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What really makes me shit my pants when watching this movie is the voice of the demon, holy shit when she talks it just gives me the hibby jibbys. Mr Disgusting is right the first act is boring but its the build up of the roller coaster and when it drops it drops hard.
I'm being fucking serious here. This IS without a DOUBT the scariest film of all time, and it is PROVEN to DESERVE the title in every single possible aspect. Most (if not all) of my friends STILL TO THIS DAY refuse to watch the movie! And when I first saw it as a kid, it GENUINELY fucked up my sleeping habits for over a MONTH. The best horror film of all time.
Posted By: bloodnguts313 at 11:20am, October 25, 2009
My parents said this movie was the scariest they've ever seen, I didn't think it was scary at all, but I could still respect it for the time
Posted By: Chuletafilms1 at 2:54pm, September 24, 2009
still watch it at 2 am everyday
Posted By: xxx_nene_xxx at 10:20pm, September 21, 2009
One of my Favs to watch!
Posted By: BK's Finest at 12:33am, September 14, 2009
....
Posted By: deathlock at 9:08pm, September 13, 2009
anyone thats says that this movie did not scare them is a FUCKING LIAR this movie get a 10 out of 10 on my (((shit pants meter)))
Posted By: DogCarcass at 8:10pm, September 13, 2009
Yowza.
Posted By: Bostic101 at 7:32pm, September 13, 2009
Exorcism movies are some of the most boring in my eyes but this movie was good. I loved the graphics for such a classic. The only of the saga i liked.
Posted By: CountOrlok at 12:46am, September 12, 2009
God this movie is awesome, it is not about all out horror more subtlety and the psychological scares where real horror comes from anyway.
There are so many themes running through this movie - losing faith, child abuse, science vs religion..
It's not in your face like most horror is nowadays, it more like creeps up on you. You just get this disturbing feeling from the start and there is much more going on underneath the surface. The use of symbolism and the subliminal images is a dead giveaway.
If you are bored by this type of thing then go and jerk off to Pokemon or something.
Posted By: Razor_Sharp at 6:48am, September 8, 2009
A stupid film maby a bit funny but not something I'd like to see again
Posted By: ShadowHuntr at 2:18am, September 7, 2009
Disappointing as far as being a 'scary' movie but a well-done movie none the less.
Posted By: ShadowHuntr at 2:18am, September 7, 2009
Disappointing as far as being a 'scary' movie but a well-done movie none the less.
for being the supposed "scaries movie ever made", it kinda sucks. ever since i can remember i had been looking forward to watching the exorcist on my 17th birthday as a "right of passage" type of deal. my 17th birthday came and i bunkered down to see the "scariest movie ever made"... and wasn't scared. i didn't have to sleep with a light on that night, and i can think about it with out so much as a passing shiver. i do give linda blair credit for pulling off satan at her young age, but the rest of the cast didn't seem to have their heart in it. i recognize it as a classic and respect it for opening the doors so many years ago when this was thought to be "scandalous." but i was disappointed none the less.
Posted By: groundgamer at 12:48pm, August 24, 2009
Pure excellence at it's best, The Excorcist is a scary as hell, classic horror movie that shouldn't be watched with the light off! From the freaky as hell possessed girl, to the evil special effects used in most places, this is what gory horror is really about!
the most terryfying movie i have ever watched.
absolutely frightening down to the core.
i have trouble watching this movie sometimes and i cannot watch this movie at night to save my life. linda blair plays astonishing as Reagan.
Reagan is superbly scary and you cant find anyone as creepy as her.
just to sum it up in a few words "THE MOST TERRYFYING MOVIE EVER MADE"
My first short review.
This is one of the greatest horror movies I ever seen in my live. I mean, how could I say no to this? If anyone who would disagree with me, that's fine.
