Why is the Exorcist Scary?

[OLO]

Originally Posted by Daniel J Mellor

That's exactly it. The Exorcist had become that influential that each scene had been parodied, copied and diluted to a point that the movie feels familiar.
Similar to how of you watch Seinfeld reruns the comedy seems very derivative of today's sitcoms, even though it was 20 years before hand.

One curious way to look at The Exorcist is through the eyes of the mother. She is watching her child being taken over and has no way of stopping it. Going so far as to beg both medical and religious people for help.*
Is it scary? That is for each individual to decide, personally I think it hasn't aged too well, but for the reasons laid out before*

well said by both of you guys... i agree.

when i watch horror movies, though they truly arent going to "scare me" or "terrify me" i try to stay quiet and really get into the scenes, the set-ups, the story... its more fun getting creeped out in some way. with a great story, great characters you totally can.

now a days, you cant scare anyone, especially the "tough guys" that speak or laugh during the movies... not fun, not enjoyable.

like you said, think about the mother, the psychological aspects they are all going through, the complete loss control of ones body... that stuff is scary, creepy... but you gotta be willing to get into it.

[Greg666]

The Exorcist like so many other films bases its fear factor on the supernatural. Humans fear what we have limited knowledge about. The movie as a whole fails to keep the tension in the film. It becomes more investigative as to the cause of the demonic possession. It is not scary because well supernatural themes have been over done.

We need movies that literally screw our minds over. The kind of film that plays with your mind like a cat does to a ball of yarn. For example Little Timmy Turner is swinging on a swing in the distance. You walk closer and discover that his swing is made from human hair. He turns around and says "some of the school girls were being mean to me...especially Sam". Timmy jumps off the swing and the base of it is Sam's head. Simple and very effective. The Excorcist is not scary simply because it has been done too many times before

[neilold]

i like that greg, that's actually better than a great deal of horrors i've actually watched

[Giganticface]

Originally Posted by Greg666

The Excorcist is not scary simply because it has been done too many times before

And by "before," you really mean "since then." Back when The Exorcist came out, before all the copycats, it was pretty much the scariest movie phenomenon that had ever occurred. People fainted in the theater. Every showing had people leaving the theater to gather themselves. See for yourself:



This is the one movie that I was actually too afraid to watch as a kid, and waited until I was 20 or so to see it. It freaked me out, even at that age. It still gives me chills just thinking about it. It's the only movie that does that.

These days, everyone's desensitized, and have seen it all "before" in one of the countless films whose sole purpose is to attempt to be as good and as scary as The Exorcist.

Why is it scary? Well, for me the thought of the devil himself taking over my body and brutalizing it is horrific. The thought of that happening to my daughter is obscene and unfathomable. I also happen to believe in God and the Devil, which might make a difference.

[Repo'd]

Very well said, Gigantic! It seems the post prior to yours has missed the contextual significance of The Exorcist. No doubt, what you see in the film has been copied at least a hundred times, but when The Exorcist was released, the themes it examined had never been handled that way before. Saying it has all been done before is incredibly shortsighted and can only be a result of a lack of horror film knowledge.

I have to give the poster credit for confidence though. That bit with the swing and Sam's head..lol.

[Giganticface]

Originally Posted by Repo'd

Very well said, Gigantic! It seems the post prior to yours has missed the contextual significance of The Exorcist. No doubt, what you see in the film has been copied at least a hundred times, but when The Exorcist was released, the themes it examined had never been handled that way before. Saying it has all been done before is incredibly shortsighted and can only be a result of a lack of horror film knowledge.

I have to give the poster credit for confidence though. That bit with the swing and Sam's head..lol.

Yes that was a bizarre tangent, but pretty freaking awesome.

[favabeans]

I don't think it is scary.

All I can suggest is that it scared people because it was so radical and shocking for its time.

[sfear]

Originally Posted by Elijah23256

I can say that children of today do have a lower standards on what is scary but I am not like that I find the original The Haunting( 1963) to be very scary.

Absolutely!

[TigerLogos]

The putrefaction of adolescence/awakening might destroy the momentum of talents yet to show themselves fully manifest in life. Such is the terrible nature of insanity. Fundamental horror.

[TheBlueWolf]

Personally I think it's story is more plausible than, for example, Nightmare On Elm Street or The Howling; a teen becomes possessed and priests are bought in who are struggling with their faith.

I've seen scarier films; I love a good splatterfest, but the creepy ones that get your brain thinking do it for me.