6070 (6070) wrote, @ 2007-05-30 15:19:00

THE EXORCIST (1973)
Such a powerful film that still has impact today. We started with "The Sadist" and finished with "The Exorcist".

What gives the film its strength? What makes it different from other horror films you've seen? What makes it different even from horror films today? How does the filmmakers make the film "realistic"?

You might describe what images and sounds create the effects of the film.

Jason Dieguez (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 03:06 (link)

i think what makes The Exorcist powerful is the pictures that it paints for your head while you're watching, watching certain parts of this film made me think of real things that bother me and scare me while watching this film. i like how this film built momentum starting from just a noise in the attic and a jumpy bed to a person morphing into a creature. also for many of us, what does the devil or evil look like? there is no fine picture of what the devil or evil should look like, the ideas of what they think evil or the devil look like are very broad. and i would like to think that this was the movie that set that tone of what the devil might look like. the movie takes the religion route instead of going for the cereal killer or monster, vampire, wolf and etc. it uses religion something people believe in and take faith in. any time you can make something involving religion it will scare people and make them ask questions if a thing like this were to really happen, which apparently has happen with the exorcism of Emily Rose(i'm not sure but i'm tossing it out there if it was true. again i don't follow these things) others flicks don't touch religion and if they do it's in a indirect and subtle way. the majority of modern films are overproduced, fake, cheesy,not good enough(or so my friends say anyway) i'm not a fan of horror movies but this was really good to watch, and a funny little fact that i would like to throw out there. my aunt and my dad watched this film when it came out in Guatemala, my dad was fine he enjoyed the movie but for my aunt she couldn't sleep for a week and then when was able to sleep she slept with a bible. i think that is a good definition of a good horror/scary movie when it could possibly do something like that to a person and haunt them and make them have to find comfort for them to be able to carry on with there lives. (Reply to this) (Thread)

monica brooke (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 11:48 (link)

I think that the element that gives this movie strength is the suspense. there are alot of scenes that jump out at us.It also get you a little disturbed by how realistic the girl looks.how she acts and looks just seemed how a demon miight act. I was 11 when i first watched this film. I couldnt even sleep alone. this film is just plain scary.it gets your blood running and you want to know how much longer can this demon keep on.the picture of what a demon or, rather, a demon possesing a little girl would look like is vague. people always assume that the devil and his demons are grotesque and dirty,but we dont know. the music is a big part of the film.when she is turning into the creature the jumpy noise is kinda disturbing. this movie is different cause its not all about blood and guts like majority of the horror films are today. it was,in my opinion,a classy horror film.there was gore,but not all in your face like freddy vs jason or hostel. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Cristina Marquez... (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 12:00 (link)

Let me start out by saying that i'm not a big fan of horror film because i've pretty much have been tormented with them all my childhood. Its hard to compare horror films because i haven't watched many but what i did enjoy about this movie that it has such great strength even without the perks of modern hollywood. Now days horror film producers try their hardest to thrill and scare their audience by providing the lastest special effects which truly aren't necessary. Sometimes all the special effects are just too much. This film uses even disgusting scenes like vomitting to scare its audience and it works because your grossed out and in fear of the possessed child at the same time. What made the movie seem very realistic was its use of settings and religion. By using a regular home as opposed to some place in the woods we seem to be more affected in our comfort zone. I've seen horror films that take places in the middle of no where or in the woods which causes you to feel less scared because you know that there is no way you'll be in the middle of know where the next day. Filming most of the movie in a home made it more horrifying because it makes you think that the same can happen to you or someone you care about. The worst of it all is that it happens to the most random and normal people. Religion also played an important part in the impact that the film had because it is suppose to give you a sense of security and hope. Once you give up family and medical support the only thing left to help you is your faith. Your religion is suppose to help you at the worst of times which made things even more scary because it seemed that not even religion could defeat this demond or devil inside her. The ending is what causes the most impact on the audience because we realize that in order to defeat evil we had to lose two priest. I dont know if its just me but with seeing that it made me think that evil is more powerful than good. I can possibly be looking to much into the role that religion has on the films strength but it truely was an important factor. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Diana Munoz (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 13:01 (link)

I think that what gives the film its strength is that it deals with religious beliefs and a lot of people feel strongly about these issues. I believe that this film has so much strength because nothing like it had ever been seen in the big screen before, well, nothing exactly like this. It was the very first of its kind, therefore people will remember it as a legendary film and nothing would top it because it set the foundation for horror films today. What makes this film different is that it had no sound effects, just noise like the bed knocking, and it was really open, it was not too over the top, trying to scare. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Diana Munoz continued... (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 21:32 (link)

