It scared me then, it scares me now.

Rating: 9/10 (29 October 2003)

I was much too young to read this William Blatty novel. At the ripe old age of nine, I found it lying around and read it. I had to hide it. I instinctively knew that if my mom had found me with it, she would have been quite disturbed. But I had read more advanced works already, and understood most of what I read. What I did not understand, the dictionary was readily available to assist me in my quest.
I didn't sleep for about ten days. I would go to sleep, but I would not stay there long. I finally had to confess my trespass to my mother, who countered the book's nightmare-like qualities with a "good, healthy dose of Disney." I honestly understood Joel, Wednesday, and Pugsly's horror in "Addams Family Values" at receiving the same treatment. Somehow, my dreams went from Exorcist-like nightmares, to beloved Disney characters doing horrible, unthinkable things to me, and one another.
But I digress.
This is still one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. I recently purchased the Director's Cut on DVD and THIS is the movie I remember from the book...if that makes sense. The movie, until they re-added the lost footage, was NOT as scary as the book. This version very much IS.
This movie also shows you where Dee Snyder got the idea for the name of his character in his movie "Strangeland," another very disturbing, if not scary, movie. Captain Howdy is the name of the entity with which Reagan speaks through the Ouija board. The Ouija board is the device which opened her to the possession in the first place, by the way.
Very good movie; strong, solid performances by professional actors; excellent effects; and a story line which is unsurpassed in the genre of horror.
Excellent work.
It rates a 9.2/10 from...
the Fiend :.