Most Shocking Horror Movie! The Exorcist (1973) FIRST TIME WATCHING!
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2020
- Hello and Welcome back to Cinema Rules! We watch one of the most notorious horror movies ever made! And we prove to younger audiences why older movies are amazing and are classics for a reason!
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Hello everyone!!
Check out the link in the description, it will lead you to a voting page where you get to vote for 5 films you want to see us react to! 😊
You guys should check out the books. Also if you're watching the others, Skip 2 and watch 3, the third is a true sequel, it's really good
I submitted my recommendations but I was saddened to see that you didn't include The Omen.
Maybe you've seen it already and that's why, but it probably scared me more than any other horror film back in the day. Being raised strict Southern Baptist, it fucked my world up. Lol
Isabel Jimenez all we will say is that we’ve got 6 reactions already filmed and edited in advance, if a movie isn’t on the list, it ‘might’ be because we’ve reacted to it and it’s ready to be uploaded! Turn on the notification bell and watch this space, you won’t be dissapointed
@@CinemaRules oh, thank you!
Good to see that you've taken note of a bunch of movie suggestions, and then put them all in a poll for your subscribers/viewers to vote on. A great way to be interactive with your fans. Can't wait to see what you'll react to next (and to see what five win the poll - bit biased but really hoping for Psycho, Child's Play and The Crow to place in the top five. I love those movies)
This film is almost 50 years old, you’d think watching a horror flick made in the early 70s today one would say, “how cheesy” but whether you’re religious or not, this flick fucks with you because it’s very well made. The actors are extremely convincing, each very good in their roles. It’s earned it’s status as a true horror classic!
According to my dad who saw it in theaters people weren't just walking out. They were RUNNING out holding their hands over their mouths. Booking it out of the theater.
And many theaters started having ambulances on standby, because people were fainting or having heart attacks.
My dad saw it in the theater. He was 19 and already married. He was so scared from seeing it that he called my mom from a pay phone , and made her stand on the porch , with the porch light on and wait until he got home. Then he RAN , not walked , to the house lol.
yup. my mom and dad went out on a date to see the original release in New York. My mom ran out of the theater room during the 1st head turn scene, crying holding her hands up. My dad had to get her and calmed her down after a few minutes and they bravely went back into the theater and finished watching the rest of the movie. My mom has never watched the movie ever since. But as kids my 2 siblings and I wanted to see it after she told us how much the audience was running out and crying in their seats out of fear.
@@JakkFrost1 There's a compilation clip of audience reactions in 1973 where a movie usher had to carry smelling salts in case anyone fainted lol. This movie was insane.
@@CarlyneDTQTonPod curious. Most reports are that people fainted or left during the medical scenes...specifically the cat scan, which was long before the extreme phenomena later in the movie.
What this movie does better than - possibly any movie in history, is sets an incredible atmosphere. There's no jump scares here. Nothing cheap. There's nothing hiding around the corner waiting to jump out at you. It's completely up front with its terror, and yet somehow - it's still terrifying.
Absolutely, the film requires detailed attention. Truly a masterpiece that has so many hidden messages and foreshadowing throughout.
Well, there are two jump scares I can think of, but they are misdirects and they work really well. The first is the old woman in the carriage that seems to almost run down Karras in the prologue. Very subtle, though as it seems to be natural, not necessarily out of place. The second jump scare is actually one of the most famous in the horror genre. It is the sudden flare of the candle flame as Chris MacNeil is looking for rats in the attic.
I remember watching this on VHS back when it was banned as a 'video nasty'.
I haven't watched it again since.
I don't remember finding it scary,...just made me feel a bit queasy with all that projectile pea soup flying around 🤢🤮
@@d.a.w.975 there are sudden audible changes when the scenes change. Going from the early morning of the MacNeil Kitchen suddenly to the bustling of the set of the movie she was making made me tense up the first time I watched it. Those sudden scene changes were effectively jarring, especially throughout the prologue scenes to amp the audiences up. It was more effective in the theater.
@@d.a.w.975 Almost. Except Reagan was not strapped down, only heavily sedated. That is what made Kinderman start to consider her a suspect in the novel, as well. He listed it among a set of facts that people experiencing mental illness often seem to exhibit exceptional strength.
To this day it makes me sick that Linda Blair didn't get the Oscar. What an incredible performance.
Absolutely !!!
I feel like back then this movie just had way to much controversy to give the actors the props. Shame though everyone really put in work for this one
Yeah that was back in the days when the Oscar's mattered. I was rooting for Linda however,unfortunately, there was also another dynamic child performance Nominated...
Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon. That kid stole that movie. If you need a good laugh after the Exorcist, put Paper Moon on. However, Ellen Burstyn went beyond a performance for the Exorcist. She was heartbreaking. The scene where she finally goes to ask the priest for help is heartwrenching. Thanks!
@@Jprager I don't know. It was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, & won 2. Both Ellen Burstyn & Linda Blair were nominated.
@@DinerLingo oh no the hard work was definitely recognized but it was definitely a polarized fan reception thereafter
Imagine sitting in the darkness of an early 70s cinema with this movie on the big screen.
It's pretty scary for 2020, so it must've terrified people back then. No wonder there were reports of people fainting in the cinema!
