Exorcism (2003) Poster

(2003)

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1/10
What an amazingly bad/good movie!!
exiteden0031 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I have always liked all kinds of movies, including some silly ones, spoofs, bad B movies, you name it. I was interested in this one, because it was so bad I diden't know what to expect next.lol My mouth dropped a few times, I giggled a few times, I took some of it seriously. I have to say, although I am sure it wasn't meant to be, it was a hoot to watch. I will have to make my husband watch it too. He is a horror fan and will laugh his ass off. Thanks for the laugh. Oh, and by the way, the main character's hair is perfect throughout the entire movie. Just one of the innumerable giggles in this film. Every single actor and actress over acted in this movie, which was not hard, with the lousy script writing. I apologize to the makers of this movie, because I had the thought, this would be a perfect movie to watch while drunk or high. Hilarious!!
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3/10
Exorcism: Not a horror but superb comedy!
josh-halse9 June 2013
I managed to pick up a copy of Exorcism for a £1 last weekend with low expectations because of the price and the awful looking cover. The acting was shockingly poor, so poor I wouldn't even call it acting which baffled me seeing how many casted actors featured in films such as Rocky. This film definitely doesn't come under the horror genre and the reason that I give it a rating of 3/10 is because the make up on the demon was decent and the nurse was the only convincing character if anything.

If this film had intended to be a comedy then my rating would be surprisingly higher. If you are looking to watch a true horror movie then Exorcism is not one of those, there are plenty of better ones out there. The storyline would be fantastic if the film was a spoof of all the other exorcist movies but this is clearly not what the director had wanted to do. I would recommend Exorcism if you are willing to spend a night in having a laugh with mates and chilling with a few beers :)
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1/10
Holy Moley !
tdeladeriere29 January 2012
The 1.0 voting is for the demons' make-up, which was okay, and for the evil nurse, who was the only actress in this dud.

Black and latino thugs break into the house of a whitebread, Christian family. When one of the thugs is visited by an angel, they run away, leaving the perfectly coiffed dad's-jeans father and his virginal blonde daughter in shakes. Meanwhile, the mother is ready to leave the hospital where she's treated for who-cares-what affliction when an eeee-vil nurse warns her of impending doom.

The thugs start to experience evil possession but are saved by a black minister that teaches exorcism-101 to the aforementioned blonde daughter, as you do. Then the whitebread dad admits to his brain-dead wife that he once joined a Satanic cult to obtain wealth and now he fears that his whole family is cursed. That's before he's possessed by the Devil and refuses to leave his bed.

This is a horror film a written by a "7th Heaven" writer, but with less subtlety. It looks like an educational film, with the same absence of style, drama-class rejects cast and a patronizing message. Previous reviewers stated that they thought it was a comedy, which I can relate to. The acting and dialogue are so atrocious that it borderlines on parody. The mother in particular is a hoot, with her xanaxed smile even when the evil nurse clutches the rosary beads from her hands.

This goes highly recommended to bad-movie lovers. My eyes were glued to the screen, mesmerized by the nullity of everything, but still I couldn't turn it off. It's fascinating that someone, somewhere financed this.
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5/10
I thought it was a comedy!
edmark25 July 2006
I honestly thought this movie was a spoof on all of the exorcism movies, so I guess the joke's on me; I laughed my head off! If it was intended as a comedy, then it was at least a 9 out of 10; the overacting was superb, as was the plot line. I especially loved the ghost walking through the house, as well as the guy with the frothing mouth in the chapel; both were hilarious! :-)))))))

Anyway, if one truly wants to watch a horror movie, there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) better. However, few horror movie spoofs could touch the plot lines and acting of this one! The only thing that would have made it better would be the inclusion of Anna Faris in the cast! She could have done a mean possession scene!
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If it puts one troubled kid back on track then the film did it's job.
Tonybull12 October 2003
I feel it was a good first attempt for this writer/director/producer/casting director, but if he would have done less maybe it would have been tighter. It seems more for kids and is aimed at getting them back to God and the church. It does get preachy, but I think it is more a religious film than a horror film. That is why I felt the humor at parts was important and good; it could have even used some more. I enjoyed it and the story. I know many people that do have a true fear of God.

