Oct 29, 2026 – To celebrate Halloween, Bedford Playhouse welcomed audiences for a special 50th anniversary screening of Carrie, Brian De Palma’s landmark 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel, followed by an engaging conversation with Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Irving. The Q&A was moderated by Suzanne Zuckerman.
Fifty years after its debut, Carrie remains one of horror cinema’s most enduring works. Starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy high school student whose extraordinary powers emerge amid relentless bullying and religious repression, the film helped redefine the genre, blending supernatural horror with an unsettling portrait of adolescence, isolation, and the desire to belong. Irving portrays Sue Snell, a classmate whose attempts to make amends set the story’s tragic events in motion.
The post-screening conversation offered audiences a closer look at the film’s lasting influence and the evolving landscape of horror. Among the topics explored were Irving’s thoughts on the forthcoming Carrie television series and the genre’s current cultural resurgence, as audiences gravitate toward new and unconventional forms of horror, from films such as Obsession to the surreal, internet-born world of Backrooms.
The evening underscored how certain films transcend their original moment, continuing to inspire new generations of filmmakers and audiences while inviting fresh perspectives and conversation. Half a century later, Carrie remains a touchstone of American horror—and a fitting choice for a Halloween celebration at Bedford Playhouse.
Bedford Playhouse thanks Amy Irving, Suzanne Zuckerman, and all who joined us for this special anniversary screening and conversation.
📸 Gregory Kaplowitz
