The Exorcist wasn’t the first bigger mainstream movie about demonic possession, the 1972 Shirley MacLaine feature The Possession of Joel Delaney came first - and it’s also a masterpiece, mixing drama and horror to perfection. The years after meant a lot of similar films, dealing with the occult, with our friend Satan, portals to hell, ghosts, possessions and everything in-between. All semi-serious and with some kind of weird idea that this was something real, something that could happen to us all! The Possessed is a 1977 TV-movie starring James Farentino, PJ Soles and Harrison Ford in an early part (as a teacher, no less!) and surprisingly enough it’s one of the best in the genre, even if it lacks everything that makes an adult horror film. Like always in the wonderful world of TV-movies they had to skip the nudity, profanity and violence and keep it more low key. Usually I think this really sucks, because horror films are here to break borders, but in a few cases it really works - like this one.
It begins with James Farentino, Kevin Leahy - a priest, getting killed in a car crash and gets a message from god telling him to repent his sins by stopping evil in the world. Which is very good for the girls at the certain all-girl school, plagued by mysterious fires. Soon there’s nothing left to do than to call in an exorcist - and Leahy is there to save the day. Or try at least. Because who’s behind the mysterious fires? Is it really a possession, or is one of the girls - or teachers - an arsonist?
The strength with The Possessed is how it’s built like a mystery. Which I guess was the only proper way to do it, because showing too much special effects was probably something they couldn’t do. So that’s why Kevin, in a great performance by Farentino, walks around like a very sad, serious private dick - with a direct connection to god - trying to investigate what the hell (no pun intended) happens in the dark corridors. Harrison Ford makes a damn fine performance, the minutes he’s in the movie, and the rest of the cast is surprisingly realistic and non-corny. The script could easily have been yet another Devil Dog (another fave, but on the opposite side of realism) but amazingly enough someone in the production obviously decided to feet the stupid audience with some quality in-between the advertising breaks.
It would be a lie to say it’s scary, but it’s engaging. You care about what’s happening on the screen, which I rarely do nowadays. And this more or less without any spectacular scenes. Well, its not totally without them - there’s some cool stuff involving fires and when we finally understand who’s behind it all, it’s completely cheese-less. Bravo! The Possessed is without a doubt one of the best made for TV movies I’ve seen, up there with Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Salem’s Lot and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
It’s out on a nice-looking Warner Archive DVD, so if you feel for something good and cozy, this is the movie for you.
"and Harrison Ford in an early part (as a teacher, no less!)"
A teacher...?
Ford didn´t crack the whip(no pun intended) on them..?
"Like always in the wonderful world of TV-movies they had to skip the nudity, profanity and violence and keep it more low key. Usually I think this really sucks, because horror films are here to break borders, but in a few cases it really works - like this one."
That sucks big time...but sometimes, it works.....it´s even more sad nowadays when a big budget movie comes out and they don´t dare to do anything cool with the material.
"The strength with The Possessed is how it’s built like a mystery. Which I guess was the only proper way to do it, because showing too much special effects was probably something they couldn’t do."
Yeah, budget restraints and also it´s TV......not too much violence can be shown.
"with a direct connection to god - trying to investigate what the hell (no pun intended) happens in the dark corridors."
hahahhahahhahha...and he didn´t have a.......(drum roll) devil may care attitude...?
"The script could easily have been yet another Devil Dog (another fave, but on the opposite side of realism)"
I haven´t seen that one yet.
"It’s out on a nice-looking Warner Archive DVD, so if you feel for something good and cozy, this is the movie for you."
I might good review and thanks Fred.
Ahhh...Bonnier Media group...still regurgitating old articles over and over again.
Puzzling at first but then I stumbled over this article....http://magasinetfilter.se/magasin/2014/39/simma-medstroms
I get it...it´s clickpimping(Yeah, not sure that word exists...feel free to use it everyone...hahhahhahah)old articles.
Ya´know...if you fired some of those so called columnists with overblown egos you would save some money.....and you could spend on some real journalism....who am I kidding?
Nothing will happen......not only is silence golden, everyday is hustle too.
http://youtu.be/V3kE0rvAJhM
hahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhahah......and remember, Bonnier, silence is golden.
http://youtu.be/xe4qk7Mijlo
Posted by: Megatron | August 27, 2014 at 00:11