The Exorcist - Lisa's Review

With my affection for horror movies, it's quite a strange one that I hadn't seen The Exorcist until I was an adult.  I had seen clips here and there, but I actually sat down to watch it when I was about 19.  Remarkably unimpressed, I tried again in my early 20's. again in my mid 20's... that many people can't be wrong, right?  I gave it a rest completely until somewhere in my 30's.  I maintained the same opinion throughout.  So, I wasn't feeling any great enthusiasm at the prospect of watching it again it has to be said, but I did...  So did I draw the same conclusions this time?  Ummmm, I'm afraid so.

Let's get this bit out of the way quickly.  A twelve year old girl, Regan, is possessed by an ancient demon, Pazuzu, which a catholic priest, Merrin, supposedly defeated years prior (guess who is invited to participate in Regans exorcism).  This movie concentrates on attempts to exorcise the demon.

So, back to it.  I just don't get the big fuss.  As far as possession movies go, this is probably one of the poorest (check out The Exorcism of Emily Rose for a decent one).  That's not to say I want to see big effects and an over-the-top story,  but I do want to at least feel unnerved, unsettled, maybe even wide-eyed for a couple of seconds.  As far as I am concerned, 'The Exorcist' is a very long, dull, slow-moving movie, much longer than it should have been, interspersed by occasional supposedly shocking outbursts from the possessed 12 year old Regan.

What else is there to say?  Did I like it any of the times I watched it?  No.  Do I want to watch it again?  No.  Am I still confused about what I'm apparently missing?  Somewhat.  I'm not recommending despite the movies popularity, but I am tempted to stick an 'avoid' on this one.  Alas the critical acclaim makes me feel like I would be doing a disservice to future movie viewers who may mistakingly happen upon this site.

That's it folks!  No 1 of The Timeout Top 100 Horror Movies - Fin!