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A review by craigwallwork
The Exorcist by Mark Kermode
4.0
The hyperbole surrounding The Exorcist since it’s initial theatrical release is almost as legendary as the movie itself. Once dubbed the scariest movie ever made (is it still?), Blatty’s story of a young girl possessed has endured the passage of time not because of its controversy but because of its layers. While Horror aficionados will revel in the guttural language, subliminal imaginary and not so subtle displays of possession using a crucifix, those with a greater appreciation of narrative structure, of endearing prose and existential rhetoric, will enthusiastically grasp the subtext of adolescence rebellion, a family unit breaking apart, and of course, the existence of God with gusto. And, in the hands of the former, this book may have glossed over these more weighty issues. Instead, Mark Kermode’s love, nay, obsessed for this possession, makes for a good read.
Easily consumable within one sitting, the book takes you from the true life story of a boy’s possession that inspired the book, to an interesting, if not tense, conversation between Friedkin and Blatty in the late 1990s where they engage in a verbal tennis match of you were wrong and I was right. Though I found myself less interested in Kermode’s précis of the movie, he shoehorns enough behind the scenes info to keep you from skim reading. Having watched and read a lot of interviews with Blatty, and owning not only copies of the book, as well as various versions of the movie, and the far superior sequel Exorcist 3 directed by Blatty than that abomination The Heretic, there wasn’t too much I learnt from reading this. Nonetheless, if only to relive the story again by someone so passionate and committed to the book and movie that they helped find missing dialogue that went to restore the Kinderman/Dyer ending, I have no qualms for the hour or so I spent in its pages. To this end, if you’re just mildly curious to understand more about the movie and the differing opinions between Blatty and Friedkin, then your time and money would not be wasted here.
Easily consumable within one sitting, the book takes you from the true life story of a boy’s possession that inspired the book, to an interesting, if not tense, conversation between Friedkin and Blatty in the late 1990s where they engage in a verbal tennis match of you were wrong and I was right. Though I found myself less interested in Kermode’s précis of the movie, he shoehorns enough behind the scenes info to keep you from skim reading. Having watched and read a lot of interviews with Blatty, and owning not only copies of the book, as well as various versions of the movie, and the far superior sequel Exorcist 3 directed by Blatty than that abomination The Heretic, there wasn’t too much I learnt from reading this. Nonetheless, if only to relive the story again by someone so passionate and committed to the book and movie that they helped find missing dialogue that went to restore the Kinderman/Dyer ending, I have no qualms for the hour or so I spent in its pages. To this end, if you’re just mildly curious to understand more about the movie and the differing opinions between Blatty and Friedkin, then your time and money would not be wasted here.