This is by far the most freakiest movie I've ever seen. Linda Blair was just plain fuckin scary! When I'm in a dark room I'm not thinking of Michael, Jason, Freddy, or Chucky, I'm thinking of that possessed girl that is crawling on the walls and screwing herself with a crucifix! This, in my opinion, is the scariest movie of ALL-TIME, classic HORROR at its best.
Brilliant. This is hands down THE scariest movie of all time. I've never seen anything as creepy or unsettling as The final 30 minutes of this movie. Purely horrifying.
Hands down, my ALL-TIME scariest movie. As I write this, the still of her possessed sneer displaying to my right just completely freaks me out. Maybe because it is based on a true story or I was pretty young the first time that I saw it. I don't know, nor do I care. All that I do know is that I have seen a numerous horror movies with some pretty twisted shit in my time (and I have been around a while) and this is the ONLY movie that gives me nightmares. If you haven't seen it, it is a horror fan staple. If you have tried to watch it and got bored or whatever the reason did not finish it, you must try again. It may be a little slow to start, but be patient and just go with it. The payoff is unbeatable. Her face, her voice, the makeup, the special effects (esp. for the 70's), the suspense and the ultimate creepy audio/score will forever haunt my mind and dreams. That alone, in my humble opinion, is one of the things that makes a truly GREAT horror movie.
This movie (And i think everyone agrees) Is the 'SCARIEST MOVIE EVER!'
When i first saw this i had to watch it so many times so i wouldn't get freaked out too much by it... This movie is a CLASSIC!
This movie definately deserves the 'scariest movie ever' title. I absolutely loved it. Linda Blair was an excellent actress, she really was able to add to the film. The backbend down the stairs scarred me for life, and I don't think I'll ever get over it.
I don't want to sound like a jack ass here, but I could not get into this movie to save my life. I thought the second one was more interesting (not to say that it was particularly great or anything though).
A cinematic classic. This film will leave you feeling very numb. It really probes its way into your imagination. It really makes you think. Everyone of us is going to turn cold & die someday. Where will we end up? Heaven or Hell, return as a child, or enter another dimension. Another state of being. All kinds of different things will enter your mind after you see this film. It's still a very haunting experience. My sister is 40, & still refuses to watch it. Once you see it, you won't forget it. Watch it!!!!
This movie is called the most horrifying movie ever made. I definately disagree. The story is great, their are some very good scenes, altogether brilliant storyline, but it really wasnt scary, i waited so long for scary shit to happen and it just didnt. I guess you had to see it in the 70's, im rediculously jaded,
frontier(s) didnt even make me cringe.
Posted By: MissAliMay at 7:02am, February 16, 2009
I fisrt watched this movie when i was about ... mmmm say 13. My reaction then was i burst into tears and felt absolutely teffified! I have watched it since and i dont know if its because i got older or realised the visual effects were quite amusing...but i wasnt frightend in any way what so ever .... i Enjoyed the story line and some of the acting but when it comes to horror...there is none!
Here's the thing about The Exorcist. I was ten years old when this movie came out and I remember it's release. This movie was, and is, a cultural phenominon. There reports on the news about people fainting in theatres and having to have to go to the hospital, etc. Granted, much of this is urban legend, but this movie had a profound affect on the public when it came out. Can you name a movie in the last ten, hell the last twenty years that has had the same affect? The music and dialogue have become a part of our language and culture. It's referenced countless times in various media venues. How can anyone dismiss this as mediocre or boring? I saw it the first time when I was in my early twenty's and have seen it several times since then. Hey, it's a damn good movie! Scared the hell out of me the first time, creeped the hell out of me every time since then. The acting is great, the sound, cinematography and lighting are great, the score is brilliant. The special effects are great. It is a landmark horror film and, like it or hate it, someone, somewhere, on some message board or some other such thing, will be discussing this movie another 35 years from now. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!
