“A powerful, frightening, and very disturbing piece of cinematic excellence!”

One of the most infamous horror movies of all time, not much can be said that hasn’t already been said of 1973’s horror masterpiece The Exorcist.  Based on his own novel, The Exorcist was screen-written by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin. This film still stands the test of time as one of, if not, THE scariest movie of all time.  Astonishing audiences upon its release, there are so many stories of incidents involving moviegoers fainting, vomiting, and running from the theaters when it was being screened.  It is also the highest grossing R-rated movie (if adjusted for inflation) and first horror movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy award. (Golden Globe winner for Best Picture – Drama)

THE PLOT

Set in Washington D.C. Georgetown, the film follows Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), a successful actress and loving single mother to her twelve year old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair).  Things seem to be going well, until strange occurrences start happening at the home.  They begin hearing loud sounds coming from the attic, which they pass off as nothing more than rats.  Even more startling are the behavioral changes that seem to be happening to Regan.  As the activity begins to increase, Regan reveals to her mother that she has been playing with a Ouija board, and she has made contact with a being that calls himself “Captain Howdy.”  As Regan’s behavior gets worse, Chris decides to take her to medical specialists to be tested for any possible brain abnormalities.  After many grueling tests, the doctors determine that it must be some sort of brain lesion, although nothing appears on the scans.

At the same time a local priest, Damien Karras (Jason Miller), is struggling with his own faith and guilt involving his elderly mother living in a New York slum.  After she becomes ill, she is sent to live in a poor hospital receiving mediocre care. Eventually she passes away, only furthering Father Karras’ guilt and faith struggles.

After medical help is unsuccessful, Regan is referred to psychiatrists with the same results.  They finally decide that maybe it’s something supernatural, and her last resort could be to try exorcism.  Through a mutual friend, Chris seeks out Father Karras to perform the exorcism.  He is very reluctant, since exorcism is something that is almost unheard of anymore and has to be investigated, confirmed by the church, and could cause more harm than help.  After he examines Regan, he gets confirmation from the church and enlists the help of an experienced exorcist, Father Merrin (Max von Sydow). He is an elderly priest, but has actually performed exorcisms in the past, and seems to be Regan’s only hope.  With the help of Karras, the two priests must rely on strong faith and each other to hopefully rid young Regan of this demon that wants her soul!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

This film is surrounded by numerous stories of controversy both in popular culture and during the filming itself.  The actors themselves were even subjected to various frightening and uncomfortable situations in order to invoke realistic reactions for the film.

I first viewed The Exorcist when I was a young teenager, and it definitely affected me.  The most shocking content of this film are the sequences of young Regan’s behavior and dialog.  It can be very disturbing, and hard to watch.  That being said, the acting in this film is phenomenal, the special effects are outstanding, and the horror is very real!  Nothing can prepare you for the power of this remarkable film, and it’s one that you will not soon forget!

“Cannibal Holocaust started it…The Blair Witch Project revived it…Paranormal Activity REVOLUTIONIZED it!”

Found footage style horror movies are the newest trend lately, and although not all are hugely successful, this new style of film making MUST give credit to the 2007 smash hit Paranormal Activity!  Written and directed by Oren Peli (Area 51) and co-produced by Blumhouse Productions founder Jason Blum (Sinister, Insidious, The Purge) the film has set the standard for today’s horror cinema.  Filmed in Peli’s own home and on a paper thin budget of only $15K, it stands as one of the most profitable movies ever made when it comes to the budget to profit ratio. Originally meant to be a big budget Hollywood movie, Steven Spielberg suggested releasing it as is (but with a different ending) due to the legitimate fright that it caused him.

THE PLOT

Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston) are a young couple starting their lives together in their new suburban home. All seems well at first, but Katie begins to feel like something is wrong in the house. This prompts Micah to purchase a hand-held camera to try and document any strange occurrences.  A visit from a psychic reveals that the entity in their home is demonic and possibly malevolent, and he strongly advises against trying to communicate with it, adding that it may feed off of negative energy.

Micah seems to be nothing more than amused at this “evil spirit” and continually tries to antagonize it by asking for its reveal and mocking it every chance he gets, no matter how much it upsets Katie.  He sets up the camera on a tripod in the bedroom, and each night as they sleep, the activity seems to get worse and worse until it becomes clear that they’re now dealing with something that neither one of them could’ve expected and are powerless to stop!  This demonic entity seems to have followed Katie since her childhood, and it will continue to follow her until it gets what it wants!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

My wife stumbled across the trailer for this movie one night, and after one viewing my first reaction was “WE’RE WATCHING IT!”  After an online “demand it” feature, it was finally released nearby for a one night only midnight screening.  I wasn’t about to miss this opportunity, and I’m very glad I didn’t!  It had been a long time since a horror movie legitimately scared me, but this one REALLY did!  In fact my wife and I were affected by it so much, that we both had some sleepless night for several weeks after.  The surprise success of this film eventually launched a full on franchise of the series, and has since began a long line of “found footage” style horror movies that I personally have really enjoyed.  For a first time viewer of this film, I would recommend watching it in the dark without distraction to get the full effect. It’s not for everyone, and requires an open mind.  Will this film scare you like it did me? Well, that depends on what you consider to be scary.  Sure, a maniac with a weapon is pretty scary, but an unseen presence lurking in the dark waiting to attack is pretty terrifying!

“One of the best paranormal movies of the past decade!”

From the true case files of expert paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, comes 2013’s The Conjuring. Written by twin brothers Chad Hayes and Carey Hayes, and directed by the great James Wan (Saw, Insidious) comes the true story of the haunting of the Perron family in 1971 Rhode Island.

THE PLOT

Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) and his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) have just moved their family into their not so new farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. It’s not the ideal location, but they are determined to make it work. The first sign that they may be in over their heads is when the family dog, Sadie, refuses to come inside. Animals always seem to sense that something isn’t right, you know? As the family is unpacking, the daughters decide to play a game of Hide and Clap and stumble upon a boarded up entrance to the basement. This discovery seems to awaken some sort of malevolent force that haunts the home.

One of the first paranormal instances that occurs, and a scene that still stands out to me, is when Christine, played by Joey King, is awakened by something pulling at her feet, and then she suddenly see something behind her darkened bedroom door staring at her and her sister. I was VERY impressed with her acting ability in this scene. I truly believed that she was terrified at what she was seeing. So much so, that me being a new father at the time, I just wanted to reach through the screen and comfort her myself!

This instance convinces Carolyn to desperately seek out Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren to come and investigate their home. With some reluctance from Ed, they decide to do so and quickly discover that something very evil has latched itself to the home and Perron family. As things get worse, the Warrens and Perrons must rely on faith and each other to try to rid themselves of this powerful demonic force!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I would highly recommend this great piece of cinema! This movie has great special effects and well-timed jump scares that can affect the whole room! There are particular scenes that are so impactful to me, that this has easily become one of my favorite horror films. I may be somewhat biased in my feeling toward this movie, but I’m just being honest. Director James Wan is excellent at what he does, and I look forward to what else he creates in the future. Very anxious to see The Conjuring 2, coming out this June!