Nothing, nothing takes the place of watching this film in a dark theatre--no pausing, no stopping the playback-- the volume and subliminals stay with you. It gets under your skin!
I didn't know ANYTHING about the movie when it first premiered, because I was stuck in Marine Corps boot camp for 3 months. Missed out on all of the hype & publicity. A friend dragged me to a theater to see it in the summer of '74, and I went in completely blind. That original theatrical version traumatized the hell out of me. Don't know which cut you saw. I sure got MY money's worth though. Still have to sleep with a light on at age 66 because of it. NO other film has done that to me. LOL
When I was 16 I snuck in to see this movie after lining up for 2 hours in the freezing cold. Many people walked out and there were ambulances ready for the faint of heart. It was the scariest movie in that it still haunts me and I cannot rewatch it to this day. I owned the album Tubular Bells before The Excorcist came out and even had a hard time listening to the music after seeing this movie. It's entirely different in the theater with the demon sounds from Regan pounding your ears from all directions. No escape but to leave. For me it was the most terrifying movie, ever .
Doesnt hold up at all. Slow, boring, terrible editing, no scare. The scariest part was knowing the director was a creep and also forcing the actors in dangerous situations. Effects are great everything else is a drag. After rewatching this movie i was like wow wtf how did i watch this as a kid. It was so bad.
The exorcist is a slow burn, and it’s not scary in the same way that a lot of horror is, with jump scares. It’s more just the overall unsettling deterioration of Reagan over the course of the film, and not knowing if she could be saved.
Doesnt need jumpscares to be good but i think the original does a horrible job of giving us character development. It all seemed like random scenes meshed together that made no sense.
The desperation of the mother, the fact that she has to live in a living hell (literally) without having someone to help her, not even a husband, is real horror. The transformation and corruption of Regan, from a sweet child to a vulgar demon, is real horror. Damien seeing his dead mother sitting on her bed wearing the straitjacket is real horror. The various jump scares you see in modern "horror" movies is not horror; they are just desperate attempts of people with no talent to startle you for a second while you eat your popcorn.
Have more often seen and heard the word "disturbing" used about this film than "scary". And this film has never really been a clean fit into the 'horror' genre - its really a lot more than that. One of the 2 Academy awards it won was for screenplay (the other for best sound) - but the acting and direction really matched the quality of the writing IMO. It lost out on the best picture award to "The Sting" - which is a fine film - but The Exorcist clearly has attained a far greater lasting legacy and cultural impact.
The problem is modern audiences have been exposed and tainted by decades of copycat films and sequels, decades of satire of the film, and decades of clips, sound bites, and memes, etc. No one can honestly claim they’ve never heard or know of the various clips. If The Exorcist were released today (having never been originally released in 1973), I doubt anyone would even question whether it’s “scary”. Also, Exorcist 3 is one of the most underrated films. Another slow burn but effective horror film that still gives me chills.
@@SethBailey *LOVE* that movie as well! I wouldn’t change a thing about ‘Hereditary’ BUT I prefer my horror films to have a clear, recognizable antagonist (Regan/ Pazuzu for example).
@@myfriendisaac I agree on that as well. I would put the Exorcist above Hereditary, it was just the only thing close I could think of recently. It's great to have a clear bad guy, I feel we don't get that enough now days.
Even 50 years ago I thought the Exorcist was overrated. I thought it was more silly than scary. It seems that people were just scandalized by the sight of a young girl saying really bad words, vomiting and levitating. Two movies along the same themes from that era of that I think are much better are Rosemary's Baby and The Omen. Or for that matter, Exorcist 3, although that came out in the early nineties.
@@SethBailey The Exorcist is very well crafted and is very good in its own way I just don't think it's very scary, and just doesn't quite deserve its reputation. Rosemary's Baby is truly creepy. It was considered very shocking in the 1960s and still is very effective. Exorcist 2 is trash, but 3 is really good. (The "nurse scene" is the ultimate jump scare 😱)
I was 15, when I watched it. Now I am 35 and I still have a trauma. Sometimes I still have nightmares about it. This supernatural religious stuff really creeps me out. 😅 But that also means it’s a one of the best movies I have ever seen. Well done William Friedkin.
Nah it's well made but the film just doesn't impact me the way it did people in the 70's could be because I wasn't around in 1973 or also because I didn't see it till I was an adult the situation in reality would be scary but it's kind of funny hearing a demon curse and puke green and say the things it says in the film is funny to me.
It's well made but I never found it scary a demon cursing and puking green vomit doesn't scare me the conjuring 1&2 are pretty freaky though they have jump scares but there's build up to them and I'm into the characters more.
Nothing, nothing takes the place of watching this film in a dark theatre--no pausing, no stopping the playback-- the volume and subliminals stay with you. It gets under your skin!
I didn't know ANYTHING about the movie when it first premiered, because I was stuck in Marine Corps boot camp for 3 months. Missed out on all of the hype & publicity. A friend dragged me to a theater to see it in the summer of '74, and I went in completely blind. That original theatrical version traumatized the hell out of me. Don't know which cut you saw. I sure got MY money's worth though. Still have to sleep with a light on at age 66 because of it. NO other film has done that to me. LOL
Thanks for sharing your experience with the movie. I love hearing other opinions, especially from people who were there when it came out.
