Any good horror movie has a bunch of funny moments that are very intentional. Parts where you're scared, a bit horrified, but there's a little charge of humor going through the whole thing, making you laugh a little nervously. A defense mechanism to avoid you getting too involved, I guess.

Plus, the always popular "omigod I can't believe I'm laughing at this because it's just so terrible and cruel and gross but haha".

I've always found the scene in Halloween with Mike in the sheet with the boyfriend's horn-rimmed glasses on pretty funny. The subsequent bit is kind of funny, too.

/arrrlrg. *choke* gllllrbrl, *gasp* gllllrrrrk
//"Annie, are you all right?

"You have carte blanche, but not a blank check."

Any time I think of funny in a horror movie, this one comes to mind.

The Boogens (new window)

Confabulat: That sleeping bag scene in Prophecy haunted my elementary school years.

I guess if you are going to gratuitously kill a child, you have to make it funny.

Kangaroo_Ralph: Any time I think of funny in a horror movie, this one comes to mind.

The Boogens (new window)

They were like turtles or something, right?

Confabulat: That sleeping bag scene in Prophecy haunted my elementary school years.

Same. That whole movie freaked me out. But I guess I've remembered it wrong as I thought the kid died by hopping over a cliff. Maybe someone else in that same scene dies like that.

The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

When you see a movie, you see absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen, do you?

knumbersix: FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

When you see a movie, you see absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen, do you?

Yes, I know she's "possessed" and there's "evil" in the room. It's too bad the evil presence doesn't accomplish anything else beyond killing an old man and masturbating.

FerneJohn: knumbersix: FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

When you see a movie, you see absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen, do you?

Yes, I know she's "possessed" and there's "evil" in the room. It's too bad the evil presence doesn't accomplish anything else beyond killing an old man and masturbating.

Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

knumbersix: Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

Tell me what I'm missing. You can't, but try.

FerneJohn: knumbersix: Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

Tell me what I'm missing. You can't, but try.

I doubt I can tell you what you missed as well. Some things are simply beyond the capacity of some. And since I'm at work and can't devote the time or effort necessary in the attempt, let me leave you with a few hints to mull over. Maybe I'll revisit this thread once I get home.

What is the nature of father Karras' faith at the beginning of the film and how does that reflect on his actions at the film's conclusion?

What is the demon's motive?

Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

Does the answer to the above question have any impact on how frightening/disturbing one should find the film?

FerneJohn: knumbersix: FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

When you see a movie, you see absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen, do you?

Yes, I know she's "possessed" and there's "evil" in the room. It's too bad the evil presence doesn't accomplish anything else beyond killing an old man and masturbating.

You remind me of a former co-worker of mine. She once commented, "The Ring, that's not scary. Not Friday the 13th, that's scary." I think you two would get along.

Apos: Angry Buddha: I've always found the scene in Halloween with Mike in the sheet with the boyfriend's horn-rimmed glasses on pretty funny. The subsequent bit is kind of funny, too.

/arrrlrg. *choke* gllllrbrl, *gasp* gllllrrrrk
//"Annie, are you all right?


Seconded. That scene had me in stitches.

Except I wouldn't call that "unintentionally" funny. I don't believe you're having a wrong reaction by laughing at that bit. Take the previous scene where Michael pins the guy to the wall, then takes a moment to "study" it. For some, that bit creeps them the hell out. For other's, it creates a nervous chuckle.

FerneJohn: knumbersix: Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

Tell me what I'm missing. You can't, but try.

Well, if you're telling me right off the bat that I can't then why the hell should I bother trying?

Instead, I'll ask you what horror movies you consider scary.

There was a running joke in the "New Nightmare" movie where Heather Langenkamp goes to visit Wes Craven in the kind of Hollywood mansion you'd expect a big name director to live in. Indoor fountain, marble statues the works. Ditto when she goes to Robert Englund's mansion. Sure he had to grind through a dozen or so sequels but he still made bank off of being Freddy Kruger. Contrast that with the shiatty 2 bedroom apartment in Van Nuys that Heather lives in.

Oh, and this was hilarious instead of shocking :

knumbersix: I doubt I can tell you what you missed as well. Some things are simply beyond the capacity of some. And since I'm at work and can't devote the time or effort necessary in the attempt, let me leave you with a few hints to mull over. Maybe I'll revisit this thread once I get home.

What is the nature of father Karras' faith at the beginning of the film and how does that reflect on his actions at the film's conclusion?