Some of the actors were good, some not so good. I think the casting of the mother was intentional. She was over the top and campy - it was fun. I enjoyed the special effects, one of the best scenes is a scene with an evil girl and a thief in a car. She turns into an animal/demon right in front of your eyes and scares the hell out of guy. I liked the makeup for the monsters and demons also - very cool.

Again, it was a good first attempt and congrats on getting it done and out there. It has a positive message and is good for children. If it puts one troubled kid back on track then the film has done it's job.
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1/10
Possibly the "Manos" of our generation
evilboto11 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Genre fans be wary: this is less a horror film than thinly veiled Christian propaganda posing as a piece of entertainment. It fails miserably on this and any level, though.

The plot is simple: a father is possessed by a powerful demon, causing his troubled wife and daughter to bring in a catholic priest (the possessed man's older brother) to exorcise the demon. However, the demon proves too powerful for even the priest and and a church appointed assistant. The possessed's daughter is then forced to call in the pastor of her church to save the day.

Taken purely as a film, "Exorcism" is appallingly, mind-numbingly horrible. The acting is on par with your local High School Drama Club: face twitching and ham-fisted emoting often substitute for genuine emotion. Whatever the director was doing behind the camera, he certainly wasn't directing. The dialog is downright laughable, especially when it preoccupies itself with delivering the "message" (more on this later). The camera-work and editing are likewise amateurish; many cuts wreak havoc with character blocking and scene continuity. Other reviews here have mentioned Ed Wood; yes, the quality of film-making here is on par with Wood. The film fails in almost every aspect it's almost Zen-like. Fans of Badfilm will find MUCH to laugh at here; this is the film's only redeeming value.

What really wounds this film is the presence of an underlying message, didactically hammered into the viewers' skull every chance the movie gets. The message: demons are the cause of violent crime and mental illness in America. Science and law are not the solutions, religion is. And not just ANY religion, either...the film goes out of its way to stress that the Catholic church is likewise weak (in a particularly silly plot point, the assistant priest is revealed by the demon to be a child molester...come on movie, you're not even trying). No, it's the good down home born-again evangelicals who will ultimately save the day.

As the basic premise for a film, the Good vs. Evil/Demons vs. Angels shtick can work, regardless of the viewer's religious views. Many fine popcorn movies have been built on less. But in watching this film you get the definite impression that the filmmakers BELIEVE their premise, and so the film trips over itself again and again to deliver an insanely Medieval world view with a straight face. Characterization? Tension? Drama? Believable Dialogue? Why bother, as long as you get the sermonizing in there.

