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the exorcist strikes fear in the heart of people who believe in god and the devil.
it is everything they have been told to fear - in a movieng picture show larger than life.
I dont share those beliefs so it never hit me on that level.
There are a couple of other levels it works on for me though ..
One - being a parent - your greatest fear is that something will happen to your child. Demonic possession isnt a possibility i believe in but trade that with a serious sickness of any kind. One day normal, next day your whole life has fallen apart.
the other thing that was effective .. for the older generation is that the demographic of the movie going audience was a lot older at the time the exorcist came out...
It was a film about adults, starring adults, for adults. Kids couldnt get in to see it.
There were not a lot of mainstream horror films at the time - this one raised the bar. Well scripted, acted, directed, one of the most memorable and recognizable scores in movie history...
Young kids who are jaded by the age of 10 these days wont find much to be afraid of .... besides - it doesn't star any of their slicker young movie idols ...
i myself havent been afraid of a film for many many years .. but i'll take effective as a second choice any day..
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