The Exorcist (1973)

"Keep away. The sow is mine.", 15 November 2008

I'll keep this brief - most every horror fan has seen The Exorcist and all of them have an opinion of it. While many people would most certainly list The Exorcist as THE scariest movie ever made, there seems to be a growing number of fans who find humor where it was not intended. I don't get it. Maybe it's a generational thing, but The Exorcist remains as effective today as it was in 1973. If the story of a young, helpless girl being turned into a snarling creature isn't horror enough, add to that the desecration of sacred religious symbols and you've got something quite shocking. Beyond the story, the strong performances by a good cast really help put The Exorcist over the top. Max von Sydow was never better. And the performance of an incredibly young and inexperienced Linda Blair is nothing short of remarkable. Add to that the excellent lighting, sound, cinematography, and special effects, and you've got not just a scary movie, but a very well made movie as well.

8/10