Another thing that makes it different from other horror films is that, compared to horror films today, is that it doesn't there is not a exactly that much violence, really, yea there is punching and stuff, but there isn't like guns and stabbing going on, and there is not really that much blood shed in this movie either. This film, in a way is realistic because the characters in this movie don't really know what is going on at first, they discuss the possibility of psychological and medical causes at first, and they try everything else possible before they resorted to exorcism, and the mom and the girl didn't really have religious beliefs, but they still tried the exorcism, this is realistic because I doubt that many people will think of exorcism would solve a problem unless they have tried every other possible solution, it shows what a realistic family would do, just before they were about to lose their last ounce of hope. They show characters that have realistic lifes and personalities, well most, except the actual devil child or "the exorcised" or whatever you would call the girl. The film makers also made it realistic by not making that many special effects, and part of the realism is that they dealt with things that might be real or might seem real to other people, they are portraying issues that people might believe to be real and that are very similar to psychological issues like people that are skitzo or bipolar. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Ashley Lozano (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 13:01 (link)

This movie is so creepy and well directed. In the movie I noticed that there would be scenes where it is completly quiet and others where it was loud. I think it was used to emphasize certain scenes. For example, when the priest sees his mother it's all quiet to emphasize the fact that he had lost his mother and that it was pure. Religion gives this movie strength because everyone has a religion so appeals to that audience. Exorcism was rare in those days so it was a shock to see it in a movie. Usually any abnormal things that happened it that day was explained by science. Everything was based on science all there reasoning was dependent on that, so when a movie comes out and shows that science isn't everything it's a shocker. The doctors are so dependent on science reasoning. The movie challenges there reasoning. Some things just can't be explained, and the movie was trying to say there are things that happen that can't be explained by science. In other horror movies everybody dies. In this movie only two people die, and they die trying to save a child possesed by a demon. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Ashley Lozano continues (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 13:46 (link)

The movie is different from today because you don't see most religious movies. This movie set the foundation for the Passion Of the Christ. it's rare to find a religous movie today but since The Exorcist was made the producers can create religous movies because of this. The movie seems so realistic because the demon goes into a regula girl. No one expects bad things to happen to a regular person. It shows how n ordinary family gets affected by something dangerous and that's true in real life because we never think anything bad is going to happen to us but it does so people have that connection. Everyone loves a horror movie, you get this rush of adrenalin, you don't know what is going to happen next. Horror movies are the best because you never know whats going to happen. I thought that the boxer priest was going to live i didn't expect him to die. i liked this movie very much it's rare to see this kind f movie. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Lily I. (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 13:57 (link)

What makes "The Exorcist" a very scary movie is, first of all, the plot itself. It's scary to think that some one/thing else, like the devil in this case, can have control of our bodies. The girl that was possessed by the devil was a normal, happy girl; this showed us that the devil could get into any one. If the devil could possess any one, this makes everyone a candidate for being possessed, unfortunately. I think that being possessed by the devil is almost as scary as being crazy because we don't have control over whether or not it happens or when it happens. Another thing that contributed to the great horror in the film was the look of the girl when she was possessed. She was only acting, but if one didn't remind oneself of it being only a movie, one would really think that the girl was possessed and the it was the devil himself who was speaking. The sound effects also made the film seem realistic; it made the film very horrific. The sounds of the devil's breathing and voice made the possessed girl seem as if she was really possessed at the time in which the movie was being filmed. The "Exorcist" theme song, which played two or three times in the background of the movie, sounded scary and it gave hints of something bad happening. However, bad things didn't happen until later on, a while after the song played. What makes "The Exorcist" different from films today is that in the film, the 'bad guy' is a nice girl who is possessed by the devil. In films today, the 'bad guy' is usually a murderer with a mask, or some times it is another made-up thing that kills people. Also, horror films, today, have more scary music in the background, including when the victim is being chased or stabbed to death or whatever by the 'bad guy'. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Brookshield Tran (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 14:42 (link)

