As I did with Mother Brain, the first time, I just want to take a moment to introduce the newest contributor to Cos’ Blog, Chosen 1. They’re unique style should bring another fresh opinion to the blog.
A new breed of exorcism?
By: Chosen 1
One of the all time scariest movies in the eyes of many, including myself, was first released in December of 1973. Just one day removed from one of the most religious holidays of the year, Warner Brothers introduced us to a little girl named Regan who had been taken over by demon who if you read the novel in which the movie was based on went by the name “Pazuzu”. Throughout the film you are at the edge of your seat waiting for what demonic trick would scare the hell out of you next. I guess a lot of what scares the viewers throughout this movie is the unknown. It is natural belief by many that there is a heaven and hell. So if you can pray and be heard in the heavens it is then indeed possible to be heard by those who have not reached “the promised land”. The special effects used throughout this movie were “simple” yet spectacular. From the projectile vomit to the complete 360 degree turn of the young girls head; makeup artists and special effect coordinators made us believe that this little girl was losing her battle with this demon. She of course was not battling this demon alone. Along with her for the unwanted ride were two priests. Father Karras who had begun to lose his faith as his mother had fallen deathly ill and Father Marrin a much more elderly priest who himself is ailing an seemingly doesn’t have much time left. The fight for the little girl’s life is what brought this movie to a whole new level of horror. Over the last 30 plus years this movie has been sequeled, spoofed, re-released, but never was the horror duplicated.
Fast forward to August 27, 2010 the marquee reads “The Last Exorcism” I had not seen much in the way of previews for the movie but enough to know that it was done documentary style. All I was thinking was great they took the legacy of one of the greatest horror movies of all time, the before mentioned Exorcist, and turned it into a “Blair Witch” wannabe. In all honesty it was not my choice to even go see this movie I was pushing for “Dinner with Schmucks”. As it happens most times I lost the battle but the movie was free so I was not going to complain too much.
The movie begins in a small town in Louisiana where beloved preacher Reverend Cotton Marcus has set forth to end the belief that humans can be possessed by demons. Professor Jeremiah Lasky oops sorry i mean Reverend Marcus had performed more “exorcisms” then he could remember as he started when he was just a young boy very strong in his faith. He tells the camera crew that since becoming a family man he has basically become an actor simply faking his way through sermons and exorcisms making believers out of all of his followers that he was indeed blessed by the hands of their god. A story breaks that a young child dies at the hands of a priest during an exorcism and this is what sets Reverend Marcus on his less then holy expedition. He takes his crew to a farm of a family who believes their young daughter is possessed by a demon. He tricks them into allowing him to provide his skills in order to save the young girl. On camera he shows us the tools of his trade (rings that create an electric current shocking the “possessed”, tape recordings of sounds of “demons”, and a smoking cross that captures the “demon” inside after he has freed the little girl just to name a few. Through many special effects similar to the original “Exorcism” but polished for the next generation of moviegoers we begin a roller coaster ride that touches on every possibility of the young girls troubles.
The movie is pretty captivating and although not as scary as its original predecessor steals a couple of cheap gasps and jumps. Unfortunately the last 10 minutes may drown what otherwise was a very well put together movie. The roller coaster ends and you say “really?” Other then that I would give a 3 out of 5 stars and recommend if you are in the mood for a decently scary movie you should check it out. My final opinion good movie but will most likely will lose a lot of its appeal after it leaves the theater and loses the big screen and loud surround speakers.