Pobbably the most interesting acting of any reenactment ever. Its great! I love the cinematic elements that are never seen in documentary acting. When the priest discovers that he has to become an exorcist especially. He puts a cigarette in his mouth, Stands up, In silhouette to the light in the window, And the narrator explains that the priest is out of options unless he wants to lose a battle with the devil. Totally awesome! Not only that, But the actually reporting aspects are also good. I felt a great sense of mystery as they showed the story of this boy from both angles. I completely recommend it, Though it might be hard to track down. I still loved it. This is no average documentary.
2 Reviews
Disappointing Documentary
Michael_Elliott31 October 2011
Exorcists: The True Story (2004)
** (out of 4)
Disappointing documentary taking a look at the 1949 case of a teenage boy in St. Louis who was believed to have been possessed by a demon. This story was the main influence on the movie THE EXORCIST and this documentary takes a look at the original case, the impact of the movie as well as shines the spotlight on a Spanish priest who continues to perform exorcisms. I must say that I was really, really disappointed in this film for a number of reasons. The biggest one is the fact that it's simply not very scary. I really wasn't overly impressed with the re-enactments, which at times just seemed way too flashy for their own good. I thought many of the scenes weren't directly overly well and I also thought they didn't go too well with the talking heads footage. William Peter Blatty, writer of The Exorcist, is interviewed and gives his opinion on the case, the truth behind it and a quick chat he had with the main priest who performed the exorcism. It's worth noting that Father Bowdern would never openly speak about the events. Father Halloran is the only member of the event still alive and he's interviewed here and shares his memories of the events. There are those on hand who say this case is certainly an exorcism and then there are others here who say the entire thing was made up by the teen. Who knows the truth but as far as the documentary goes, it really didn't make one feel as if it was real.
** (out of 4)
Disappointing documentary taking a look at the 1949 case of a teenage boy in St. Louis who was believed to have been possessed by a demon. This story was the main influence on the movie THE EXORCIST and this documentary takes a look at the original case, the impact of the movie as well as shines the spotlight on a Spanish priest who continues to perform exorcisms. I must say that I was really, really disappointed in this film for a number of reasons. The biggest one is the fact that it's simply not very scary. I really wasn't overly impressed with the re-enactments, which at times just seemed way too flashy for their own good. I thought many of the scenes weren't directly overly well and I also thought they didn't go too well with the talking heads footage. William Peter Blatty, writer of The Exorcist, is interviewed and gives his opinion on the case, the truth behind it and a quick chat he had with the main priest who performed the exorcism. It's worth noting that Father Bowdern would never openly speak about the events. Father Halloran is the only member of the event still alive and he's interviewed here and shares his memories of the events. There are those on hand who say this case is certainly an exorcism and then there are others here who say the entire thing was made up by the teen. Who knows the truth but as far as the documentary goes, it really didn't make one feel as if it was real.
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