The Exorcist FULL Reaction
Added 2022-03-07 20:22:26 +0000 UTCHad to watch this horror classic with my friend underwaterflowers (our Sixth Sense Reaction is out now on her Youtube channel!!)
What I really like about this one, aside from the performances and filmmaking, is that it's much more than a horror film, and there is some real subtlety and symbolism throughout, as well as more real relationships/ struggles portrayed. I still have some unanswered questions about this movie (we talk about it), so I'd love to know people's take!
Comments
Well I got through it with a lot of muting and covering the girl's face during the bedroom scenes 😂. You know it's strange....this film wasn't as good as I remember hahaha. The mother and the girl's acting was excellent and the film has some truly horrifying sequences, but outside of that, the script felt a bit disjointed for me. It was interesting at the beginning when they were trying to figure out what was wrong. I like the mother and daughter relationship and the mother's desperation...but after that the story kind of flatlined. Obviously the film is about exorcism but that felt a bit repetitive towards the end and then the whole arc of the demon and why it possessed the girl specifically...that all felt a little vague. It's so vague in fact that I actually have no theories hahahaha. I feel like thematically the whole possession thing was kind of a rites of passage for the girl who seemed to have issues with her father not being around and Bruce being in her mother's life. I think that as much as they set up the picture perfect mother/ daughter bond at the beginning, the girl had some trauma and insecurity that they could've delved deeper into. As for the demon, I feel like in real life some people think possession is some kind of punishment or that the devil is this external force on the prowl waiting for an opportunity to torment us for pleasure. I personally do believe in the spiritual realm and dark spirits which is why I'd never play around with ouija boards myself, but I don't think anyone can really know for sure how that all works. I'm even on the fence about the devil to be honest. Sometimes I wonder if the devil/dark spirits/ possession merely functions as a mirror for the repressed fears and rage already pent up within ourselves. What if demons and devils are not there to torment us for fun but instead function to wake us up from our repressed darkness and traumas so they can be expelled from our souls? When I view the film from that lens it makes sense that we saw the demon target more than just the girl. The priest's crisis of faith and his grief about his mother was brought to light by the demon as well. Anyway...I enjoyed the commentary and I honestly think this was my favourite collab :) - "Underwater flowers" has such a chill vibe and she made me laugh a lot. The Rocky comparison was hilarious too. Plus your energy together felt cosy and relaxed and I really needed that for a film like this! 😇
Effie
2022-03-10 23:05:36 +0000 UTClol wow I opened up a bag of worms on this one. Yes people are believers, but sometimes believers still get possessed, we are all human and are not born perfect and pure, people make mistakes and thus open up ourselves to the opportunity of possession. You would have to be really really faithful and really really innocent to be immune to possession. I agree with Rey in saying people from ancient times were religious enough to expell demons, but nowadays I would find that relgious nature to be rather scarce. Either way I am glad you don't have a fear of it or anything but as someone grown up in this modern era, I still fear it, anyway take care.
Eileen Furtado
2022-03-10 20:06:32 +0000 UTCI've always thought that the devil obviously is very smart, so if he reacts to tap water then it will prove to the higher people in the church that it's not worth an exorcism, because the devil doesn't want one that could drive him out.
Midnight Crypt Worx (Nikki Davis)
2022-03-09 03:20:54 +0000 UTCYep, like Rey said, the exact opposite is true. Why would I fear a silly demon? If you are a believer, then there would be nothing to fear.
Kitty
2022-03-08 09:33:46 +0000 UTCPS: because you mentioned the raised arm, apparently Arm Raising Induction is often used in the first hypnosis session (didn't research why). However, the Pazuzu statue also has a raised right arm (in general P. seems to be depicted with a raised right arm) - I wonder whether that was an intentional parallel. This also just reminded me of Hereditary. Remember when Peter is in the classroom, before he smashes his face on the desk, and his arm is raised all rigid and pointy? Paimon was also depicted in the grandma's book holding a staff that looked just like a raised pointing arm. Unrelated, but jut came to my mind.
