Definitely the Scariest Movie of all Time

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2001)

Not since "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) has a movie so terrified me when "The Exorcist" was released (1973). Both films for all its visual grandeur captures horror like no other. This film about demonic possession and its effects is captured brilliantly by William Friedkin's skillful, detailed direction and acted out by a superb cast. Even the novel by William Peter Blatty, which I also read, is spine-tingling and chilling. Not only is it a horror movie, but also a psychological drama. Pay close attention and you'll find how much it really plays into your psyche. That's where the horror draws itself from--in your mind. When I first saw this picture back in '73, I was 11 years old. It was so disturbing that I couldn't sleep with the lights off for about 2 weeks. Now upon seeing the re-release and the uncut footage, it's still quite a disturbing film but also a bit dated. This horror movie is definitely supreme above all others. Films like "The Blair Witch Project" (that really bad camping movie), "Scream" (really bad teen angst slasher film) and others don't hold up to this classic. I'll take "Halloween" (1978), "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Haunting" (1960), "Black Sabbath", "The Omen", "Psycho" over the likes of today's horror pics any day. They just don't scare us like they use to.