The Exorcist: The Beginning
I admit that I have very little interest in this movie, mainly because it is a prequel to a near perfect movie. But lets see - it went from "an internalized piece of psychological (as opposed to visceral) horror. It’s also, not incidentally, an epistemological study of faith, set against a world that gives even the righteous many reasons to question their beliefs" to "a shitty imitation of The Mummy, ... an entertaining, if altogether more conventional, affair." Leave it to Hollywood to f@&# up a perfectly good idea.
I admit that I have very little interest in this movie, mainly because it is a prequel to a near perfect movie. But lets see - it went from "an internalized piece of psychological (as opposed to visceral) horror. It’s also, not incidentally, an epistemological study of faith, set against a world that gives even the righteous many reasons to question their beliefs" to "a shitty imitation of The Mummy, ... an entertaining, if altogether more conventional, affair." Leave it to Hollywood to f@&# up a perfectly good idea.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Ah yes, but you'll get the psychological horror version on DVD as well as the shitty gore version. The studio said they'll put both versions out and let the fans decide which is the better film.
Personally, I'll bet they're both ass.
Personally, I'll bet they're both ass.
Throughout our history there are those ghosts
Compelled to illustrate our dreams and hopes
Victors hang in pictures, losers from ropes.
Regardless they all swing in the same boat.
Noelie Wrote:I can't wait to see it. :p I've been waiting literally years for this movie to come out, ever since I heard that Caleb Carr was one of the writers.If I remember correctly from that article, he wrote the screenplay which was eventually tossed out.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Yeah, but it also said that a lot of what he wrote went into the film basically unchanged, which is why he's still credited as one of the writers. My point wasn't whether or not he actually did write it, just that that's how long I've been waiting to see this movie. I'm also a big fan of Stellan Skarsgard, so that's another selling point in it's favor for me. I was one of like ten people who enjoyed Exorcist III, despite how different it was from the book. We'll see. Odds are that I'll enjoy it.
Noelie Wrote:I was one of like ten people who enjoyed Exorcist III, despite how different it was from the book.
Hey, that's a good movie! Far, far, far better than the second; it also had George C. Scott in it! w00t!
Throughout our history there are those ghosts
Compelled to illustrate our dreams and hopes
Victors hang in pictures, losers from ropes.
Regardless they all swing in the same boat.
Here is an interesting bit of trivia:
Stellan Skarsgard, who plays the young Father Merrin, is actually older than Max Von Sydow, who plays the old Father Merrin in the original, was when the Exorcist came out in 1973.
Stellan Skarsgard, who plays the young Father Merrin, is actually older than Max Von Sydow, who plays the old Father Merrin in the original, was when the Exorcist came out in 1973.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Noelie Wrote:Yeah, but it also said that a lot of what he wrote went into the film basically unchanged, which is why he's still credited as one of the writers. My point wasn't whether or not he actually did write it, just that that's how long I've been waiting to see this movie. I'm also a big fan of Stellan Skarsgard, so that's another selling point in it's favor for me. I was one of like ten people who enjoyed Exorcist III, despite how different it was from the book. We'll see. Odds are that I'll enjoy it.
I did see this the other night prior to its release and it's gotta be one of the worst films I have ever seen.
A prequel might have worked if the studio had cared to find a director that understoon the genre, appreciated what the first film accomplished , a copycat rendering of Blair's makeup and not opted for a run of the mill TV production. There is no horror, no psychological depth to any of the characterizations and I found it to be a waste of my eyesight. Next time I'm invited to a free screening, I'm gonna say no.
remylass Wrote:Sadly, I knew it was going to suck.
Nothing is going to even come close to the original. Filmakers tend to play it too safe nowadays.
Steve D
According to the book and movie, "The Exorcist," a young African male child is possessed and Father Merrin performs the exorcism on the child. Now, is that so difficult a movie to make? Whatever this new movie was reaching for, it sure as hell (no pun intended) blew it with that twist ending: It isn't the boy who's possessed, it's the.... Well, I won't blow it for you. At least at the end, there's a nice battle between Merrin and Pazuzu. Did like the closing scene when he is addressed as "Mister" Merrin, and he corrects (Ben Cross) with, "Father" Merrin, then walks off in his black priestly garb, looking like Batman. I hope this isn't a franchise of Father Merrin vs. The Demons movies on the horizon. He's no Blade. And this was no Exorcism movie. Grade: C-