Overall I thought this movie was good. You can really see the changes between The Sadist and The Exorcist, horror-wise. The Exorcist used a demon/devil/evil spirit as its source of terror instead of a psychotic murderer. There were many scenes that shocked me, like the one where Regan was stabbing herself down there and hurt her mother and telling her to “lick it”, and the one where she said “f*** me” and the one where she said the priest was a”cock sucker”. I didn’t know that they allow young girls to talk like that, but she is supposedly possessed. I love horror films even though I’m paranoid. I’m the idiot that gets scared silly, but loves being scared. I think the feelings of the unexpected and constant suspense gave the film its strength because you want to see what would happen to Regan and those that surround her and you don’t know what to expect because the movie throws you some curved balls. I never watched a movie quite like this. This is the first movie I watch with any type of exorcist and possession. Most horror films that I had watch were usually an outside force and did not possess their victims. The filmmakers make the film realistic by setting it in a somewhat normal family implying that this can happen to everyone. This movie did not have that much special effect as today’s movies, and that made it much more realistic. What also made this film realistic is the fact that this just happened to Regan unexpectedly as if to say that live is full of unexplainable things that you do not have control over. I thought that the exorcist would’ve work but it didn’t really work and both the priests died, but at least they were finally able to free Regan. What also made it realistic was when they said that it was some sort of witch craft and that the church are against/disapproving of exorcist, just like most religious people today are against certain beliefs like evolution. It was also realistic in that way that the American doctors were trying to solve and find medical reasons for Regan’s behavior trying to find a cure and explanation for it. It reminds me of Americans today who try to find a logical explanation for everything and try to solve the unknown in scientific terms like how they argue against the church with the idea of evolution and try to make them change their beliefs. And how they also hate to admit that they were wrong when they eventually found out that it could not be explained in scientific terms. Like how the doctors test her for all these things that they that was the problem and finally recommend that she might try an exorcist. The sounds used in the movie distorted your thoughts and was purposely loud. As if trying to enter and posses your mind whispering things. You on the other hand want the volume to be lower so that it would not harm your ears it’s as if you are telling the sound to get out of your ear/mind like how Regan wanted help and wanted to be free from the demon/devil/evil spirit thing. So in a way it gives you that feeling of unwanted possession that Regan’s has and that sets you up for the whole film. The whole bed moving, objects thrown about and turning the head backward thing help to contribute to the feeling of the supernatural feeling of the film. Throughout the movie there are feelings of doubt especially around Regan’s possession especially on that one part where that younger priest/shrink guy sprinkled tap water on Regan and she said it burned because he said it was holy water. You know that the older priest would die because of all that black he saw especially when he almost got ran over by the lady in black. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Borath Long (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 16:39 (link)

The Exorcist was a very creepy movie. It gave me the creeps even though I’m not a big fan of scary movies because the ones I have seen these days are not that convincing. This movie although was fictional looked very convincing. I think the make up made a difference of making the movie more realistic looking unlike current scary movies where the special effects done by technology ruins most of the scary scenes. For example, Jeepers Creepers used too much affects like the creature flying very fast. This killed the scary feeling the movie was trying to project to its audience. The girl that was possessed did a great job of acting. Also, the sounds like the voice coming out from the girl was very eery. All of the actors in the movie were very good and believable. I liked the beginning of the scene because the sound was so loud that it caught my attention and I like foreign music and sceneries. I liked how the movie went from one country to another and how they were related to theme of the movie. The movie flowed well and nothing was confusing, everything was clear and easy to understand. This was one movie I really enjoyed watching besides Planet of the Apes and The Graduate. When I watched the comical version on Scary Movie, I didn’t know how similar they were. I thought the cussing and the green ooze was just added by the Scary Movie producers. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Borath Long (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 16:40 (link)

The Exorcist was a very creepy movie. It gave me the creeps even though I’m not a big fan of scary movies because the ones I have seen these days are not that convincing. This movie although was fictional looked very convincing. I think the make up made a difference of making the movie more realistic looking unlike current scary movies where the special effects done by technology ruins most of the scary scenes. For example, Jeepers Creepers used too much affects like the creature flying very fast. This killed the scary feeling the movie was trying to project to its audience. The girl that was possessed did a great job of acting. Also, the sounds like the voice coming out from the girl was very eery. All of the actors in the movie were very good and believable. I liked the beginning of the scene because the sound was so loud that it caught my attention and I like foreign music and sceneries. I liked how the movie went from one country to another and how they were related to theme of the movie. The movie flowed well and nothing was confusing, everything was clear and easy to understand. This was one movie I really enjoyed watching besides Planet of the Apes and The Graduate. When I watched the comical version on Scary Movie, I didn’t know how similar they were. I thought the cussing and the green ooze was just added by the Scary Movie producers. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Borath Long (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 16:40 (link)

The Exorcist was a very creepy movie. It gave me the creeps even though I’m not a big fan of scary movies because the ones I have seen these days are not that convincing. This movie although was fictional looked very convincing. I think the make up made a difference of making the movie more realistic looking unlike current scary movies where the special effects done by technology ruins most of the scary scenes. For example, Jeepers Creepers used too much affects like the creature flying very fast. This killed the scary feeling the movie was trying to project to its audience. The girl that was possessed did a great job of acting. Also, the sounds like the voice coming out from the girl was very eery. All of the actors in the movie were very good and believable. I liked the beginning of the scene because the sound was so loud that it caught my attention and I like foreign music and sceneries. I liked how the movie went from one country to another and how they were related to theme of the movie. The movie flowed well and nothing was confusing, everything was clear and easy to understand. This was one movie I really enjoyed watching besides Planet of the Apes and The Graduate. When I watched the comical version on Scary Movie, I didn’t know how similar they were. I thought the cussing and the green ooze was just added by the Scary Movie producers. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Borath Long (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 16:41 (link)
	I made a mistake and pressed the post comment button too many times, please ignore the repeats. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Van Ardon (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 21:55 (link)

