(2013-05-23 23:54:29)

Possibly the most frightening film ever made.

This movie takes you on a psychological journey wrought with disturbing images. Not like the gore from a Romero film or those imfamous teen slasher movies of the eighties, Exorcist stakes it's frightening images on the mind with room for imagination; making it all the scarier when a viewer adds his/her own fears to the scenario.

deatman9

(2013-05-23 17:24:00)

A great classic horror

This is one of the best horror films ever made it was so ahead of itstime for special effects acting and just pure horror factor. I saw thismovie first when I was young and it still creeps me out. They reallydon't make them like this anymore.This movie is about a young girl who one day starts acting strange. Shestarts acting stranger and stranger so her mother takes her into adoctor to see if anything is wrong. The doctor cant find anything sosoon as the girl gets worse the mother considers the extreme and has anexorcism.This movie was really good and very creepy. The special effects weregreat for the year and it really is just an entertaining movie. If yourhorror fan you must see it.

samkrainak

(2013-05-23 11:16:17)

one of the darkest film ever!!! best horror film ever!!!

The first time I saw this I couldn't sleep. Its one film that willpossess you forever. visual,audio, and graphic nature of this film willstop your every muscle in your body, and stop you physically andmentely. If they ever remake this film it won't match. The follow upfilms to the Exorcist are fair to none, though Exorcist III was good. Iloved how the camera follows to Reagens room with the sounds in theroom and the door shut. The house was well established, looking darkinside even in the calm scenes. the devils voice is well done. the girlwell dressed with make up. When Reagens climes down the steps like aspider, how grizzly!!!!

(2013-05-22 20:09:02)

TERRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, you can't get much better than this! It beats all the modern horror films by miles! And to think, this was a time when computers were not used to aid special effects in films! Excellent acting from all the charactes, but most convincing was Reagen.Excellent job Billy!

mervvyn17

(2013-05-22 02:12:01)

Fanatasic,solid and truly a masterpiece

I watched this without expecting much.I thought it would be typicalhorror film.This is so much more then that.The story is simple.A prieststruggling with his faith is asked to exorcise a demon out from ainnocent 12 year old girl.Why is this better than most other horrorfilms?It doesn't rely on cheap boo scenes to scare the audience.Itplays with our mind and makes us wonder about devils ands the questionsthe existence of god.The characters are all developed and not justmindless teens held for slaughter.You feel for Regans mom because youunderstand what shes going through and you really feel for fatherKarras.The possed Regan is REALLY REALLY scary.And also the diolouge isdeep and driven,the pace of the film just right.The atmosphere isgenuienly creepy.A word of advice.Don't dare watch this at night.Watchthis masterpiece in the daytime.You have been warned.........9/10 My certificate-15+

(2013-05-21 16:34:13)

The most terrifying film of all time

This review is from: The Exorcist (25th Anniversary Special Edition) (DVD) I have no doubt that this is the scariest movie ever made. No stone was left unturned when William Freidken and team wanted to make this a film that would burn itself into you memory. This is a movie that will effect you emotionally in a number a horrifying ways. The DVD looks and sounds great. Proof that the sound of a film can and will have just as much impact on you as the visuals will. The bonus material is first rate. Get this DVD. Turn down the lights, put the kids to bed, turn up the home theatre and get ready to be terrified beyond belief !

bensonmum2

(2013-05-21 15:11:57)

"Keep away. The sow is mine."

I'll keep this brief - most every horror fan has seen The Exorcist andall of them have an opinion of it. While many people would mostcertainly list The Exorcist as THE scariest movie ever made, thereseems to be a growing number of fans who find humor where it was notintended. I don't get it. Maybe it's a generational thing, but TheExorcist remains as effective today as it was in 1973. If the story ofa young, helpless girl being turned into a snarling creature isn'thorror enough, add to that the desecration of sacred religious symbolsand you've got something quite shocking. Beyond the story, the strongperformances by a good cast really help put The Exorcist over the top.Max von Sydow was never better. And the performance of an incrediblyyoung and inexperienced Linda Blair is nothing short of remarkable. Addto that the excellent lighting, sound, cinematography, and specialeffects, and you've got not just a scary movie, but a very well mademovie as well.

hollyandcat

(2013-05-20 19:05:13)

You decide.

