William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcistwas a publishing sensation. When the film, directed by William Friedken, was released on December 26, 1973, widespread reports of audiences fainting and screaming generated huge lines at the box office. I’ve always felt that the Vatican should make William Friedkin at least a saint, because no film has done so much for the Roman Catholic Church as The Exorcist. The concept of “suspension of disbelief” is essential to the enjoyment of a movie; as we watch, we have to be able to accept what transpires (no matter how outrageous or impossible) as reality. The Exorcistis a textbook example of a movie creating suspension of disbelief. I am an atheist but, for the running time of The Exorcist, I bought into all of it! “The power of Christ compels you!”—Max von Sydow’s soulful Father Merrin and Jason Miller’s troubled Father Karras are brought in to perform an exorcism in Georgetown, a wealthy neighborhood of Washington, D.C. A 12-year-old girl named Regan (Linda Blair) is possessed by a demon, maybe even the Devil himself. With superb make-up by Dick Smith (assisted by a young Rick Baker), the exorcism itself is as harrowing as any scene in movies and still has power to shock. The Exorcistis meant to be seen with a large audience and on a big screen.
David Seltzer wrote both the book and the screenplay for The Omen[Richard Donner, 1976], a film about the son of Satan. Gregory Peck brought gravitas to the project as the American Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Peck discovers that Damien, the little boy he and wife Lee Remick have taken in to raise is, in fact, the Antichrist! The Omenis a solid and well-made thriller that makes the supernatural seem real and present in our everyday world. The movie became another big hit at the box office for Satan.
A very funny retelling of Faust, Bedazzled[Stanley Donen, 1967] starred Dudley Moore as the hapless Stanley Moon, Peter Cook as George Spiggott, aka Lucifer, Lord of Darkness and, as two of the Seven Deadly Sins, Barry Humphries as Envy, and Raquel Welch as Lillian Lust— the Girl with the Bust!
Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell[2009] is essentially a fun house variation on Night of the Demon[Jacques Tourneur, 1957], which was based on a story by M. R. James called “Casting the Runes.” In Raimi’s movie, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is cursed by witch Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver) for not approving a bank loan. The object that brings forth the demon is a coat button. In Night of the Demon, the fantastic Niall MacGinnis plays the leader of a satanic cult (and children’s party entertainer) who places the object, in this case a parchment with runic inscriptions, on the skeptical Dana Andrews. MacGinnis plays a character of equal parts charm and menace who asks Andrews’ professor: “How can we differentiate between the powers of darkness and the powers of the mind?” Exactly.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
Angel Heart [Alan Parker, 1987]
Robert De Niro’s character is called Louis Cyphre, but his claw-like fingernails and understated menace should have been a dead giveaway to private detective Mickey Rourke. Based on the novel Falling Angelby William Hjortsberg.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
The Witches of Eastwick [George Miller, 1987]
Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, and Cher in the title roles. From John Updike’s best-selling novel.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
The Devil’s Advocate [Taylor Hackford, 1997]
Al Pacino plays lawyer John Milton in a none-too-subtle reference to Paradise Lost. As the Devil, Pacino is given free rein in a ferocious, enjoyably mad performance. Poor Keanu Reeves is blown off the screen whenever Al is present.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
Damn Yankees [George Abbott, Stanley Donen, 1958]
Ray Walston as Applegate and the fabulous Gwen Verdon as Lola in the film of the hit Broadway musical, a Faust story set in the world of baseball. Ray Walston’s Devil sings “Those Were The Good Old Days,” recalling with relish various wars and disasters. Gwen Verdon performs her show-stopper “Whatever Lola Wants” to seduce Tab Hunter. A lovely movie.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
The Devil Rides Out [aka The Devil’s Bride, Terence Fisher, 1968]
Christopher Lee as the Duc de Richleau in the pentacle he has drawn to protect his friends from demons summoned by Mocata (Charles Gray), the leader of a cult of devil-worshippers in the English countryside. Based on Dennis Wheatley’s novel, with a screenplay by Richard Matheson. This movie would have benefited from a bigger special-FX budget.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
The Exorcist [William Friedkin, 1973]
Linda Blair as Regan in a make-up by Dick Smith. Friedkin’s film is considered one of the scariest movies of all time.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
The Omen [Richard Donner, 1976]
Harvey Stephens is truly creepy as Damien, the Antichrist in Richard Donner’s beautifully crafted film of David Seltzer’s screenplay (from his own novel). Composer Jerry Goldsmith contributes a brilliant and often-imitated score.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
Bedazzled [Stanley Donen, 1967]
Raquel Welch as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, “Lillian Lust—the girl with the bust,” in Peter Cook and Dudley Moore’s comic retelling of Faust. Barry Humphries makes a very funny appearance as Envy.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
Drag Me to Hell [Sam Raimi, 2009]
Lorna Raver as the gypsy witch Mrs. Ganush with the button, instrumental in the curse she puts on a young bank officer (Alison Lohman) who turns down her loan application.
The Devil’s Work[ Book Contents]
Night of the Demon [Jacques Tourneur, 1957]
Dana Andrews investigates a Satanic cult led by Dr. Julian Karswell (a terrific Niall MacGinnis). This demon was supposedly put into the film by the studio over the director’s objections, but I have to say that I agree with the studio!
“It’s in the trees! It’s coming!”
Professor Harrington (Maurice Denham), Night of the Demon
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