The film at that time was very powerful, in the sense that it was based on a true story. i am not really a big fan of scary movies, but i do watch em' once in a while, and i've seen bits n pieces of this film as a kid, but dont really remember watchin it, cuz i was scared. But watching it now, it wasn't that scary, but there were a couple of scenes that made me jump a lil.haha..I guess its different from other horror films in that its not overexagerated, it wasn't scary all the time, it was a story and in the story there were certain elements that connected to each other and to the kid possessed. One was the priest and his mother in the mental hospital and the he's also a psychiatrist. I guess its realistic in that nobody really believed to the mom that her child was being possessed by the devil, they just simply reffered her to mental hospital after mental hospital. ANd she was diagnosed with all sorts of diagnosis, i thinks its realistic in that way, because doctors sometimes misdiagnose upon not seeing that symptom from a person before and you get a second opinion. Also what made the film different from other horror films today is that many horror films would have a great background music that will lead up to the event or the scene, in this film, it used the noise from the film, not over the film but from the film, a good example is that the attic noise. Or the bed shaking, or the wind from the open window. Not like other films that used sound as much as the visual to catch the audience in the maximum way. But you see with the sound in the background people tend to brace their selves for whats coming but in this film, it kinda just happened with no warning, and just came atcha!Bam! The girls acting was crazy she was really good, as if when her lips were moving and it wasn't here voice anymore, she was really portraying the devil as her. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Michelle Jara (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 22:24 (link)

I believe this film is a classical one! that many people re-make to create another view for its audience but cannot be greatly achieved! this horror movie is just amazinly filmed and makes it more intresting and catches people attention! for the fact that is quesitons religion and god and our way of living. Brings contreversy to what is fiction..or real..or just a lie..?the bible and the church is brought in in to peoples mind . An the movie is showed as to give the message to its audience of the devils work and what it can do!An also how good battles evil! an who or what will win in the?..i believe that is the strenth to the film its message and characters such as the victim. its so real and common among something that could happen to a family or anyone. What makes it different fromm other film is the message..you dont have serial killer going after a girl..or slaughtering people..or family or friends..getiing standed in a dessert or desolated creepy place. rather you have this film taking place and during a time where the audience can relate to it. You have a family anda priest.! It makes it very diffrent from today film where you have movies such as "HOSTEL" with sex and terror or texas chainsaw massacer or the ring. films that are unrealistic and leaves our imagination to work for us! In the exorcist you can relate to it alot.The filmakers make it real..with the settings and the charters in the film! you have sounds that tense you up and create you to have a sense of fear & curiosity and how real they keep it with peoples daily life. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Moniikay Zavala (Anonymous) 2007-05-31 22:51 (link)

i think the phrase "less is more" definitely applies to "The Exorcist". I think Hollywood horror films use the latest special effects and sound effects in order to gross out and scare the viewer. I think they base the film's ability to scare its audience by the amount of gore and blood that it has in it. However in the exorcist, the filmaker just relied on the fact that anyone would be creeped out seeing a girl jump up and down violently on her bed. This film did have blood in it, but not an excessive amount like other Hollywood Horror films have today. This film reminded me of the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" because it also had a possessed girl and a priest in it. However, that film made me laugh because i found it to be unrealistic, hilarious, and dumb. I didn't really find "the Exorcist" to be realistic, because i just find the 360 degree rotation of her head and the other things she did while "possessed" to be unbelievable. I think this film was more gross than realistic. the whole "fuck me fuck me" part was absolutely disgusting and horrible. and the ending, where the mom was like "she doesnt remember a thing..." yeah RIGHT! if all of her cuts, bruises, and stab marks don't make the girl question things, then she must not be an intelligent child. i must admit that the "devil's" voice was scary, and i felt the film makers did do a great job creating a sound that would evoke fear in the viewers. This film did have it's scary moments, but overall i found it to be unrealistic and unbelievable. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Shivani Narayan (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 00:17 (link)

This movie was good but it was nasty. This movie was not scary but it is very nasty. I felt like throwing up while I was watching this movie. I kind of expected more scary scenes and bloody scenes. I didn’t quite understand what was going on in the beginning. I think that this movie would be one of those few movies that people will continue to watch. I thought that this movie was somewhat funny because the girl was saying stupid things. The thing that makes this different from all the other horror movies we have seen was the scenes of the girl. Every scene where she was on the bed was very sickening. The way her whole face and body looked like was so sad. I could feel the pain in my body when I saw the scar. It was so nasty when they showed her stomach, it seemed as she was dead because she was so skinny. Also, when it said help me on her stomach it looked really painful. The filmmakers make it realistic by having so many scars on the girl. Just the way she looked when she was possessed. The sound effect was kind of scary because it got loud at some point. I really hated the scene where the girl threw up. I couldn’t believe that the directors would actually show that, it was so nasty and green. Ewww!!!! I also did not like the part where the doctors had poked the girl’s throat. I didn’t expect the director to show us all the blood. Another part was when she was stabbing her self and she was covered with blood. I can’t remember if I have seen any movie where a girl is stabbing herself. I wouldn’t care if she did that to her self but when she told her mom to fuck her that was just too much. I know that she was possessed and all but that passed all of the limits. I can’t imagine a girl doing that to her mother. I haven’t seen any movie that shows someone throwing up at other people. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Robyann Jumaoas (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 00:26 (link)

