a film that is truly frightening

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 1998)

The Exorcist is a film that works on many levels. It has scared audiences for 25 years and they still come back for more. Nowadays we have films that give us a good jump, but The Exorcist has something that those films don't have, a true sense of dread. The film has its moments of "boo!" The vomit shot or the head turning, but what you really remember from the film is the sound and the imagery. Early in the film when Father Merrin visits a temple in Iraq, he confronts the statue of a demon. Below him are dogs fighting, as he stares into the statue the dogs sounds become distorted and grotesque. They don't sound like dogs anymore. The voice of the Devil haunts you for days after viewing the film. So full of malice and vulgarities, it would be comical if deep in your mind you could separate the voice from the face. Put them together, and you'll still be making sure your windows and doors are locked tightly. The final thing that follows you around is the ghost white face that appears in Father Karras' dream and in the exorcism of the Devil from Regan. It only appears for a second, but that face lingers with you. It is not grotesque, but it is evil. And it will haunt you, just watch the exorcism scene. Karras looks the Devil in the eye, and you can see his face over Regan's. It is not a face you will soon forget.