I was 20 yrs old ....and one of those sitting in a dark theater watching.And, yes, it was pretty terrifying!...There were lines around city blocks to see it.It was quite the sensational.Well made & superbly acted film that still holds up well almost 50 yrs. later.
I was 10 years old when I saw this in the theater. I'm still afraid of the dark at 57 and I blame this movie. It's a masterpiece.
@@dannygriffith6185 I remember all that as well! I was 12 at the time and people were absolutely FREAKING out! People don't realize that the things done in this movie were NEVER DONE BEFORE-IT WAS THE THE FIRST! I remember the lines wrapped around the theater as well! The Exorcist was absolutely a cultural phenomenon.
I remember.....🤪
I really appreciate how you both didn’t judge the film based on today’s horror effect standards. Even now i feel like the movie stands the test of time but I swear every reaction video I’ve seen has been people just bashing it for how “cheesy” it looks. Literally the fact that this was even produced in the 70s is insane and not enough people give it enough appreciation for what it’s done for the horror genre.
I wish people could see The Exorcist BEFORE any parodies. (And definitely in the DARK in a theatre)
Saiko Kujo agreed
Those people are idiots and definitely the type you don’t bring to the cinema with you...not even for current films.
@crannkee55
I was reading The Omen as a teenager (while sitting in front of the TV blasting MTV) and there was a power failure! Pitch black and dead quiet... and I was the only one home! But I didn't want to check breakers in the garage and make classic horror movie mistakes.
That probably explains a lot of this generation which I'm unfortunately one of them, but I’m just a kid who loves exploring old movies and I’m smart enough to say that the special effects in this movie look spectacular and impressive for the time.
While most people talk about Linda Blair, let's not forget the incredible work by her mom, academy award winner Ellen Burstyn..
My favorite story about this movie was about a guy whose coworker was so absolutely freaked out by the book that he went outside and threw his paperback in the nearby bay. The quick-thinking coworker went and bought another copy of the book the next day, soaked it in water, and then placed the water-swollen paperback in the top drawer of his colleague's desk for him to find it had returned to him the next day. 10/10 power move.
My father was also a young psychologist in the 1970s and said the line was suddenly out the door with people who were convinced they were being possessed. I may be mistaken but I think this was the first major film to deal with the idea of "demonic possession." Testimony to how powerful this movie was back then.
This is the greatest horror film ever. In my opinion.
Definetly no movie has ever done something like that to an audience before
Madnessing27 it’s number 2 for me. My favorite goes back to the classic Universal Monsters, “ Bride of Frankenstein”
Yes it is
OOH YEEAAH IM💀SCARED!!!
Definitely and thinking that they want to make a reboot is terrifying!
The Exorcist is easily a 10/10. There hasn't been a horror flick since that has even been on the same level.
The Shining (1980)...
@@juanucedaperez9614 The Shining was great, but I personally felt The Exorcist was superior.
Personally I rate The Thing, Alien, Halloween, Halloween 2, Evil Dead 2, The Shining, and Scream above The Exorcist. I think The Exorcist may be a better movie than some of those, but personally I enjoy the others much more.
@@thedudeabides2531 The Shining is the superior film. The Exorcist is a masterpiece, of course. But, The Shining is made in Kubrickland.
@@juanucedaperez9614 So because it was a Kubrick film, it's automatically "superior"? I judge a film on its' own merit, not the names attached to it.
A masterpiece. Still creeps me out. Had nightmares for weeks and it took decades for me to be able to watch it again all the way through.
There still hasn’t been a movie to really traumatize an audience like this. One of the best and controversial films of all time I still think Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn deserved an Oscar for their performances
As great as Linda Blair was, Tatum O,Neil was brilliant in Paper Moon. Had some of Regan's scenes not been edited, and just a bit more character development allowed before the extreme possession, Linda probably would have won. I think had there been a category for voice-over actors,, Mercedes McCambridge would have won.
It's been reported that the original Frankenstein had the same effect.
During original showings of the movie, people would hyperventilate, pass out, throw up, and even run screaming from the theater.
It was said, in 1973, after a midnight screening (ending at 2am) that people were lined up, waiting for churches to open at 6am for morning mass, b/c they were so scared.
Throwing up....musta been the popcorn.lol
The look of SHOCK on your FACES after the CRUCIFIX scene was PRICELESS!!
Btw: that statue isn't an angel-in ancient Iraq it represented a demon named Pazuzu. The idea is that Fr. Merrin has fought Pazuzu before the film, which is why the demon screams " MERRRRIIINN!!!" when he steps into the house.
Even more so, Pazuzu is traditionally not a demon. He's a demi-god whose providence is over women and children, the southwestern winds, who is not particularly benevolent but fiercely territorial - especially when called upon to ward off threats or sever illness. To demonologists, Pazuzu would be the perfect diety to demonize. He is also associated with The Mothman, a North East American legend who has been speculated of in the film, The Mothman Prophesies, co-staring Laura Linney, who also starred in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Three movies taking place in the same geographic region about the same entity(probably) but about similar phenomenon for sure.
Max von Sydow was actually only 44 years old when he did the Exorcist! More amazing makeup!