Claudi H
2022-03-08 06:41:31 +0000 UTCFor the opening scene: Friedkin wanted a realistic movie. There's a documentary called "Leap of Faith: W. Friedkin on The Exorcist". He said "That opening chapter started my skin crawling when I read it and I didn’t know why. I’m sure a lot of people to this day are puzzled. What the hell is that? But to me, it is the introduction and the solid underpinning of the piece.” Because of the political situation it was difficult and dangerous to film in Iraq at the time. While to me too it feels like a disconnect to the rest of the movie, I think it provides a great feel of "otherness" and "universal evil" (obviously the demon is not restricted geographically). The archeological dig was real and Friedkin just asked whether they could use it as setting for the film. Only the statue of Pazuzu was create and shipped to Iraq. All other other (beheaded) statues where actually unearthed. Apparently Friedkin attracted some Yazidi people (a minority misunderstood as "devil worshippers" by some muslims) who believed that he was actually worshipping Pazuzu and invited Friedkin (he met up with them eventually and clarified that it was only for a movie). Friedkin had tried to attract vultures to the statue by leaving raw meat out, but ended up with the dogs fighting. I think all those scenes contribute to a feeling of "impeding doom" for Merrin and for (literally) facing off again with an old adversary - when he is face to face with the statue (+ the wind, the sun setting)?!. You can also tell how his health is not the greatest and him taking nitroglycerin pills for his heart - his condition caused by his former encounter with Pazuzu. Did you notice how the clock stops when he is in the (curator's/expert's?) office in Iraq? The dude in the office also says "Evil against evil". I read on wiki that Pazuzu brings famine and locusts, but also was called upon to ward off other malicious spirits. When Pazuzu reacts so violently to the tap water, it goes together with Merrin telling Damien that Pazuzu mixes truth with lies. Damien is already struggling with his faith and the demon is sowing more doubt and toying with Damien. Linda Blair is doing such an excellent job (not just) for a child actor! That perfidious little giggle/face after Damien finds Merrin deceased. UGH!! :((( And kudos to the woman who voiced the demon: apparently she broke her sobriety for the performance! This movie holds up SO WELL for being almost 50 years old. Def one of the best horror films ever made. I think it's scary (well, not that much anymore), but I'm a big scaredy cat with an overactive imagination. I'm agnostic and was just pondering how that's actually not so great... If you're a believer, you'd trust that some higher power will protect you. If you're an atheist, you can laugh it off because stuff like that doesn't exist. Darn, I never thought about it that way before :/ Looks like I better pick a side.
Claudi H
2022-03-08 06:05:29 +0000 UTCReligious people in ancient times didn’t fear demon possessions, they expelled it. So being religious could have the opposite effect.
Rey
2022-03-08 02:48:38 +0000 UTCI'm guessing you don't have a religious upbrining? I feel like an audience deeply rooted in catholicism or christianity would find it more terrifying tbh. Then again, I could be completely wrong and you do have a religious upbringing and just found it completely cheesy, I am quite shocked that you considered it a comedy lmao I didn't find anything funny about it at all. To me it was very scary because I was raised very religious and seeing the way a "demon" or "devil" possessed in a human would react and how they can turn your thoughts and know you deep down and can use all your weaknesses against you I found quite scary-once again this is coming from somebody who believes in that, if you don't it would be seen as superstitious nonsense. Anyways its good to know not everyone was scared of it lol.
Eileen Furtado
2022-03-08 01:37:18 +0000 UTCI feel like I'm the only person in the world that doesn't find this movie scary in the slightest. I see it as a cheesy horror comedy.
Kitty
2022-03-07 21:34:13 +0000 UTCDoes anything scare you Thor? haha. To be fair, I think your cynicism towards the supernatural keeps you pretty safe mentally. It's crazy that people were running out of the theatres but I do think that a person's belief contributes greatly to their scare meter. Also I was quite young when I saw this so I don't remember much past the trauma....BUT I do remember it was a good enigmatic film. A lot of modern horror films rely on jump scares or showing too much but the best kind of horror is when it taps into fears we can all relate to. The acting, atmosphere and tone of this film is probably one I would study if I wasn't such a coward :)
Effie
2022-03-07 21:25:02 +0000 UTCYeah, I do think there can be something particularly terrifying with movies that deal with devils/ possession (especially depending on your beliefs). This one didn't scare me personally, but I can really appreciate the horror of it if still if that makes sense. But I don't think you're alone in getting scared in a deep way... I heard people used to run screaming out of the theaters when it came out... and man, I don't think there's a better indication for a horror movie director that you did your job well if you get your audience to literally run. Anyways, if you do watch the intro outro or if you remember the story of this one, I'd love to hear what you think!
Nicholas Crowell
2022-03-07 20:45:57 +0000 UTCAw dang. I wish I could watch this again (cause I do love the atmosphere of this film)… but I can’t. This is one that scarred me for life 😂 - The visual of the girl on the bed in full demon mode is one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen, and since I kind of believe in possession, this hits too close to home hahaha. I’ll probably watch the intro and the commentary though :)
Effie
2022-03-07 20:34:05 +0000 UTC
