Carrie (2013) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Inherently, I’m not opposed to remakes. While it may be hard to accept a new take on an old story, if a filmmaker has something new to say with the material then I want to give it a fair chance. There have been many great remakes out there over the years so the prospect shouldn’t be discouraged - so long as the new version is different enough to distance itself from the original. In the case of Stephen King’s Carrie, that task is a tall order because the novel is so good but it is especially difficult because Brian De Palma already knocked it out of the park in 1976. That film has stood up for over 40 years for many good reasons. But in 2013 we got a new Carrie. One we may not have needed but one that also is pretty good and managed to find new ways to explore old themes. 

But come time for Kimberly Peirce’s 2013 version, a lot changed for troubled teens and there was room to reexplore the material. Especially now that we’re in an era where rates of teen suicide are higher than ever, the inclusion of cyberbullying was an effective modern refresh. Unfortunately to me, that’s about all it did differently. A couple of points from the novel may be explored a little more thoroughly than De Palma’s, but otherwise, the two versions are so similar in plot that they barely differentiate themselves beyond casting shakeups and a lot of CGI trickery. Carrie 2013 is better than the 2002 made-for-TV movie Carrie, but I wish this one had done more to truly stand apart from the 1976 film while staying true to the novel. There's an entire police investigation angle to the aftermath of Carrie's climactic rampage that no adaptation has really nailed. Since I largely agree with my former colleague Luke Hickman about this film, I’ll let his review stand pat. 

Check out Luke's 2013 Carrie Blu-ray Review

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
The 2013 Carrie burns down the gym for its first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release courtesy of Scream Factory. A Two-Disc set the 4K is pressed on a BD-100 disc with a Region A BD-50 offering the 1080p presentation and bonus features. The discs are housed in a standard sturdy two-disc case with identical slipcover. The discs load to animated main menus with traditional navigation options.

I’m not 100% sure of the process behind this new 2160p Dolby Vision transfer. Initially, the press release we received said “From a new 4K Scan of the Original Negative." My understanding was this film had been shot digitally and finished on a 2K DI, so that'd make this transfer something of an upscale effort. Neither the slipcover nor the insert artwork indicates anything about the transfer other than “Feature Film in Dolby Vision.” If this is an upscale, which in of itself, isn’t a bad thing, it's a solid upgrade. Digging out my old 2013 Blu-ray, the new transfer does offer some nice improvement in details, enough to say this is a bit sharper, a bit cleaner. Not night and day different, but enough to give this the edge. The real benefit is the HDR grading which allows for the film’s bright color pallet to shine. Primaries are lovely and rich, and that pig's blood sees a little more crimson in its presentation. Whites are crisp without blooming, and the added attention in black levels adds some more dimension to the image. This alone probably isn’t enough to scream out for a double dip, but if you don’t have this one for the collection, this transfer is the stronger presentation.

On the audio side, we have Scream Factory’s standard DTS-HD MA 5.1 as well as a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. The 5.1 one sounds damn-near identical to the 2013 disc, which is great. I know some might be dismayed at the lack of Atmos, but this track was great for its day and still holds up. If I have to give this movie credit for one thing in particular, it's that the sound design work was dynamite. The surround activity is constant and the LFE gives plenty of rumble in the subs to shake your walls and floor. The more intense the scene in question is, the more immersive the track gets. But even in quieter scenes, I was the small ambients creaking around to keep those surround channels working. Flipping on my receiver’s DTS Neural:X Function definitely punched things up a few notches, helped the big climactic prom sequence land some extra oomph than it already had. All in all, it's still an excellent mix. I spent a little time with the 2.0 track, again mostly replaying big key sequences and it’s a fine track, but if you’re outfitted for 5.1 (or better) that’s the way to roll.

On the bonus features front Scream Factory does their homework gathering up a couple of new interviews alongside the archival extras from the original Blu-ray. All told you’re looking at a nice slate of extras to dig into. The audio commentary from director Kimberly Peirce is a nice piece, she may not be all that excitable but it’s clear she really took the material seriously and did what she could to make it her own. The new interviews offer some interesting insight into the show and how they went about trying to make it a bit more visually distinctive on top of adapting a 40-year-old novel for the early 2010s.  My only real gripe with this package is we don’t get to experience the alternate ending intercut with the original theatrical cut. Personally, I’m not sold on that new ending, it's a but over-the-top, but it was cool to have that as an option. Otherwise, this is a nice package of extras. 

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary with Kimberly Peirce

Blu-ray Disc 

• Audio Commentary with Kimberly Peirce
• NEW The Devil’s Hand: Designing Carrie - Interview with Carol Speer (HD 22:53)
• NEW They’re All Going to Laugh At You: Adapting Carrie - Interview with Joseph Maddrey (HD 32:44)
• Alternate Ending w/ Optional Commentary (HD 2:30)
• Deleted Alternate Scenes w/ Optional Commentary (HD 10:51)
• Creating Carrie (HD 20:52)
• The Power of Telekinesis (HD 3:47)
• Tina on Fire Stunt Double Dailies (HD 2:07)
• Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise (HD 2:20)
• Theatrical Trailer (HD 2:30)

One may struggle with the “why” this remake Carrie exists, but all credit to Kimberly Peirce for trying to explore familiar material through a modern lens. Of the glut of mediocre remakes that popped through from the late 2000s and early 2010s, this Carrie was actually pretty good. I hadn’t revisited it in a while but ten years has worked well for this particular version. It could have done more to differentiate itself from the 1976 original, but of the many Stephen King films and remakes of the classics, this one stands up well enough to be appreciated. Now on 4K, the film earns a modest uptick in overall quality, the HDR grade is the most notable improvement with the same excellent 5.1 audio mix while the bonus features package is nicely stacked with new and archival pieces. For fans who need this in the collection, it’s a great set, for those happy with their 2013 Blu-ray, the visual improvements might not be enough to warrant a double dip. Overall - Recommended 

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