One of the best reactions ever, from a couple of guys who were probably not born when the movie came out. Far too many young people trash this movie and think its funny, dated etc. I loved your approach to this. I am old enough to have seen it in the cinema in 1973, and to this day it still scares me. I like your respectful approach to the movie and your ability to put it in the context of the era in which it was made.
Horror tends not to age super well but this is one of the rare movies that has retained its scariness over the decades, and I think it does it by being super sincere. I won't say it doesn't have a style, but its style is almost anti-style. The long stretches with no music, the camera just staring at the horror as if the director is as shocked as we are. So smart.
Exorcist is a 10. The movie iconic. It literally scared people into attending church. Church attendance skyrocketed after the film. Linda Blair terrified so many people she couldn't go to normal school and really didn't have an acting career beyond this movie.
Because of the time this movie is a 10/10...put it up against everything we have today with CGI and boring jump scares...its a 10/10. Top rated film and best horror film ever by far.
Little fact for you: at 12:08 when she hits her mother to the ground, the crewman who pulled the wire that pulled her down, pulled her too hard and she damaged her back. That scream she lets out is from genuine pain.
Exactly!! There were a lot of things happening on that set. Same for the Omen (the original on so far as I know), along with Poltergeist.
@crannkee55 I remember her speaking of that on some interview or behind the scenes interview
@crannkee55 yes, I've heard he did that during filming. He went to some insane measures. But the end result is this, so fair play to him 👏🏼
@crannkee55 the director randomly fired a gun all over the set, to make his actors as jumpy as possible.
As someone who has never watched The Exorcist before, I am genuinely startled by some of the things in this movie. I get why people needed to call the paramedics during screenings of this movie.
I remember my dad telling me that when this movie came out in cinema people ran out crying and screaming... He said.. u have to remember no one had ever seen any thing like this before, and now there are thousands of horror movies and were not surprised by the swearing or killing ect any more..... But this film actually shocked and horrified the people of that time. Imagine showing it to people in the 40s or 50s lol...
Can we all take a moment to recognize what an astonishing performance this was by the then 14 year old Linda Blair. Kids get plaudits these days for shedding a few tears and looking glum, but this was other level acting.
For context - the role changed her life forever and the hate and anger she recieved from some was so bad that the studio had to send her on a press tour to prove she was a normal child. Respect to her for not letting the role define her - it's hard for it not to.
40 years Later and this movie is still having an impact.
It's incomparable.
close to 50 :)
Very agree......THE Exorcist ..UNBEATABLE
My favourite film. I love the opening section. The old priest has done exorcisms before and is very aware of what is found in Iraq. He doesn’t think the statue is an angel, it’s Pazuzu, and he knows this, it’s the same demon as the little head that was found. He knows something is coming. The devil knows that the old priest will do battle again, and he kills him and takes the young priest too. The girl is just his bait. It remains the greatest horror movie ever made.
Max’s makeup is possibly the best “old man” makeup fx ever done. It’s convincing even in high definition.
The creepiest thing for me is that everything was done with physical effects, no CGI. Someone had to design a prop, a makeup or a technique to do all this crazy stuff.
In the extended cut, the girl "spider walks" down the stairs and into the party. Creepy as hell.
I wondered why they didn't show that part and comment on it. Thank you!
Actually, that doesn't happen at the party. It happens at a later point in the film
That happened after the news of Burke's death, not at the party.
@@excalibur2024guy yeah it was when the man left the house and the two ladies were standing there
I love when people think older movies are automatically bad and then they give it a chance and are wowed😎
The slow-burn style of the 70s is a delight, great to see you kids can truly appreciate it. I was a twelve year old Catholic school kid when this came out, so of course I didn't see it at the time--but I read the novel, and boy did my mom give me an earful when she spotted it in my schoolbag. The film caused such an outrage you would have thought it was a sign of the end of civilization. Moviegoers vomiting in the aisles, fainting, running screaming from the theaters, priests and ministers denouncing it from every pulpit. Just knowing the film was out there gave me nightmares.
Second best possession film is called The Wailing.
The Exorcist is my favourite film of all time and I'm only 28 years old
11:57 The moment when that last shred of childhood innocence was destroyed. I’m talking about you guys not Regan.
No CGI back then, guys. That was fantastic film trickery! :) So happy to see you guys like this film. A film suggestions, if I may; and one that not all other reactors are doing (yet): "Audrey Rose" starring a young Sir Anthony Hopkins, Marsha Mason, and some other faces you just may recognize. Great reaction, guys. Keep at it! :) Subscribed!
From the perspective of someone who experienced this film during its initial run in 1973: I was 12yo that summer and my older sister agreed to sneak me in to see The Exorcist. Word of mouth was strong and the film was sold out the entire summer with lines out the doors and around the building corner. It was around this time when multiplex theaters sprang up and two movies opened that summer to sold out audiences, The Exorcist and Walking Tall, at the same location. The lines for both movies were insane. Some moviegoers left the theater early from fear, disgust or genuine physical sickness. Fun fact: The Exorcist was the first horror film to incorporate religious artifacts into the story line which made the experience even more scandalous to many at that time.
