The Exorcist: Overrated?

[SupremeKaioshin]

What do you think of this 1973 movie?

The Exorcist

Edited May 25, 2004 by SupremeKaioshin

[Graham]

I think it was pretty overrated. In fact I find it quite boring.

For similar style horror movies of that period, I far prefer The Omen (1976) and Rosemary's Baby (1968).

Graham

[MSW]

it still scares the hee-bee-gee-bees out of me

Course I was alive when it originaly came out, and first saw it when I was about 8...

In a way it, like the original pre-special edition Star Wars, was ahead of it's time...the world haden't quite seen a horror film like it before...as such it set a standard that many films that followed measure themselves against...as such the Exorcist seems to not be up to snuff for the people who either wern't alive or can't recall the time before the film premired...

It's kinda like the person you lost your virginity with...sure, you may have had much better sex with others sense...and in hindsight, your cherry poping experience wasn't the best and may now seem overated...but you never forget that person, and what the experience ment to you...erm...good god, I can't believe I'm useing sex as a metaphore

[Max Jenius]

I think it was pretty overrated. In fact I find it quite boring.

[Kin]

Well... for 1973 its gore enough

(I've recently watched the evil dead... which was hilarious at some moments )

[SupremeKaioshin]

The Omen was nothing but an Exorcist rip-off.

If you watch "The version you've never seen" with the commentary, you'll get a better understanding of the film. I loved how Friedkin explained how he always potrayed Father Karras (Merrin) climbing up stairs as a metaphor for going up to heaven only to have him crash down to hell (lost his faith in God) when he's mother died (guilt) or how mortal people are when an innocent 12 year-old girl can be possessed. There's alot of substance to this movie. I cant' say the same for " The Omen" which had an Armageddon like theme The Exorcist is about regaining your faith and overcoming obstacles.

The Omen copied the child, dog, housemaids, politicians, and so on seen on the Exorcist. The Exorcist also had better chilling scenes like the crucifix masterbation and the obscene language "motherfudger" and "lick me". I couldn't sleep after that "Spider" scene.

The Devil and the demons were fun to follow in the Exorcist.

[Blaine23]

It's an absolute classic... though I do also like The Omen and Rosemary's Baby, I see no need to really compare them too much.

The impact of this film was huge... it doesn't hold the same punch it did in the 70's... but it miles above and beyond "crazy killer horror" like Nightmare on Elm St., Friday the 13th, and Halloween.

I know for a fact no movie freaked me out more than this one when I was a kid.

[bsu legato]

There's nothing wrong with the original Exorcist. It might not have the visual pizazz of today's hyper-edited CGI laden "horror" movies, but I think it still packs a punch. If The Exorcist is "overrated" then get thee to Van Helsing post haste.

[captain america]

To call the Exorcist "overrated" is truly unfair. It stands as probably the scariest horror movie of all time, not because of its visual effects, but more because of it's chilling mood and psychological impact. Gore does not mean scary, and vice-versa.

For what it's worth, it boggles me that films like Scream and its carbon-copy immitations are held in such high regard by the average viewer; they're completely devoid of the fundamental psychological "chill" factor necessary to truly frighten a person to the core. That's why the Exorcist will probably always be toted as the king.

[Agent ONE]

I love it!!! But I am with Graham, Omen and Rosemarry's Baby were both better. All 3 classics. I don't think you can call one a rip-off another because Satanic posession is an old story, no matter how many versions come out.

[EXO]

The exorcist made me crap in my pants when I was little...

Sorry I mean trousers...

no I mean pants!

Whatever...

[UN Spacy]

I haven't seen the original in years and since I wasn't even born in 1973 it's probably more comedy than horror/drama these days. I can pop in my Dawn of the Dead (Romero's classic) and get just as my laughs.

[ChristopherB]

My wife just bought the extended edition DVD, or whatever it's called, and I watched it for the first time last week.

I enjoyed it overall. Definitely interesting, but some parts seemed a little slow.

I personally hate needles, and so the worst part for me was when they were doing all of the testing, and had to insert the needle into her jugular so the radioactive dye travel into her brain for the brain scan.

I would like to see Rosemary's Baby as well, but don't know anything about it.

As a child I remember my older brother telling me that if I went into the bathroom, turned off the light, looked into the mirror and said something like, "Rosemary I have your child." She would come and kill me. It's been a while, so I can't recall all of the details.

