A Good Scare

Winter 1973 was a great time to get scared. The release of The Exorcist made the holiday season a most profitable one for Warner Brothers. This scare fest I saw at the Northpoint Theatre, on a big 70mm screen. It was probably the scariest film I had seen. Split-pea soup aside, the power of the imagination and the amazing visuals made this film an impactful one. Little was known about this part of the Catholic Church; after all, each diocese had an exorcist. But thanks to modern science, there was no need to for an exorcist to take care of a psychiatric problem. Or is there?

I know this film scared me and made me a very devout Catholic for months; slept with a nightlight on and learned how to listened to all night talk radio or just plain music. The Rosary was recited many a night. As I said, the power of the imagination is a force to reckon with. The mind can create demons, angels, whatever in horrifying or glorifying force. This is another film I recommend for your Halloween viewing. Oh, and if possible, read the novel BEFORE you watch the film.