ann hale’s daily october horror movie series begins with a classic…
October is the greatest month of the year. Sure, you can think its December, but you would be wrong. December brings presents, sure, but it also brings tacky decorations, awful music and the bringing together of people you know you really don’t want to see.
October, on the other hand, has candy, costumes, and the ability to watch any horror movie you want every single day without anyone assuming that you’re a serial killer or a plain old psychopath. That’s right folks, no judgment and no strange looks. October is that one month that everyone is just like you.
Now, you cannot ring in the greatest month of the year with just any old horror movie. No, it deserves better than that. What it deserves is the perfect horror film; the film that, almost 40 years later, still scares the bejeezus out its viewers. This, of course, is none other than The Exorcist.
If you have been unfortunate enough to have never seen this film or just too terrified to give it a shot, let me give you a brief synopsis.
Little Regan (Linda Blair) finds a Ouija board in her basement, which she uses to talk to “Captain Howdy.” (It sounds like a stupid name, but if you watch Strangeland, you’ll get a whole new appreciation for it.) After this communication, Regan begins to act strangely. First her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn), hears scratching noises that she assumes to be rats in the attic. Then Regan starts to feel sick and pees herself. Soon, she is not like herself at all. She’s swearing, violent and eventually, she becomes murderous. When medical tests can tell her nothing, Chris contacts a priest (Max Von Sydow) to perform an exorcism.
This is the film that started the exorcism film craze. None have compared. The special effects are inexplicably realistic for 1973, the voices are terrifying and the make-up is top notch.
Director William Friedkin, who also directed the 5 time Academy Award winning film The French Connection, created, in my opinion, one of the greatest films ever made with The Exorcist. I very strongly suggest ringing in October with it. Anything less would be an insult.
