CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Yeah, it looks like expoitative garbage. I think the fact that tapes of the “possessed” Annaliese Michel are on youtube is obscene enough, without goons producing a film that seems to be based on the case. To capitalize on the real horrors of the Michel case – neural disorder aggravated by medical incompetence and clerical superstition – is a downright nasty thing to do.
epicwin123 said:
I never thought Dennings did anything to Regan. And from the first time I thought that the line he says at the end of the masturbation scence was refering to his death. Gosh, people are sick.
Yes, they are sick and very careless with the material, and very taken with their own “cleverness”. Blatty is a skilled enough writer to communicate that Burke is a molester – in subtle or in obvious ways. But he doesn't even come close. By the time Burke dies, we even have some cautious sympathy for him, which we surely would not, if Blatty really wanted us to think of him as Regan's abuser (and thus stealing some thunder from the real abuser, the demon).
Yeah, I think Blatty's very clever cleverness is what brings me back to the novel time and time again. It's a very “smart” work, as well as being psychologically and theologically profound. As you say, too bad some folks just don't appreciate it on all different levels 🙂
Yeah, probably some viewers thought that “Dennings” was trying to suggest to Chris that Rags had done some kind of nasty, deliberate sexual stuff, whereas the plain meaning is that the demon is confirming what Chris just heard from Kinderman – “Regan/your c.nting daughter murdered me, just like you are seeing, by turning my head completely around, facing backwards”…
Yeah, this is the myth that just won't die, spawned by narcissists who think they know more about Blatty's characters than Blatty himself: the unfortunate substituting of exegesis with eisegesis.
1. In the film, Regan's only objection to Burke Dennings is her imagined scenario of Burke replacing Dad Howard in Chris's affections. Period.
2. In the novel, Regan's only objection to Burke is her imagined scenario of Dennings replacing Dad Howard in Chris's affections. Period.
3. In both novel and film, it is strongly suggested that Regan's imagined scenario of Burke/Dad displacement was itself planted by Captain Howdy, and therefore not even related to any real-life dynamics among Regan, Burke, and Chris.
4. The novel further elaborates on Burke's kindness and thoughtulness “while sober”, and it never hints that Burke, when drunk, becomes a child molester. Rather, he verbally confuses and abuses others, then falls asleep dead drunk (explained specifically by Blatty on the night of Chris's dinner party; used as a plausible explanation for Burke's fatal plunge down the steps).
5. Most important, the novel's and the film's only molester is the demon itself. Period.
In all of Regan's physical and psychiatric procedures, not one hint of molestation or any other kind of abuse (other than self-inflicted injury during Regan's own “fits”) is found or implied.
6. Those whose self-importance drives them to “know” Blatty's characters better than Blatty himself also conveniently ignore other possible sources of “child molestation” in the story, e.g., Karl Engstrom, who has almost unbroken possibiilities of contact with Regan, and who Blatty describes as tall, strong, and lithe. Karl also has “daughter issues” which might cause him to interact with Regan inappropriately; Sharon Spencer, Regan's tutor who spends long hours in the house with Regan, etc. Of course none of these “candidates” are real suspects any more than is poor Burke Dennings. I mention them only to show how stupidly the molestation enthusiasts leap to Dennings as a culprit but conveniently let others off the hook
It bears repeating: in both the novel and the film, the only child abuser is the demon itself. No other is needed, mentioned, or implied.
Yeah, this is a place for people who really respect the film and related material, much differerent from many other public boards, newsgroups, forums, etc. 🙂
fraroc said:
I hate how people think that Kinderman “murdered” Karras at the end. The ONLY reason why kinderman wanted to euthanize him was to make sure that Damien's soul reaches Heaven, free from anymore demonic forces and forever in the loving, nurtring arms of The Lord.
But who would play Kinderman?
Golly, WHY don't people get it?? First, they think in The Exorcist, Karras committed suicide; then, in Legion, they think Kinderman murdered Karras. Shocking examples of inattention to the obvious 🙁
I don't know who would play Kinderman – he has to be able to balance superlogical/Sherlock Holmes with homey, schmalzy Jewishness – as Lee J. Cobb did so admirably. Maybe Dustin Hoffman – seriously, he can really act, he is, like the Kinderman character, an older person, and he could do the “brilliant but corny Jewish detective” easily.
epicwin123 said:
Yes we can. And what if he did come out with a new book in this age and day? Do you think it would make best-sellers? Look at what happeaned to the vampires on the best-sellers list. They have to sparkle to be there. Would the demon have to puke rainbows and unicorns?
Exactly – reader expectation has become somewhat jaded…
Heh – that's a good one 🙂
Fatalistically, though, I just suspect WPB has exhausted his story-fund as pertains explicitly to his Exorcist themes and characters… but we can still dream, eh…
That's where I'm stuck – how to introduce, or re-introduce the demonic back to Georgetown without simply repeating the same story… like you say, don't wanna just duplicate Legion-type events. It's a hard nut to crack… but as you mentioned, maybe some Black Mass or church desecrations might be a chilling way to hint that the demonic is re-emerging in Georgetown. But I keep running into that creative block or wall, which is why I would love it if Blatty could do another Exorcist-type story…
Yeah, that's one path that a new story might take :)Â … another one I fantasized about would be Lt. Kinderman investigating more supernatural stuff in Georgetown, but it would be Julie Kinderman, who traded her ballet lessons for a career in law enforcement – that way the Kindemans could still be carrying on the story, and Georgetown could come in again as a “character” itself … just some rambling ideas 🙂
Yes, and I wish that Blatty had maybe just one more Exorcist tale to tell us. After all, he does keep recycling most of the novel's major themes in his later works, so why not a novelistic trilogy: The Exorcist, Legion, and then a third novel. Yes, I realize that Blatty views Twinkle/Configuration as his Exorcist sequel, but I'm thinking of a “real Exorcist” tale with a demon/exorcism and the kind of cosmic/theological ponderings present in the first two novels…
