- Screen in Review:
Waves of Terror
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By PHILIP WUNTCH
“The Exorcist,” now play-
ing at the Wilshire Theater,
fs, at its mildest, purgatory
to endure.
As sheer moviemaking, the
film makes expert use ofev- 4
ery trick, both new andold, 4
in the annals. As a viewing
experience, however, it is
like being forced totake the
scariest ride on the midway
on a full stomach,
The film was produced and
written by William Peter
Blatty, from his own best-
seller, and directed by Wil-
liam Friedkin as though it
were another ‘French
Connection.” Conversatlons
are kept at the lowest possi-
ble pitch; ff, as the ads say,
“you are on the edge of your
seat,” it's probably because
you want to hear what's
going on,
CONVERSELY, THE
SOUNDS of screeching
brakes, shrill whistles and
strange noises in the middle
of the night ave tumed up to
ear-burning levels. The trick
predates Hitchcock, but it
works,
The story by now Is well-
known. An intelligent, salty
actress, working on location
in Georgetown, has a seem-
ingly normal, loving 12-year
old daughter, Regan, The
devil, for reasons known pril-
marily to himself, chooses to
possess Regan, entering her
body and making her commit
unnatural, murderous acts.
In her normal moments,
the poor girl begs to be rid of
the devil. Duritg spasms,
however, the devil Is in com-
plete control: her flesh be-
comes parched with sores
and scabs, and her lips turn
to flaky crusts. The devil, lit-
erally embodied in her, has
superhuman strength and
speaks in a subhuman voice,
sometimes sounding like a
hoarse Truman Capote. It
can also do horrifying tricks, |
Exorcist’
ore
N
Linda Blair... Happy
and normal until the
devil gets fo her In “The
Exorcist,” at the Wil.
shire.
like turning the girl's head
completely around on her
neck,
LANGUAGE BARRIERS
are not only shattered but
stomped on, the devil being
something of a dirtymouth,
Needless to add, “The Exor-
cist’ is not for children—nor
for anyone of any age with |
delicate sensibilities, |
But, technically, the film Is _
superb. The waves of terror
are indeed waves; they’re
all-engulfing, mindboggling
and exhausting, scarcely
leaving you time to breathe
before the next wave hits
with hurricane force,
The performances are ex.
cellent, particularly Elten
Burstyn (looking surprisingly
like Glenda Jackson) as the
grieved mother and Jason
Miller as a tormented young
priest-psychiatrist. Max Von
Sydow lends his distin.
Priest psyciatrist. Max Von
of the chief exorcist, Dr. Gil-
lespie to Miller’s Dr, Kildare,
Linda Blair, who won the
President’s Physical Fitness
Award in 1972, plays the un-
fortunate Regan.
IN A WORD: A technical
knock-out, but it cheats on
the sidelines,