"Demons exist whether you believe in them or not," says the priest at the center of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Yes, and you could also say that demons do not exist whether you believe in them or not, because belief by definition stands outside of proof. If you can prove it, you don't need to believe it.
Such truths are at the center of this intriguing and perplexing movie, which is based on the true story of a priest who was accused of murder after a teenage girl died during an exorcism. If the priest is correct and the girl was possessed by a demon, he is innocent. If the authorities called by the prosecution are correct, she died of psychotic epileptic disorder, and the priest created complications leading to her death. If, on the other hand, exorcism theory is correct, drugs given to the girl to treat her "disorder" made her immune to exorcism and led to her death.
The movie is told through flashbacks from a courtroom, where Father Moore is on trial. He has been offered a deal (plead guilty to reckless endangerment and do six years of a 12-year sentence), but he refuses it: "I don't care about my reputation and I'm not afraid of jail. All I care about is telling Emily Rose's story." His lawyer Erin Bruner despairs, and yet admires him for his conviction. She herself does not believe in demons. The prosecutor, Ethan Thomas is a church goer and does presumably believe, but lawyers sometimes argue against what they believe to be true. That's their job.
And who is Emily Rose? As played by Jennifer Carpenter in a grueling performance, she is a college student who sees the faces of friends and strangers turn into demonic snarls. Her nightmares are haunting. She speaks in foreign languages. She loses an alarming amount of weight. She calls home for help, in tears. Her boyfriend can't reach her. The parish priest, Father Moore, is called in, and determines that an exorcism is indicated.
He has authorization from the archdiocese, but after he is charged with murder the church authorities order him to accept plea bargaining and create as little scandal for the church as possible. The church is curiously ambivalent about exorcism. It believes that the devil and his agents can be active in the world, it has a rite of exorcism, and it has exorcists. On the other hand, it is reluctant to certify possessions and authorize exorcisms, and it avoids publicity on the issue. It's like those supporters of Intelligent Design who privately believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis, but publicly distance themselves from it because that would undermine their plausibility in the wider world.
What is fascinating about The Exorcism of Emily Rose is that it asks a secular institution, the court, to decide a question that hinges on matters the court cannot have an opinion on. Either Emily was possessed by a demon and Father Moore did his best to save her, or she had a psychotic condition and he unwittingly did his best to kill her. The defense and the prosecution mount strong arguments and call persuasive witnesses, but in the end it all comes down to the personal beliefs of the jury. A juror who does not believe in demons must find the priest guilty, if perhaps sincere. A juror who does believe in demons must decide if Emily Rose was possessed, or misdiagnosed. In a case like this, during the jury selection, are you qualified or disqualified by believing one way or the other?
The film is fascinating in the way it makes legal and ethical issues seem as suspenseful as possession and exorcism.
The movie was directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Paul Harris Boardman and Derrickson. The screenplay is intelligent and open to occasional refreshing wit, as when prosecutor Ethan Thomas makes an objection to one witnesses' speculations about demonology. "On what grounds?" asks the judge (Mary Beth Hurt). "Oh...silliness," he says.
Somehow the movie really never takes off into the riveting fascination we expect in the opening scenes. Maybe it cannot; maybe it is too faithful to the issues it raises to exploit them. A movie like The Exorcist is a better film because it's a more limited one, which accepts demons and exorcists lock, stock and barrel, as its starting point. Certainly they're good showbiz. A film that keeps an open mind must necessarily lack a slam-dunk conclusion. In the end Emily Rose's story does get told, although no one can agree about what it means. You didn't ask, but in my opinion she was possessed, and it was science that killed her, not faith.
8/10
p.s There is a scene where Emily explains about a vision she had of the Virgin Mary and it was so touching it almost made me cry. The fact she sacrifced herself for the ignorance of man.
For those who don’t know, the story is very simple. The sweet young daughter (Linda Blair) of a successful actress suddenly takes ill. Her sickness progresses to the point where ole mom (Ellen Burstyn) becomes convinced that her daughter has been possessed by evil spirits. Perhaps the fact that daughter Regan speaks in strange spectral voices and floats through the air was her first clue.
