Mumsnet Logo
My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

Did people exaggerate about The Exorcist movie?

211 replies

EbbyEbs · 09/09/2022 20:16

DH and I have just been talking about horror movies and we have both heard the same stories off our parents about how people were fainting in the cinema and how there were constant ambulances being called to the cinema etc

I saw someone saying this on a documentary about it too that there were “ambulances lined up outside the cinemas”

Surely not?

We’re not old enough to know for sure but these stories are exaggerated surely? It wasn’t even that scary! Most of the film is pretty boring if we’re being honest!

OP posts:
Report

Am I being unreasonable?

AIBU

You have one vote. All votes are anonymous.

Martinisarebetterdirty · 11/09/2022 08:05

I used to watch a lot of horror films with an ex and we went to see the rerelease in the late 1990s at the cinema. I was absolutely petrified and he wouldn’t walk out with me, I sat there with eyes closed and fingers in my ears for a lot of it. Blair Witch on the other hand I didn’t find scary at all.
Like PPs say, it depends what scares you, I find the paranormal terrifying but a slasher gore fest is very meh.

Report

VictoriaConcordiaCrescit · 11/09/2022 08:18

I've watched pretty much every horror or paranormal film there is and none of it was scary

The older films are funny

Report

DancingBudgie · 11/09/2022 08:23

I remember watching it when it first came out, the uncut version.
It wasn't as terrifying as watching the true life event that it was based on.
That still makes my hair stand up to this day, no matter how many times I see it.

Report

FromEden · 11/09/2022 08:38

Also pertinent is the fact that the story by William Peter Blatty is VERY VERY loosely based on a true story of an apparent possession of a young boy in South America.

It wasn't south America, it was the US. this is a book about it. I also went to see it when they re released it in the 90s and didn't get what all the fuss was about. The part where the demon is behind the door proper scared me though

Report

SurfBox · 11/09/2022 09:12

My Mum went to the cinema to see it with her Friend
She said that though it was sickening, in parts, she didn't feel faint or anything personally and did not witness anyone doing that either.
Just her experience


it likely was that like that for the vast majority but a handful of cases in USA got all blown out of proportion. I recall when Titanic was released the media saying the queues were massive etc and nobody could see it, we saw it in its 1st weeks in cinema no problem.

Report

SurfBox · 11/09/2022 09:15

The original IT absolutely freaked me out with Tim Curry

same which is why I was so disappointed with the new 1-what a heap of shit.

Report

fiftiesmum · 11/09/2022 09:25

No ambulances when I saw the original. I was too young to understand the story. Have read the book and seen it recently and found it very moving.

Report

Proudofeveryone · 11/09/2022 09:29

Not only ambulances but priests and nuns.
Me and my friends attended a Catholic school a couple of years before.
Came out afterwards to see Sisters Mary Rose and Margaret. Who told us all
off and were going to speak to our parents. We were 18. In mass on the Sunday
Father Mellor announced that some of his parishioners were going to hell.

Report

GrasssInPocket · 11/09/2022 11:30

BasiliskStare · 11/09/2022 05:08

O Hello @GrasssInPocket - might have to look at that too -fish eye lens sounds familar - thank you

They were made by ATV (remember Crossroads?😂) and are available on YouTube.

Report

AgnestaVipers · 11/09/2022 11:43

@SammyScrounge Ah, you know the film too!

Report

BlackCountryWench2 · 12/09/2022 09:50

mamabear715 · 09/09/2022 20:41

Actually, this post just reminded me - I worked in a department store back in the olden days, lol - the toy dept stocked OIUJA BOARDS.. I kid you not.. :-0

That’s because they were originally invented as a fun parlour game - I believe Hasbro still owns the trademark to the name “Ouija”. Initially, no one believed it was anything remotely supernatural as, er, you all had your finger on the planchette so someone (or all of you!) we’re pushing it, not some spirit. But on the theme of The Exorcist, I watched it with some mates at the age of about 14, and most of us laughed out loud at the pea soup vomit, terrible special effects such as the head turning, dreadful make up etc. Why Mark Kermode thinks it’s the best film ever made has always been a mystery to me. But The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby, Alien, Ben’s head rolling out the boat in Jaws - they were scary! 😬

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Sign up to continue reading

Mumsnet's better when you're logged in. You can customise your experience and access way more features like messaging, watch and hide threads, voting and much more.

Already signed up?