The Exorcist

Reviewed by Craig Younkin

1/2

The Exorcist re-release is the same story it was 27 years ago, it just has a few more scenes. It is based on a William Peter Blatty book, which starts in Northern Iraq with a Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow). He is conducting an archeological dig but is surprised to find two certain artifacts. A strange looking little statue, and a necklace. Going from Iraq to America, where actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) lives with her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) in Georgetown. Just being divorced from her husband, Chris tries to be a decent parental figure to her daughter, but soon Regan's mood begins to change. She begins coughing out obscenities and making up lies like her bed is shaking. Having no place else to turn, she brings her daughter to hundreds of doctors in order to figure out the problem. But with each test coming back negative, there is very little place else for her to turn. Plus, Regan continues to get worse. Her voice has changed; she is attacking people within the house, and has killed a close friend of Chris's. But Chris is convinced that this is not her daughter but actually a demon that has taken over. So, she enlists the help of a witch doctor named Father Damian Karras (Jason Miller), who is battling his own demons himself. He has taken the guilt for his mother's death and has begun to lose his faith in the power of God. After looking at Regan, he must appeal to the church council in order to fulfill an exorcism on the girl, and enlists the help of Father Merrin, who has performed the only known exorcism during the 20 century. They both walk into the room, the girl is tied to the bed, but she is no longer a girl, but the devil himself.

In 1973, a movie came around that shocked everyone. Today, it's still doing the exact same thing. After all these years, it still takes us by the throat and gives us a smart, edgy, nail biting, suspenseful, and breathtaking good time. From the opening scene, with that chilling musical score we should all know by now playing in the background, this movie captures our attention and sets are hearts racing. From than I was surprised not just from what I saw, but also from what I heard. There is a real serious side to this movie and I was surprised to see it soon develop into more of a slight drama as well as an interesting horror film. This is the first time i've seen anything like this. Something actually intelligent being said by a character in a horror flick and a plot that is actually trying to be serious rather than an insult to our intelligence. Things like the priest, played by Jason Miller, who has lost his faith and the innocent girl who is being engulfed by an evil force are just some of the things that make this movie so interesting. The final scene of good vs. evil is also one of the most heart pounding things i've seen this year. Unlike End of Days and Bless the Child, it doesn't go into cheesy dialogue and special effects and instead goes with satisfying plot points which keep us involved during the slower moments. And the faster, more artsy scenes are also always on target and have special effects and makeup which look so disgustingly real. I loved it. Director William Friedkin created a real creepy feel in this movie and in the way it is choreographed and acted, it all looks so amazing. The acting is a major asset to this film. As I said before, Miller may be the most compelling actor in this movie, as his emotions reflect the background of this character perfectly. And what ever happened to Linda Blair? She is like the Haley Joel Osment of this film. I can't believe she isn't still a big star in Hollywood today. Like Osments performance, her acting ability forces you to put clamps on your jaw in order to keep it from dropping. Not only from what shes doing, but also from what she is saying. The makeup used on her is also incredibly demonic looking. And finally, the voice of veteran actress Mercedes McCambridge is the final outstanding factor that gives this villain within a girl a powerful final dimension. Two other more known actors, Ellen Burstyn who plays the concerned mother role in an unstable and fearing way and Max Von Sydow who captures the wise old priest, also do nice work. In the end, The Exorcist is a fun piece of cinema that barely startles us the way you might expect, but always manages to keep us as freaked out as possible. Everybody did a nice job with this 27 years ago, and they deserve credit even today.