Well, where to begin? This is the scariest film ever made, if that kind ofthing affects you. For me I don't find this kind of thing scary but I enjoyit a lot.Basicly the book and film can be divided into sections. The intro, thebeginning of the happenings, the doctors visits,tests and medication,calling Father Karras in and then the exorcism and finishingup.The book, one of my most read, compares favourably with the film foraccuracy and I really think that you should give both a try unless you areparticularly squemish. Some say the book/film are only scary if you actuallybelieve in the things they talk about- exorcism, daemons and spirits. Makeup your own mind- watch the film NOW!

m.p.

(2013-05-20 19:29:10)

Still One of the Best

When I first saw this I was a high school student. I went with my friendLinda and we laughed our heads off through the whole thing (such camp!). Then I went home, went to bed, turned the lights off and...YIKES!...afterabout 30 seconds that light came right back on and stayed on for the rest ofthe week. Although I *thought* I no longer believed in the boogey man, Isoon found out I wasn't quite as sophisticated as I thought. Since then,I've watched THE EXORCIST many times - it's still a well made movie. It's amistake to think this is simply a horror movie - it's a story about guilt,regret, courage, fear, loss of faith, maintaining faith when faced withGod's inscrutable plan, etc. Some interesting notes: some of the priests inthe movie were in fact played by real-life priests; and Max von Sydow wasonly about 44 when he played Fr. Merrin, just 4 years older than actressEllen Burstyn who played Regan's mother. Also, The Exorcist was based on anactual incident that occurred in about 1948, but the characters and placesettings were changed completely. A made-for-TV movie that followed theactual events more closely (it was a boy, not a girl, who was possessed)recently aired. Just one minor nitpick: why was Fr. Karras a Catholicpriest with an obvious Greek background when Greeks are virtually all of theGreek Orthodox religion? BTW, Mercedes McCambridge is an American actress,not British has one poster has commented here.

Ty Schoonover

(2013-05-20 06:43:59)

Thank god for the devil

The Exorcist is the sensational, shocking horror story about devilpossession and the exorcism of the demonic spirits from a younginnocent girl.This filmed changed horror film genre forever before thisit was only filled with stupid giant monsters attack cities. I noticedthe film's screenplay is a horror tinged western tale of good vs. evil,which was based on author William Peter Blatty's 1971 best-sellingnovel of the same name. This is nothing short of a horror filmmasterpiece, with sensational, nauseating, horrendous special effects360 degree head- rotation, the spider like walk down the stairs and ofcourse the projectile spewing of green puke.

Mr. Pulse

(2013-05-18 20:13:14)

A Very Interesting Movie

Despite this film's several flaws (A lengthy introduction and a bunch ofunnecessary characters), "The Exorcist" is a very good film. Often it isregarded as "The scariest movie ever," and while I personally was notterribly scared, after the aforementioned introduction my attention rarelywavered.Good performances, especially by possessed Linda Blair, and great effects. I don't even think I need to add "for its time" because the movie hold uppretty well to this day. One last minor complaint: Does anyone else feel this movie should have beencalled "The Exorcism" and not "The Exorcist?" The movie is largely anensemble work, and the titular character is actually not a big as others(mainly the mother and younger priest). Still, a spooky, disturbing, interesting flick.

(2013-05-18 18:34:57)

25 Years, and Still On Top

In 25 years of film, we as a human race have yet to equal the horrific and shocking vision that is The Exorcist. Some friends of mine, grown men, refuse to view this movie due to its graphic intensity! It matters not how worldly you are, seeing a 12-year-old girl masturbate violently with a silver crucifix will cost you a few sanity points!The director says in the commentary, "I want to get a reaction." Yes, even in these days of jaded audiences and tasteless critics, the reaction will be there.

Wazoo

(2013-05-18 10:07:01)

Still scary after all these years

It may have been made over a quarter-century ago, but it's still scary ashell. The whole dark tone of this movie makes it extremely creepy. It'sdark, creepy, exceptionally well-acted, and the chills are all in therightplaces. Friedkin knew what he was doing when he made this movie. For allofyou movie fans that think horror movies equal Nightmare on Elm Street,Friday the 13th, and all these bogus 90's teen horror movies (I Know WhatDisturbing Behavior You Screamed Last Summer), I urge you to watchthis...late at night with the lights out. A masterpiece.