Having seen this in 1973. Imagine being in a dark movie theatre, with surround sound. This movie still affects me. Keep in mind before any computers . A true mind bending movie. Couldn’t sleep all night ,after seeing it. A true classic movie.
“1973 can’t be that good then” as he is wearing a Rolling Stones t shirt. Wow
Pretty sure he was being sarcastic. I could be wrong though.
This movie is still scarier than 99% of scary movies today.
During the film's opening week in 1973, I attended with my wife and some friends. As the film progressed and became more unnerving, Regan's head rotation scene, horrified my wife, my friends and half of the audience, as they ran out of the theater, into the lobby, or in some cases, left the building. My wife became afraid of the dark or shadows everywhere, and refused go to sleep without the house being all lit up. This went on for weeks. That was the lingering power of this film.
What's funny is that the actress who played Regan (Linda Blair) was in an episode of Supernatural. As the boys walk away at the end Dean says "For some reason I'm in the mood for pea soup". lol.
lol I remember that, that was a great moment hehe. :)
I saw the exorcist in the movies in 1973 i was 13yrs old... the reaction of people yelling from fear was amazing... i slept with the lights on for about a year
I love that this movie was written by a really devout Catholic, but directed by an atheist with a penchant for documentary filmmaking.
William friedkin is a Christian, he may have started as a atheist buy watch his interviews and documentary on The Devil and Fr. Amorth
nenabunena I’ll have to check that out. Thank you for the recommendation.
Mr. Friedkin is essentially an agnostic. I just finished reading his memoir, where he explains his personal beliefs on the matters of God and faith.
Rosemary's Baby predates The Exorcist by a few years, and remains to this day endlessly creepy. Definitely worth watching.
Rosemary's baby is awesome.
Absolutely agree!
Creepy, sure. Never really found it scary.
The exorcist doesn’t fuck around. William friedkin is master film maker. Absolute masterpiece
I highly recommend the Sorcerer.
Great reaction!
My mom saw this in the cinema when it first came out. She was 17 years old. She said there were actual priests outside, begging people not to go in.
She was so traumatised when she came out, she ended up sleeping in her mothers bed for 6 months!
Oh damn! That's an interesting fun fact and so strange, I can't think in today's age any such thing happening, priest outside asking you not to watch a movie lol
The older priest at the beginning was to show he's fought this demon before and is going to be facing it again. That's why the demon which is called pazuzu says Merin before he even goes upstairs. The demon didn't kill the older priest either. His heart gave out. In the book the demon cries bring him back! I'm not finished with him. The book has some extra stuff but is exactly the movie. The book actually has more dialogue with father Karris and the demon. It's really good. You can listen to the audio book with the author reading it. It's fantastic! This movie has scared me since I was 6 years old. Why my parents let me watch it, I'll never know. I loved your reaction! I gave it a 9 out of 10
I like how you guys start out mocking and cocky and start to get respectful and creeped out and finally freak
I noticed that. The mood slowly changed throughout the whole video
People forget that one of the important elements in horror is the sound.
Sound Design is so underrated, its criminal
And the atmosphere, never forget about that
Yes indeed. The sounds were just beyond insane. Saw this in 1973, this movie still gets to me.
I watched this when I was 12 years old in the mid 1970's at the Drive-in !
People were screaming, cars racing out of the place, what a crazy time...
It was like it just happened last night :-O
I saw this is the movie theatre in 1973 - I was 13 ...scared the Hell out of me ...
In spite of its pacing, no possession movie has dared to go where The Exorcist has. It also doesn’t feel as sensational as more modern possession movies.
This movie sticks with you. I turned to Christ after this movie experience. 1973 was a great year for movies and music. No other possession movie could ever touch it !
Never gets old to see peoples faces when they realise this movie is no joke. Yes they went THAT far lol Linda Blare man omg what an amazing actress.
I had just entered Marine Corps boot camp, when 'The Exorcist' was first released. Cut off from the outside world for 3 months, I missed out on all of the hype surrounding it. Later, in the summer of '74....a friend insisted I see it. He didn't tell me anything about it at all. Going in completely blind like that.....it scared the hell out of me. BEST movie-going experience ( as far as getting my money's worth ) EVER. I mean......46 years later.....& I'm STILL kind of traumatized....LOL.
the slow pace of the films from the 1970's made them so creepy but yet so great to watch.
I have a personally autographed copy of the blu-ray by Linda Blair (the girl who plays Regan in the film). She is really lovely and sweet in person, and now runs an animal shelter.
I love how pretty much every reaction to this movie starts off like "yeah it's probably really tame, times have changed - it's gonna be a load of old nonsense" and then...
A fun fact is at 12:06 when she slaps her Mother to the floor, the actress was on a rope to pull her down to the floor properly, but it was rigged too quickly and she seriously injured her back. You'll notice her rubbing her back and screaming out is genuine pain and not acting.
