Hobby Buku's Classic: Books Into Movies [ 2 ] : "THE EXORCIST"

Friday, June 14, 2013

Books Into Movies [ 2 ] : "THE EXORCIST"

BOOKS INTO MOVIES : THE EXORCIST

The Exorcist is one of several classic-horror movies who gave such big influence for me as a fan of mystery – thriller –horror stories. Until this day, I still get ‘chill’ and ‘goosebumps’ everytime re-watching those movies, such as Stephen King’s “Carrie”, “It”, “Pet Semetary”, “Rose Red”, “Greenmile” or Alfred Hitchcock “Psycho”, “The Birds” and “Dial M For Murder”. Before stories about ‘satan’ or ‘demonic-possessed’ become one of themes that really interest the audience (like the Poltergeist), The Exorcist by William Blatty are the first stories about these topic, that both novel and movie adaptation got serious respons from the public, and becoming ‘icon’ and ‘trending’ for several months. Until now, old fans and new fans still looking and discuss the issue, something with ‘controversi’ topics or you can say it ‘forbbiden’ are always interesting to others.

The main issue on this story that brought up by the author William Peter Blatty are the battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ that already happening since the first human created and cast-out from God’s palace. Using modern situations located in big city, New York, USA, where all kind of people from different nation, background, language, social-status, are brought together is the same place. That’s include ‘human’ and ‘evil’ who living among them in the form of ‘human’ its-self. Is not like fantasy story, this one spesific themes really touch our mind, that all the thing that so bad, forbidden thought and really evil are close near us, even living inside us, waiting for the right moment to imbrace the rise of the ‘choosen’ one.

I think that why in modern society, all the new ‘religion’ becoming one of trending this days, everyone seeking for something to believe, that there’s no such thing like hell or God’s curse or even Evil’s Act. And something a lot worse than that, is when everyone start to ignore the purpose of human-life aside than to fulfill their ‘physical-need’ rather than something strong like ‘religion’. This story are the perfect example when human are being confront even face-to-face with all the fear and the worse kind they ever thinks, not in the dreams but in real-life. The main issue is the battle between them-self and ‘the demon’ who already inside. How the little girl, a woman who also a mother and single parent, and the priest handle their own demon ? Not just at work or in their life, but appers in the real-form, not hiding in plain side anymore ...

Between the book and movie adaptation, I think William Peter Blatty puts together the complete story surrounding the issue. Never than less, I suggest for anyone who never read or watched, you should start by reading it first, it will gave you a based story to understand the important message, not jut plain horror movie. And if you already read it and watch it, you also can follow the journey about the battlefied among good and evil, between God’s work and Satan’s seduction, using human like pion in the chess game, by read and watching another sequel on The Exorcist Series.

[ more about this topics, you can also check on my review in here : The Exorcist (Books Review) | The Exorcist (Movies Adaptation) ]

THE EXORCIST ( 2013 ) | My Rating : 3,5 of 5

Ellen Burstyn as Christine ‘Chris’ MacNeil
Jason Miller as Father Damien Karras
Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin
Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
Lee J. Cobb as Lt. William F. Kinderman
Mercedes McBride as the voice of ‘demon’ ( Pazuzu )
Eileen Dietz as the face of the ‘demon’
Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer
Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings
Directed by : William Friedkin
Produced by William Peter Blatty
Screenplay by : William Peter Blatty
Based on the book “The Exorcist” by William Peter Blatty
Awards :
Winner of Academy Award for Writing Adaptated Screenplay by William Peter Blatty ( 1973) | Winner of Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing by Robert Knudson & Chris Newman ( 1973 ) | Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama ( 1973 ) | Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Director : William Friedkin ( 1973 ) | Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture : Linda Blair ( 1973 ) | Winner of Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay : William Peter Blatty ( 1973 )