magic_marker

(2013-05-17 17:14:47)

must be seen in a theatre

I have had a strange relationship with this film. My initial reaction to itwas much the same as several others on this comment thread; it was andremains to this day the only film I have ever fallen asleepwatching.I saw it in a cramped college dorm on a small television screen, and myroommate was asleep in the next bed. When we were awake the next morning, hecornered me and wanted to know what I had been watching that night. "Thevoices, they got into my dreams," he said.I dismissed the film, but my roommate's comments stayed with me. Severalyears later, on the film's 25th anniversary, I went to the local cinema tosee its re-release. I was transfixed. It was a completely different film.The wonderfully constructed sound effects, the intense characterisation, theimmersive and beautiful cinematography, all were magnified into aphychological experience of almost unparallelled intensity. The only thingto which I can compare it was seeing "The Silence of the Lambs" for thefirst time. The film managed to get into my dreams thatnight.This was a film made before video. It was not meant for that medium andcompletely loses its impact while viewed on television. Like "2001: A SpaceOdyssey" (Another film deemed boring by the video generation) it seems abouthalf an hour shorter on the big screen. Why this is I will never know, butit is true.

leah81

(2013-05-16 17:46:30)

Excellent

The best horror film ever made!Its scary, original, real(at least it makes you believe its real),but itsbased on a true story. The actors are great. If you read the book you´llread alot more details and you´ll get the complete story. Its an excellentmovie and its the best horror movie i ever seen. If you haven´t watch it yetthen you´ve missed something good! 10/10

Eumenides_0

(2013-05-16 05:41:12)

Horror Movie That Celebrates The Best In Humanity

Like many people I watched The Exorcist decades after it was made. Likemany I grew up on the hype that it was the scariest horror movie evermade and found it tame and disappointing. Unlike most, however, Ididn't let this affect my enjoyment of the movie. When I watched it asecond time and judged solely as a movie and not the ultimate cinematicexperience in horror, I discovered I was watching one of the best andmost beautiful movies ever made.In an otherwise peaceful suburb, the young Regan becomes strange: firstshe starts talking with imaginary friends, then she becomes restlessand violent. Her mother, Chris, takes her to the doctor but sciencecan't explain her illness and strange phenomena surrounds daughter andmother: a nearby church is desecrated; the child starts talking inforeign languages, objects move without touch.There is never any doubt that this movie is about a demon that haspossessed a child. But one of the distinguishing marks of this movie isthe logical progression of the plot. There are several rationalexplanations for Megan's behavior that must be demolished before theexorcism becomes the only possible solution and salvation.We can say that the movie follows two different narratives for a whileuntil they come together at the end: first Chris' struggle to find thecure for whatever is hurting her daughter. Seldom has a horror moviedisplayed such a loving and strong character as Chris McNeil,wonderfully played Ellen Burstyn. Her never-ending, tireless pursuitborders on obsession but also shows the love she has for Regan, theinnocent victim.The second story concerns Father Damien Karras, a priest strugglingwith his faith. Jason Miller, an unknown actor, became one of myfavorite actors after I saw his performance here. Beginning with hismelancholy and tired face, Miller is the perfect actor to play Karras,a man who seems to carry the world's problems on his shoulders. He notonly doubts his vocation and the existence of God, but he's tormentedby the guilt of having abandoned his mother at an institution in whichshe killed herself and died alone. Furthermore, he's a rational,skeptical man. When Chris comes to him to ask for an exorcism, he mocksthe idea considering the advances in psychology that has debunked alltalk of demonic possession. But kind as he is, he neverthelessinterviews Regan and slowly he becomes convinced that she is indeedpossessed.Before these two stories begin, there is a prologue, a ten-minutesequence in Iraq, in which we're introduced to Father Merrin. Thischaracter is absent from most of the movie up until the moment of theexorcism, that some may think the prologue exists merely to introducehim. But the Iraq sequence pretty much explains the entire movie, notto mention it's one of the most beautiful sequences ever filmed.It starts with Merrin digging at archaeological site. He discovers astatue's head representing a demon. This leads him to think an oldenemy has returned (we later learn Merrin once came across the demon inMegan). Cocophony abounds in the sound of blacksmiths hitting iron, thevoices of the market and dog growls. Sound will later become veryimportant in the movie. Small events lead Merrin to fear the worst,like a clock that suddenly stops, showing that the natural order hasstopped too. He travels to outside the city, where two dogs arefighting each other. He climbs some ruins and stands before a demonicstatue. Mortal and demon stare at each other; never has the battle ofgood versus evil been depicted in such clarity. Then the dog growlsintensify as the sun turns red and the growls turn into the sound ofairplane jets, in one of best transitions I've ever ever seen incinema, and we arrive at Chris' house.The Exorcist, I said, is one of the best movies ever made. It has someof the best production values I've ever seen: the use of sound, forinstance, is still unique. The cinematography is unforgettable too,capturing the world in shadows and dark tones. The actors are all good:Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, and also LeeJ. Cobb as a kind police detective investigating a murder connected toRegan.The intelligence of the script is also unique in the history of horror.There's never a false step, nothing that makes the viewer scratch hishead in wonder or that requires suspension of mental faculties, likemany horror movies today. The movie takes itself seriously and respectsthe viewer's ability to think for himself and make his own connections.Finally, The Exorcist is just a great story about human goodness. For amovie about the Devil, it's amazing how much decency, altruism andheroism there is in the movie, how little nihilism it contains. I'vealready talked about Chris, the tireless mother, but credit must alsogo to Fathers Merrin and Karras, two of the best heroes cinema everproduced, as they selflessly confront evil beyond comprehension withnothing but their faith and goodness. If you ever need to watch a movieto restore your faith in humanity, The Exorcist is the movie to watch.