Irrelevant to the scare factor, which is what this thread and article are about.

What is the demon's motive?

Dominance and corruption, as always. Not a problem in itself.

Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

I'm curious as to what mental illness you think makes a person's head spin 360 degrees.

Does the answer to the above question have any impact on how frightening/disturbing one should find the film?

No. "Frightening" implies a serious threat. There wasn't much of one.

gunga galunga: You remind me of a former co-worker of mine. She once commented, "The Ring, that's not scary. Not Friday the 13th, that's scary." I think you two would get along.

I enjoyed The Ring, even if it lacked motive for the villain. Friday the 13th was boring and shallow. If you want to know my personal favorite "scary" film, I'd recommend The Silence of the Lambs.

Confabulat: That sleeping bag scene in Prophecy haunted my elementary school years.

I saw that movie in the theater in high school. The audience, myself included, burst out laughing at that scene.

Add to the list of trying to be scary but the whole theater LOL'd at it :

the human/alien hybrid from "Alien 4"

FerneJohn: knumbersix: I doubt I can tell you what you missed as well. Some things are simply beyond the capacity of some. And since I'm at work and can't devote the time or effort necessary in the attempt, let me leave you with a few hints to mull over. Maybe I'll revisit this thread once I get home.

What is the nature of father Karras' faith at the beginning of the film and how does that reflect on his actions at the film's conclusion?

Irrelevant to the scare factor, which is what this thread and article are about.

What is the demon's motive?

Dominance and corruption, as always. Not a problem in itself.

Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

I'm curious as to what mental illness you think makes a person's head spin 360 degrees.

Does the answer to the above question have any impact on how frightening/disturbing one should find the film?

No. "Frightening" implies a serious threat. There wasn't much of one.

gunga galunga: You remind me of a former co-worker of mine. She once commented, "The Ring, that's not scary. Not Friday the 13th, that's scary." I think you two would get along.

I enjoyed The Ring, even if it lacked motive for the villain. Friday the 13th was boring and shallow. If you want to know my personal favorite "scary" film, I'd recommend The Silence of the Lambs.

Judging by your answers, you're right: there's no way I can make you see what you misssed. Your answer to #1 couldn't be more wrong, and is key to why the film is so disturbing. And your answer to the posession/illness question cements my opinion that you see literally nothing beyond what's on the screen.

knumbersix: Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

if she was mentally ill, i don't see how she would have turned her head around 180 degrees or done any number of other impossible acts. this question is an attempt to make the movie more complex than it is. not to argue the movie isn't scary, but it isn't that deep.

and you also need to understand that the themes of faith that play out with the priests are not actually frightening to someone who doesn't have much religious faith to question in the first place.

i still think it's a great horror movie and will gladly accept it on its own terms, but a lot of the deeper horror that some people experience watching it doesn't phase me at all.

FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

I didn't find it funny, just kind of "meh". But, I don't beleive in demonic possession, so there wasn't anything for it to grab onto in my head.

knumbersix: FerneJohn: knumbersix: Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

Tell me what I'm missing. You can't, but try.

I doubt I can tell you what you missed as well. Some things are simply beyond the capacity of some. And since I'm at work and can't devote the time or effort necessary in the attempt, let me leave you with a few hints to mull over. Maybe I'll revisit this thread once I get home.

What is the nature of father Karras' faith at the beginning of the film and how does that reflect on his actions at the film's conclusion?

What is the demon's motive?

Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

Does the answer to the above question have any impact on how frightening/disturbing one should find the film?

You know, I love the Exorcist, and I don't get why FerneJohn didn't like it, but responses like yours are bullshiat. "It's beyond your capacity to understand" and "I don't have time to debate you" are both telltale signs that you have no real rebuttal for him. Why did you even bother posting a response to begin with if all you were going to say was "I don't have time to get into this", then list a bunch of irrelevant questions?

burndtdan: knumbersix: Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

if she was mentally ill, i don't see how she would have turned her head around 180 degrees or done any number of other impossible acts. this question is an attempt to make the movie more complex than it is. not to argue the movie isn't scary, but it isn't that deep.

That. ^^

and you also need to understand that the themes of faith that play out with the priests are not actually frightening to someone who doesn't have much religious faith to question in the first place.

Double THAT. ^^

I'm glad other people liked it. I found it silly.