Damn, i didn't noticed that, that had to hurt like hell
Even though it is visually stunning, one thing that the film doesn't explain very well at the beginning to those who read the novel is the scene with Father Merrin's dig in Iraq. I always hear or read complaints that, "It doesn't make sense", "It's boring", etc. from first time viewers. With the beginning of the film, Father Merrin uncovers the head of a little figurine of the demon Pazuzu, whom he recognized because he had previously exorcised the demon years ago. So then he has a premonition later that another battle with Pazuzu is coming, with the clock randomly stopping and him almost getting ran over by the carriage. So to confirm his suspicions he goes to some old ruins where there is an old statue of Pazuzu and knows for certain when he sees the dogs fighting each other (the dogs of war have been unleashed). The dissolve to Georgetown right after is to show you where this battle between good and evil is going to take place. We also learn in this scene that Fr. Merrin has a heart condition and takes these little medicinal pills for it. His first battle with the demon "almost killed him" as we hear later.
The little medicinal pills are nitroglycerin
The exorcist is a 10/10 you have to watch it thinking THIS WAS MADE IN 1973 LIKE?!!! Horror movies now are fun... they are not scary anymore.
The worst thing about this movie is not actually watching it, but rather the first night sleeping alone after watching it. I want a reaction video trying to sleep with covers all over the head and panicking and saying prayers for every random noise you hear in the house 🤣🏡
Το χειρότερο είναι σε αυτή την ταινία ότι, φτιάχνοντας την σκοτώθηκαν 5 άτομα.... τυχαίο??? Creepy 😳
The random flashes of the demon face was what stuck with me the most.
@@lanagievski1540 yes like when you close your eyes and see it!!!
@@lanagievski1540 Yup, me too.
Too bad you watched with lights on. Try watching it with all lights off by yourself .....watch the directors cut with the scene with her coming down the steps,backwards,upside down,like a spider.
I watched it at night, and it kind of sticks with you while you sleep.
Oh hell no to the no no no
@@pinkbeatle2012For sure.
I did... When I was 10... Now I am permenantly scarred for life. I actually didn't even watch this video out of fear. Just skipped to the end to hear their thoughts
I did that as a kid when I was about 12 and had nightmares for years afterwards...
Your faces... LMFAO!
Priceless! "The Exorcist" is imortal!
The makeup for Max Von Sydow is incredible for this film.
In late 1973 and early 1974, women and men were lined up for blocks. People were known to become ill watching it. Some fainted. Some ran out of the theater in tears. There were reports of people having to be institutionalized, and at least one miscarriage was attributed to viewing it. No, it wasn't a Rolling Stones Concert. It was a film called The Exorcist.
The first time I had heard of something called The Exorcist was on late night television when the author, William Peter Blatty, was a guest on The Tonight Show. The conversation centered around how horrible some of the things in the book were. I had also seen the novel listed on The New York Times Bestseller List, and it seemed as if it would remain there forever. After having been on the waiting list for what seemed like an eternity at the local library, I was finally able to obtain a copy. It was the first book I had read in one sitting since probably Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase quite a few years earlier. And yes, for it's time it was filled with gut wrenching details of what happens when for some unexplained reason; an innocent girl is possessed by Satan. While reading the book I was sure that if it ever made its way to film, most of the details would certainly be either `cleaned up' or omitted altogether. As you know the film was made and it spared the movie going public absolutely nothing in the way of details.
Certainly many of the people who lined up to see The Exorcist did so to watch some of the more gruesome scenes, the worst of which involved Regan's masturbation with a crucifix. Yet, the hysteria went well beyond the fact that such scenes were so vividly depicted. I think one needs to look no further than Mel Gibson's The Passion to find the answer as to why. I'm sure most of you have read the story of people leaving Mel's film in tears, some to the point of being hysterical. From most articles I have read, it seems that the majority of the audience that was moved were those people of strong religious beliefs. For many others, the depiction of the brutality in The Passion may have been uncomfortable to sit through, but weren't emotionally effected to any degree. Much of this same feeling can explain the hysteria surrounding The Exorcist. Those who had a definitive belief in Heaven and Hell, of Good and Evil, of Jesus as The Savior and Satan as the epitome of pure evil were affected by The Exorcist far more than those who were agnostic or just never had a strong belief in spiritual matters. There is no doubt though that much in the way The Passion did, The Exorcist caused many to reconsider how they felt about their faith. The Exorcist made the prospect of Satan being alive and well and a life of eternal damnation a very uncomfortable prospect. The fact that Blatty claims his book and screenplay were based on a true story seemed to give the film even more credibility.
For me, The Exorcist has always been more about the never ending conflict between pure evil and pure innocence than about being an average horror story. There are many more levels to this film than what initially meets the eye. There is no doubt that while the main story revolves around an innocent young girl, Regan McNeil (Linda Blair), being inhabited by Satan himself, Blatty enhances it greatly by adding different characters in various stages of conflict. Regan's mother, Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn) obviously cares deeply for her daughter. Yet she is not beyond reproach. In one scene when Reagan's father hasn't called on Regan's birthday, we see her desperately on the phone doing battle with an overseas operator. The problem is not how vicious the phone call is, but that she does it within ear shot of her daughter as if to drive the point home to Regan how worthless her father is. When, she finally does seek the aid of Father Damian Karras, we don't feel that she believes in exorcism anymore than he does, but is desperate enough to accept the fact that it is possible and will take any and all measures to save her daughter.
