REVIEW OF THE RAGE: CARRIE 2

1999 rating: **1/2

If you remember, in the original CARRIE, Mrs. White (Piper Laurie) mentions her philandering husband who fell to the ways of sin. Makes sense that he’d have an illegitimate child out there. Enter “Rachel” (Emily Bergl), more of an underdog than nerdy recluse.

Dark, gloomy, gothic and stealthily gorgeous, Rachel becomes slightly unglued when her best friend (Mena Suvari) commits suicide after being dumped by a jock who, along with his fellow muscular dimwits, has a notebook with the names of their post-virginal conquests: a clever devise making these guys primed to be butchered and burned – but we’ll get to that.

Through a fledgling mid section, Amy Irving, returning as Sue Snell – the only survivor of the original – investigates Rachel’s past. Sue’s a counselor who recognizes similar traits in this troubled teen, especially the art of moving things around at will. Sporadic flashes to Sissy Spacek using her telekinetic powers, and eventually going bonkers, is not only blasphemous to horror fanatics but fails to connect this shallow interpretation with Brian De Palma’s classic. And it’s no surprise that everyone will be in one place by the very end for Rachel to go to town. A raging rave party full jocks (including Rachel’s boyfriend – one good looking guy who’s actually nice) and banal beauties provide the necessary oven of madness, yet it occurs so quickly, with an overabundance of special effects, there’s nothing scary or eerie about it – John Rambo could have showed up with an M60 and it wouldn’t be any different. Although with all the flaws, the “twist” ending – mirroring the original’s hand reaching from the grave – does provide an effective 11th hour chill. And that’s something, isn’t it?