Horror/Sci-Fi movies demand a temporary suspension of disbelief. For a couple of hours we forget about the last hundred years of rational thought to believe that a man can fly, that demons can possess people or that fat men wielding chainsaws can outrun the young and fit. That's entertainment. "Exorcism", however, seems to be asking us that we suspend disbelief and buy its premise for the rest of our lives. At the very least it could offer something engaging or entertaining in return. It fails miserably to do so.
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5/10
To fight EVIL
freedtime15 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I wonder how this movie was allowed to play on Sci-fi,don't get me wrong I loved the movie but for Sci-fi channel programing I think it was a first. To allow Jesus's name to be said and to command demon's to depart from peoples souls by His name is a first. Horror movies have used evil(demons) without the acknowledging that there is a single God that gives believers power over these demons.Good story,Great make-up This movie looks like a first attempt at big screen movies for this producer. Good job!! I wish him well!! P.S.The N.R.A. does not make movies about crime because, in their movies everyone is armed. So goes Christian movies everyone is ARMED..
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1/10
William A. Baker needs never direct again!
pitstick99 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
What a travesty to the film world. This is the worst thing I have ever seen in my 24 years of life. I need to see a priest immediately to cleanse myself from the sin of seeing this film. "Exorcism" is preachy, unfocused, poorly directed trash. The script is beyond terrible and I am utterly floored by the massive ego this director/producer/writer/actor/casting-director displays by even making his film. Bill A. Baker not only felt that his script was good enough to be made (big mistake #1) but also felt that he should direct(big mistake #2)! Who does this guy think he is? There should be an exorcism performed on the film itself because it is possesed by boring, pointless dialogue and plagued by terrible actors. William A. Baker--if you're reading this--never direct/write/act again. For the love of God, spare us!
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1/10
A waste of film stock
expatinasia18 November 2010
This is a truly abysmal film. I saw it on the "D-Movie Channel" in Phuket, Thailand. Since every movie that is shown on the channel is awful, I'm beginning to think that the channel title reflects the quality of their offerings. My guess is that very few people go to Phuket to watch TV, and the channel rents the most awful stuff cheaply. Everything in the movie has been exploited before, and it's done even worse here. Instead of a teen-aged girl with a spinning head, you have a puffy-haired, middle-aged man whose breath sets people on fire. Avoid this movie at all costs. Rather than betting that a movie you've never heard of might be good, you should watch "The Exorcist" again.
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1/10
Stay Clear
jesus_loves_us_all_512 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I'm not a picky person. I love all movies, all genres, bad and good. My friends say I could watch two hours of a film about a piece of cheese and I would love it. But I have to agree with the others on this website that this is the worst movie I have ever seen. I can't believe that a single cent was put into this monstrosity. The script was high school level writing (if that) and the acting was laughable. I walked out an hour into this movie because I could feel myself getting stupider just for watching this. Shame on you William Baker. Exorcism is an insult to our intelligence and much too much money was wasted on this garbage. Shame!!
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4/10
Deathly dull religious drama
slayrrr66628 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Exorcism" is a Christian moral tale disguised as a rather bland, slow supernatural horror film.

**SPOILERS**

As they're recuperating from an attempted robbery, Mr. Lansing, (Brian Patrick Clarke) and his daughter Sarah, (Nicole Dionne) are thankful that the angels surrounding his family saved them again. Shortly afterward, they start to feel that a demonic force is targeting them. As this begins a series of brutal events that the church proclaims to be the work of a demon and Lansing's brother, Father John, (Jack Donner) to help out in the time of crisis. As the younger Lansing admits to a secret that puts him more at risk, all the powers of the two brothers to confront the demonic presence.

The Good News: There's really very little here worthwhile. As a teaching tool for how religion works and how they view horror films, this is a perfect start. The religious conversations that constantly occur are very educational, and rely mainly on how they go about doing things. This gives it a very easily digested atmosphere for that type of person who has strong religious beliefs. It never panders down to them, and instead uses the teachings to comfort. There was only one scene that came close to anything resembling horror, and it was pretty effective. However, that's really it.

The Bad News: It simply has to be said: this is deadly dull. Sure, it's religious and that's not a bad thing, but when all the conversations and actions in here are in keeping with religious doctrine and never really veer away from that, it takes an enormous amount of patience to get through it all. That stretches it out a lot more, as all the conversations eventually add up and the sheer number of them is quite astonishing for the casual viewer. Eventually, it begins to wear on the patience of them, as everything comes around to its teachings. That makes it play as more of a drama than a horror film, which is a serious crime. It's a singular viewpoint rather than being all-encompassing, and that can turn off certain mind-frames from enjoying it. The worst crime of all, though, is that the exorcism on display here is so inspired by the one in "The Exorcist" that it's almost an insult to that film. It doesn't try to top it, and offers nothing new to how it's done, making it seem like a low-budget rip-off. There's really nothing else to say about this one, as that's about it. Nothing really happens in it.

The Final Verdict: Mainly useful as an educational tool for how religion works for curious horror fans, there's not a whole lot else this offers. If you feel you can stomach it, give it a shot, but expect to be bored for most of it.