Although the possession scenes make the film completely worth watching, it's true that half of the film is utterly boring. Also, much of the film isn't dealing with the exorcism or possession of Regan, but with Father Karras' crisis of faith, which also made me a little bored. But these are the only reasons I'm knocking 2 points off, 'cause the rest of the film is fucking great and the acting is class. Check out the novel, there's quite alot of dialogue between Karras and the demon which they should've adapted for the screenplay.
Posted By: horrorfan25 at 9:21am, January 24, 2009
The exorcist is the scariest movie I have ever seen. Even to this day I am still scared to re-watch it. Now I know why so many people in the 70's got so scared and people were vomiting. Just the flashes of demon faces makes me poop in my pants. If there was one movie I couldn't watch alone because I would scream so loud it would be this one. Just the things demons can do is just scary. The exorcist. See it at your own risk.
the best ever made in HORROR ... its so SCARY specialy when i saw it first time in 1990 .. but now its ok just like any movies .. such a memoreis with this fucking scary gri8 movie..king of horror
I don't know... Maybe because my upbringing completely and utterly lacked anything even approaching judeo-christian beliefs, but this movie just isn't scary to me. At all. Although the idea of possession is theoretically very disturbing, for some reason the way it was portrayed in this film is just completely lost on me... I just don't know... It's a well constructed film, and I can see why it's considered a classic, but it doesn't do anything for me personally.
One of the best, if not THE best, horror movies ever made. Linda Blair's performance is incredible. The film is beautifully shot and the sound is truly frightening. A must for any true horror fan.
Posted By: horrorking95 at 10:01am, December 25, 2008
i havn't seen this movie yet but i have it for christmas and im absoulutly raring to see it now that you have all said its amazing and scary. The only thing that you have put me off is by saying that its boring:( im not looking forward to that! But the rest is good you say? Well I can't wait!!!!!!
I have to agree, this is some of the best horror film cinema to date. I believe many folks who grew up watching horror from the nineties and 2000's wouldn't understand the quality of this kind of film (Jaques) That's okay though, bad taste is all around in this world, and at least you gave it a shot little buddy. We, that did end up growing up on the best horror films, such as, The Shining, The Exorcist, Suspiria, Inferno, The Thing, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, see all these films have something that is quite a rareity in modern horror cinema, that is character development, suspense, gore, all of the things you think this film lacked this and others you have put down, in fact, master. This will go down in history whether or not the folks that weren't paying attention during these beautiful films understand them or not...
The Exorcist is the first of a series of movies that I consider to be my all time favourites, and that for several reasons haven't properly reviewed yet.
As I've seen it again recently, this seems like a great place to start.
It's hard to review a movie like this in today's time. Specially considering the subject. Back in 1973, there was no Internet. There was no religious choice per se (most western civilizations made their toddlers catholics / christians / religious zombies before they even knew how to think). There wasn't that much tolerance regarding certain things or subjects. There was a natural tendency of shock and outrage when facing some more extreme visual and audio displays.
For that reason, when The Exorcist was released, a big part of the world shook. Sadly, I only know this due to some feedback from the past and a fair amount of intensive research.
Although I was still fortunate enough to watch it at a time when things weren't all that different.
And, obviously , it shook my world as well.
The Exorcist is, by far, William Friedkin's masterpiece. Such an achievement comes once in a lifetime (if that much) in a director's career. He got his at a very early stage.
In a way (brainless idiots aside), I can't help but to feel sorry for today's movie productions. Because no matter how hard they try, there will never be a way for anyone to top this in the same genre. Simply because it's 2008. The shock isn't there anymore. Nowadays, you can pretty much do whatever you want in a movie, that no matter how dark, eerie or horrifying you want it to be, you will never be able to capture the necessary sensitivities. 1973's sensitivities, for one.
Unless you're actually one of the very few people that crave and search that feeling in some movies, you will either come out of the theatre saying something like "It was a nice movie" or "Did you see that scene where she sticks the crucifix in her p..." and probably even laugh about it.
And those were simply not proper reactions for The Exorcist in 1973.