Well, this horror film is differs a lot with The Sadist. I think what gave the film its strength is the child actor who was possessed and also how religion had a role in the movie. I say the child actor gave it strength, because you wouldn’t normally see children of her age, especially in that time, be possessed. That must have been a crowd-shocker in the 70s. Also, her acting skills were good because she did a great job portraying her character. You wouldn’t think that a child would be capable of portraying that kind of role in a movie. I think the fact that religion had a role in this play gave it strength because it’s one of those things people respect a lot. I think the mood of the movie also gave its strength; it presented a depressing, dark tone. The suspense also gave it strength because we’re at the edge of our chairs just wondering what’s going to happen. This movie is different from other horror films because, I can’t recall seeing any other movie where a little girl is possessed. I might have, but this movie just stood out the most. Seeing and hearing a little girl speaking in a crazy, manly voice is different. The commentary she said was so strange. The demon inside of her was so perverted and disgusting. Also, I’ve never seen a movie where a priest was murdered or even committed suicide. That’s like one of the biggest sin anyone can do. And priests are supposed to be preaching that to us. So when I saw that priest jump out of that window, I was shocked. This film was different from horror films today because, horror films today aren’t realistic. The last horror film I watched from today was probably Silent Hill. (I know that’s an old movie, I don’t really watch a lot of movies. Haha) Anyways, in Silent Hill, it’s about how this Mom tries to find her daughter in a abandoned town. During her search, strange, unreal objects try to attack her. And in the end she found out that her and her daughter are ghosts. That’s not real, it’s just creativity. For The Exorcist, I think I believe that this could happen to someone or anyone. So that really freaks me out. I think the filmmakers made the film realistic because they used regular people. Who would think that an innocent little girl just wanting to spend time with her mom and dad would become possessed? The sounds of this film really scared me. My friend made me realize this, if you cover your ears while watching a scary movie, it won’t seem as frightening. It’s true. The music and the sounds are what really scare us because it sets up the mood of the movie. Like the pacing piano tune playing quickly and the strange sounds coming from the attic. And, of course, the creepy, strange voice coming out from that little girl’s mouth! Who can forget what that sounded like! [now I’m scaring myself because I’m alone in my room! Haha] so about the imagery, man her face was UGLY! It was so scary and so unappealing to my eyes. Those priests have a lot of guts to even be in the same room as her and interact with her. I wouldn’t even be in the same building as her. So the make up was excellent and effective. Also, that one scene where the camera only gets a shot of her door. And it’s pretty dark and all you see is the door and we come closer and closer. That scene was so dramatic and it only showed a door. :P The majority of the scenes in the movie were dark and lonesome. There were hardly any cheery, bright scenes. The images and the sounds contributed a lot to the presenting the mood and tone of this film. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Marthina Cinco (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 00:48 (link)

I hate this movies... :( I think what gives the movie it's strength is fear, fear that science cannot solve all problems. The other horror films are just figments and this, many cases might have proven, are true, especially in the Catholic religion, which I belong to. It's just completely different because the horror movies now are gorry and just gruesome, with Saw and Chainsaw Massacre. Okay, I can't talk about it because it scared me to death, but I didn't like how "realistic" it seemed. There was just so many things that made it real, with EVERYTHING! Because of that, I hated it. Sorry Leibner. This movie still freaks me out. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Patricia Silva (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 01:05 (link)

This movie's strength comes from the fact that it uses religion. More then half of the world is religious and most of those religions have a god but they also have some sort of evil spirit. By using Satan as the villan in the movie acquires a certain sense of realism for many people. There are a lot of people that consider this movie to be so terrifying because they believe that this could also happen to them. Moives like the Sadist also provide that sense of realism because the concept presented in the movie happens all of the time but with The Exorcist it's worse. Not only is this real to a lot of people but also Satan is a much more powerful and terrifying antagonist then a human psycho. The use of religion makes the moive different from most of the horror movies I see from this time. It is considered too controversial for concepts like religion to be used in a movie so unless the film makers are willing to risk losing money they don't take the risk of making a movies like this. A Satan possesion by itself makes the moive different but the fact that a young girl was the source of the possesion makes it more scary. Children are considered innocent so to see a girl do all of the things that Regan did is shocking. There are are also other effects apart from religion that make the movie unique like the music. The main song in the film adds a certain creepiness to the movie. At the beginning of the movie before the possesion started the music was played while the mom was walking back to her house. The creepy music was a big contrast to that scene because everything appeared normal. The music makes you think that something might happend to the mom while on her walk but nothing happens which at least ended up making me more nervous. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Cilla!! (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 01:31 (link)

