are being re-released each year allowing us to discover and enjoy important traces of the film making culture.

10. The vintage love industry is back. Muscle cars, furniture, clothing, photography, videogames, toys, almost everything that dates back as far as the 60's is now available to everyone just because Tarantino displayed the vintage culture though his master piece.

11. Actors & actresses that were no longer considered as trendy models were given the room they always deserved in the world of flicks.

12. Movies scripts and plots were no longer based on unbelievable stories. They were more close to everyday issues, average people and dealt with reality more often.

13. Scripts didn't need to be that serious or "time line ordered" anymore.

14. all of the above! hahaha.

15. Unfortunately, starvation, child exploitation, religion, war and greed still exist. Tarantino didn't make it there.

I think I over did it, didn't I? well it's really hard to summarize how big a movie can be. 

Jack Rabbit slim's twist contest.

This dealer was supposed to be played by Kurt Cobain, but you know.

Harvey Keitel,  a real actor.

Let's not start sucking each other's dicks quite yet.

Overall a movie that doesn't take its story too seriously, I mean how serious can the story of two low life thugs can be? how can you not laugh at the constant jokes the movie features? how can you not want to be next to Mia Wallace? how can you not repeat time after time the amazing lines the characters utter in each scene?

fuck! here's the movie trailer:

Carrie, "if you have a taste for terror, take Carrie to the prom"

Original movie poster.

Carrie put both Sissy Spacek and John Travolta into the universe of movies, no doubt about it.

Based on the first novel published by one of my many writing masters, Mr. Stephen King and directed by Bryan de Palma this movie couldn't go wrong in 1976, and still it can't go wrong in 2011.

Before we jump into the movie storyline and review, let's remember this film is "based" on the book, some of the argument lines are not on the film as well as some of the character original names, which were changed by God knows why reasons.

Carrie starts off at a gym locker room, where we find out how much the other kids hate Carrie visually stating the high amounts of bullying students must have gone through back in the day, and that's why Carrie's story remains so fresh until today, due to the unfortunate shocking reality  leaded by thousands of stories  of suicide & murder of students around the globe, students which didn't have Carrie's supernatural abilities.  Soon after the opening credits we find out that Carrie has some powers. Like in other Stephen King book-movies, the supernatural aspect is only minor compared to the rest of the story, but it comes into play at the end. Carrie's mom (Piper Laurie) is an over-protective religious zealot who makes The Royal Tenenbaums seem normal. So Carrie tries to cope with her horrible life, but it's getting tougher and tougher.

Another movie poster.

Carrie's soon to be only concerned friend.

Sissy Spaceck's beauty is almost divine like.

Billy Nolan the bad guy.

Chris Hargenson. A real bitch.

Spacek is exceptional as Carrie, and I now know why she was nominated for Best Actress. Her emotions are real, not some fake tear drops that make us think she's sad. Either she has great motivation, or she's one of the best actresses of the century (or both!). Laurie was equally good as her mother who locks Carrie up in a closet everytime she thinks that Carrie has sinned. This movie wouldn't be half of what it was if the acting wasn't so great. When Carrie was sad, you were sad. When the other kids ridiculed her, you felt like you wanted to kill the kids. When she smiled, you smiled. Emotions that raw couldn't come from just any movie.

If you know me, I'm a stickler for character developement. Carrie didn't take much time, but from the opening scene you knew about Carrie and her weakness. So are the secondary characters; they're nicely developed even if their role isn't that major. Travolta had a miniscule role, but he was fine in it; it led to Grease and Saturday Night Fever.

Catholic punishment was a thing in the film.

William Katt failed to be Luke Skywalker but he made it to Carrie.

Piper Laurie as the religiously insane mother.

The prom scene has got to be one of the most memorable scenes from a horror movie. That red tint is awesome; it's like a premonition. In fact, the movie is full of premonition: the red tint, the freaky looking voodoo doll, "They're all going to laugh at you." I'm assuming that director Brian De Palma meant to put that in, so it just isn't about some supernatural powers, it's also about foreshadowing. Also, I dig that camera movement during the dancing.

Sissy Spacek in  the prom with the Greatest American Hero, yikes!

Die as a Christian!

Blood on thy hands.

Deadly blue eyes.

Crucifixion time!

Swine Blood bucket bath.

The blood and gore wasn't held back, but they just put in what was necessary. De Palma obviously used some horror tricks from Hitchcock's masterpiece Psycho, mainly the music cue whenever Carrie is using her telepathy. Also, her school, Bates High, is another Psycho reference.

Exploitation was still a thing to consider in the 70's.

The exploitation opening titles.

Opening titles, nude school girls exploitation.

Carrie was also very creepy. It wasn't a thrill-a-minute, but at the ending, that was Scary with a capital S. The last ten or twenty minutes were scare-inducing for sure. That last jump scene in the dream...wow! It's still jumping at me. If there was one complaint I had to do about the movie, it's that it took too much time to get to main scene and the prom went on a little too long, but other than that it's a first class horrror/thriller that any horror buff needs to see.

This movie is definitely a classic meant for every movie freak out there, and even for us Stephen King's reader the movie is quite a deal. Add to that a wonderful soundtrack composed in its entirety by Pino Donnagio plus a couple of sung tracks by the wonderful voice of Katie Irving and you got one of the greatest horror films ever made, although it's a big budget movie it feels as it was an exploitation with the elements that made a movie a cult movie, you know some nudity, blood, action, good lines and a 70's style music score.

I happen to own the DVD released by MGM some years ago and both image and sound are pristine, besides it features interviews with the cast and a booklet describing the film production.

Definitely a must have for any Stephen King fan, or for any 70's horror movies fan and exploitation lovers.

Here's the movie trailer:

Stephen king, the man himself talking about his first book, the break through, Carrie!