The document discusses the history of possession and exorcism in horror films. Some of the earliest films that depicted these themes included Le manoir du diable from 1896, and The Dybbuck from 1937. The Exorcist from 1973 had a significant influence and started a trend for possession/exorcism films. It spawned many imitators in the years following. Other influential films in the genre discussed include The Amityville Horror, The Last Exorcism, and The Rite.
2. Context
Possession is a paranormal event in which demons or spirits
take control of a human body or inanimate object, resulting
in changes of behaviour.
Exorcism is where demons or spirits that are in possession of
a person or object are evicted. It is a religious practise which
is usually conducted by a Catholic priest.
3. Le manoir du diable (1896)
Although it is not based on exorcism the first ever film
considered to be Horror was “Le manoir du diable” (1896)
which translates in English as “The Haunted Castle”. It is
just 3 minutes long and is a silent, black and white film.
4. The Dybbuck (1937)
“The Dybbuck” is Possibly the first depiction of exorcism in
cinema. It is a Yiddish film directed by Michal Waszynski and
is based on the play of the same name.
A bride is possessed on her wedding day by the spirit of the
man she was engaged to before her current groom.
5. The Exorcist (1973)
“The Exorcist” is a horror film directed by William Friedkin and is based
on the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe.
The film is about a young girl who is possessed by demons and is
exorcised by two priests as her mother attempts to get rid rid of the bad
spirits possessing her.
“The Exorcist” had a significant influence on popular culture and
started a trend for horror films of the same genre. It was named the
scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly and Movies.com.
6. “The Exorcist” rip offs
After “The Exorcist” was released in 1973 and was incredibly
popular, many more films were released with very similar
storylines to the original film.
Some rip offs of the film which were released a year after
“The Exorcist” include “Beyond the Door”, “Abby” and
“Seytan”.
7. “The Exorcist” comedy spoofs
“Repossessed” is a 1990 comedy film which was made as a
spoof of “The Exorcist” (1973). The film features the star of
the original film Linda Blair.
There are also scenes based on “The Exorcist” in the 2001
comedy film “Scary movie 2”.
8. The Amityville Horror (1979)
The story of “The Amityville Horror” has been the basis of
ten films released between 1979 and 2011.
The films are inspired by the book written in 1977 which was
based on real life paranormal experiences of a family living
in a house possessed by evil spirits.
9. The Unborn (1991)
“The Unborn” is a 1991 horror film directed by Rodman
Flender.
The film is about a couple who are unable to conceive, so
use IVF in attempt to have a child. Once the woman
becomes pregnant she realises strange things are
happening to her body. Further investigation shows that the
unborn child is part of an experiment conducted by an
insane doctor.
10. Exorcism: The Possession of Gail
Bowers (2006)
“Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers” was written and
directed by Leigh Scott.
The film is about a woman called Gail Bowers who is
possessed by malicious spirits. A local married couple alert
the priest, Father Bates, who is called to exorcise Gail.
11. The Last Exorcism (2010)
“The Last Exorcism” is a found footage horror film directed
by Daniel Stamm. The film recieved generally favourable
reviews.
The film depicts a disillusioned priest who has performed
many exorcisms over a number of years and decides to
partake in a documentary showing his last exorcism. He
receives a letter from a farmer asking for his help to get rid
of the devil afflicting his daughter.
12. The Rite (2011)
“The Rite” is a 2011 horror film directed by Mikael Hafstrom.
It is loosely based on a book written by Matt Baglio, “The
Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist” which was based on
real events witnessed by a training exorcist.
The film is about an American student who travels to Italy
to learn how to perform exorcisms.
13. The Devil Inside (2012)
“The Devil Inside” is a 2012 horror film directed by William Brent Bell.
It is a documentary style film about a woman who is attempting to
determine what has happened to her apparently mentally ill mother
and gets involved in a series of exorcisms. Her mother murdered three
people during an exorcism on herself as a result of being possessed by a
demon.
The audience reception for the film was extremely negative, although it
was still a huge commercial success.
