Exorcists: The True Story (2004)
** (out of 4)
Disappointing documentary taking a look at the 1949 case of a teenage boy in St. Louis who was believed to have been possessed by a demon. This story was the main influence on the movie THE EXORCIST and this documentary takes a look at the original case, the impact of the movie as well as shines the spotlight on a Spanish priest who continues to perform exorcisms. I must say that I was really, really disappointed in this film for a number of reasons. The biggest one is the fact that it's simply not very scary. I really wasn't overly impressed with the re-enactments, which at times just seemed way too flashy for their own good. I thought many of the scenes weren't directly overly well and I also thought they didn't go too well with the talking heads footage. William Peter Blatty, writer of The Exorcist, is interviewed and gives his opinion on the case, the truth behind it and a quick chat he had with the main priest who performed the exorcism. It's worth noting that Father Bowdern would never openly speak about the events. Father Halloran is the only member of the event still alive and he's interviewed here and shares his memories of the events. There are those on hand who say this case is certainly an exorcism and then there are others here who say the entire thing was made up by the teen. Who knows the truth but as far as the documentary goes, it really didn't make one feel as if it was real.
