release year: 1973
genre: horror
viewing setting: home DVD, 7/18/99
what I expected: didn't know - I'd never seen it before!
what I got: Something that was groundbreaking in its time, grisly now, but not really scary to me
synopsis: A little girl becomes possessed by Satan, and the only recourse is a priestly exorcism.
impressions: As I said, in 1973 this was new and original and powerful stuff. Nothing like it had ever been done - in fact, nothing like it has been done since, and as evil-possession movies go, it's still the best. However...it takes more than this to send a chill up my spine. It was weird, and gruesome, and powerful, but I suppose I'm just too old and horror-movie-weathered. Another possibility: since I have zero religious experience and have never opened a Bible or gone to church, the religious impact of this film may not have been able to fully affect me. Still, any fan of scary movies needs to see this film.
acting: Actually, it didn't impress me. Linda Blair did a great job, considering that she was only 11. Many of the other characters either screamed too much or mumbled too much (the latter case applied especially to Max Von Sydow.)
final word: Original and well-done, required horror viewing.
rating: C