Afraid of the Dark

Rating: Null/10 (29 September 2000)

It was a strange experience watching the newly-released version of the Exorcist. On one hand, I greatly admired the craft of the movie. The acting is terrific, most of the direction understated (and almost like a documentary) and the low-tech effects still impressive after all the years. The new soundtrack blew me away, with every scratch and eerie howl echoing through the theater walls.
The story overall still has power, but many scenes induced laughter in myself and the audience. Inevitable, I supposed. Some due to being very dated (Ellen Burstyn's fashions, the possessed Regan's profanity is tame compared to the "South Park" children, and a doctor's hilariously earnest endorsement of Ritallin as a cure-all), while others were simply too familiar (Regan's bed shaking and convulsions).
However, the really "killer" elements of the movie still left everyone gripping their seats. Those semi-subliminal shots of the demon's face still haunt the mind, and the restored "spider walk" sequence is mind-blowing. And, during the exorcism itself, I realized that the audience was dead silent when the priests started shouting, "The power of Christ compels you."
The truly strange part of the evening came when I came home. Though a fully grown adult male and well aware that what I watched was the fabrication of a movie studio, I walked around my apartment with a cautious air, checking around every corner, and instinctually flipping on lights. When it was time to go asleep, every shadow and every sound seemed amplified - darker, creepier, larger than usual.
For that, I don't care about any of the creakier bits of the Exorcist. It kept me scared hours after the credits rolled, which made it well worth the 8 bucks.