Screened in the comfort of my own home, 9pm showtime. Movie Theater Snacks: Nothing. This was a serious viewing, as you’ll soon find out why…
Watching The Exorcist for the first time was extremely important to me, I feel like my entire life built up to this Halloween night.
The mangled face of possessed Regan is something that has haunted me for years and has scared me for as long as I can remember. When I saw her face for the first time (I was so young, I don’t actually remember where or why. A commercial maybe? I have no clue) but it terrified me.
Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, my parents and everyone around me always labeled this as the worst movie imaginable. Foul, crude, and disrespectful, saying it went completely against God’s good word. On top of that, my parents were just plain strict with everything entertainment-wise. Without them even realizing, they were building this movie up in my head as being untouchable, and I wanted to watch it even more.
I told my good friend all about this “journey” towards watching it. Then, three years ago he bought it for me for my birthday (that really fancy 40th anniversary blu-ray set hell yeah). Why I didn’t watch it until now, I don’t remember. Who cares. But I’m very, very happy I watched it at this point in my life. Three years ago, or even sooner than that, my childhood JW-guilt would have crept in, and I would potentially, most-likely, maybe, possibly, felt differently. That is, to the point that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.
Tonight, I felt a Christian mindset come back into my thinking for the first time in years. Of course Father Karras and Father Merrin are the good guys. Regan brought the Devil into herself by playing with a demonic toy (again, my parents warned me if I ever THOUGHT about using a ouija board, demons would come into our home). She was guilty, but also needed to be saved. It was extremely weird, but it felt it. A Christian fear, something I didn’t think I’d ever feel or worry about again. I’m happy I watched this film now. Far off enough that I could watch it and genuinely enjoy it, but still close enough to my old life that the voice of my parents were in my head, shaming me for toying with demons and Satan’s entertainment.
On this devilish Halloween night, I just watched a new favorite movie.
Yagi Film Reviews 