“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!