Carrie

I AM not sure I have the appropriate words to describe my wide array of thoughts on the latest remake to come out of Hollywood.
After digesting the trailers on multiple occasions, remembering the original flick and casting my eye over a series of previews, I decided Carrie was going to be a bore.
An unoriginal approach that merely follows the script of the first version to a tee, and was only released to milk a few more dollars from a franchise whose days had long passed.
While I was right in that it followed the 1976 original in terms of storyline - I was wrong about almost everything else.
I loved it.
Chloe Grace Moretz had massive shoes to fill in the title role, made famous by Academy Award-nominated Sissy Spacek. Spacek's rendition in the '76 original was sensational, but Moretz is not far behind.
There are times when Moretz is almost too creepy to be believable, especially during the climatic telekinetic outburst, but she nails the bullied victim.
Anyone who has ever been bullied knows how it feels - you can not forget the emotions that run through your head - and that helplessness is communicated by Moretz perfectly through her performance.
Judy Greer plays Miss Desjardin (Miss Collins in the original), who becomes one of the only people to stand up for and defend Carrie. Greer doesn't have too much to say or do in the film, but she is the one person who actively seeks to help the troubled Carrie.
Julianne Moore is hands-down the best part of this film.
Moore plays Carrie's mother Margaret, a self-harming deeply religious widow. She detests Carrie's existence, shown in the beginning of the film threatening to kill her child moments after birth.
Most of her dialogue revolves around the recitation of religious texts, prayers and rituals. The creepy room she locks Carrie in - under the stairs in true Harry Potter fashion - is terrifying; a solitary confinement in which Carrie's evil is restrained.
Less is more for Moore - she is not in every scene, but the ones she does appear in are stolen by her. Not even a few telekinetic actions and a crumbling house stop that.
Carrie doubles as one of the first horror films I've watched in a cinema for years, and I don't think I could've picked a better film of which to dip my toes back in the genre.
The special effects only makes Carrie's telekinetic revenge more intense, allowing her to things to fellow students the original could only have dreamed of. It is a welcome update of the first Stephen King novel to be turned into a film, and if you are going to see, take the 9.35pm timeslot at the Saraton Theatre on Friday and Saturday - the late night screening only amplifies its effect.

North Coast New South Wales could support an elite sporting team

Published: The Daily Examiner

COULD an elite sporting team make its home on the New South Wales North Coast?

It may make me sound a little too fanatical about my sport, but it is a question I have considered on more than one occasion since I moved to the region.

The Clarence Valley, and by extension the NSW North Coast, has had a few visits from elite teams and athletes over the years but none of the major codes have ever set up shop in the region.

More here.

Mat Rogers and Nick Gates take on Big River Basketball

Published: The Daily Examiner


ONE HAS faced up to some of the best footballers in the world, playing for Australia in both rugby league and union.
The other has tackled the Tour de France on multiple occasions and was crowned Australian Road Race Champion in 1996.
But Mat Rogers and Nick Gates will tonight face up to one of their biggest challenges - Big River Basketball.

More here.

Exhibitionist may not have won the Puppy Classic, but it's been a ride for owner Darryl Chapman

Published: The Daily Examiner


AFTER 30-odd years training and judging showdogs, it makes sense Darryl Chapman's greyhound is the star of the show.
Chapman's aptly named Exhibitionist is preparing for the race of her life tonight, lining up in box two in the $75,000 Country Motor Company Puppy Classic (520m) final in Dapto.
Exhibitionist qualified fastest for the race and will likely start favourite after a thumping 14-length win in the semi-finals.


More here.

Lower Clarence Magpies to receive boost if Danny Wicks' ban overturned

Published: The Daily Examiner

FORMER Newcastle Knights prop Danny Wicks could be on his way back to the footy field next season.
A News Limited report suggests Wicks is considering applying to the NRL for clemency to have his ban lifted in time for the start of next year's Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League season.
Wicks is currently serving the final 12 months of a four-year ban following his conviction for drug offences in 2011, a ban that will end on September 20 next year.

More here.