Incredible Horror Film

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2004)

When I first saw The Exorcist a few years ago, I thought it was good, but not really scary. Maybe part of the reason for this was that I saw the original version, and not the "Version you've never seen" or maybe it was because since then I have become more religiously aware of myself recently. Well, last weekend, I wanted to give it another try, so I rented the new "version you've never seen" DVD version of it. Well, I just have to say that I think this movie is maybe the scariest movie of all time. I was really spooked after watching it, and I've been thinking about the film a lot since then, invisioning some of the horrifying scenes in my head. I think the added scenes do the film really well, except maybe the added scene at the very end, which is awkward and out of place. The split second flashes of that white demonic face were incredibly effective. Very simple, yet very scary. Also, since the film is longer, it allows more time for character development, and increasing the tension. The sound effects are really well done... Regan's demonic voice, her growls, and the music score are terrific. The scene that shocked/scared me the most, and possibly the scariest scene in movie history, was the spider-walk scene in which Regan walks down the stairs very quickly on all fours and then spews out blood at the bottom of the stairs. VERY disturbing! This brilliant scare, and many other fabulous scenes in the movie, are due to one of the greatest directing performances in movie history. William Friedkin really goes all out in making the film as great as possible. Other scary scenes include the scene where Regan is violently flopping up and down on her bed and then her eyes are blank and she growls and her throat becomes large. And the vomiting scene also was shocking. The atmosphere throughout the whole film was consistently tense and spooky, which is very important in creating a scary movie. Linda Blair's acting is extraordinary considering that she's only 12 years old when the film was made. And, I personally found that the way in which Father Karras gets rid of the devil is perfect. It would have been bad if they exorcised the demon in a normal way. All this adds up to one of the greatest films ever made. Some people may not be scared by the film, but I sure was, and