The Exorcist

A generation before Psycho proved that a horror movie could be very serious and intense. William Peter Blatty wrote the story from which this shocking classic is based. A young girl played by Linda Blair is taken ill and when conventional treatment fails the mother turns to the church. Two priests are dispatched, one an old man of firm belief and the other a young troubled soul who have lost faith. It is up to them to combat the demonic forces that inhabit the poor girl. The film is best known for the head spinning FX and vomiting scenes. This was such a groundbreaking movie in the field of horror that it reinvented the genre by introducing the concept of Demonic possession. In effect the Exorcist put 3 companies out of business, AIP, Amicus and Hammer. A genuinely shocking film that even to this day still frightens audience of all ages. Followed by 2 sequels and a whole slew of quickie imitations. Avoid the imitators and go for the master itself.