COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN: DAY 18-“THE EXORCIST”

In honor of the witching season, we’ll profile a new Halloween-centric title every day throughout the month of October.

WHAT A LOVELY DAY FOR AN EXORCISM.

Article by Adam Mast

THE EXORCIST (R)-1973

How about we follow up THE OMEN and PRINCE OF DARKNESS and close out our Satan-inspired trifecta with one of the all time greats? I’m referring, of course, to William Friedkin’s unforgettably terrifying big screen adaptation of the William Peter Blatty novel, THE EXORCIST. This film left such an indelible impression on audiences in 1973 that some folks even reportedly passed out during screenings.

I didn’t see THE EXORCIST until around 1980, at the age of 11, but before anyone passes judgment on my parents for allowing me to watch this picture at such an early age, let it be known that they had no idea that I watched it. A buddy of mine and I viewed it without any sort of adult supervision and while I didn’t pass out from the experience, it scarred me life. Don’t misconstrue what I’m saying, though. It scarred me for life in all the right ways.

THE EXORCIST is a visceral, transcendent masterwork and it floors me that a great deal of today’s youth watch it with a certain level of amusement. It’s actually funny to them. I don’t get that at all. There is absolutely nothing funny about THE EXORCIST.

For the few of you who aren’t familiar, THE EXORCIST tells the story of a woman who enlists the aid of a  man of the cloth in an attempt to rid  her young daughter of a most terrifying supernatural presence.  This conflicted priest calls upon a much older and  wiser member of the church to assist him and as it turns out, this particular priest has gone the rounds with this demonic presence before.

Essentially, THE EXORCIST sort of plays like a western with a demon instead of an outlaw. It’s scary stuff and for all it’s terrifying imagery it’s the very idea that even a sweet and innocent child like Regan (played by Linda Blair) could be taken over by something so hideously evil. This is the central hook in a film that truly shook me to my core when I first saw it at such a young age.

Friedkin is known for his meticulous eye to detail and he’s also known for pushing his cast and crew to the absolute brink of exhaustion in the name of art. This was clearly no easy book to adapt as there’s a lot of stuff in the text that is incredibly edgy. In fact, I question whether or not this movie would even be made today. It isn’t the gore and violence, per se. After all, the last decade has seen its fair share of successful movies that fall under the torture porn subgenre. No, THE EXORCIST is all about the context. While this movie deals with the supernatural, it is grounded in stark reality and filtered, partially, through the eyes of a child making the rough stuff in this picture, all the more rough.

Friedkin doesn’t shy away from anything here and through the aid of iconic make-up effects artist Dick Smith, THE EXORCIST conjures up images I will never, ever forget. It should also be noted that Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, and young Linda Blair are positively stellar in this picture treating every moment of the material with reverence, professionalism, and class. Blair in particular is asked to do and say things in this picture that most girls her age wouldn’t even consider. It’s a bold performance, particularly for a child.

In the end, for all the absolute, unbridled terror that makes up the majority of THE EXORCIST, this is first and foremost a character driven piece. And an extremely elegant one at that. In fact, THE EXORCIST is so powerful in the presentation of its themes, that this movie transcends the horror genre all together. Why anyone would ever find this film remotely funny disturbs me in a very profound way. REPOSSESSED, however, is another story all together.

COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN

October 17th-“Prince of Darkness”– Click Here
October 16th- “The Omen” – Click Here
October 15th-“Dawn of the Dead”– Click Here
October 14th- Student Bodies”–Click Here
October 13th-“Habit”–Click Here
October 12th- “The Twilight Zone” – Click Here
October 11th- “Creepshow” – Click Here
October 10th-“Shaun of the Dead“-Click Here
October 9th-“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”– Click Here
October 8th-“The Final Girls”–Click Here
October 7th-“Something Wicked This Way Comes”–Click Here
October 6th- “We Are Still Here”–Click Here
October 5th-“Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn”–Click Here
October 4th- “Phantom of the Paradise“-Click Here
October 3rd-“Poltergeist“-Click Here
October 2nd-“The Babadook“-Click Here
October 1st-“John Carpenter’s The Thing“-Click Here

About Author

Adam Mast

Adam Mast has been a lifelong film enthusiast dating back to age 6 when his parents took him to see a little movie called JAWS at a drive-in theater in Northern California. This would lead him to several writing stints for various publications and outlets. Mast would also have a hand in several film projects of various shapes and sizes. In 2014, Mast would join forces with colleague John Pugh to create Cinemast.net as a means discuss film from a fan and analytical perspective. Together, Mast and Pugh would also create the 501 (C)(3) nonprofit, Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah (FMASU) in 2017. FMASU’s mission is to encourage, inspire and educate filmmaking talent and to preserve film history. Adam currently resides in southern Utah with his amazing wife, Tonja, and their four wonderful children.

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