One Bad Apple: Add to the list of trying to be scary but the whole theater LOL'd at it :

the human/alien hybrid from "Alien 4"

I'm sorry, but there are only two Alien movies. I have no idea what sort of heroin-fueled bender you're on, but, please, don't go making up non-existent movies to explain your hallucinations.

FerneJohn: gunga galunga: You remind me of a former co-worker of mine. She once commented, "The Ring, that's not scary. Not Friday the 13th, that's scary." I think you two would get along.

I enjoyed The Ring, even if it lacked motive for the villain. Friday the 13th was boring and shallow. If you want to know my personal favorite "scary" film, I'd recommend The Silence of the Lambs.

Okay, then. I stand corrected. But your distillation of the Exorcist to a little girl vomiting and swearing does come across as shallow and made it seem to me that you were, as knumbersix said, looking only at the surface. Like the aforementioned co-worker for whom a horror movie was only scary as long as there was a tangible monster/alien/masked killer offing the cast one by one.

knumbersix: FerneJohn: knumbersix: Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

Tell me what I'm missing. You can't, but try.

I doubt I can tell you what you missed as well. Some things are simply beyond the capacity of some. And since I'm at work and can't devote the time or effort necessary in the attempt, let me leave you with a few hints to mull over. Maybe I'll revisit this thread once I get home.

What is the nature of father Karras' faith at the beginning of the film and how does that reflect on his actions at the film's conclusion?

What is the demon's motive?

Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

Does the answer to the above question have any impact on how frightening/disturbing one should find the film?

This reminds me of 7th grade English. Read the book THEN decide what the story actually says based on what I, your teacher, would have been interesting.

Oh we can only draw tenuous links to the notes we want The Exorcist to hit by ignoring key points like obvious and blatant magic? Well uh... her exhibitions in telekinetic destruction were clearly... commentary on the industrial revolution! At its heart The Exorcist is really a movie about an insane little girl being used as an allegorical construct to examine the sociological implications of gay cowboys eating pudding.

Putting on my snotty affectation:

If you could look deeply and see beyond the shallow surface of the film you would know this.

gunga galunga: FerneJohn: gunga galunga: You remind me of a former co-worker of mine. She once commented, "The Ring, that's not scary. Not Friday the 13th, that's scary." I think you two would get along.

I enjoyed The Ring, even if it lacked motive for the villain. Friday the 13th was boring and shallow. If you want to know my personal favorite "scary" film, I'd recommend The Silence of the Lambs.

Okay, then. I stand corrected. But your distillation of the Exorcist to a little girl vomiting and swearing does come across as shallow and made it seem to me that you were, as knumbersix said, looking only at the surface. Like the aforementioned co-worker for whom a horror movie was only scary as long as there was a tangible monster/alien/masked killer offing the cast one by one.

I would love to engage in a protracted debate concerning the merits of one of my favourite films. But being at work makes that difficult.

It was said earlier that questioning whether or not Regan was possessed was crediting the film with more depth than it possessed (no pun intended). However, William Friedkin has said that he intentionally crafted the film so that the audience would doubt whether or not the events unfolded as they were depicted. "Did this really happen or not?" And that each answer to that question (possession VS illness) would inspire its own type of horror.

When I first saw the film, God and the Devil were very real to me. So I was frightened by the spiritual/supernatural aspects of the film. Now, God and the Devil are just two of many characters in a wide and varied mythology. And the film is still just as frightening in a psychological and emotional sense.

I never said it was beyond the capacity to understand. But I did say that it was probably beyond my capacity to explain what was missed. And I certainly am not going to do a good job of it squeezing in my points between getting my work done.

The Exorcist frightened and disturbed me, and many others, in a way that it simply doesn't to some. To me, explaining why it did so is like explaining why Blazing Saddles is funny to someone who was bored by it. I truly want to share my appreciation of a film that I love, but realize that some experiences simply cannot be shared.

Super_pope: knumbersix: FerneJohn: knumbersix: Yup... absolutely nothing beyond what's on the screen.

Tell me what I'm missing. You can't, but try.

I doubt I can tell you what you missed as well. Some things are simply beyond the capacity of some. And since I'm at work and can't devote the time or effort necessary in the attempt, let me leave you with a few hints to mull over. Maybe I'll revisit this thread once I get home.

What is the nature of father Karras' faith at the beginning of the film and how does that reflect on his actions at the film's conclusion?

What is the demon's motive?

Was Regan possessed or mentally ill?

Does the answer to the above question have any impact on how frightening/disturbing one should find the film?