Richard Kilroy

(2013-05-15 09:26:57)

"The Exorcist" The classy shocker.

A horror film with subtext. This is why William Friedkin's film of "TheExorcist" far surpasses so many films in the history of the horror genre.When the sensationalism of the various stage effects has faded, thequestions of faith and family remain. From its inception, author andscreenwriter William Peter Blatty was not satisfied in telling a merecampfire tale of shock and suspense, he invested his story with philosophyand characters with purpose. This attention to character nuance gives thestory its true power, humanity. Characters struggle with loss anddepression, each fighting the seduction of hopelessness.Friedkin's instincts for the direction of the film were intelligent, artfuland most importantly, compassionate. This is humanist filmmaking which begsquestions of its audience. "The Exorcist" remains a brave and gracefulmotion picture.

Lee Eisenberg

(2013-05-15 00:39:18)

Sympathy for the devil on ice, folks! And what is it about the name Damian?

My mom said that when "The Exorcist" first came out, she thought thatit was the scariest thing that she'd ever seen ("The Shining" laterovertook it). When I saw the 2000 re-release...well, let's just saythat you don't know intensity until you've seen that version! Sinceeveryone knows what happens, I'll just talk about a few aspects.Nowadays, it's a little shocking to us that the opening scene happensin Iraq. Fr. Karras' (Jason Miller) first name is Damian, which waslater the boy's name in "The Omen". I believe that it was around thetime when this movie came out that Ellen Burstyn was active in thecampaign to free Rubin "Hurricane" Carter from jail. Linda Blair laterspoofed her own character in "Repossessed", co-starring Leslie Nielsen.Anyone hungry for pea soup?

I_Love_Spielberg

(2013-05-13 03:39:37)

(2008) A Disturbing and Disgusting film (2012) One of the scariest movies of all time

"This movie is about a 12-year-old girl who gets possessed by the devilor some kind of demon. According to critics and audiences around theglobe, this is one of the scariest movies they've seen. And it's gottena lot of attention and went through the roof at the box office. This ismy opinion: It's probably one of the worst horror movies I've seen inmy entire life. It wasn't even scary. It was just disturbing anddisgusting. I, like the rest of my family, didn't like it that theyexposed Linda Blair to all of that stuff when she was twelve years old.She didn't even know what all of that meant at the time. I'm actuallytrying to block this movie out of my memory entirely. It disgusts me toeven thing about it. Personally, I think that they should either havetaken all of that stuff out, gotten someone else, or not even made themovie at all. I mean, it's a good story and a good script, but it justdidn't serve up the scares like everyone said it would. Now, don't getme wrong, the scene where she spider-walked down the stairs was prettyintense and the scenes where you see her eye turn white and her headspin around were pretty intense as well, but all in all it's justanother downer. I will never see this movie again as long as I live norwill I recommend it to anyone unless they enjoy watching 12-year-oldgirls do horrible things that I won't even list here."That's what I wrote in 2008. Cut to 4 years later, and I think it's oneof the scariest films of all time. It messes with your head and hassome of the greatest make-up and special effects ever to be captured onfilm. Friedkin's direction is topnotch, and you're totally convincedthat Max Von Sydow is an old man. It can be argued that it's just aseffective today as it was when it was released in 1973. If there wasever a movie I'd watch again for Halloween or whenever, it would bethis one. Do yourself a favor and see it. You won't regret it.

(2013-05-12 22:10:15)

The scariest movie I have ever seen!

The Excorcist was in a nutshell, the scariest movie I have ever seen, and probobly, the scariest movie ever made. It had none of the cut 'em up gore we see today, but more of a gothic horror. See this movie!!!!