I am a big fan of horror films, and "The Exorcist" is one of the most scariest films I have watched. Just like "The Sadist" I think what makes this film a scary film is because it happens to the most random people. In the Sadist, the viewers sees how three teachers are on their way to a baseball game, and in the middle of their trip they get stuck in an empty gas station and two out of the three are killed by the end and never get to watch the game. In The Exorcist, an innocent young girl is possessed by the devil out of nowhere and in the end of the movie, two priests are killed. In the beginning of the movie, the young girl and the mom were having a good time, and out of nowhere after the daughter played the Ouija board, she became ill. I think another factor that makes this movie scary is because it doesn't scare the viewer because of the graphics, sound effects, and the characters, but the psychological concept of it. It also questions religions/ people's beliefs. Right after the daughter became ill, the mother turned to God to save her. In the end of the movie, the two priests were able to exorcise the girl, but the devil was still there and ready to possess another human being. Like Tina said, this movie made me think that evil does win over good. In the movie, it had to take twice as much the power of good to win the battle. Not everyone believes in religion, but I think that everyone has a good and bad side to them. At first when i watched this movie, i thought to myself "What if you're not in a religion?" "Would you be able to escape from the devil--evil?" The scene that scared me the most was when the girl crawled down the ladder. Since there was no music or and kind of sound effects, I never expected something like that to happen and that is why it scared the SHIT out of me, and it still does. Overall, i just thought this movie was really scary and i couldn't get it off my mind for days. Just the thought that it happened to an innocent teenage girl, i thought i would be the next victim..that's how realistic it was to me. (Reply to this) (Thread)

matthew spears (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 01:39 (link)

What gives this film so much strength is that its so god damn scary. It was twistin’ my balls as I watched it. To be honest I hate scary movies so I didn’t focus to much on this film because I prefer to be able to sleep well at night. But as from what I’ve seen this films visuals were able to strike fear in the hearts mankind. It took a subject that every church going person is horridly scared of. The thought of hell is a pretty shitty thought. And when seeing things that supposedly come from hell makes it worse. Watching a crazy little possessed girl really scared me. The main thing about this movie is that it was set up so that it seemed like it could happen next door and you’d never know it. So I’m sure that people weren’t able to feel comfortable in society for a while when this film came out. And the music didn’t make anything easier on the audience. Especially when that crazy girl was coming down the stairs. It made me feel like something bad was going to happen no matter what anyone did. Seeing scary pictures as you hear scary sounds makes it a scary moment. So in the end I hate this movie. I hate scary movies. But this film had such an impact on society that it was even remade several times. (Reply to this) (Thread)

crystal yescas (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 02:18 (link)

THE EXORCIST is probably one of my favorite movies. the first time i watched this movie, the "FUCK ME" scene with the crucifix freaked me out and made my stomach flip. I think what gives the movie it's strength is the fact that Regan was just a normal little girl like many other little girls and it wasn't like they could have prevented what happend to her because it was totally unpredictable. The eerie and unpredictable tone of the film and the loud, sudden sounds help build the suspense and events such as the 360 degree head turn, the moving bed, and the HELP ME across Regan's stomach make it real. though regan's mom knows there is something wrong and she takes regan to the doctors and various speicalists, science cannot give an answer and a cure to what is going on. unlike THE SADIST, the bad guy wasn't some mentally-ill-could-pass-for-an-average-person living in the same world as the victim, but instead a demonic spirit-- something that one cannot see as a seperate form. another thing that gave the movie it's strength is the challege of getting the demon spirit out. it wasn't like they could have shot regan in the head so that the spirit could leave, because if they did SHE'D die. (Reply to this) (Thread)

luis tamayo (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 02:38 (link)

The Exorcist has been praised as being one of the best horror films ever, but honestly why do people find it so damn scary? I never found it to be scary, creep yes, scary no! I’ve seen way scarier and more intense movies, but perhaps it was the time period. People during that time period probably have never seen a film like the Exorcist. This movie is captivating because again, it shows how this can happen to any ordinary person, even a young girl. This film also strikes fear in those who believe in the supernatural and how their beliefs can be challenged by someone like the devil. This film is unlike most horror films I’ve seen before probably due to the fact that, most films nowadays lack substance. The present-day films all start off with the serial killer, but they have no back-story. The Exorcist shows us all aspects and what causes the problem. This film goes beyond by having a young girl become possessed, something that would disturb most people. Frankly, at the time most would object to having such a young girl portray LUCIFER. Since then most films have copied that because that’s what horror movies do, the want to make you feel uncomfortable in order to scare the living hell out of you. Filmmakers make the film realistic by having ordinary people become possessed, and actually having officials like priest die in the movie. Good does not always prevail, and it sometimes seems more realistic to have something truly evil win. The image probably stuck in my head forever, is when Regan’s head does the infamous head spin. It literally scared, even though it has been parodied millions of times. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Julie-Ann Dela Cruz (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 02:38 (link)