I'll have to do an internet search on the movie to see what it's about.

[KingNor]

i wouldnt;' say over rated... more like just dated. today it feels slow and muddled, but god damn if it wasn't the movie that scared the holy hell outa me as a kid.

[Armor]

I couln't sleep for a year!

[Max Jenius]

Being over-rated does not mean that it sucks.

[Kin]

Yueah dawn of the dead was funny

But a bit shocking when they shot 2 zombie kids to smithereens

The part I most enjoyed was ofcourse the flesh stuff

It's a pitty that the vomit from Exorcist doesn't look realistic... there were rumors it consisted to be pee soup.. (canned Dutch green peesoup)

Edited May 25, 2004 by Kin

[Blaine23]

Eh... all movies made before long attention spans went the way of the buffalo in the 80's are always deemed "slow". Truth is that period in the 70's that yielded Easy Rider, Exorcist, Jaws, the Godfather, etc is one of the golden eras of film.

I'd rather watch 100 innovative, thoughtful, and "slow" films that take risks than suffer through another completely useless, forgettable, too dependent on special effects "blockbuster".

Edited May 26, 2004 by Blaine23

[Noriko Takaya]

I first saw The Exorcist when it made its initial run on HBO in 1980. I was 15 then, and I laughed through the whole movie. My mom, who is still to this day a devout Catholic asked me, "What is wrong with you?" That movie terrified her something awful.

[Jolly Rogers]

When I saw it I was too young to know what was going on, it didn't exactly frighten me or leave much of an impression. All I remembered was the priest getting thrown out the window towards the end.

The only horror movie that really scared me as a kid was the original Halloween (still a classic to this day) and Dario Argento's Suspiria.

[SupremeKaioshin]

Hmmm..now that we've had our say about the exorcist, let's nominate the top ten horror flicks to buy at Amazon.com.

#1 The Exorcist

#2 The Evil Dead

#3 A B-rated movie made in the 70's. It was about a witch that lived in the woods and killed college students. In the movie, the witch used a swinging tree log as a trap and killed one camper that way. She also had a freaky cabin log with crazy shits in jars. Anybody recall this movie?

#4 Salem's Lot

#5 The Sheeeening err..Shining (damn Simpsons episode)

#6 Phantasm

#7 The Omen

#8 Jaws

#9 The Fog

#10 The Reanimator (1984)

.....

[Jolly Rogers]

Can't say I do but there's another horror movie whose title I can't remember. It's about a psycho innkeeper in the middle of a swamp or wilderness, he kills a girl and feeds it to the alligator that lives in the little pond/swamp next to the inn. Later the girl's father comes looking for her and after asking around in the nearby town he returns to the inn only to see the crazed innkeeper charging out the door with a big scythe, sinking the blade into his neck and converting him to gator late nite snack. Anyone know what it's called?

[mechatek]

I'd rather watch 100 innovative, thoughtful, and "slow" films that take risks than suffer through another completely useless, forgettable, too dependent on special effects "blockbuster".

Amen brother. This film is up there with The Shining. Psychological thillers are the best of the scary movies.

[Warmaker]

Sweet jeez, The Exorcist? I was maybe 7-8 years old and my parents let me watch it. It scared the bejeezus out of that little Catholic boy, lol. I swear I didn't sleep well for a week or two after that movie and I kept the lights on in my room.

A year or so ago when people were talking about the extended version being released on DVD, I caught a preview of the "spider & stairs" scene. That sent chills up AND down my spine.

One other movie I thought was cool, which I didn't see until recently was The Thing. You know, the scientists in the antartic and all. Bad situation to be in.

[SupremeKaioshin]

I was going to list the "The Thing" too, but top ten only.

I just purchased "The Exorcist III: Legion (for they are many). Not as shocking as the first movie, but better than part 2 with the whole Pazuzu possessing an African boy.

What do you guys think of "Legion" with George C. Scott ?

[Mr March]

Didn't care for it years ago, but now that I'm much older and much more educated in film and the industry, I'll eventually watch it again and comment.

[bsu legato]

I just purchased "The Exorcist III: Legion (for they are many). Not as shocking as the first movie, but better than part 2 with the whole Pazuzu possessing an African boy.

Get ready to utter a loud "D'oh" because they've announced that they're releasing a re-edited director's cut of Exorcist III on DVD.