CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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I could’ve stood a few more Mary Jo Perrin scenes, like from the book. She knew something was up in that house, and with that rug-pissing kid. It would’ve been neat to explore that a little. There’s no telling what sort of unsettling, outlandish glimpses and visions she was getting in her mind. I assume she sensed/saw Captain Howdy, which is horrifying to imagine!
I thought she looked great, almost like if Fairuza Balk’s character from “The Craft” had an on-screen mother. Not as full-on witched/gothed-out as Fairuza, but a more sedate, refined and mature version, with the black short hair, pale skin, black dress and that serious, pensive pout. My kinda woman, frankly.
She was so interesting in the book (and had some insights/info that might’ve helped Chris (OR scared her half to death). I would’ve liked to have seen more of her in the movie, for sure.
Was Chris angry about it? She acts so in the movie, how she questions everyone. I know she’s an atheist, but might it have helped? Or did it make things worse? Or was she upset that those close to her would be trying impose their beliefs on her daughter? I always assumed that was the reason for her snippy tone, but she spends half the movie screaming, wiggingbout and snapping at everyone around her. Mind you, if my pre-teen was upstairs doing/saying half the stuff Regan was, I’d be a little tense and snappy too!
The section where Karras is setting up the recorder and the demon turns very cordial and chit-chatty, talking about playing Puck in the junior class play. And then, “incidentally, where’s a glass of water, I’m parched.”
Was all this in the Burke persona?
“And then drink it yourself…”. Some of this stuff, I just find funny as the demon is being a baiting, immature pest and fake nice.
If I look around at what currently clogs up the airwaves, I can only assume it was too smart, well-written, nuanced, demanded a bit of thinking/effort from the viewer, etc.?
🙂
This is the crucifix scene. In the book, Karl was up there this was pre-straps, so he took a beating. The book mentions Chris seeing Karl lying on the floor when she first walks in and Regan is acting all Inappropriate.
I don’t think I truly want to see this, as the hinting of it is freaky/scary enough. But I do wonder if they ever tried to film the Regan/Burke encounter?
If I’m correct, this would’ve taken place before she was full-on white-faced, yellow-eyed “possessed”. She just looked like a sicker version of her normal self.
So if he’d gone up to check on her while Sharon was out getting the medicine, he wouldn’t have seen this ghastly, terrifying “thing” in the bed, as we do from Karras’ first meeting with Regan, onward. He would’ve just seen Regan, the girl he knew. So, nothing for him to suspect or be scared/freaked-out over (“what in the devil(!) is going on with your cunting eyes, child?” and so forth.
I’m assuming he was just jabbering along, being Burke. But, at some point, Regan hops up and attacks him (or, more scary, does she play sick/injured and lures him to her bedside?). I don’t know, but just the idea of drunk Burke being in that room, and this little girl he’s known forever grabbing him by the head and twisting it around, killing him, just haunts me. What might she have said, if anything. And what were Burke’s final thoughts (besides the vulgar obvious, wondering what was happening, etc. as only he could put it). And then, strong as she is, manages to both hold his lifeless, deformed (head facing backwards now) body while she opens the window and flings him out?
I’m sure such stuff is best left to the imagination, but that would have to be a horrifying, chilling, night-ruining scene to see, if it was staged and shot as well as the rest of the movie.
Other than my lifelong curiosity about that, Karras had another 1-2 exchanges with Regan which, from the book, come across a bit funny. “Hullo, hullo…are we recording?” and the whole mention of playing Puck in the junior class play and other things. The demon was a bit of a smart-ass, but it makes the book, and those scenes, so memorable/enjoyable. I would’ve like to have seen the “Herod” exchange as well.
Oh, one more: Frank from the language lab listening to those recordings for the first time, and the look on his face. And then realizing the gibberish was English in reverse. How does that NOT freak him out for months? LOL. I love this movie so much, and I love the book even more. This time of year, October, both get revisited heavily. I’ve already read the book twice, and I’ve watched the movie once on AMC. I’ve got the DVD, but, like some people, I enjoy a movie more when it randomly shows up on TV and I carve out an evening for it, even though I could watch the DVD anytime I wanted. Weird.
Anyway, my first post here (I think; I could’ve sworn I joined this site ages ago, but none of my searches or log-ins turned up an existing account). Be gentle. 😀