the music and the reactions of the people gave the movie strength as well as the scenes. the differences i found in this film compared to horror films these days the starting of the movie it takes forever to get to the actual "scary" scenes. these days they start right at the beginning and eventually leading towards the story frame. the story went slow and it wasn't really suspenseful.. it just got you really scared because you know something is going to happen. the scary parts weren't even scary it was rather funny these days they make the "scary" person of the film really scary to the point where you dont even want to look at them. the filmaker's made the film a bit realistic because of the vents that were taking place seeing all the doctors trying to diagnose her the settings were at a normal house and when the priest was over and the girl threw up on him they went downstairs to wash it and iron which is common the way the settings were just "normal" everyday places. nothing out of the ordinary settings which made the film more realistic. the image of the girl when she was possessed really gets you though because it was gross the sounds like the music and the slamming of the door scares you other than that the images alone wouldnt get you scared. i understand when why you turned up the volume because it wouldnt be scary without it like when the priest was listening to the tape recordings and the phone rings it wouldnt have made you scared but the way the sound gets caught up with you when he was listening to the recordings it was quiet than it gets you. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Davis Tran (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 03:23 (link)

First of all I would like to say that the movie was great. I thought that this film was far more interesting than The Sadist. I think that the suspenseful horror of the film contributed to the film strength. You are at the edge of your seat and constantly predicting what is going to happen next to Regan. There were a few unexpected twists to the movie that made it more hilarious at certain points of the movie. Like the time were Regan came out and told everyone at her mom party, that they all are going to die. And the funny part is when she pee on the carpet and made it looked like it was a normal thing. What makes this film different from other horror films that I have seen is that the graphic and the color is sort of old and dull. Today film there are many computerize effects that made it more entertaining to watch but less realistic. What makes it different from horror films today is that it is set in a normal house hold compare to the middle of nowhere (popular setting in most movie today). The film maker made the film realistic by adding blood to the scene, giving it more effect to the scene. Also, the film maker didn’t computerize many scenes giving it more realistic effect. Providing insights of the characters lives helping us understand that the characters were normal people that struggle with problems that we struggle with today. (Reply to this) (Thread)

angie g (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 11:11 (link)

sorry leibdawg but i was not about to stay & watch the film cause as a kid, & even know, i haven nightmares from that stupid film!! ... but i am familiar with it. i think what gives this film its strength is the fact that an innocent little girl is being possessed. anything dealing with the devil, i think, freaks most people out. (it freaks the hell out of me thats for sure.) although this film was made in the early 70s, it still gives viewers this sense of eerie, scared, weird feeling. you'd think that the older the film, the less scary it'd be, just because so many other modern films today tend to be "scarier" & i mean, it is 2007, so things have changed a lot since then. there's something about this film that keeps people on their toes, wanting to watch the film, but at the same time, not wanting to watch it because no one wants to see that little girls scary face, or hear the harsh word "she" says. what makes this film different from other horror films i've seen is this whole idea of someone getting possessed. people tend to not want to talk about this certain topic, and i think that's what makes this film so special. filmmakers make this film seem realistic because you personally get to know this innocent little girl with a religous background. they give you an everyday scenario & then all of a sudden, demons & devils are thrown into the picture. it's kind of like she has this perfect little family, and something so demonic takes place. i hated the stupid soundtrack to the film! its one little song played throughout the film, but it sort of "gets" to you. well to me it does. that stupid little eerie noise freaks me out. once heard, i know its from the exorcist & i think of her ugly foaming face. certain scenes, like her yelling out obscenities & unwanted things freak me out. overall, i do not recommend this film because i do not like messing around with demons & all that crazy kind of stuff. i do not recommend this film just because the little girl scares the hell out of me. =0 (Reply to this) (Thread)

erika cerda (Anonymous) 2007-06-01 14:24 (link)

