Milton Keynes dweller who likes his movies and likes to voice his opinion about them. Hopefully my ...
Milton Keynes dweller who likes his movies and likes to voice his opinion about them. Hopefully my reviews will help you all avoid some really bad movies!
Member since:13.03.2001
Reviews:65
Members who trust:11
I had to wanted to watch this film for as long as i could remember. When it was finally re-released a few years back i got my chance to watch what was supposed to be the ultimate horror film. I was not dissapointed.
Following William Peter Blatty's book (almost flawlessly, he did the screenplay after all), The Exorcist tells the story of an innocent little twelve year old girl who becomes possessed by a demon, possibly The Devil himself.
OK so you all know that but in case you haven't seen this masterpiece i urge you to do so. I understand that this will not appeal to everyone but it is an amazing piece of work.
Starting off at an archeological dig in Israel the film starts to build up the eerie sense of dread that continues throughout the remainder of the film. Once we reach the home of Regan and Chris MacNeil (Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn respectively) things slowly build up to the amazing finale - the exorcism.
Purely psychological, this doesn't rely on cheap thrills and jumpy moments. This film gets inside your head and sits there. It doesn't go away, just builds up the atmosphere until you think you can't take anymore and then bang, we hit the exorcism.
Words cannot describe my feelings for this film. Upon first viewing i realised what all the fuss was about, this is one film that lived up to the hype, i only wish i had seen it all those years ago when it would have had more of an impact on me, as it did everyone else at that time, but suffice it to say, it still scared the hell out of me.
One word of warning. If you wish to enjoy the exorcist you must want to. Totally let go of your real world and watch as a small girl is tortured endlessly by the demon that has invaded her. If you do not have total faith in this film then you will not find it the masterpiece of psychological horror that it is, you will simply laugh at it. In the cinema nearly everyone laughed at the scenes of Regan as she is thrown about on her bad, whenever she used foul language people chuckled. Now you may think it was nervous laughter, i disagree, just brain dead idiots that couldn't understand the torment this girl is going through. I was sitting there transfixed watching the horror unfold.
The exorcism scene is easily the best part of any film...ever. By the end of it you come away emotionally drained, you live through that scene completely and i don't think it ever leaves us.
The acting is amazing, especially by Linda Blair. She is what makes this film so great. The wide eyed innocent little girl and the foul mouthed demon creature she becomes. Amazing.
The effects, although may seem dated now, are also fabulous and i would have make up over CGI any day. Also that isn't CGi breath in the cold room that you get these days, they froze the stage to get it that cold!
This is truly the best horror film ever made and one of the best films ever, intelligent, moving, captivating, tense and horrific, the Exorcist is one film ou will not forget.
Incidentally, i once read that the people who get the most out of this film are those who are devout christians and those who are complete atheists. I don't know whether this is true or not by as a complete atheist, i can say that i got the most out of it.
The DVD is double sided, Side A has the film and Side B has the extras.
William Friedkin gives a great commentary and William Peter Blatty has one also (although not feature length).
Extra's are mainly the Fear Of God Documentary which is almost as famous as the film. However this is a trimmed version, the VHS copy has the full doc.
Top disc for an amazing film. Look out for the Directors Cut version coming soon which includes the infamous Spider Walk delted scene as well as some others.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1984 - Horror - Director: Joe Dante - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, Frances Lee McCain, Judge Reinhold, Corey Feldman
Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
When it was released in 1977The Exorcist II: The Hereticwas virtually laughed off the ... more
screen. A much-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning original, it turned out to bean unintentionally hilarious mishmash and received such terrible reviews that dire...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
When it was released in 1977The Exorcist II: The Hereticwas virtually laughed off the ... more
screen. A much-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning original, it turned out to bean unintentionally hilarious mishmash and received such terrible reviews that dire...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Bizarre nightmares plague Regan Macneil (Linda Blair) four years after her possession and ... more
exorcism. Has the demon returned? And if so, can the combined faith and knowledge of a Vatican investigator (Richard Burton) and a hypnotic research specialist (L...