gosh I love you. I felt exactly the same as you when I watched it for the first time on TCM a couple weeks ago. this is the most underrated horror film of all time. it's better than 90% of all the horror films that have ever been made. it stands up there with Black Christmas, night of the living dead, the stepford wives, the omen, Carrie, tourist trap, and the redeemer: son of satan.
it's not as good as black Christmas, night of the living dead, the omen, the redeemer: son of satan, or tourist trap but its' better than the stepford wives.
it is a 9/10 film. only losing a star because of it's tacked on, gratuitous and unnecessary shocking for the sake of being shocking killing of the Priest at the end.
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Mr_Ectoplasma
7 years ago
I'm glad to see more people being exposed to this film. The TCM airings seem to be bringing more people to this board, as it appears quite active. I rented this movie from a Hollywood Video when I was in junior high school (around 2003-04ish) and have loved it ever since. It's a wonderful horror film. Great acting, a compelling story, and haunting imagery throughout.
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lukejbarnett2002
7 years ago
why did some idiot say that the acting in this is bad? I thought the acting was great. especially by the mom and by Alice. the scene where the mom finds out that her daughter is dead is one of the most powerful, heart wrenching, emotionally compelling and impactful, disturbing, tragic, and devastating scenes that I have ever watched.
don't you agree that that scene is one of the most harrowing, emotionally devastating, and impactful scenes in movie history? it's so effective in conveying the pain and trauma that she was experiencing.
don't you agree that this is a masterpiece?
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Mr_Ectoplasma
7 years ago
I agree with you. I think it's a masterpiece of the genre, and one of the unsung greats. The scene you're talking about is fantastic and so emotionally packed. Linda Miller's scream in the church is one of the most visceral things I've ever heard in a film—it seems legitimately real.
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lukejbarnett2002
7 years ago
exactly visceral. you feel the horror, you feel the pain deep within you in a realistic and close to home way that I've never felt in a movie before.
I felt so much powerful pain from her screaming that I actually had to try so extremely hard to hold back from crying. that whole scene in the church is quite simply the best scene in a horror film in it's way.
and if a character in a movie that you don't even know that well(that scene happens in the first 10 minutes of this film and so far you only see her at home with her kids and going to church and in church before it happens and she screams) can do that to you that means it's the best acting possible and that also means it's the best directing possible and the best writing possible.
and to think a lot of people look down on horror movies and call them useless or horrible wastes of film.
this film almost stands up with any film of any genre. do you agree with me that it's better than Suspiria? I was really let down by suspiria when I finally watched it a few years ago.
I was expecting a masterpiece and while it's not far from a masterpiece I feel it's not quite a masterpiece. it lacks something in it's depth or dynamics and it's pretty boring and it's not that scary or disturbing and it tries to be really scary and disturbing.
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