After the success of Carrie, Brian De Palma finally got a substantial budget, and he used it to stage even more elaborate (and grisly) special effects than in his previous thrillers. With a panoply of devices like quick cuts and superimposition, he chillingly yet stylishly reveals what Gillian sees as she connects with Robin's mind; nevertheless, as with Carrie, he saves the most horrific and flamboyant shocks for last. Though it had the effects and a bona fide star in Kirk Douglas, The Fury's moderate success was not quite on a par with horror blockbusters The Omen (1976) or The Exorcist (1973). Still, it slickly tapped into a post-Watergate mood, as operatives with unspecified government connections are the source of evil. But the gifted kids make them pay.