Still The Scariest Film to Date

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2009)

Every time I watch this film it just reminds me how excellent it is and why it was etched in my memory as one of the most disturbing films that I have seen.
It has somehow become cool to dismiss the Exorcist as overrated, over-hyped, or "not as scary as everyone says it is". The fact that this movie has an 8.1 rating is disturbing in and of itself. I exaggerate, but that strikes me as unreasonable.
Everything about this film made it the quintessential horror experience. I remember this film leaving the biggest long-term psychological scar of any film I've seen. It was during this time that I was impressionable towards the idea of religion - nowadays I would not give religion even a passing consideration - and the idea that demon possession may have some believability to it--this is the way the film was billed to me. I'd liken this to going into the Blaire Witch Project expecting it to be an actual documentary.
But not just that--the film reaks of perfection. Every shot was given masterful consideration. Friedkin, I am told, spent endless takes just trying to get shots to his liking. So combine this level of perfectionism with an already interesting premise, a universal accessibility, and some of the best acting I've seen of any horror film (if you can consider this a horror film -I consider it a 'psychological thriller' - period.
As far as build-ups in movies go, this movie had one of the greatest build-ups I've seen. It does not launch right into the action as your average horror flick would and treats the subject matter deftly. What ensued is a very subtle, very tight-rope tension builder....and not overdone with blood, in-your-face scares.
This is what I go to the cinemas for: flight-of-fancy, compelling films.
Also, this movie in conjunction with The Omen instilled a permanent fear of the number 6 for me.