The addition of the subliminal elements of screen flashes and bees buzzing in the background help to create a shroud of fear and uncertainty that persists even when the overt action on the screen wouldn’t seem to cause it. Panic, fear, uneasiness, doubt and terror are all emotions that one can expect to experience while watching The Exorcist.
If you have seen this film then you’ve likely seen it multiple times, and you don’t need me to tell you that you should watch it again because it’s already in your plan. If you haven’t seen it…watch at your own risk. This one will have an affect on you.
I was led to a website that started with those now famous words. It told the story of a lady who, in 1785, was accused and found guilty of witchcraft. After being banished from the Township of Blair in North Central Maryland she is then blamed for the disappearance of all of her accusers and others within the township. And now three filmmakers have disappeared tracking down the legend. How intriguing…how inspirational…how revolutionary…how totally cool. I was sucked in. 
their journey through the backwoods of what was once the Blair Township. We then watch as all three begin to have their spirits broken from cheerful, to frustrated, to suspicious, to downright terrified. The ending just cements the type of horror that causes long, sleepless nights.
The editing room floor must have been littered with cut footage. The first cut was two and a half hours long and was cut more to a time of 86 minutes. Not a task that I would have wanted to undertake.
The Blair Witch Project is not for everyone, in fact it is either loved or hated (I loved it my g-f hated it), but should be viewed by every horror fan. It should also be required viewing for any student of film and filmmaking. If for no other reason than to show what can be done with virtually nothing to work with except for imagination, determination, and a passion for their art
We start our journey in an Olds Delta 88 with five friends traveling to a cabin in the backwoods of Tennessee for the weekend. Upon entering the cabin Scotty (Richard DeManincor) decides to see what is in the cellar after they hear a noise. When Scotty does not immediately return, Ash (Bruce Campbell) goes into the cellar only to be purposefully scared by Scotty. They find a book, some notebooks and tapes which they take back upstairs to investigate further.
The book turns out to be the “Book of the Dead”, an ancient Sumerian text that is supposedly inked in human blood, bound in human flesh, and contains incantations that deal with demons and demon resurrection. The tapes contain the voice of a man that not only describes the book but also recites the incantations out loud. This in turn awakens the evil spirits and begins fatally possessing the friends one by one starting with Ash’s sister Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss). Eventually Scott, Scott’s girlfriend Shelly (Theresa Tilley) and Ash’s girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker) also become possessed and it is left up to Ash to attempt to make it through the night alive.
Stephen King once said that The Evil Dead was “the ultimate experience in grueling terror". How right he was. Sam Raimi shows off the originality of his film making skills that he will later bring to larger budget films. The camera work is incredible. Raimi’s style will always be distinguishable from the other directors in Hollywood. He has a love for the fast and aggressive shots that have become unmistakable.
The Evil Dead also introduced us to Bruce Campbell and the character of Ash. The two fit together. You cannot think of one without thinking of the other. Nobody has been able to match the ability to portray the “abused hero” with such tenacity as Bruce Campbell. He will forever be known as one of the greatest “B” movie actors of all time. The Evil Dead is not your typical horror movie. It is not your typical zombie movie either. As a matter of fact, there is nothing remotely typical about it. Though not intended for those with weak stomachs, I highly recommend The Evil Dead for any “discerning horror freak”.
Since the first time I saw this movie in 2008 it has been one of my absolute favorites. Everyone who knows me has seen my rendition of a dramatic moment in The Evil Dead: I begin by standing with my back to the “audience”. Then say “Ace of spades…queen of spades...four of hearts, eight of spades...Jack of Diamonds JACK OF CLUBS!!!!” and then turn around to face them and scream loudly.
When I introduced The Evil Dead to watch for the big Halloween Horror group, which consisted of myself and my friends Kelly and Connor, Krytian and Damien, I was immediately put on “movie probation”. I was not allowed to suggest movies for the rest of the night. They didn’t get the genius of The Evil Dead. They were clearly "blind" to the genius behind it all.