Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Exorcist (1973)

Something beyond comprehension is happening to a little girl on this street, in this house. A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is The Exorcist.

Successful actress Chris McNeil, and her daughter Regan, live a comfortable, posh, lifestyle with their two servants in their big house in Washington D.C. But their generally uneventful, and privileged,  lifestyle is about to be turned on its head.

Innocent, polite, little Regan begins to act strangely; speaking of imaginary friends, using foul language, and claiming that her bed shakes at night.

The situation rapidly deteriorates as Regan's behaviour takes a turn for the worse with violent outbursts aimed at herself and others. Chris eventually comes to believe that her daughter is becoming increasingly possessed by demonic forces.

While it seems unbelievable at first, Regan's increasing disturbing appearance and behaviour lead Chris to call on Father Karras to perform an exorcism on the head-spinning, projectile-vomiting, spider-walking Regan.

The Exorcist is widely considered one of the most frightening films ever produced. Although this widespread belief certainly has its detractors, The Exorcist is undoubtedly a creepy film which has scared the ever-living crap out of more than a few in its time.

All around, this is a fantastically made film which must have been quite a shock to movie-goers of the day. It's tone is dead serious, without an ounce of the humorous light-heartedness which characterizes so many horror movies today. Instead it's a straight-forward tale of a sweet young girl being transformed into a hideous, violent demon whose memorable abilities and pass-times include spinning her head around in a full circle, spewing puke, spider-walking down the stairs, and changing her voice dramatically for maximum spookiness. A classic, and a must see for any horror fan.

5 spinning heads out of 5
Rated 18A for strong language and disturbing images.

Watch the Excorcist trailer. 

No comments:

Post a Comment