MOVIES: The Exorcist

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child_of_God85

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I was just curious about what people think about the book and movie. I’ve only seen the movie (it was a cleaned up version on tv), but I didn’t actually find it that scary. I found Emily Rose more intense.
I was considering reading the book, but I’m not too sure if it would be acceptible reading. I mean, does anyone know if it would be considered a sin to read it?
 
Are you a horror buff? Or are you facinated with things like possession? One thing to keep in mind is that it may just be fiction (or based on a true story), but the topic represents the real battle you live in. Maybe you should pray about it and ask to be shown what is realy motivating this.

I recall in the past being very facinated by this sort of thing. Deep down all I realy wanted to do was have more faith and I figured some supernatural warfare would give it to me. In the end I learned that faith can only come from God as a gift no matter what you may be wittness to.
-D
 
Except for it’s appalling profanity, THE EXORCIST is an excellent film. The book too is excellent. In an age of unbelief, it places the battle between good and evil in stark relief, and affirms the existence of the Devil in the face of modern denial of the supernatural.

Still, THE EXORCIST is heavy reading. You might want to consult your priest before reading it.

Jaypeeto4 (aka Jaypeeto3)
 
The Exorcist is my favorite Catholic movie. If you can handle horror, it’s a must-see. What I love is the way they portray the priest as a normal guy who’s been called to do a job for God; save a little girl.
 
How similar is the book to the movie? Which came first? Do either actually claim to be based on fact, or are they more based on the general accounts of actual exorcisms?
 
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Jabronie:
How similar is the book to the movie? Which came first? Do either actually claim to be based on fact, or are they more based on the general accounts of actual exorcisms?
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The book came first. The author William Blatty was inspired by the possesion of a boy in Maryland in the late 1940’s.
An interesting note; one of Blatty’s sources for the book was supposedly a journal that one of the Priest kept documenting the exorcisms.
 
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child_of_God85:
I was just curious about what people think about the book and movie. I’ve only seen the movie (it was a cleaned up version on tv), but I didn’t actually find it that scary. I found Emily Rose more intense.
I was considering reading the book, but I’m not too sure if it would be acceptible reading. I mean, does anyone know if it would be considered a sin to read it?
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My sister inlaw had the Exorcist novel in her home, she burned the book one night and swore that in the morning she had to remove a fist size stone from her fire !!! her words not mine.
I can’t verify if this is true.
What I think about the movie is it was frightening to say the least, we had Baptists,Pentecostals protesting outside the cinema.
But it seems by todays standards it don’t seem to frighten the young anymore, all the horror they watch seems to have deadened their senses.
What I found most shockiing in the movie is the mockery for the Crucifix and the desecration of a Statue of Mary, the scene with the cross was revolting.
Is it true that Linda Blair had mental problems after it ? I heard that it didn’t bring any luck for the rest of the cast either, can’t be sure.

The Exorcist, the story behind the movie.
 
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Eireann:
My sister inlaw had the Exorcist novel in her home, she burned the book one night and swore that in the morning she had to remove a fist size stone from her fire !!! her words not mine.
I can’t verify if this is true.
What I think about the movie is it was frightening to say the least, we had Baptists,Pentecostals protesting outside the cinema.
But it seems by todays standards it don’t seem to frighten the young anymore, all the horror they watch seems to have deadened their senses.
What I found most shockiing in the movie is the mockery for the Crucifix and the desecration of a Statue of Mary, the scene with the cross was revolting.
Is it true that Linda Blair had mental problems after it ? I heard that it didn’t bring any luck for the rest of the cast either, can’t be sure.

The Exorcist, the story behind the movie.
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Why did she burn the book? That is scary about the stone.
 
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Jabronie:
How similar is the book to the movie? Which came first? Do either actually claim to be based on fact, or are they more based on the general accounts of actual exorcisms?
Click to expand...
The book came first, and was based upon the story of an actual exorcism on a young boy. The book is quite graphic; I could only manage to get rhough it once before giving it to someone else. I just didn’t want to think about it anymore.

The movie follows the book pretty closely, but I recall Blatty recounting an incident where the studio head insisted on removing one line from the movie which had appeared in the book, because it came across as too affirming of Catholic theology.

Of course, the main point of departure from reality is the character of the young priest who assisted the older priest in the exorcism. He was quite lacking in the qualifications for an exorcist, and in real life, would not have been allowed anywhere near an exorcism.
 
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child_of_God85:
I was just curious about what people think about the book and movie. I’ve only seen the movie (it was a cleaned up version on tv), but I didn’t actually find it that scary. I found Emily Rose more intense.
I was considering reading the book, but I’m not too sure if it would be acceptible reading. I mean, does anyone know if it would be considered a sin to read it?
Click to expand...
I read it and had to sleep with the lights on and my crucifix under my pillow! 😃 That’s when I was of “little faith” though, I just didn’t know it.