Father Karras (Jason Miller) is a priest torn by conflict. He is ridden by overwhelming guilt for having abandoned his mother to enter the priesthood. He is torn spiritually by the confessions of those priests who seek his help as a psychiatrist, so much so that he now questions his own faith. When he states to the Bishop that `Regan's case meets all the criteria,' we know that even more than Chris, he doesn't really believe in the power of Satan to inhabit a living being in the manner that it has taken over Regan. Yet, he will do what is required of him as a priest concerned about the health of a child.
Jack McGowran gives a terrific performance as the alcoholic director filming Chris's latest film in Georgetown. Kitty Winn is Sharon Spencer, the secretary who works for Chris and always seems to be in the line of fire when Chris is angry. She is always there but for all the horror she witnesses, Winn appears too bland and emotionless and her performance is probably the weakest in the film.
Max Von Sydow as Father Lancester Merrin is a no nonsense aging priest. He has done battle with evil before and he shows us its effect in every scene he occupies. One could pass it off to being just good make-up but it is so much more than that as Sydow demonstrates all the nuances that brings to life a man who has faced Satan and lived to tell about it. He knows what he is up against, understands he must do it again and the consequences of what that battle may be.
If I have a small complaint with The Exorcist it is in regards to the character of Lt. Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb). I have never been able to buy into the character. It is not the fault of Cobb who is his usual stalwart self in the role. The whole character should at best have only been necessary for a few brief scenes yet; he has several that go on way too long and do not add anything to the story. Even in his scenes with Chris or Damian, Kinderman is so odd that he distracts us too much from their characters and it is Chris and Damian's reactions that are more important to us, not his investigation. For all you trivia buffs out there, Blatty once sued the producers of Columbo, stating they based Peter Falk's character on Kinderman. If memory serves me correctly Blatty lost that one.
As for Director William Friedken, although he won the best director award for The French Connection, for me The Exorcist will always remain his defining film. The Final half hour of The Exorcist are still as dynamic today as they were 31 years ago, French Connection car chase be damned.
It seems that to many of the younger movie audiences of today, The Exorcist has become more of a joke than anything else. That's not surprising considering how many times it has been lampooned, even by Linda Blair herself in Repossessed. Yet, if they were to view the film in a more serious vein, not as just another creature feature, they may just find that there really is more to this film than a little girl spewing pea soup and spinning her head around 360 degrees. It is the ultimate battle between Heaven and Hell and Good and Evil. It is the story of the complete and total degradation of innocence. It is a study in character, and whether a man torn by the forces surrounding him, can regain his faith and his belief in God and mankind to save the life of a little girl, caught up in forces beyond her control.
Call it a horror film, call it a religious film, call it what you want. For me, The Exorcist is and will always remain a classic in every sense of the word. And if I regard you as a classic of any kind I have no choice but to leave you with my grade, which for The Exorcist is an A.
I always thought that in this movie Satan's target was Max Von Sydow - Father Merrin. Regan was the vehicle Saran chose to get to him, collateral damage if you will.
I actually read the book before I saw the movie. The first cover of the book showed a distorted picture of a girl which Shirley MacLaine claims to be her daughter. Shirley was a friend and neighbor of Blatty. Regan's mom was based on Shirley MacLaine. She was offered the role of Regan's mom but turned it down.
Well done guys on watching this in 2020. A nice homage to Max Von Sydow. He passed away earlier this year
Nice. You responded to the exact same haunting image that I did - the mother sitting in bed, staring silently up at us. Just horrible. Same with the brief frames of the face spliced into weird places in the story. Great film.
"The Exorcist" is a horror classic that stands in pretty stark contrast to most of the stuff you've posted reactions to so far, the others leaning more toward the slasher niche (which I love, but definitely has a reputation for being more... well, quick and cheap). It's from those films that most non-fans of horror get the genre's most unforgiving stereotypes and tropes. The jumpscares, the "shock" ending, the massive body count, the flimsy character work. Films outside the slasher subgenre like this or modern titles like "Hereditary" and "Midsommar" may fit some of these expectations but really aren't going for the typical fare. It's the sort of thing I might show someone who has a bias against the blood-splattery, "cheerleader in trouble" stereotype that some people assume most horror is, when it in fact contains a wide range of styles and themes worthy of dissecting.
It's pretty funny that you didn't know it was Max Von Sydow because in this movie, he was actually a 44 year old man playing a 70 something year old man; his acting (and the 'old person' makeup) were so on point that he basically looked identical to how he would look 30 odd years later. It's so well done that people often watch this and remark "Jesus, he's been old forever!"
Remember: The Exorcist was filmed way before CGI. What you saw was practical effects, lighting, editing, fantastic acting, and superior make up. Max Von Sydow was NOT an old man when he made this. He was a relatively young man that through masterful acting and excellent make-up convinced viewers that he was elderly and frail but strong of will and faith. Simply doesn’t get better and is something even the best CGI can’t replicate.
This movie was banned for about 15 years in the UK. It's a bit long-winded but there are certain scenes which are really creepy - such as Damian's mum coming out of the subway in silence. This movie is like The Omen for cinematography.
Don't bother watching The Exorcist II: The Heretic, it's really bad - Exorcist III on the other hand, is really good and follows on from this movie.
