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| THE EXORCIST (1973) |
Rarely does a major motion picture succeed in frightening you while also challenging your core beliefs.
William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist” does just that. It’s an extremely effective and frightening film. It’s well directed by a film maker at the top of his game. And it’s a classic motion picture that has never been topped.
“The Exorcist” also is one of the most intently personal and religious stories ever put to film. This film firmly believes in the existence of good and evil, of God and Satan, and it dares you to do the same.
William Friedkin was fresh off directing the award-winning “The French Connection” when he took on Blatty’s best-selling novel. Blatty produced the film and wrote the script – which was based on the true story of the exorcism of a young boy.
As the “The Exorcist” opens, a little girl and her mom are living in a rental home in Georgetown when strange things begin to happen. Eventually, Chris MacNeil begins to believe her daughter, Reagan, is possessed by a demon. Beds levitate, bodies fling, heads spin 360 degrees. And you believe it all.
Top Five Week at Sneak Prevue continues. Today’s edition: The Top Five Horror Films.
NO. 1: THE EXORCIST (1973)
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| SCENE FROM THE EXORCIST |
“The Exorcist” begins life as a haunted house story. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil wonders about the strange noises in her rental house. As the film inches closer its story of demonic possession, Chris at first is in total disbelief – giving viewers someone with whom to identify.
How frightening is this film? Well, when “The Exorcist” opened in New Orleans in late 1973 exclusively at the suburban Robert E. Lee Theater, an ambulance sat in the parking lot ready to care for movie goers who passed out, got sick or were flat-out traumatized by the film.
In 2000, Warner Bros. released a new, re-edited version of “The Exorcist” overseen by Friedkin. This version includes the infamous “spider-walk” sequence deleted from the film in its initial release. I recommend you stay with the original 1973 version and avoid Friedkin’s new cut. The original version remains the best.
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| A L I E N (1979) |
At its most basic, “Alien” is a haunted house film set in deep space and featuring an evolving monster that slowly attacks and kills crew members aboard the commercial towing spaceship the Nostromo.
As the film begins, the Nostromo is diverted off course and its crew told to respond to a distress call on an unexplored planet. When they do, they discover and unwittingly unleash an alien life form that begins to kill everyone on board.
What sets “Alien” apart from other horror films is Ridley Scott’s expert, taut direction; a clever screenplay by Dan O’Bannon; and an atmospheric production design for the Nostromo.
It also helps that the film’s actors and actresses are adults; their maturity increases the film’s believability. H. R. Giger, a Swiss surrealist painter, designed the deadly alien that constantly changes form.
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| ALIENS (1986) |
Seven years after “Alien,” James Cameron wrote and directed a film that is almost better than the original. This time around, Ripley, the sole survivor of the original, returns to the planet where she encountered the deadly alien.
Ripley’s assignment: Join a band of Colonial Marines on a rescue mission to save a group of colonists living on the hostile planet that is now hopelessly overrun with the deadly aliens.
While Scott chose to make a film heavy on mood and atmosphere, Cameron opted for a militaristic action thriller – an approach that works perfectly.
Another important plot point: Ripley returns to the hostile planet to find a lone survivor, a small girl whose parents were killed by the aliens. Ripley quickly bonds with the child, giving the film a strong human touch.
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| SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) |
Jonathan Demme had not directed any horror films until he tackled the film version of Thomas Harris’ best-seller – turning it into the definitive serial killer thriller.
With great performances by Jodie Foster, as rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling, and Anthony Hopkins, as brilliant psychiatrist and imprisoned serial killer Hannibal Lecter, Demme created a taut, frightening, character-driven film.
In the film and book, Starling is on the hunt for a serial killer and enlists the aid of an imprisoned Lecter. Despite being on screen for a short amount of time, Hopkins’ performance is so intense his presence is felt throughout. Hopkins almost is as good here as he was in“Magic” in 1978.
Demme has a varied filmography that includes comedies, dramas and documentaries. Unfortunately, he rarely makes dramatic films anymore.
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| PSYCHO (1960) |
Last week, I wrote about how Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” still manages to scare people more than 50 years after it first played theaters. I can’t really add much more to my comments (click here to read my earlier post)
But I will say this at the risk of repeating myself: This low-budget, black-and-white shocker has been a major influence on film makers for years. If you watch the films I listed in the top four slots, look closely and you’ll inevitably see how Hitchock’s film influenced each of them.
HOME VIDEO AVAILABILITY
- “The Exorcist” is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click hereBlu-ray disc with the original 1973 cut and revised 2000 cut of the film. You also can stream the film in high definition to your computer or TV through Netflix.
- “Alien” is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here
to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the special edition DVD from Amazon.com.
- “Aliens” is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here
to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com. You also can stream the film to your computer or television through Netflix. - “Silence of the Lambs” is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here
to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the DVD from Amazon.com.
- “Psycho” is available for purchase or rental on DVD or high definition Blu-ray disc. Click here to purchase the Blu-ray edition, which I highly recommend, from Amazon.com.
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I had a lovely post going and it suddenly disappeared. Wonder what that's all about. Another of those "curses" attached to the movie? I think not. It scared me nearly 40 years ago. It no longer does, and upon reflection, I think Blatty was pretty heavy-handed. Which isn't to say I don't occasionally get a kick out of watching.
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