A proper reaction would be a gaze of shock and horror in your eyes. A physical and mental exhaustion. A nervous and hard-to-unfold speech.
This movie was able to accomplish this. Just take a look at the reactions of the ones fortunate enough to go see this in the theatres 35 years ago.
You can't fake that.
Usually, you don't even see it coming.
I could go on and start talking about the aspects of the movie itself.
But there's no point in me doing that.
Simply because I wouldn't change a thing.
If you're capable of picking up little details, you realize that everything is exactly how it should be.
So what I guess I'm trying to say is something like this.
If you still haven't seen it yet, or have seen it in the last 15 years for the first time, or have seen it before but were too young to remember, I'm not even sure if this is worth being recommended to you, for several reasons.
But if you were of the ones that actually went to see it when it was released, or if you watched it more than 15 years ago and still remember the emotional impact (if there was an impact) it had in you, or even if you've seen it more recently but somehow were able to truly relate to what I've written here...
Classic movie. Very boring in the first 45 minutes (except for the opening scene), but some very disturbing things go down. This movie was surely ahead of its time.
the best set up, story line of any horror movie ever! this movie is the alpha and omega of all horror films. there will never be another horror film that makes people react the way this film did and after 20 odd years it still holds the test of time.
As a hardcore horror fan, who has seen the majority of what the genre has to offer, it’s a little weird of me to wait so long to see a “classic” like The Exorcist. I think the reason was because I’ve seen so many faux masterpieces—that include everything from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Suspiria—that I’ve given up hope in anything and everything that people claim to be a “classic horror piece”. The Exorcist is no different.
I assume that the hardcore fans of this movie either (1) grew up on it, or (2) were scared the first time they saw it, then build it up to be something it isn’t in their mind, and if they were to see it a second time, I’m sure they would realize how boring and cheesy it is. I also assume there are some people out there who truly see this as a perfect movie, but I simply cannot come close to understanding their reasoning, and here is why:
- Cheese. The voiceovers are downright HALRIOUS. At one point it sounds like the girl was trying to talk like a hobo or something, which had me laughing more than any comedy I’ve seen in the past year. Also, some of the dialogue may have been vulgar in its time, but now just sounds a lot like the script for a bad teen comedy.
- Boredom. I’d say that close to 80% of the runtime of this film has nothing to do with exorcism, but has everything to do with boring daily life that doesn’t make me sympathize for the cliché, stereotypical characters, but certainly make me sleepy. There is literally no plot, and without a plot there is no suspense. I’m someone who finds the original Alien to be a fine movie, but the difference between The Exorcist and Alien is that Alien understands suspense whereas The Exorcist does not. There is a MAJOR difference between suspense and just downright pointless scenes, and The Exorcist fits into the latter.
- Unoriginality. Yes, I can understand that The Exorcist was the first movie to bring exorcism to the big screen, but come on now. It is not an unknown subject by any means, and though this is my first exorcism movie, the subject just bores me because I know everything about it long, long before I watched it. It was like watching someone drink coffee to me—I can care less because I’ve seen it so many times. I have read many books about exorcism that actually bring something original to the table, such as Ted Dekker’s novel “Adam”, which is so far superior to The Exorcist it feels weird even mentioning it in this review. Exorcism with nothing else original attached was a bland, unoriginal subject in the 60s, and it’s even more so in the 21st century.
- “The scariest movie of all time” lie. I’ll be blunt: this movie had me so board I was on the verge of fast forwarding if something didn’t start happening. Calling this scary, much less “the scariest movie of all time” is an utter joke. The cheesiness had me laughing, and the lack of originality and plot had me bored to tears. There was not a single scene in this film that scared me, or even came close. The stairway scene was a little—very little—jolt of shock, but other than that, I’ve gotten more scared choking on food. I wouldn’t even say this is even 1/10th as scary as a realistically portrayed exorcism. The majority was just intentionally hilarious. “Oh no, it’s a little girl possessed by a perverted hobo!”