It’s funny how today people say these older movies are slow, when I think today’s movies are too fast paced, especially in horror where stories are majorly predictable and they focus more on the gore or scare jumps. I love the pace of Halloween and The Exorcist because they flesh out characters and settings so when shit goes down it more jarring. The dialogue after a scare scene is crucial for the story. They don’t talk about whatever, they’re pushing the plot to resemble real life. Especially for the exorcist the time jumps are there to show the months and months this has been going on. It’s not something that starts and ends in a week.
jleon horror movies used to be psychological, that’s what made them really good. They were slower to get you more involved and fuck with your brain. Rosemarys Baby was amazing for this too. Puts you more in the mind of the characters and helps give you the same fear they have. Horror movies now are cheap and rely solely on jump scares. They’re very poorly done. The last two decent ones were Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity in my opinion. Before that I don’t even know, the original Poltergeist maybe?
@@kanadiankandy6647 yes, but some movies can get BORING because they try to build suspense. For example the original Halloween is my least favorite Halloween movie just because the middle part is so goddamn slow. Rosemarys baby was good but the runtime was too long.
It's for this very reason that I still love The Exorcist and even lesser horror films like Ghost Story. They took the time to build the story and atmosphere as well as the characters - when the audience is more psychologically invested, you don't HAVE to rely on jump scares or one-upping the gore level of the last hit torture porn movie.
12:08 In fact, this is not an actor's pain, the actress was pushed so hard that she hurt her back.
Very true, she landed on her coccyx & because of this, received a permanent spinal injury. Even Linda Blair, she also suffered a spinal injury, & eventually developed scoliosis from the bed scenes.
Just think back in 1973 people had only watched pretty tame horrors like Dracula , werewolf and mummy films,....this was like an electric jolt to the emotions,...when the movie first came out in the winter of 73 ,..priests and nuns actually stood at the entrance to many cinemas trying to talk people out of going in to watch it,.....the greatest and most innovative Horror/ psychological thriller that has ever been made....
Imagine living in 1973 and seeing that. Nobody then had ever seen anything like it. People got physically ill watching it. It's still considered one of the finest horror movies of all time. Now if you want to see another film that people weren't prepared for at the time, watch John Carpenter's The Thing. It got lousy reviews at the time, but critics reevaluated it and decided it's one of the best in the genre. It's freaking wild!
great reactions. I've seen some others around your age watching this the first time. Going into it,, 'its old, it cant be that great'. Watching the shock on your faces as it works its magic on you. Suspense rather than jump scares and digital effects of today. Welcome to true scary movies.
For me it's still the greatest horror movie ever made. 47 years after it's release it's still up there. The world being what it is now and our having 24 hour access to news and the horrors happening in the world we're more immune to scary stuff these days but go back to 1973 and our different mindset then and just imagine how this film terrified people. All we had up to then were Hammer horrors and the like. I remember at my local cinema priests waiting outside to council terrified movie goers, my aunt being one of them who was deeply effected by the film. It still holds the number 1 spot for me
When the cinemas opened up in Australia in August 2020, they made up for the lack of current films by showing ones from the 1970s and 1980s. This was one that they showed, and I saw this in an empty cinema with a middle-aged Indian couple. They walked out about halfway through and didn't come back.
My dad walked out a couple years ago. Didn't come back either. Feel ya bro
@@1428elm Your dad didn't walk out, bud. You just failed to keep up with him. Catch up, slacker.
People actually stood in very long lines...and would even camp out overnight to get in line the next day...to see this film in 1973.It WAS a sensation.If a film is well made( like this one)..it doesn't matter when it was made.I feel too many modern films are too rushed & don't hold up well as a result.We now live in a society of instant gratification & digital & CGI "orgasm"....so to speak.This film still holds up very well 47 years later.
I saw it in the theater when it first came out. I was 13 and saw it with my friend. After the movie we were robbed at gun point, so it was pretty memorable.
This is the Holy Grail of the horror movies, period.
I saw this film when I was 6 years old in 1973. I terrorized me for years after seeing it. I love horror films, but in my opinion, this film set a mark that no film as ever come close to.
So, my understanding is that while Father Karras visits his mom who lives nearby, she most likely has dementia and gets herself hurt. She is taken to the hospital but seeing how miserable she is there, takes her home because he can't afford a nursing home. And we find out that on the week he goes to visit her, she's dead so he wrestles w/the guilt of wondering if he should have left her in the hospital or taken care of her; this serves a big part in his crisis of faith.
The Exorcist = greatest horror/psychological thriller. Period.
The exorcist PAVED THE WAY. Iconic.
3:21 that transition was flawless. very well done
So many upcoming movies have tried to emulate this masterpiece but in vain. 48 years later, still one of the scarriest if not THE scarriest movie of all time. I have seen it tons of times even in original language, in french my mother tongue and even in German I do not speak at all and I had the same reaction, lights on before going to bed. By the way, this film was released four years after my birth, but I first saw it when I was about 16. By the way, I am a massive fan of horror movies and none comes close.
By far the most thought provoking and terrifying experience for a horror movie. This is like a Apocalypse Now in the fact that you experience this film.
A child actor did play most of it surprisingly but when it came down to a few scenes that was to intense for Linda Blair another actor stood in.
