1973′s The Exorcist is a feat, pure high grade quality entertainment. It’s this year’s personal surprise. If you’re anything like me, you always take in disdain the horror genre. Consider it trivial, at best tasteless, at worst straight disgusting. (true, I’ve never seen Babadook) Psychowas never a horror story, neither The Others. Or were they? Should I think in writing about what makes a horror horrorish? No.

Although for argument’s sake I’ll say that a horror story follows the strictest conventions in film biz, one of which is the presence of the surreal - supernatural visit. 

Back to The Exorcist: 

• Scariest moment: a phone ringing out of the blue. Wonderful old school trick, maximum effect for minimum effort.
• 70′s realism: characters seen at work, having extra-main-story conflicts, family issues, hushed dialogues, humane relationships - friends(!?).
• you feel the priest might turn the corner of the street and bump into taxi driver Mr. Travis Bickle - the world is that well constructed.
• Max von Sydow in the house.
• The Devil has bad manners and bad language, yes, finally, of course! The Devil masturbates with a cross? Would be an angel not to! Great foul language.
• the characters are mature, and make reasonable mature choices under pressure. Your daughter is kicking and screaming? Of course you go to the doctors for the first 10 times!
• I loved The Exorcist.