CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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The audience I saw it with in the TVYNS re-release seemed scared enough by it. The only laughter I remember was a little nervous laughter when Linda Blair would swear. Curiously, the spider-walk scene got a bigger scarred reaction then the crucifix scene. That’s when I started figuring in the “familiarity factor”. The crucifix scene has been seen all the way back to 1974 and then on cable and video, people were prepared for it. They weren’t prepared for the spiderwalk (even those that saw the documentary since they used a different and less shocking take in that).
This is really the only movie that truly scares me.
When I saw it in the theaters in 2000, I thought I am much older now, I am in a theater with a bunch of people, how could I still find this scary?
Needless to say this movie messed with my sleep for 6 months. This movie is very powerful. I never get how people find it comical.
The way the movie slowly builds, the sense of desperation and loss of all hope. The demon’s manipulation of the situation. The not so happy ending, it just all creeps me out. Its much more than just Regan.
Also if Regan was played by a boy I would bet it would not have been as scary to me. That I believe is a stroke of genius on Blatty’s part. I think a boy would have creeped me out less, Regan being a young girl both creeps me out more and at the same time makes me more sympathetic.
All good points, gang. I especially like nick’s “The way the movie slowly builds, the sense of desperation and loss of all hope.” That’s the way the movie is intended and if you’re smart enough, you get it. 😉
You also have to realize how we first saw the movie compared to those that see it now. In the 1970’s, The Exorcist was this movie that was considered so shocking that it was not allowed to show Linda Blair’s possessed face in print or on TV (actually a good publicity move by Warner Bros). People were fainting and getting sick in the theater. Today, the movie is shown among others routinely on AMC and other cable outlets. Whenever there is something in magazines about the Exorcist they show a pic of possessed Regan (much to my dismay, I can’t take her possessed face without warning). Any johhny come lately seeing the movie for the first time is likely to have seen or heard lots about the movie and probably out to dare the movie to live up to it’s rep as “one of the scariest movies ever made”. It’s not the way the movie is put together (in terms of not enough shocks and gore) working against it with modern audiences. It’s it’s complete submersion into the pop culture consciousness, it’s built in familiarity even to those that have yet to have seen it. What is already familiar is less scary. What also adds to that is how The Exorcist inspired so many homages and outright copying in later films. What they see in The Exorcist is probably not the first time they have seen it, although it was the first time it was done in movies.
why you people so sensitive, why are you letting younger people's opinion, bother you?   or do you always get disgusted when people dont agree with you,,, grow people!!!!!  stop crying
If this is turning into an Remake argument…then I advise you to look at my Sim Exorcist. Its what I see in a potential remake and take a gander at my sig.
Hi everyone ,
My theory on why the Exorcist doesn’t seem to have the same effect on younger generations today comes from my own limited experiences at work. I am 42 and most of the staff I work with are in their early to mid 20s. The majority of them consider themselves atheists or agnostics. Most of them don’t believe in anything spiritual or paranormal. I won’t even go into how troubling I find this…I grew up Catholic, which of course made the Exorcist far more frightening for me. My personal opinion is that if you don’t believe in God or the Devil, this movie will have little effect in you.
drexul said:
Hi everyone ,
My theory on why the Exorcist doesn't seem to have the same effect on younger generations today comes from my own limited experiences at work. I am 42 and most of the staff I work with are in their early to mid 20s. The majority of them consider themselves atheists or agnostics. Most of them don't believe in anything spiritual or paranormal. I won't even go into how troubling I find this…I grew up Catholic, which of course made the Exorcist far more frightening for me. My personal opinion is that if you don't believe in God or the Devil, this movie will have little effect in you.
I don't think that to be the case at all. I know plenty of non-believers who find the film frightening. With that kind of logic, very few people would find any horror movies scary simply because vampires, zombies, werewolves, etc, don't really exist.
Okay, allow me to replace “my theory” with my opinion…and also reiterate that I can only speak to the conversations I have had in MY social circle. Also, as a Chatholic, being scared of demonic possession is not the same as being scared of a were wolf. One is an integral part of your religious upbringing, and the other is a fictional creature. Also note, I said my personal opinion, not that it was the one and only logical conclusion. I had hoped for a possible discussion regarding the belief system of younger generations of viewers and how that may affect their view of this film. I guess I should have just posted a link to an Exorcist sim instead…
Okay, allow me to replace “my theory” with my opinion…and also reiterate that I can only speak to the conversations I have had in MY social circle. Also, as a Chatholic, being scared of demonic possession is not the same as being scared of a were wolf. One is an integral part of your religious upbringing, and the other is a fictional creature. Also note, I said my personal opinion, not that it was the one and only logical conclusion.