Rated PG-13: Mild Violence
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9/10
Should not really be listed under "Horror"
jeff-79127 November 2004
Love horror movies. Although this one had the potential to be one, it's not. This film is very thematic and I almost felt like I was in church. There are some good effects and it did have its moments but the writing needed a second look. I've seen some of these faces before but couldn't remember from where which is why I looked it up here. Now I remember these guys. That's the dude from 'Rocky'! The filming was good, I don't know the budget but it looked pretty good to me. It looks like it was shot on film, which means it had some money. So I don't understand how this script did not get redrafted and reworked. Next time I would hope they would work a lot more on their script before going into production. Not too bad for a first try.
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1/10
Anti-Catholic "Christian" horror movie
nogodnomasters27 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It looks like the fundies have done for B rated horror what they did to Rock and Roll. They added religion to it and messed it up. The acting in this movie is extremely bad, and down right funny when people are possessed with demons flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water. The camera angles are also bad. It seems "Daddy" has made a deal with the devil. Now the devil has come to collect as Satan always bothers Christian families. It is also "the end times" so Satan is attempting to get as many souls as possible. Any crazy person who kills is demonically possessed. Now there are priests in the movie, but they can't keep out demons because they all molest young children. The daughter, who had rejected the Catholic church, and has been attending a non-denominational exorcism class, invites the leader over to exercise the demon in Daddy. Demons look a lot like Klingons. There is also plenty of witnessing for Jesus if the "horror" aspect bores you. This movie is designed for tweens of far right fundie families. It is also campy enough for a group of godless people to enjoy while stoned!
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Avoid at all costs.
stephepps-14 March 2007
Usually I give a film at least a few scenes before praising it or condemning it, but I must say this one was horrid from start to finish. If this is the best Mr. Baker can do perhaps he should take up a job in road construction or something. The acting was lousy on everyones part. Many seemed to be reading poorly written cue cards. The dialogue was stomach wrenching. Mr Baker must have had a typewriter on set cranking out lines as they were being filmed. The only redeeming feature of this film (at least to the male viewers) was the eye candy provided by Nichole Dionne. Alas, that was not enough to salvage any facsimile of entertainment from this reel of wasted cellulose because the "actress" Karen Knotts was stuck to her like a conjoined twin with a performance that should have won her an anti-Oscar. As for the rest of the cast. It would seem that they agreed to do the film if their photos were placed in the IMDb. Unless they put them there themselves and cheated themselves out of the cost of a Waffle House breakfast. Mr. Baker also played casting director in this little field trip selecting them as well, proving that he truly has no place in the industry. Period. One thousand words could not present the injustices of this film. So, I will wrap up with, avoid at all costs.
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4/10
Crap but somehow enjoyable
kittenkongshow22 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Damned if I know how or why but I enjoyed parts of this film! The acting is mixed, the script poor but some of the parts detailing the Church (which I guess is the bits Mr Baker was most interested in) and Exorcism actually were interesting.

Not sure who I'd recommend this too tho'.

I only payed a pound for it and that's really the right price.

Only putting a review as it only get's slated here and I HAVE seen worse!

Have to fill ten lines so I'll say Watch the Exorcist if you want a good exorcism film.
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9/10
I loved it
latrosicarius31 August 2006
I usually have the SciFi channel on in the background... most of the movies are horrible on there. This movie, however, I thought was great! It was a bit corny and there was some overacting, but that's to be expected from a budget film. Besides, compared to most other SciFi movies, it looked like a Hollywood blockbuster.

The reason I am rating this so high is because this movie actually had a great message. You usually walk away from a big Hollywood wondering what the heck you just saw... a bunch of fast-paced action or whatever.......

You hardly ever get a movie like this with a good message. Let the other users say what they like. They are just noobs at life. This movie is at the top of its class in my book. Good job!
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10/10
Great Experience !
carriet22 September 2006
I was amazed at this movie ! They showed it on the Scifi channel and although some of the acting was not great, the message in the film was right on ! The reality of it and the Scripture all the way through with the TRUTH for a change, made me write to Scifi and ask them to re-run this film ! This film gave the REAL message that people need today in a way they can understand ! I know it was a film with lots of scary things - but it was exactly what IS reality for this world today! I loved the true Biblical references ! My book 'POWERS IN THE AIR' needs to be brought to the screen (with maybe more experienced actors); it is also about these last days. Written in 1997, it has been a very prophetic book ! It is along these lines as this film, with a different approach. The characters in it and events in it ARE REAL ! Readers rave about 'POWERS IN THE AIR'. It has been called the counter to Harry Potter.

