[troggi]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

'Overrated' is a strange term as it means different things to different people and, as with any film, if you expect a masterpiece you'll probably be disappointed but if you're expecting total crap you will be more than happy.

I've said on numerous occasions I considered to be the greatest horror film ever made (yes, even better than Nosferatu!) and, even after well over 100 viewings, it still stands out as a great work of cinema and one of the landmarks of modern horror.

I totally agree! The Exorcist broke new ground in it's making and marketing (the Church, arguably, playing a huge role in advertising it). The hype surrounding it was like nothing seen before but was justified, a claim that cannot be made by many horror films.

I went to the ABC Cinema in Sheffield to see The Exorcist at the tender age of 14. As my friend's mother was on the box office that night I went incognito, a brown paper bag on my head with eye holes cut out. She had been tipped off, I'm sure (or it might have been because she knew me TOO well), because she said laughing, "it's okay, Lez, you can have a complimentary tonight."

Do you know, I can't recall what was the supporting feature now? Maybe it was because it was forgettable, but I believe it's because I was focused on the main feature. Lots of individual scenes from the whole experience are imprinted on my mind; Mrs Marsh's laugh at my silly prank, the protesters outside the cinema, the guy who stood up after Reagan's head did the 360 and fainted, St John's Ambulance volunteers taking him out of the auditorium, and getting home to find Rosemary's Baby on t.v. and thinking how insipid it was compared to The Exorcist!

In conclusion I believe that The Exorcist is an immensely important film historically, culturally and personally and because of it's impact on the future of cinema. It truly is THE film of the 1970s, not just the horror film of the 1970s.

p.s. I hope this is a better colour for you Prince, me owld china