I think that this is a very good movie. Much better than a lot of movies today. Their are a few differences between horror films today and horror films before because I think that horror films before were much more realistic. What I mean by realistic is that now a days there mostly all made up and before they mostly had to do with something that happened in real life to someone. The sound effects were amazing because it sounded like a real exorcisim. This film kind of reminds me of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Because it was based on a true story. Also because it is kind of creepy knowing that this can happen to anybody. I think that you couldn't of chosen a better movie to end this class. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Rainelee Bernardino (Anonymous) 2007-06-02 14:25 (link)
	Sorry Leibner.. I hate this movie. I have seen a few parts as a child and remember being terrified. So I apologize because the minute I walked in the OAR and saw the title of the film that we were going to watch for that day, I was like, "oh hell no!!" So I walked out. I'm not a fan of the EXORCIST movies. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Jeffery Armellino (Anonymous) 2007-06-02 23:58 (link)

what gave this film such an interesting feel was the fact that it broke new barriers in the world of films. Audiences were shocked as they watched such an innocent little girl transform into a beast. I don't think anyone had ever seen or even expected a movie to be so graphic. What makes this movie so different from the other horror films I’ve seen is the plot. It’s true that the entirety of the movie is about a young girl, but starting from around the middle, the main character changes to a young priest with many internal problems. The film shows his background and tells about the obstacles he has to face. It was a little confusing at first, but when you look back at it, you realize that no other movie has accomplished such a thing. Scary movies today are completely different from this. The only film I can think of that can relate to it is The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It’s about the same thing, but the vulgarity of The Exorcist is far worse than that one. The thing that makes this movie so realistic is the lack of music throughout the entire film. The director makes use of loud noises to startle the audience in place of scary music. This makes for a more sensible horror because if you were to compare it to an actual life event, you'd know that there wouldn't be any music playing while you were walking through the dark. All in all, The Exorcist was a pretty good film. It was more funny than scary at times, but I think that's why I liked it (Reply to this) (Thread)

Shannon Page (Anonymous) 2007-06-04 20:09 (link)

I think what gives the films it's strength is the subject matter that is in the film such as humanity battling with the devil. Another aspects is the fact that the victim is young Reagan only 12 years old. The things that she says. What makes it different from other horror films that I've seen is the fact that it was about the young girl being possessed by a figure that might or might not be real. It is all up to the person whether or not the devil exists. Also since it was made in the 70s, there weren't all kinds of special computerized graphics. Today, films are filled with special effects and an abundance of gore. It's almost the same stories and results, the ending left with one sole survivor and the end to the villain. In this case it dealt with a victim that lived only through the sacrifice of another. Like ive said before, there weren't any cg effects and people deal with devils and demons everyday, it's just a metaphor in my opinion. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Joel Pollack (Anonymous) 2007-06-04 21:09 (link)

I had a couple of choices that day, to watch the exocist or not to watch the exorcist. I chose not to watch simply because I wanted to be able to get some sleep and build up some energy for my upcoming finals at harbor college. My mind already goes pretty wild at night and its hard enough to fall asleep, I dont need to add to it by a terrifying movie. And so like Rainelee Bernadino i was like "oh hell no!!" when i saw the title. I have seen parts of the movie when I was younger, I was freaked out and lost plenty of sleep, but now I am thankfully ride of those memories. I apologize for my absence Liebner. I believe that the reason this horror film is so effective in scaring people is because demon possesion are real and not to many people know a whole lot about it. Many fear what they dont know. This movie strikes a chord of fear with many people because somehow deep inside they know that there are many evil things in the world, and there is a deep feeling that this can happen. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Darline Jimenez (Anonymous) 2007-06-05 00:10 (link)

Personally I dislike scary movies and I didn't stay long to finish this film, but I have seen parts of the movie. Well it was very graphic with the whole process of the demon being inside of the the child. This movie is considered a classic because it was the turning point for scary movies that followed after this movie and gave people a personal look to be touched upon on religion. The choice of words the girl is saying was so graphic and harsh which is coming out of an innocent girl who is using profanity. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Ralph Mallari (Anonymous) 2007-06-05 01:08 (link)

O M G this movie really just shocked me, it wasn't my friends time watching it but just watching this version of it was just as amazing. First off the amount of cussing in the film and how this film is kind of funny as well as a horror film makes just a great combination. What gives this film such strength is that it starts of as a mystery and it happens to be introduced to the world about exorcisms, which in are time we never knew how it was really performed. Another thing is how someone becomes possessed and how to tell wither your just ill or possessed. The innocent girl who just plays as if everything is cool becomes this horrible ugly creature who just happens to be a horny person and a serious bitch who can't stop cussing. What makes this film different from other horror films I've watch is that many of them have the same plan to scare the shit out of you and make you get nightmares. This movie just had more then that, it scared us made us laugh, and also thought us just how a exorcism is performed. What makes it different from horror films today is that.. they seem to go just over there head and we also seem to find out what happens next such like "walking a dark area and being scared the shit out of you with someone popping out of know were" with the exorcist there just wasn't any of that it built a lot of suspense and then finally scared us by making us believe that people can really be possessed. How the film maker make this so realistic is that he starts of really far back into Saudi Arabia were he found the stone piece of the devil. Then it comes back in the future with these young girl who says she is the devil with in. What makes it also realistic is that the church was also part of the movie and played a great role by hiring a expert exorcist. (Reply to this) (Thread)