The Exorcist is considered by many to be one of the scariest films of all time. It was a box office hit that eventually led to the question of whether demons really exist, and if so, can they possess the living? The film brought all of these questions to light, so much so that the Roman Catholic church admits that when all else fails, and all sources of psychological explanations cannot be determined, an exorcism may be the only way to cure someone of these inner demons. The Exorcist laid the foreground for the films and stories that would follow. The Last Exorcism is the newest film to exploit the demonic possession phenomena. Yet it also expands on the fear Christians have when it comes to the rise of evil, and how it could affect their faith.
The Last Exorcism follows a con-artist preacher, Rev. Cotton Marcus, who preys on hopeless religious families that think their loved ones are possessed. His belief is that they have some sort of psychological disorder that the families refuse to accept because of their beliefs. Rev. Marcus wants to perform one last exorcism before he calls it a career, and he hires a film crew to document how easy it is to prey on religious fanatics and get them to pay him to rid their loved ones of demons. Rev. Marcus and his crew experience a real life possession, where the demon inside a teenage girl is real and is ready to battle. However, not all is as it seems, and the Reverend and his crew find that the truth is far more twisted and bizarre than they could ever imagine.
Many of my friends and colleagues who saw this film in theaters told me not to bother with it. All of them complained about the way the film ends said that it was not worth the time. I could not disagree with them more. With its documentary style and real feel, I felt very uncomfortable watching this film. I felt as if I were watching footage of a real exorcism, one that was not going very well. I have seen video footage of real so-called exorcisms, and it is not as glamorous as many Hollywood films make them out to be, and even though this film does use a Hollywood fashion later, it does maintain that feel of what a real exorcism is like. It is a well-written, creepy film that does hold the viewer’s attention.
As a whole, there is not much that makes this film look like a glossed-over Hollywood picture. The locations are basic, the effects are good, yet practical and the acting is great. Don’t go into this one expecting to get an over-the-top scare, one right after another. That’s not going to happen. Some people, who have no sense of religion or belief in good vs evil, will probably look at this film as just another Paranormal Activity-type film that is trying to bring a reality factor into the horror genre. Granted, it does follow the format, but in terms of its credibility in realism it’s not far off.
The DVD has many features which include audio commentary with Producers Eli Roth, Eric Newman and Thomas A. Bliss. On another separate track there is also audio commentary with Director Daniel Stamm, and actors Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum. The disc also includes a making of featurettes The Devil You Know: The Making of The Last Exorcism. There is also a documentary titled Real Stories of Exorcism, where people and victims involved in real life exorcisms talk about their experiences. The DVD also includes the catholic pray of exorcism as well as the 2009 Cannes Film Festival teaser trailer.
Overall I found The Last Exorcism to be a film that comes very close to what a real exorcism is like based on fact. Now don’t get me wrong, as the film moves on it gets all Hollywood, however what I think many people fail to realize about this films bizarre ending is that the films ending is based on the biblical information about the coming of the anti-Christ. It’s not as bad and cheesy of an ending as many made it out to be, in fact I thought it was done very well, but I can see how people who are not educated about biblical stories and theories might not understand the films ending. I really enjoyed this film for what it was. It had all the elements that make a good scary thriller. The only thing I can recommend to anyone that might not understand this film is to go and research real life exorcisms and read the revelations part of the bible, or at least find interpretations of them. Knowing that information might actually help you determine a real opinion about the film, rather than dismissing it as a another horror film that was incomprehensible.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