When I was 16 I snuck in to see this movie after lining up for 2 hours in the freezing cold. Many people walked out and there were ambulances ready for the faint of heart. It was the scariest movie in that it still haunts me and I cannot rewatch it to this day. I owned the album Tubular Bells before The Excorcist came out and even had a hard time listening to the music after seeing this movie. It's entirely different in the theater with the demon sounds from Regan pounding your ears from all directions. No escape but to leave. For me it was the most terrifying movie, ever .
Doesnt hold up at all. Slow, boring, terrible editing, no scare. The scariest part was knowing the director was a creep and also forcing the actors in dangerous situations. Effects are great everything else is a drag. After rewatching this movie i was like wow wtf how did i watch this as a kid. It was so bad.
I couldn't disagree more. The movie has grown on me even more since first seeing it 2 years ago.
The exorcist is a slow burn, and it’s not scary in the same way that a lot of horror is, with jump scares. It’s more just the overall unsettling deterioration of Reagan over the course of the film, and not knowing if she could be saved.
Doesnt need jumpscares to be good but i think the original does a horrible job of giving us character development. It all seemed like random scenes meshed together that made no sense.
The desperation of the mother, the fact that she has to live in a living hell (literally) without having someone to help her, not even a husband, is real horror. The transformation and corruption of Regan, from a sweet child to a vulgar demon, is real horror. Damien seeing his dead mother sitting on her bed wearing the straitjacket is real horror. The various jump scares you see in modern "horror" movies is not horror; they are just desperate attempts of people with no talent to startle you for a second while you eat your popcorn.
I found it boring tbh...
Have more often seen and heard the word "disturbing" used about this film than "scary". And this film has never really been a clean fit into the 'horror' genre - its really a lot more than that. One of the 2 Academy awards it won was for screenplay (the other for best sound) - but the acting and direction really matched the quality of the writing IMO.
It lost out on the best picture award to "The Sting" - which is a fine film - but The Exorcist clearly has attained a far greater lasting legacy and cultural impact.
Absolutely
The problem is modern audiences have been exposed and tainted by decades of copycat films and sequels, decades of satire of the film, and decades of clips, sound bites, and memes, etc. No one can honestly claim they’ve never heard or know of the various clips. If The Exorcist were released today (having never been originally released in 1973), I doubt anyone would even question whether it’s “scary”. Also, Exorcist 3 is one of the most underrated films. Another slow burn but effective horror film that still gives me chills.
I hear time and time again people praising 3. I really need to watch it. Thanks for your comment.
Girl parody her own movie 😂
my grandpa went and saw this movie when he was 13 when it came out. Had to sleep with his parents for weeks after! 😂
This Film is very good in giving you Nightmares
Yes. It is. Can’t think of *anything* scarier that’s been released in recent years 🤷🏾♂️🎬
Hereditary really stuck with me in a similar way, but I get what you're saying.
@@SethBailey *LOVE* that movie as well! I wouldn’t change a thing about ‘Hereditary’ BUT I prefer my horror films to have a clear, recognizable antagonist (Regan/ Pazuzu for example).
@@myfriendisaac I agree on that as well. I would put the Exorcist above Hereditary, it was just the only thing close I could think of recently.
It's great to have a clear bad guy, I feel we don't get that enough now days.
Even 50 years ago I thought the Exorcist was overrated. I thought it was more silly than scary. It seems that people were just scandalized by the sight of a young girl saying really bad words, vomiting and levitating.
Two movies along the same themes
from that era of that I think are much better are Rosemary's Baby and The Omen.
Or for that matter, Exorcist 3, although that came out in the early nineties.
I'm a big fan of the Omen. I need to give Rosemary's Baby another chance, since I watched it in high school at a party.
@@SethBailey The Exorcist is very well crafted and is very good in its own way I just don't think it's very scary, and just doesn't quite deserve its reputation.
Rosemary's Baby is truly creepy. It was considered very shocking in the 1960s and still is very effective.
Exorcist 2 is trash, but 3 is really good. (The "nurse scene" is the ultimate jump scare 😱)
I was 15, when I watched it. Now I am 35 and I still have a trauma. Sometimes I still have nightmares about it. This supernatural religious stuff really creeps me out. 😅 But that also means it’s a one of the best movies I have ever seen. Well done William Friedkin.
Don't confuse jump scares for scary. The Exorcist is the scariest movie ever made.......
I'm not sure I would go that far but I do believe it is scary.
Nah it's well made but the film just doesn't impact me the way it did people in the 70's could be because I wasn't around in 1973 or also because I didn't see it till I was an adult the situation in reality would be scary but it's kind of funny hearing a demon curse and puke green and say the things it says in the film is funny to me.
No it is not lmao. Nobody said jump scares = scary. It's just not scary at all
The Exorcist was scary for its time... unfortunately the times have changed
It is a very well crafted film. The subject itself is what is scary. I believe in watching a film as if you're in the movie theater.
❤ Regan Forever 💕
The power of Christ conpels you!
Yes.....still and ever the Queen, Of horror movies...the Exorcist is the Best Of the Best.
It doesn't hold up to me, and is nowhere near the scariest movie.
It's well made but I never found it scary a demon cursing and puking green vomit doesn't scare me the conjuring 1&2 are pretty freaky though they have jump scares but there's build up to them and I'm into the characters more.
I appreciate hearing a different perspective than most people that leave comments. Thanks.
Most so-called horror films today signpost themselves too easily. Boring.
I agree with this.
Yeeeeees!!!!