No longer so effective

Rating: 5/10 (9 June 2002)

This movie scared me when I was a little kid. Now older and agnostic, watching it last year I was floored by how dull it now seemed.
I think the Exorcist can really only work if you are religious. I had some Catholic education as a young child, and in a weird way I appreciate that it made me more susceptible to the Exorcist's scare tactics. In a way, going to church was an unintentional years-in-the-making Halloween prank, which culminated with the genuine fright I felt watching the Exorcist in the early '80s. Which is cool, because a scary film can be exhilirating. Thanks.
But The Exorcist now has quite the opposite effect on me. Decent acting, but leaden pacing. Not much happens. A priest is doubting his faith, and a young girl suffers the embarrassment of being possessed by the devil. There are LOTS of scenes featuring the possessed girl in bed, scowling in the devil's raspy voice. The priests chant, she scowls, etc.

True, some of the images of the girl thrashing about her bedroom are unsettling. But overall I was so bored the last time I viewed this, I'm not sure that I'll ever see it again. And although it is far from a perfect film, I think Exorcist III is much better than the first.