Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

What is my favorite movie of all time? For some of you that answer should be easy; for other, maybe not. Yes, I do love no-budget horror and slashers, and yes, Jason Voorhees is one of my favorite characters, but my favorite movie is not one of those. Sure, some might find it cliché, but honestly, this is one movie that made a lasting impression on me in my youth. That movie is The Exorcist. Of course, there were other films in that series, and incredibly, I have ignored them on here. So, to start catching up on the franchise is Exorcist: The Beginning.

Plot/ Years before Father Lancaster Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil's soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa. This is the tale of Father Merrins’ initial battle with Pazuzu and the rediscovery of his faith.

In this prequel for the classic flick The Exorcist, there is a lot to like. However, this movie is often discounted and forgot. Sure, there is the controversy between this version and Dominion, but this is a decent movie. With the Exorcist being my favorite movie of all time, I love this back story and feel they created an atmospheric movie that had some solid effects, decent acting and detailed storyline. Sure, some of the scripting was off, there were some pacing issues and the ending felt a tad rushed, but it was still entertaining. In the end, this may not be the best prequel to ever come about, but it is better than many give it credit for. If you have not seen it, watch it. If you have seen it in the past, revisit it, this one may surprise you!

Trust in Fiction-

No unexplained subject gets the blood flowing the way Demonic Possession does. Maybe it is our programmed fear of the devil and his minions, or just our vivid memories of the torture endured by young Regan in William Peter Blatty's classic The Exorcist, which continues to shock viewers around the world.

What many people may not realize about the classic is that the demon Father Merrin battled at the outset (and again in Exorcist: the Beginning) is actually the demonic god, Pazuzu. In both Assyrian and Babylonian mythologies, the god Pazuzu is the king of the demons of wind, one of the vilest demons to ever be mentioned. He is depicted with the body of a man but with the head of a lion or dog, talons instead of feet, with two pairs of wings, a tail of a scorpion and a gigantic serpentine penis. When pictured, he usually has his right hand pointing upward and his left hand pointing downward; positions identifying creation and destruction.

Being the god of the wind, he is known for bringing droughts and famine with his fiery breath during dry seasons, and conjuring swarms of locusts during rainy seasons. In ancient times, people would invoke Pazuzu into amulets aimed at fighting against the powers of the evil goddess Lamashtu. Today these demons may still be doing battle on the unexpected, waiting for the weak-minded to open up and provide them a host for their unjust war. Whether it is Good vs. Evil, or Evil vs. Evil, history and science hold the key to their defeat.

vote it up!