Indelible and frightening

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2009)

The tubular bells. The spinning head. The pea-soup projectile. The Georgetown steps. "The Power of Christ Compels You!" Lee J. Cobb's face peeking through the door. The fog-soaked DC night. Linda Blair's face has become one of the most fearsome images in the language of cinema.
This film sicks with you.
Yet new audiences who watch may not be impressed. This is in no way due to The Exorcist being dated or not scary enough. It is because the state of horror films no longer melds psychological horror with special effects. It is now all loud sound effects, flashy violence and tired death scenes.
To make an angelic little girl into pure evil and her sweet innocence into unspeakable hideousness was a testament to director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty's absolute intent to scare the bejesus out of us. It worked.