I was 16 when i saw this film, at the end there where priests outside the cinema asking people if they wanted to be blessed
I've said this before, if time travel was a real thing, I would go back to when this movie came out just to see it in the theater.
the special effects in this movie were a good 10 years ahead of their time - people actually fainted watching it.
My dad isn’t scared of anything on this planet except for this movie lol. He saw it in the 70s when it came out. He said you couldn’t even go into church after this movie came out they were all packed to the brim. Everyone was so scared especially if you were religious this is your worst nightmare
Same
My Dad read the book in one day when it came out and he said he couldn’t go to sleep. He was afraid to go to sleep. He was in his late 20’s, in the military, married with kids. I’m pretty sure he has never watched the movie!
You guys seem to like this movie, and appreciate Damian (the priest)’s fight back at the end. Well, FYI, if you’re interested, Exorcist 3 tells you what happened after the fall. The first film, this one, is based on William Peter Blatty’s book ‘The Exorcist’, and the third film is based on his sequel book called ‘Legion’, which tells you what happened to the demon and the priest.
Those steps the priest falls down at the end, they are in Georgetown, D.C. I was stationed in Maryland when I was in the Navy, and I came across those steps. They are actually called The Exorcist steps, recognized as a D.C. landmark and tourist attraction.
There are a couple of truly noticeable reactions to confirm just how powerful this movie is in terms of its ability to draw true shock from viewers. Obviously, the two watchers like watching horror, so to truly affect them, something has to be genuine...
Notice the reactions to the "biggest" moments of the film (the ones that have always elicited the most notoriety throughout the film's history)
7:45 the pee at the party moment....more shock than fear, obviously....clearly has an effect on the viewer that things are starting to go odd.
8:22 - the bed shaking - doesn't do much in terms of scaring the viewer, but it begins the film's clear method using the fear of entering that room, that plays out through the rest of the film....from here on in, the editing and pacing begins to play on the viewer's increasing horror of confrontation, it always comes back to dreading to have to go back up to the room, to see what happens next in there...a constant knot in your stomach at just what you might see when you open the door
9:01 - the first appearance of Pazuzu face. draws bewilderment and trepidation.
9:55 - the flinging of the body back and forth draws a bit of mild snickering, which promptly evaporates into silence when the demon takes over and her eyes turn up all white and she snarls.
10:06 - the mouths hang open with the "keep away, the sow is mine" beginning, then the vulgar lines then her violence....mouths hang open till the end of the scene.
11:43 - the noises from the room, immediately terrify
11:56 the first legitimate horrific shock....The "let jesus f*ck you" moment. both viewers draw in breaths audibly in shock...the shock and disgust continue until the demon slams the door shut, and you realize, you are locked in with the demon.
12:16 to 12:29 the classic head turn....both viewers gasp audibly, breathless, facial expressions are great, one rolls his head in shock, the other's hands go to his head in disbelief....each one just totally hit with it and shell shocked, expressions frozen, mouths hang open for close to 15 seconds....lol.
14:25 "Help me" more creepy and spine tingling than anything.
15:18 "MERRRRINNNNNNNN!!!!" lol, both the guys looked like they just crapped their pants.
the whole rest of the reaction is great....but those first few are the best, you can truly tell it unnerved even these two horror aficianados. They both spoke of feeling emotionally drained at the end. that is a testament to the power of great editing and film making.
Fantastic summary, I love it when people analyze and dissect films like this. Well done
@@timothymarek752
thank you very much. 😎
i apologize for not seeing this earlier.
Some early to mid '70s movies have a gritty realism to them that I think helps make them better movies. This movie benefits from realism because before anything over the top happens the movie depicts people just living their lives. It makes for a bigger impact later in my opinion. The acting does help a lot too. This cast does not act like they know they're in a horror movie, they play it like a straight drama.
Exactly. The sense of tragedy really sells it.
Still the scariest movie of all time. This would never happen in a movie today even if it was an adult being possessed
The Exorcist is my favourite movie of all time
So I was in h.s. when this came out. Three buddies and I decided to skip school and go to see the Exorcist. The hype was huge for this film people not being able to take it and running out of the theater
Well being 1973 we thought it would be cool to take lsd . I thought the scary'est thing was the subliminal demon face flash. We were damaged when we left there lol.
This movie still holds up great acting direction cinematography can’t find a single thing wrong with the film 10/10. What I love about it is the pacing figuring out what’s wrong with Reagan doctors, psychologists etc couldn’t find what’s happening to her
Some of the most horrific and traumatic scenes in the movie are those where Reagan is subjected to those medical tests. I understand that most of the alleged audience fainting and vomiting occurred when the doctors inserted that tube or catheter into her chest.
In the commentary for the DVD, they said a lot of people were just as disturbed by the medical scenes as the possession scenes, if not more so. Another interesting thing I remember is that they often filmed Father Damian Kerris walking upward, like up a hill or walking upstairs, symbolizing walking towards heaven, showing he is a holy person.
With Rosemary's Baby as a bastion of modern horror, The Exorcist was the first film in the history of cinema that made the existence of the Devil possible and believable, as something that could be smelled and touched, personified in the real world.
Think about it, it was released in 1973, and nothing similar had been done yet.