I almost feel ashamed for not liking this film

Rating: 6/10 (25 August 1999)

There is a very frustrating scene from Jaws 2 where Brody walks into the selectsmen's meeting carrying the photograph that the two divers took as they were being eaten. Brody sees the outline of the mouth and the eye. And he should know what a shark looks like. But when he passes it around, Harry saysSeaweed?" Verna Fields says, "it's under water isn't it? That's why it's so dark?" They can't see something that is so obviously and that is bothersome. That is how I feel about my reaction to the Exorcist. Everyone has told me how frightening it is and how it is a psychological trip. And I know the reaction that audiences had towards it in the 70's. But as much as I try, I just can't see it. It is not a scary movie and it is not even an enjoyable one, and I would even go so far as to say that it is not even a good movie.
First off, there are so many parts of this film that have nothing to do with what the film is about. The first hour is nothing. It really has no relevance to the rest of the film. And for the life of me I really can't understand what the beginning is about. Why do we need the background of the Exorcist in Iraq? What does that have to do with the film and how does it further the plot? I don't get it.
Secondly, this is a very poorly editted film. There were times that I cringed at some of the editting. It was such a blatant cut that you felt like you could see the editors crazy gluing the film together. And I am not saying that to be cruel, I really mean that.
Thirdly, and this is the big one, what is so scary about this film? Really, all Regan did was get her face scarred a bit, vomit a lot, yell out obsenities and blugeon herself with a cross. Now that is interesting in the fact that this must have sent a shock wave through the religious community because you are not supposed to say or do anything bad towards the church. But in terms of scares or chills? No way, they just weren't there. I can admire a film like Halloween and Blair Witch for being innovative enough to scare us but no this film. Frankly, I was bored. I really was. There were times that I wanted to turn this off and watch the baseball game, and we all know how boring baseball is on the tube. But this film moved at a snails pace. And if they would have cut it down by about thirty minutes, it may have been better.
The other element that I can't get past is the fact that this was the devil himself. Okay, let's just say it is. Why does it allow himself to be tied down? Why does it jump at water that isn't holy? Why does it possess a girl when it can come onto this Earth in human form if it wanted to. When Lucifer was kicked out of Heaven, he was abolished because of greed and a lust for power. So for an angel to be that despised must have been considered dangerous and powerful. If that is so, then why all the scenes of Satan being dominated by humans? Are you saying that the best he could come up with is making a girl puke, levitate, and throw a few things around the room? That sounds more like he was just having a bad day because he couldn't get his own way. That doesn't sound like the personification of evil. You want to see real evil, watch DeNiro in Angel Heart.
The Exorcist is a film that has it's place in history and I can admire it for that. And to be honest I almost feel like someone that doesn't like The Blair Witch Project. I can't understand why people can't like that film, that is true fear for me. So when I say that this film is really not that good, I can understand why people may think I'm ignorant, but when you compare this to A Nightmare On Elm Street or Halloween, can you honestly say that this has more to offer? And if you can say that, well, I just don't see it.