- Lack of realism. I’ve studied real exorcisms, heard firsthand accounts of them, and seriously, folks, this is a trip to Never Never Land compared to a real exorcism. The majority of the things the girl does are completely retarded, and no more based in realism than a tree is based in Jell-O. The “Help me” scene just downright had to be THE absolute unintentionally funny scene of all time.
Overall, I just want to say this: just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s good, and just because something is new doesn’t mean it’s bad. Just because some people got scared as little kids from a movie then grow up and label it a classic doesn’t mean they aren’t just as wrong as the kids who label Hostel a classic in our generation. If this movie were released today it would be laughed out of the theater. Age doesn’t make up for the lack of entertainment or scares or thrills and cheese—it just makes something old. And usually boring.
Watch the hobo-possession scene on YouTube and laugh your head off. The rest isn’t worth watching.
by far the most timeless terrifying film ever made. there is nothing wrong with this film at all, the tense builds and delivers a film well a head of its time. if you do not like this movie than you do not like horror. This movie is a piece of art not for sheep that seek instant gratification or mass consumption. 10/10 This and the shinning are the best horror movies ever made.
i love this movie. linda blair is phenominal in her role of reagan mcneil. when this movie was first released, people would see linda blair and run away from her. they couldn't comprehend that it was just a role in a movie that she played in. they seriously thought that she was possessed.
the exorcist will always remain in the top numbers of the most scariest movies of all time. it's a classic. there have never been any movies as terrifying as this... and i love every minute of it when i watch it. no movie will ever come close to being anything like this.
Classic Movie! I met Linda Blair at the Darkness Haunted House ST.Louis about 10 years ago she signed my Exorcist poster what a Class act they dont make them like Linda anymore!
"There's a lot of anxiety that goes into viewing The Exorcist, "the scariest movie ever made", for the very first time. And with that anxiety comes a lot of expectations and preconceived ideas about what The Exorcist *should* be. Especially for someone born after the film. Then on top of that waited years before finally seeing it.
I love the Exorcist, and after exposure to God knows how many horror films, the Exorcist remains my favorite within the genre. And even from a die-hard fan I have to admit, I hate hearing "scariest movie of all time" associated with this movie.
First of all, there's no reason to compare fright factor of films, so forget that anyone ever called The Exorcist "the scariest movie ever made." Take any movie – I don't care what movie – and stick a "greatest/scariest/best" whatever tag next to it, and you'll have audiences investing in what they *think* it should be instead of letting the film present itself for what it is. And all they see is that it is not what they expected (expectations, I might add, that are shaped by the current gimmicks and trends in Hollywood).
I love the Exorcist because it dared to defy my expectations. This is not a wall-to-wall, credits-to-credits montage of scary imagery inspired by a mere scenario that's supposed to pass as a plot. This isn't a movie about that long dark corridor and something waiting to jump out of the darkness and attack (which is always preceded by a false scare featuring a cat). It's not about that cheap gimmicky scenario of X amount of people isolated from the rest of the world, with a killer/monster/ghost/whatever on the loose.
The Exorcist is a very slow movie that actually features a full blown plot, its characters, and their associated arcs. The original ambition of The Exorcist was to scare the world with imagery and concepts never before seen in cinema. Shocking moments that the audience of 1973 could not believe they would ever see on the silver screen (from a major studio, no less.) After 30 years, the movie isn't so shocking because times have changed, and the success of the Exorcist has guaranteed countless imitation in all forms across all boards. However, the Exorcist is still one of the most ambition horror films ever made, because (are you ready for this?) – the Exorcist dares to tell a story.
