Remember 1973's The Exorcist? For you younguns', it starred Linda Blair as a foul-mouthed, neck-swiveling, projectile-vomiting (puke green, as I recall) hellion who chewed up Catholic priests and spit them out for breakfast. Did you know it was based on a true story? Me neither, and as this slightly hokey, but admittedly compelling, documentary/re-enactment makes clear, there's still a mighty difference of opinion over the matter. The film interviews psychologists who, not surprisingly, pooh-pooh the idea of demon possession, and priests, one of whom was actually present during the exorcism. The differences between William Peter Blatty's bestselling novel (and William Friedkin's film) and actual events are substantial. For starters, the girl was actually a boy (which rules out the infamous crucifix scene), the time was 1949, and-most importantly-no priests died during the exorcism (nor, did I see any evidence of a 360 degree neck). Still, the central story remains intact: Robbie, a 13-year-old boy suffering from the recent demise of a favored aunt (who was into ouija boards), began displaying strange behavior in January, 1949. Combining dramatic re-enactments with interview footage, the documentary traces Robbie's steadily escalating "possession," from the infamous shaking bed to the appearance of words on the boy's stomach, and more. Much of what's known of the case-which gradually moved up the Catholic chain of command, until an "exorcism" was formally ordered-comes from the dispassionate, almost clinical, diary of Father Bishop, one of the real exorcists in the case. Viewers will have to draw their own conclusions as to whether the boy was actually possessed by Satan, or suffering a multiple personality disorder, or merely acting out the suggestions of the adults around him while undergoing a traumatic period of his life. What's certain is that the boy, while never killing anyone, did send one priest to the hospital for over 100 stitches. An eerie examination, this is a strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)
In the Grip of Evil
(50 min. WinStar Entertainment, $19.95 [avail. from most distributors]) 9/29/97
In the Grip of Evil
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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