Tuesday, April 6, 2021

[A to Z] E = The Exorcist


I was very young the first time I watched THE EXORCIST.  I am not quite sure how young I was but it was not more than 9 or 10 years old.  Maybe not the best choice of film for someone of that age but that is an entirely different discussion. It was the very first horror movie I can recall viewing.

THE EXORCIST had a profound affect on me.  I grew up going to church so just the basic premise of the movie gave me a chill.  After I saw THE EXORCIST I was terrified of the prospect of being possessed by the devil.  When I went to bed the closet door absolutely had to be closed; even then I would lay facing the door so I could notice if the door started to open during the night.  I would also cover up my head and leave a small hole allowing me to see that closet.  For me, the young me anyway, THE EXORCIST will always be the scariest movie ever made.

I have never watched THE EXORCIST as an adult.  I am not worried about being scared all over again.  No, not at all.  I am concerned that I might just find it boring or not worthy of the fear my young mind associated with the film. There are times that nostalgia is better left untainted.  


4 comments:

  1. Family legend is that my mom went to see The Exorcist when she was pregnant with me and had to leave the theater because it was making her nauseated.

    I had a similar experience with The Shining. I saw *part* of it when I was a kid and it scared the bejebus out of me. It was decades before I managed to watch it—but I'm glad I did. It's of course not as scary, but it's a great film and holds up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no...that would not be good! I am DEFINITELY going to watch The Exorcist again at some point.

      Delete
  2. This is the one horror movie I actually find to be scary.

    --
    Tim Brannan, The Other Side: 2021: The A to Z of Monsters

    ReplyDelete
  3. My wife’s parents took her with them to see this film when she was a small child...she had intense nightmares for DECADES afterwards.

    ReplyDelete