Everyone remembers the pea soup, the head spinning, the vulgarities spewed from the demon's mouth, the stairs, the infamous cut (now restored) spider walk. But I adore this movie for the things no one seems to bring up – I love the setup in Iraq where Father Lancaster Merrin detects the signs of his final showdown, and how these abstract scenes on subsequent viewings give the movie a more epic feel. I love the transition from Chris MacNeil to Father Karras walking across campus that's reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock. I became absorbed watching Father Karras caring for his aging mother and the close relationship they have, seeing him depressed and sharing a drink with a fellow priest as he discusses his own issues with faith.
And what impresses me most about a movie named the Exorcist is how it seems to reject the possibility of possession and exorcism as its ultimate and final solution. The characters in the movie don't want it to be true, and in fact don't really even know about the possibility of Exorcism, thus they explore and exhaust all other possibilities (both medical and psychological). I smiled with delight (after all the hospital scenes) in that priceless moment when Chris MacNeil asks Karras, "And how does one go about getting an exorcism?" which stops father Karras in his tracks as he, a man of the church, looks at her as though she's lost her mind.
The fact that the movie resists the temptation to jump right into the acknowledgment that Regan is possessed continues to build up the epic Good versus Evil, God versus Satan, the exorcist versus the demon, feel. Like the characters, the movie doesn't want it to be true, it doesn't want to go there and embrace that possibility, but we the audience know what must inevitably happen.
I can address more – the acting, the beautiful cinematography, brilliant makeup – but I'll stop to keep from sounding like a raving fan who over hypes every inch of everything. I'll close with these thoughts: I'm not the type of person who will watch the same movie over and over and over. Most movies I see, the specific imagery and specific ideas don't make a deep enough impression to stick with me for more than a few months. I remember the Exorcist, not because I thought it was the "scariest movie ever made", rather because of the wonderful craftsmanship, the fact that it dared to tell a story, and it defied my expectations." --jaywriterXIII, imdb.com
The Exorcist is like two seperate movies. There is the first hour, then there is the horror movie. Due to the fact that it is 35 years old it's hard for me to give it a fair review. I try to watch it and think of it in the context in which it was released. For the time the effects were great and the subject matter was taboo. But I wasn't born till the 80's and by the time I was old enough to watch The Exorcist I had already seen the cynobites and Freddy, so Linda Blair's head spinning didn't have much of an impact on me. I must admit the first time I watched it I was a little disapointed. But after I watched it a few more times, keeping in mind when it came out, I began to appreciate it more. Although I wouldn't go as far as to call it the greatest horror movie ever, it is a must see for any horror fan.
Ok so as a lil girl my mom would not let me watch it. So the 1st time tryed to watch it i was 15 and i got scared shitless lol. the flashing of the demons face was freakin me out and i couldnt finish the movie. lol So like 2 years latter i finished it and i think its a great movie.
OK, what the HELL is so good about this movie? it isnt even scary. I understand its a classic but honestly, can you really call this a horror movie? Horror has changed and it definitly isnt like this type anymore. The 3 or 4 "scary" scenes could maybe scare a 7 year old. Dumb movie, I WAS hoping for something scary when I got it because all of the hype, but nope, nothing...
They don't make 'em like this anymore. 'The Exorcist' is absolutely relentless in its pursuit to disturb and scare the shit out of you. Director William Friedkin went to great lengths to make this tale of demonic possession as authentic as a film about this otherworldy subject matter could be. When you're watching 'The Exorcist', it's played so straight and real that you believe this really happened.
This is without a doubt one of the most frightening films ever made. It holds up so well being more than 30 years old. The movie is proof that practical effects mixed with wonderful acting and psychological storytelling is for more effective and memorable than any CGI-laden remake shit we're subjected to every Friday nowadays.
'The Exorcist' is a brilliant film, and one of the best horror films ever created. You'll find yourself wishing that Hollywood directors still put this much passion and detail into the horror genre. I prefer the original theatrical cut to 'The Version You've Never Seen Before!' Though both are definitely worth your time.
This movie is totally boring except for the possessed scenes. Everything else blows. They should make a remake of this except it should have more interesting story plot points.
