LogFAQs > #946662416

Alright let's finish this thing!

1. The Exorcist (1973 film) (30 points)
Nominated by: wallmasterz (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGw1MTEe9k

Importance: 10
Fear: 10
Snake: 10

The Exorcist needs no introduction. It's often touted as the scariest film of all time, and for good reason. Does it lack bite today? No, I don't believe so. If anything, its pure defiliation of Christianity and gut-wrenching abuse of Regan stands more shocking and horrifying than ever. It's the birth of the "trigger warning" in film, it changed film ratings forever as children and adults alike flocked to see the picture, causing mass vomiting, fainting, and if certain reports are to be believed, miscarriages and heart attacks. It doesn't matter if they're true or not; word-of-mouth worked its magic and it went on to become the most successful R-rated film of all time until It in 2017. On paper, it's a rather simple story, about a single mother raising her daughter, they play with something they shouldn't, an Ouija board, and said daughter becomes possessed by Pazuzu, and the question that's mainly wrestled is whether or not this a problem for doctors, or for the church? The Exorcist takes on many forms of horror however; thinking this is simply a demonic possession story is wrong. It has elements of a psychological drama, where this mother has to deal with tolling stresses of raising a daughter on her own with no father figure, and Regan's possession a metaphor for her lashing out and rebellion for also ot having this guiding hand in her life. Regan's possession can also be seeen as a representing of puberty and the poor influence of peer pressure. Father Karras also has to deal with familial issues, including the death of his poor, sickly mother which clouds his faith and judgement. Slight elements of body horror permeate the picture, though in a more realistic sense, including a very infamous angiography scene, where a needle is injected into Regan's neck, so genuine that it's used as training footage for aspiring radiologists. Regan violently masturbating with the cross has so many layers to it; the bloody gore, Regan's foul mouth, her scarred face, and even Ellen Burstyn actually hitting her head on the radiator all contribute to a scene that will make even the most seasoned horror vets shield their eyes from the atrocities on screen. Hell, I would even say some pure gross-out scenes like Regan's urination or vomiting would lay out some blueprints for Sam Raimi's brand of comedy horror. All of this would be for nought however if not for Linda Blair's impassioned performance, perfectly demonstrating the shift from slightly innocent but curious little girl to increasingly naughty until she was full on vile and disgusting, fully possessed by Pazuzu. Blair for her credit was chosen for her more mature knowledge of the source material and I think it's one of, if not, the best, performances in all of horror, and well absolutely everyone is amazing in this too. Burstyn is the perfect frazzled mother driven to wits end losing her sanity just as much as Regan does, and Miler injects Karras with the pathos of a defeated man going into war one last time for the ultimate fate of his soul.

With some of the most well-known iconography and quotes to come out of American cinema, like the head-spinning scene, "your mother sucks cocks in hell", the famed Exorcist steps, the theme taken from Tubular Bells, and even when Regan walks down the steps on all fours which isn't even in the original cut, it's easy to look at The Exorcist as so ingrained in our lexicon that it nothing to offer for audiences anymore. That's so far from the truth. The Exorcist still scares because it has craft and style, it appeals to all age levels due to its awesome control of themes and substance of its characters, and a strong director like William Friedkin pushing for realism in nearly all aspects of the film, whether you agree with that directorial style or not. It's not my personal favorite horror movie, but I do think it's the perfect representation of what a horror film should be. Controversial but with a point and message to get across, with the mindset that the more it offends the better. It's ultimately films like this that remind me why I love horror so much, how it can take you of your comfort zone to a place you never once imagined in your life you'd see, and sucker punch you with the truth that the world has some fucked-up shit in it and you need to be reminded of that sometimes. That's ultimately why The Exorcist still remains as the most important horror movie ever released and is still watched, analyzed, and admired without question to this very moment in time, and will continue to be well into the future.

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Bare feet on the tile with my head up in the clouds
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