Of course – as a Catholic – but your post was talking about atheists and agnostics. To us lot there isn't any different between Satan, werewolves, or the 50ft Woman. But what all great films like The Exorcist do is for 2 hours give us complete suspension of disbelief. The effect may not always be on the same level as to someone like yourself, but on the other hand I've spoken to just as many religious friends that found The Exorcist ridiculous as I have atheists who found it truly frightening.
Fear is subjective, you simply can't assume it will effect one person but not the other, especially with a film like The Exorcist which challenges you to rethink your beliefs. And that, in my opinion, is the real reason why it has no effect on younger generations (religious or not) – they don't want to think, they want to be told… and with as many cheap shocks as possible.
I had hoped for a possible discussion regarding the belief system of younger generations of viewers and how that may affect their view of this film. I guess I should have just posted a link to an Exorcist sim instead…
What was my reply, then? Unless you just want to disregard it simply because you don't agree. Either way, no need to get narky.
I take comfort in the knowledge that my conquering The Exorcist (took me 17 years to do it, and that was just for the original version…the TVYNS comes along, and I had to re-conquer it) has completely diluted every other horror film made before or after it. LOL!
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Frak the young'n's who don't get it.ÂÂ
Without meaning to stoke the fires between believers and atheists/agnostics, but there's a great exchange in the novelization between Chris and Fr. Dyer at the end:
Something to the effect that Chris still maintains her atheism, despite what has happened. When Fr. Dyer asks her how she explains the demonic actions then, Chris concedes that Dyer brings up a good point, and reasons out that God has been silent, but the devil advertises.
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🙂
You see now, I always thought The Exorcist was so successful because it made most of us consider the concept of the Devil's existence for the first time in decades. It was like being confronted with a new terrifying possibility.
People tend to forget we'd just been through a kind of new enlightenment in the 60s and religion had been pretty much disregarded in general culture. As I recall when the book and film appeared the word “Exorcist” was rarely bandied around, so much so that TV programs (at least here in the U.K.) had to go to the length of explaining it's meaning when discussing the film.
Whereas since The Exorcist appeared the concept of demon's and God and the Devil has been done to death in cinema and popular culture so many times the original work can't possibly have the same effect on new audiences.
Jagged said:
You see now, I always thought The Exorcist was so successful because it made most of us consider the concept of the Devil's existence for the first time in decades. It was like being confronted with a new terrifying possibility.
People tend to forget we'd just been through a kind of new enlightenment in the 60s and religion had been pretty much disregarded in general culture. As I recall when the book and film appeared the word “Exorcist” was rarely bandied around, so much so that TV programs (at least here in the U.K.) had to go to the length of explaining it's meaning when discussing the film.
Whereas since The Exorcist appeared the concept of demon's and God and the Devil has been done to death in cinema and popular culture so many times the original work can't possibly have the same effect on new audiences.
Jagged, these were the same observations for the U.S. I was raised Catholic and the words related to exorcism were never brought up in any fashion until the book and film hit. In particular, the film raised the most consciousness in all religions across the board. America was, and in many ways still is, anti-Catholic.
drexul said:
Hi everyone ,
My theory on why the Exorcist doesn't seem to have the same effect on younger generations today comes from my own limited experiences at work. I am 42 and most of the staff I work with are in their early to mid 20s. The majority of them consider themselves atheists or agnostics. Most of them don't believe in anything spiritual or paranormal. I won't even go into how troubling I find this…I grew up Catholic, which of course made the Exorcist far more frightening for me. My personal opinion is that if you don't believe in God or the Devil, this movie will have little effect in you.
You find it troubling that people don't believe in things for which there is no evidence? I think it's wonderful when people abandon superstition and turn to reason. Go read Carl Sagan's “Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.” His manifesto says it better than I ever could, as to why belief in new age crap, junk science, alternative (viz., junk) medicine, alien abductions and all other sorts of woo-woo nonsense threatens to plunge us back into the dark ages. I don't know if you noticed, but The Exorcist is actually a work of fiction. The effect the movie has on one is contingent on one's willing suspension of disbelief, and nothing else.
ÂÂI am one of those atheists or agnostics about whom you complain. The find The Exorcist very affecting. But the reason I do (as I explained in another rather lengthy thread) is because it does what all good sci fi/horror/fantasy/speculative fiction/genre fiction is supposed to do: it only uses the supernatural/implausible as a frame to disorient us so that we can look at familiar, real-life issues in unfamiliar ways.
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The Exorcist ultimately is not about the supernatural per se. It's about immutable aspects of the human condition in real life. It's about poverty, faith (which is to say, whether or not people have it and to what degree), parent-child relationships (not being there for your child, not being there for your elderly parent), child abuse, elder abuse, sexual repression, sexual taboos, self-doubt, courage, hope, innocence and the inevitable loss of innocence. None of these things require a belief in the supernatural to be of interest.
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