In the 70s the economic conditions combined with social movements pushed more women to work rather than be stay-at-home mothers. This shift and the pushback to this change can be felt in the media from that time. Following the stringent puritanical norms of the 40s, 50s, and some of the 60s women found liberation in sex, upward mobility, and opportunity. In 1974 horror author Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie. Shortly thereafter the movie, Carrie, premiered in 1976. Directed by Brian de Palma, produced by Paul Monash (Moe-nash), and screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen the movie stunned audiences with modernity. The prom scene became iconic for the bloodbath that is unleashed and the effects used to accomplish it.

In the 1970s the economic conditions combined with social movements pushed more women to work rather than be stay-at-home mothers. This shift and the pushback to this change can be felt in the media from that time. Following the stringent puritanical norms of the 1940s, 1950s, and some of the 1960s women found liberation in sex, upward mobility, and opportunity.

In 1974 horror author Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie. Shortly thereafter the movie, Carrie, premiered in 1976. Directed by Brian de Palma, produced by Paul Monash (Moe-nash), and screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen the movie stunned audiences with modernity. The prom scene became iconic for the bloodbath that is unleashed and the effects used to accomplish it. 

Sue being the popular, attractive girl that relinquished her power and reformed is spared and the ultimate final girl of the film, Carrie who is virginal and sheltered but abuses her power when she becomes a woman is killed by that very power.  On the flip side to the story endorsing those two characters Margaret White, Carrie’s mother, abuses her daughter and struggles with a lack of support system in a partner and Chris Hargensen who bullies and lashes out with anger without accountability. Both women are killed in brutal ways by the end of the film, both by Carrie in revenge for what they’ve done to her. 

Carrie is an essential horror movie, the first but certainly not last of Stephen King’s works that went on to be classics in the genre. Meeting success upon release this movie has always been a horror hit and maintained that status over the years. In part the talent in the cast alone gives this movie a leg up in longevity and recognition throughout the ages. The side by side shots in the end to show both Sissy Spacek’s performance as Carrie and the destruction she’s unleashing on her classmates come off a little goofy now, it’s still worth noting the benefits to that aspect in having made it so popular at the time.

The 1980s became a time of contradiction for women as following the advancements of the seventies backlash began. According to the Oakland Museum of California Ronald Regan becoming president in 1980, a strong anti-abortion, anti-drug, and conservative proponent in stark contrast to some of the more free ideals noted in 60’s and 70’s media about women. In 1988 the movie Heathers premiered and became a box office bomb.

Directed by Michael Lehmann (Lee-maan) and written by Daniel Waters, the dark comedy’s origin is The Second Sex Act by Simone de Beauvoir and the experiences of Waters’ adolescent peers. Waters intended for the film to be directed by Stanley Kubrick due to the 1964 movie, Strangelove, while writing the script. Waters has also talked about wanting to address suicide amongst adolescents in a way dissimilar to how Hollywood had been.

Ram’s voice over pertains only to Heather’s physicality, considering her to be a loss for men rather than a loss of human life, Duke is thankful that her prayers have been answered and believes she’s now anointed, and finally Veronica expresses regret but also shirks responsibility onto Chandler. Later in the film at Kurt and Ram’s funeral we get an iconic scene of one of their fathers screaming, “I love my gay son!” Lamenting that he didn’t accept his son sooner, believing that his son commit suicide. Of course we the audience know that Veronica and JD murdered Kurt and Ram after one of them takes Veronica and McNamara on an awful date, opening the excuse for JD to get rid of them amid his jealousy and entitled rage. 

Rage can be found throughout...

...the movie, in quiet and rambunctious ways. It’s represented by the fire burning behind the conversation between friends in an alley, in JD lighting his cigarette with Veronica’s sizzling flesh, to Veronica gleefully shooting at Kurt and Ram just prior to that. Even the final scenes are rage-filled-JD blows himself up and Veronica watches the blast, covered in smoke with a cigarette turned to ash in her mouth. She is calm after the rage storm when she walks back inside and lets Duke know she can be the leader and goes off with Martha to watch movies. 

Collateral damage is an element of rage horror that can turn an otherwise decent coming of age story on its head, leaving the protagonist likely a murderer by the end. Veronica for example kills Heather Chandler, Kurt, and Ram along with JD. Based on what happens to the female characters we can ascertain some insight into what society deems acceptable and punishable behavior from a woman. 

We are shown many versions of Veronica as...

...she attempts to find herself and her values amidst the violence. The versions of her that seem happy and aligned with what she imagined life to be are early on in the film prior to her realizing how much she hates her friends and at the end of the film when she’s made it to a stopping point now that JD is dead and the school’s future hierarchy hangs in the balance.

I have loved this movie since the first time I watched it. I'd been shocked I hadn’t heard of it before having seen many of the famous John Hughes’ 80’s classics but never having heard of Heathers. I think it’s absolutely hilarious, exceedingly dark, and does Black Comedy with ease and wild chemistry between characters. Tense scenes with extremely dark subject matter are cut through with scenes like McNamara and Duke coming up on post-murder childlike fighting from Veronica and JD in the school parking lot only to attribute it to young love.

Women in the nineties began to forge their own paths separate from counter-male culture. Sexuality became a larger focus in pop culture as more openly expressed their orientations and affections. Harder drugs became more common despite the War on Drugs. A Florida State University Department of History article from 2022 notes that women’s empowerment became tied to consumerism in the nineties, right alongside the Riot Girl aesthetic and Girls Gone Wild.

The Craft fit not only the aesthetic but the overarching values of the women at the time period. Rather than dedicating all of your time and energy to just boys they become set pieces in the girls’ narratives and goals. Directed by Andrew Fleming, the story by Peter Filardi and screenplay by both this witchcraft story starred some popular names at the time.

Throughout the rise and fall of the coven rage is present and prevalent. Struggling teen Sarah has moved to California with her dad and stepmom, Rochelle is being racially targeted in her affluent Catholic school, Nancy’s mother and stepfather are impoverished and abusive, and Bonnie has severe burns all over her body, all valid things to be rage filled about.  Their rise after summoning and harnessing the powers of Manon, getting revenge and getting ahead in ways they’d never thought possible not long ago is fun to watch. I root for them, rooting for them to not.

Rather than a direct sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 1999 is a reprisal with all of the nineties grunge tropes. Over twenty years after the first movie this sequel takes place in the same area from the first movie and Sue Snell is the guidance counselor with Amy Irving returning for the role. Directed by Katt Shea (who also has a part in the film as the Deputy D.A. Karen), written by Rafael Moreu and produced by Paul Monash, Carrie 2 has little in common with the first film other than the telekinetic powers and town history. 

A teenage foster child named Rachel Lang, is the girl in town who develops powers but rather than being onset by puberty it’s implied she always had them and that they intensified after her friend, Lisa Parker played by Mena Suvari commits suicide. It is clear from early on that the boys football team is a source of toxic masculinity in the school, even engaging in a scored game tracking which girls they have hooked up with as well as rating the women at the school. Mark Bing played by Dylan Bruno and Chuck Porter played by Eli Craig are the two main meatheads who are friends with Jesse Ryan played by Jason London, who later becomes Rachel’s love interest.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this movie. I had to watch it twice because the first time I looked down when I got bored and never found something else interesting enough to fully tune back into. It’s a really long and drawn out story that could’ve been shaved in half and still accomplished the same feat. I liked Rachel but found her to be two dimensional at best despite having a harsh and varied background with her mother’s mental illness and being rather independent due to being in foster care. She can easily take care of a dog but cannot smell danger or bad intentions a mile away.