This reminds me of 7th grade English. Read the book THEN decide what the story actually says based on what I, your teacher, would have been interesting.

Oh we can only draw tenuous links to the notes we want The Exorcist to hit by ignoring key points like obvious and blatant magic? Well uh... her exhibitions in telekinetic destruction were clearly... commentary on the industrial revolution! At its heart The Exorcist is really a movie about an insane little girl being used as an allegorical construct to examine the sociological implications of gay cowboys eating pudding.

Putting on my snotty affectation:

If you could look deeply and see beyond the shallow surface of the film you would know this.

I'm sorry your English teachers' attempts to make you think disturbed you so much.

Ed Grubermann: One Bad Apple: Add to the list of trying to be scary but the whole theater LOL'd at it :

the human/alien hybrid from "Alien 4"

I'm sorry, but there are only two Alien movies. I have no idea what sort of heroin-fueled bender you're on, but, please, don't go making up non-existent movies to explain your hallucinations.

Yes. Alien and Alien 2. It's nice to see a showing on this list.

I have found that it is nearly impossible to explain to people who were not alive and sufficiently aware in 1974 how and why The Exorcist is an amazing and powerful film. It really is a generational thing.

FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

/Not a good movie.
//Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny, not scary.

I'm curious... do you like supernatural horror at all or does it have to be somewhat plausible like the movie you mentioned, Silence of the Lambs? All good horror requires suspension of disbelief on some level; The movie should pull you into its world and not let go, but it cannot affect a viewer when they're unwilling to go along for the ride. I don't have any trouble taking a few hours to believe in vampires or ghosts or a serial killer pastiche like Buffalo Bill. Taste is subjective and I'm not knocking you. I'm just curious.

knumbersix:

Whether it's mental illness or demonic possession, for me the horror of The Exorcist comes from this mother watching daughter slowly deteriorate. As Father Merrin said, the demon's real intention is to cause despair among those around Regan.

/at work too, so that's the Cliff's Notes explanation

I found the map scene in The Blair Witch Project hilarious the first time I saw it. Like watching The Office (UK), cinema verite funny.

knumbersix: I'm sorry your English teachers' attempts to make you think disturbed you so much.

Yes yes, its all a rich tapestry if we make assumptions for a deep personal connection to the source material, and listen to a man who has a vested interest in portraying himself as a thought provoking artist..

Most books and movies have easily discernible themes that make them accessible to the average human being. I really don't care if you think Moby Dick was actually about the author's secret battle with colon cancer, you're free to have stupid opinions about what anything you want is, "actually about," or whether or not it raises questions about ______ (whatever dumb thing is happening in your life at the time you saw it) What bothers me is people acting like they're hot shiat because they think they cracked some sort of magic code by seeing a few forgettable facts of a very clear story in a different (and usually silly) light.

Thanks for contributing to my education by posing such thought provoking gems as, "what was the demon's motivation?" My critical thinking skills are now sharper for having that brain-buster tossed out. I can only aspire to some day scale the heights of wit to which you have clearly risen, but armed with the exercises in thought that you provided earlier I can safely say that I'll get there!

Tree rape.

Happy Hours: FerneJohn: The Exorcist. All of it.

It would have been funnier if black people had been in it (NSFW language) (new window)

Here's an Exorcist with black people in it - "The bed is on my foot!" (new window)

Wynona Ryder trying to pronounce "vast forrest" with an accent in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Or, Keanu Reeves 'acting.' Why Johnny Depp wasn't cast in that role, I don't know. English period pieces are right in his wheelhouse, and he would have been the right age.

gunga galunga: knumbersix:

Whether it's mental illness or demonic possession, for me the horror of The Exorcist comes from this mother watching daughter slowly deteriorate. As Father Merrin said, the demon's real intention is to cause despair among those around Regan.

/at work too, so that's the Cliff's Notes explanation

I agree. Now let's revisit the comment that inspired this debate:

"Little girls vomiting and telling people, "Your mother sucks cocks in Hell" is funny ... "

Horror doesn't have to be about serial killers or unstoppable creatures bent on killing you. It can be about seeing the one you love suffering, or becoming someone or somethig else ... while you're powerless to stop it.

There is, of course, so much more to the film than that. And what you bring in to the film will have a huge impact on what you get out of it. But your Cliff Notes comment assures me that you're already aware of that.

Day of The Dead, with the lush copter pilot running through the caverns with the shovel.

SWING*clang* CHUG