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Is 'Possessed' more effective than 'The Exorcist'????

posted 19 years ago by ci03mak
12 replies | jump to latest

When I first watched this one, the exorcist instantly came to mind. The similarities between the two movies were remarkable, but the differences were equally remarkable. Several people who have seen this movie refer to it as a cheap, plagiaristic replica of "the exorcist", but for a few specific reasons of my own, i do not look at it like that at all. The exorcist was no doubt a great movie, but the most prominent characteristic of the exorcist, is "gore". For example, regans face deformity, excretory wastes comming out of her mouth, green coloured vomit being impelled from her mouth to the priests face, regan stabbing the crucifix in her vagina etc etc etc... "possessed" however, takes a different perspective. It is basically "exorcist", without the gore. This, IMO makes possessed more effective than the exorcist, because the fact that the boy "appears" to be normal makes the events more believable, which ultimately makes the experience of watching the movie more terrifying...
what do you guys think?..please post your views

[–] brigitta-1 19 years ago

A budget of this TV movie, as I have read in one of movie sites, is almost $25 million. Hallmark’s serials (for example Gulliver's Travels, In The Beginning, Titus with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange) with such budget can be considered expensive high profile TV production. Why this movie not? Because it hasn’t the same visual effects like The Exorcist?
At the very beginning Possessed was planned to be drama, accented on characters and their relations. Even if it had had a budget of over $100 millions, it would have been the same simple film, SIMPLE FOR OUTWARD PLOT and DIFFICULT AND TERRIFYING FOR INWARD PLOT. This way the makers approached the film as much as possible to real events. They didn’t decorate the plot surface effects and accented on the conflict between the man and his fears, doubts, pain, his faith. Strain is present and it’s huge. It simply is ulterior.
Possessed is a very difficult and deep film, very quality with great actors like Dalton, Plummer, Laurie. I heard it had had many positive reviews. It’s not cheap, because I think it was filmed not easily. It’s not a copy of The Exorcist, because it has different purposes and differently affects to the spectators.
Those people, who think that it is a cheap version of The Exorcist, should watch Hollywood blockbusters and not criticize the serious films, which they can’t understand.
Maybe The Exorcist is a great movie. But to my mind, drama lovers prefer just such interpretation of the events as in Possessed.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 19 years ago

It's similar to The Exorcist because this was about the actual incident that William Peter Blatty based his book (and later screenplay) on.

[–] slayingsavagegiants 18 years ago

I'd have to say I prefered "The Exorcist" just because it was the first, ya know? That movie scared the hell outta me when I was little, this one disturbed me alot, but not to the same effect as "The Exorcist". "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" got to me a bit more than this too.

Judith Baris - Our Concrete Angel!
"It's like trying to watch a retard hump a doornail!"

[–] diamonds_are_forever91 17 years ago

I agree with you ..and I enjoyed this movie more than The Exorcist.

[–] knight-in-black-leather 17 years ago

This movie is more subtle than 'the exorcist'. Also, it's not so much a horror as a docudrama. The atmosphere was more natural and believable, it appears to follow the Catholic doctrine regarding demonic possession (e.g the 3 stages of possession), exorcism ritual, etc. Also the protestant minister seemed helpless to deal with such a dilemna. And finally, the exorcism worked almost instantly when Father Bowdern, filled with the Holy Spirit no doubt, commanded the demon to leave the boy with such convition and faith you KNEW it would....and it did. This is the way I think of God's power over the demonic spirits. God alone is Almighty, omnipotent...when HE acts through a faithful believer, the demons must obey.

Peace and God Bless

[–] MovieHistorian 17 years ago

This movie stank.

[–] skin_job 16 years ago

Stank to high Heaven.

It'll be dark and weird and funny and with a stroke!

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dysfunctional06 16 years ago

was it suppose to be scary, i thought the exorcist was scarier, but i din' think this was bad, it sorta triggered some fear in me.

MY NAME IS MR G, 3 TALENTS ONE TWO THREE

-Summer Heights High

[–] The_Drunkard_Returns 13 years ago

Sorry, but The Exorcist will be remembered for generations, this movie, while somewhat enjoyable, will be forgotten instantly.

From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] heyteegs (1207) 4 years ago

No.