`CARRIE 2' MORE BLOODY, LESS INTERESTING THAN ORIGINAL.

Byline: Marla Matzer Daily News Staff Writer

``Carrie,'' the 1976 film directed by Brian De Palma and based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, created horror-movie conventions that are copied to this day. ``The Rage: Carrie 2'' merely swipes from the original and a slew of more recent teen horror flicks, such as ``Scream.'' In short, it's a bloody bore.

It's 23 years later in the same suburban town where ``Carrie'' was set. There's a new telekinetic (having the ability to move objects with the mind) girl named Rachel in school. Like Carrie, she's a misfit. The movie uses blood as a motif.

It is here that the similarities end. In an apparent attempt to be topical, the bad events of this movie are triggered by a Spur Posse-like cabal of jocks who make a game out of keeping score of the many girls they sleep with. The rage of the movie's title is set off by the fact that Rachel feels she and her best friend have been victims of these boys, even after one of them genuinely falls for her.

This change of focus to tension between the sexes destroys one of the most shocking elements of ``Carrie.'' The original featured an almost all-female cast (besides William Katt and a very young John Travolta, in a small role), and explored the very real power for both beauty and evil among teen-age girls. They didn't need to be menaced by men; they were terrifying all by themselves, from their vicious taunts at the opening of the film to their dousing Carrie with pig's blood at the fateful prom.

``The Rage'' isn't totally worthless - it could, like the original, turn out to be the debut of several talented young actors. First-time film actor Emily Bergl imbues the main character, Rachel, with as much complexity as the script allows. But the new movie is, overall, a prime example of studios trying and failing to find a known franchise to turn into a contemporary hit.

De Palma and King have both had a hand in some very bad movies. But ``Carrie' combined a fascinating character study with a relentless, almost obsessive directorial style. ``The Rage,'' by contrast, is an R-rated ``Beverly Hills 90210'' meets ``The X-Files,'' a compilation of referential scenes which rely on the use of gory special effects for shock value.

All of this may not matter to the teens who will go see the movie.But it's a mystery why Amy Irving would choose to reprise her role. Irving's Sue Snell has survived the events of 23 years ago to become a high school guidance counselor.

Irving has the most unintentionally funny line of the film. She takes Rachel to the site of the school auditorium fire from 1976. In an otherwise tidy town, twisted metal and charred brick walls have supposedly been left to rot for more than two decades.

``They never cleaned this up ... I haven't been back here for 23 years,'' Snell tells Rachel with a straight face.

Give us a pig's blood shower any day.

THE FACTS

The film: ``The Rage: Carrie 2'' (R; graphic horror violence and gore, brief strong sexuality and language).

The stars: Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J. Smith-Cameron, Amy Irving.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Katt Shea. Written by Rafael Moreu. Produced by Paul Monash. Released by MGM/UA.

Running time: One hour, 45 minutes.

Playing: Citywide.

Our rating: One and one half stars.