This film I'm am writing about here "Exorcism" had a truthful and great message and warning. Believe it or not, it IS very real, as scary as it may be. It was educational as well as entertaining - it is an experience not just a movie. It is also a WARNING to everyone! Well worth seeing !
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The Blues Clues of exorcism films
jaywolfenstien11 November 2006
Writer/Director William Baker has succeeded in taking all of the subtleties and all of the subtext out of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist and making a movie about it. The result? A film so incredibly shallow that it plays more like a comedy than a serious film, and even graded on the comedic scale this joke fails as it lacks anything resembling a punch line.

Where the Exorcist foreshadows with imagery in the opening Iraq sequence, Exorcism opts for a face-to-face confrontation where Mr. Lansing finds himself standing before a trio of demons who spell out their intentions … after they provide a taunting voice over in the previous scene where they make him crash his car, putting him into a coma … which comes after a mysterious nurse, played by Eileen Dietz, makes a few disturbing, somewhat prophetic, comments to Mrs. Lansing … I don't remember if that comes before or after said nurse introduces herself as Legion. But you get the idea.

The cast introduces the art of overacting to epic proportions as every character in the film wears their deepest inner monologues on their shirt sleeves while the camera dollies in to give said inner thoughts their own close-ups. Every sentence requires punctuations through a full assortment of head movement, facial expressions, and gestures. The guiltiest party? Mrs Lansing who appears to channel the spirit of a bobble-head doll.

Although this, in truth, compliments the writing that deals with over-exposing the exposition on an equally epic level. Take, for example, father Lansing who not once, not twice, not three times, but at least half a dozen times hears the advice that maybe he shouldn't rush into this exorcism alone. "What am I a choir boy?" he vehemently responds with a brooding sigh and passive glare that reveals the end of the film approximately 80 minutes in advanced.

Guys, you just need to penetrate balsa-wood. Put the industrial strength nail gun away, already.

Baker has also taken the liberty of embellishing his "Exorcist for Idiots" movie with his own dumbed down morality play, delivered on the intellectual level of "how to tie your shoes." The film constantly presents complete superstitious BS juxtaposed to an over-simplified lecture on the fundamentals of the Christian faith to the point that it sounds more like a spoof than a sincere lecture. When the film links the worst of crimes to demonic possession and goes so far as to state, "most people in prisons need exorcisms not jail time" I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and sighed. Even to my Christian ears, this is a ridiculous line of thought that gives Christianity a bad name. Don't even get me started on the scene where the demons toss around one of the punks and encourage him to drink and do drugs and indulge in other sins.

On a technical level, Exorcism's low-budget invites even more criticism in all departments not because the film possesses (no pun) a small budget, rather because it makes no effort to overcome it. Where directors like Sam Raimi and John Carpenter infused their early work with energy and creativity and delivered some classic low-budget films (Evil Dead II, Escape from New York), Baker hits a brick wall and throws in the towel. And a low budget film that lacks creativity also lacks charm.

The film looks as though the battle against the budget ended when everything made it to the screen without regard to how the pieces of the puzzle all fit together. The score, the editing, the cinematography, the special effects – all are there and accounted for – but are they right for the film? Does it flow? Is there a sense of timing? The answer is no. Especially where visual effects are concerned. A police detective talks on his cell phone amidst a crime scene that is curiously shot from a single uninteresting and uninformative angle. The detective describes how brutal this murder apparently was while standing still in the frame As if this static shot of a motionless man talking on the phone wasn't painful enough, the conversation ends and he continues to stand there so several seconds later the ghost of a little girl can appear and walk through him before he finally leaves the frame.

In conclusion, the film fails on such an epic level that its purpose becomes blurred, dare I say indistinguishable? Through its shallow production values, and even shallower writing, the only deep and provocative question left to ask after viewing Exorcism is "Was this supposed to be dramatic or comedic?"
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