I wouldn’t recommend it now, and anyway it’s not really all that factual. If you are still interested, I’d read books by Fr. Gabriel Amorth, the Vatican’s lead exorcist:
catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=420
catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=2060
 
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matt1985:
Why did she burn the book? That is scary about the stone.
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Her brother had the book in his home I remember seeing it, he is into horror though.
When his sister, my sister inlaw moved to her new house she brought the book with her, I don’t know why she burned it, maybe because somewhere in our conversation I said I would’nt have that thing in my home.
Anyway one day she told me she burned the book and next day when she was cleaning out the fire to re-light it, there was a large stone in the fire.
Now as she burns coal this may not be unusual for a stone to be mixed up with it, but it did make her wonder why after burning the book a large stone should be in her grate.

She burned the book to get rid of it, and swears to this day that among the burnt pages there was a large stone.

It may be nothing more than a coinsidence, but it did make her wonder, it’s pure speculation as to why it was really there.

On TV abut a year ago we had a real haunting, a rare case where a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister went to Exorcise a house, this is hard to believe but the Protestant minister didn’t believe in the devil. :rolleyes:

Anyway it’s a programme that is on Irelands national TV station called "Would you Believe. "

I watched the show, taped it, one young couple had strange goings on in their house, the Saint Michael Prayer was burned around the edges, pictures turning sideways on the wall.
During one session on camera, the young man ran out of his house saying something touched his back just above his waist.
He was burning, so they lifted up his shirt and there were burning marks on his skin.
I think this happened in County Tyrone, my neighbouring county, recognisable to me because of their accents.
RTE " Would you Believe"
Hope this links opens, not sure if there are archive links, anyway that’s my lot.
PS, it looks like you have to contact the station by email to view it. Archive

Dec: 19th- 2004-2005

Sorry off topic but thought it was worth mentioning.
 
Both the book and the movie were good. The book was better and it scared me much more than the movie. I really, really like Fr. Merrin (the old priest). I think it would be neat to have a priest like him. He was kind, holy, but strong. If only he was real 😉 .
 
The Exorcist is the best horror movie ever made. I guarantee you they’ll never make a more frightening movie. The sequals however, were all horrible. Espcially the second one, Exorcist II: The Heretic. That was by far the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my life.
 
The movie is great. Though I feel there were some things that could have been left out and were a bit overboard. I was scared beyond belief as a kid when I first watched it. Soon after that I got the Chicken Pox and I thought I was possessed. That was quite funny.
 
If you want to read about the actual case that the movie and the book were based on then check out the book entitled “Possessed.” It’s based on the diary from the priest who was involved in the case right here in my diocese of St. Louis. The last surviving witness of the actual case (a Jesuit priest) just passed away last summer.

There was a made for TV movie also called “Possessed” that was based on the book. It’s not too bad. There are only a few embelishments. You can get it on DVD I believe.
 
One of the scariest movies I ever saw…mostly because unlike other horror movies with swamp things or boogie men…this was an evil you knew was real and could happen…
 
Island Oak:
One of the scariest movies I ever saw…mostly because unlike other horror movies with swamp things or boogie men…this was an evil you knew was real and could happen…
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Yeah, most horror movies today are about GORE. You’re not scaring me, you’re making me sick to my stomach. I love psychological horror and thrillers Stuff like THE OTHERS even THE VILLAGE, The Crucible. Well… Evil Dead 1&2 are kinda filled with Gore. But those are great.

Now all you get is cookie cutter horror flicks. Teens, beer, sex, people with cool lines and as you said the BOOGIE MAN.
Fr. Joe:
If you want to read about the actual case that the movie and the book were based on then check out the book entitled “Possessed.” It’s based on the diary from the priest who was involved in the case right here in my diocese of St. Louis. The last surviving witness of the actual case (a Jesuit priest) just passed away last summer.

There was a made for TV movie also called “Possessed” that was based on the book. It’s not too bad. There are only a few embelishments. You can get it on DVD I believe.
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Heh. That is freaky. Question though Father. Can any priest of the CC do an Exorcism or are they “experts” that deal with such things? I would think they would have to have like extensive psychology studies and some really strong faith.
 
I saw a special about the actual case last year on Discovery or TLC and it was quite interesting. Some re-enactments and interviews with some of the people involved, including the Priest that assisted. Some of the stuff that really happened was even creepier than the movie. I think on the last day, the boy was talking in multiple voices (i.e. multiple demons in him) and then one of the voices announced himself as St. Michael and commanded satan and his demons to leave this boy’s body…and they did!

The movie itself was quite good, and quite scary, especially the director’s cut which was just released a few years go. The Excorcism of Emily Rose is also a good movie and based on a true story as well.

There’s another video called an Interview with an Exorcist, which is a decent interview with one of the most experienceds exorcists in Spain (can’t remember his name now). He recounts some very chilling encounters. But he also asserted something that I’ve noticed; when things like these get really bad, they’ll try psychics, ghost hunters, other religious folks, but they always seem to end up with the Catholic Church to ultimately fix it.
 
Heh. That is freaky. Question though Father. Can any priest of the CC do an Exorcism or are they “experts” that deal with such things? I would think they would have to have like extensive psychology studies and some really strong faith.

Permission has to be granted by the bishop and then they do usualy bring in a priest who is appointed as the offical exorcist for a particular diocese. An exorcist is one who would be well versed in psychology, various languages, and most of all, be a man of extraordinary holiness.
 
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