The Exorcist - appreciation thread

[filmcritic]

This is probably the best and scariest horror film ever made. But what makes it even more scary was that it was based on a true story (which many people don't know). The writer, William Peter Blatty, heard about an event that took place in the 40's. Years later, he wrote a book entitled "The Exorcist" and he eventually turned it into a screenplay. William Friedkin jumped on-board and they both created the classic that it is today. But Friedkin never really made the movie as if it were a horror film, but more like a documentary. Many loved it, some hated it (including Billy Graham who says that there is evil in every frame of the movie). Y'all decide...

[rustinglass]

I don't believe in that kind of stuff, even if it was a true story.

It's a very good film. I really like the beginning in Iraq: All those noises dry colours, hammers pounding, the rythm contrasts.

[Cecil]

love it

[Sleuth]

I think it's really good, but a lot of stuff doesn't scare people anymore.  For instance, a Christian would be VERY schocked by some of the stuff in it (you know what I'm talking about) but somebody else might find it comical.  I'm not Christian, but I think that's sort of sad (I like what BROCK said in the PTA forum about people's attitude's during a Horror movie, so go read that instead)

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

The Excorcist has several well laid shots, I'm mainly referring to that god-awful skull that won't get out your mind because you know you saw it, but you weren't too sure of what you saw.

It may not be the scariest movie of all time, but it may be.  The horrible mental disorders that happened to Linda Blair after the shooting of the film should've been grounds for child abuse...ugh...terrifying...

I first saw it at like 2 a.m.  I said I would finish it in the morning to my friends because I was getting tired, but I was obviously scared shitless because I was dozing off, true, but my mind was making it a lot worse than it was.

[Mesh]

1.  I consider The Exorcist one of the greatest films of the 70s, the greatest horror film ever made, and one of the truly great films of all time.

2.  Know what never fails to fascinate me about it?  It's so, so pro-religion, so pro-faith.  The modern world tries its, er, damndest to come up with an explanation for Regan's behavior and just simply cannot.  The forces at work are primal, ingrained in us all somehow whether we're religious or not; but in this movie, an ancient Catholic ritual is a little girl's only lifeline.  And the fact that it works proves two things:  1) demons exist and, therefore, 2) God must exist.  It's also about Catholic guilt in all its forms: the demon in Regan is a slut, an angry man, and a bewildered, abandoned old woman all at once.  Karras pays a hefty price for letting his faith wane and for letting his mother pass on in loneliness.  I could go on and on about the brilliance of this movie......but I'll make one last inquiry to the xixax crowd:

What do you make of the fact that Regan's mother is an actress?  Does this have anything to do with why the demon selected Regan?  I have never really read the book, which may shed light on this, only skimmed it....

[Cecil]

i doubt that the supposed "true story" that the book is based on happened exactly as depicted

[oakmanc234]

A real life incident involving a young boy who was classified as being 'possessed' was the start off point for the film. That's the most I know about the 'true story'.

As for the film, it's pure brilliance (though I don't need to tell you guys that).
My fave bit would have to be*SPOILER (but who hasn't seen this flick?)

when you think its all calmed down for the meantime, after the yelling competition between the priests and the demon (using religious chants vs. hard profanity), when Damien goes downstairs, collects himself, whatever, goes back upstairs and finds Father Merrin dead on the floor and the demon sitting up on the bed, un-tied. He tries resuscitating Merrin but its too late. The demon sits there, giggling. Damien loses it and grabs the demon in pure frustration. Then it gets worse.......

The film is a masterpiece and the upcoming prequel has a lot on its shoulders.

[Pubrick]

i doubt that the supposed "true story" that the book is based on happened exactly as depicted

obviously not. the events that inspired the book were amazing for having happened at all. however, much of the articles from around the time are unreliable and only recently hav a lot of the myths being debunked. there might never hav been a demon, but there was an exorcism.

look at this site, starting near the bottom and going on for a few more pages. it offers extensive info on the haunted kid, the dodgy diary kept by the real priest, the myth surrounding the location of where these events occurred, the boy's childhood best friend, and more. i suggest u read the whole 5 pages if for once u'd like to know what ur talking about.

edit- since u probably won't, here's the gist: sumthin happened but not where most ppl believe; the kid was nutty and a loner, had ultra-religious mother and grandma; refered to by his best friend as "a mean little bastard" who was emotionally unstable; the one surviving eye-witness of the exorcism Father Halloran says he didn't see levitation/abnormal strength/voice change; bah read it urselves.

my take on the whole thing: if it was a lie (likely), put on by the boy, it was a devilishly good one that has had incredible repercussions. it adds another dimension to the exorcist popularity in that the one thing the classic devil does best is deceive ppl, and obscure the truth, which is exactly what has happened on this case.

real or not the original movie is a brilliant, well-crafted portrayal of good versus evil, genuinely frightening to anyone who isn't jaded.

[filmcritic]

That's some scary stuff.

[RegularKarate]

The vattican keeps an official exorcist around, just in case.  He wrote a book too, my brother has it... I haven't read it though.

Exorcist is one of my favs ever.  

The "Version you've never seen" is a shame though... there's some cool stuff in it like the crab walk (which is a fucking creepy scene), but changing the end like that... what the fuck?

[filmcritic]

Well, Blatty wanted to have that scene in the movie because he didn't want the audience to feel like the devil won. Friedkin didn't want it because he didn't want to tell the audience a thing. He wanted the audience to draw their own conclusions with what they've seen. He also took it out because while he was reading the ending he said, "Why the hell are we ending it like "Casablanca?".

[bonanzataz]

the upcoming prequel has a lot on its shoulders.

fuck the prequel. fuck it so far up it's stupid fucking ass that it chokes on itself. they couldn't just let it die and let the world pretend that 2 and 3 didn't happen? i have not seen 2 and 3 and i don't plan to, and i don't plan on seeing this one.

[filmcritic]

Yeah, me neither. William Friedkin sat through about an hour of the second one and then turned it off because it was so stupid and awful. There was absolutely no need for any sequels much less prequels.

[rustinglass]

I was glad that I wasn't aware of any sequels... Now I'm just pissed.