Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.
---
This week's Thursday Movie Picks
is Halloween Edition - Based on a True Story
---
October 8 - Halloween Edition: Based on a True Story
October 15 - Halloween Edition: Snow / Winter Horror
October 22 - Halloween Edition: Holiday Horror
October 29 - Halloween/Television Edition: Horror
This is so hard. Why did I ever come up with this theme.
Hey
it's October again and it's time for the Halloween
Edition. Take a look at what's in store for the rest of the month.
October 15 - Halloween Edition: Snow / Winter Horror
October 22 - Halloween Edition: Holiday Horror
October 29 - Halloween/Television Edition: Horror
An American Haunting (2005)
This
is based on the story of the Bell Witch, which some believe is true
while others think it's an urban legend of sorts. I saw this a long time
ago. I remember not being impressed by it and that it starred the girl
who played Wendy in Peter Pan.
The Exorcist (1973)
This was apparently inspired by a real exorcism on a teen boy in 1949. I am not a fan of possession/exorcism movies...I don't find them scary, I just find those possession scenes too over the top. What I did find scary, were the earlier parts of the film, before the full blown possession of Regan, where the changes in her was thought of as being a medical issue. She is sent to various medical tests and we see her mother scared and worried. That, I thought was scary and presented well. It was the kind of real horror that a lot people go through when they are sick, the stress and anxiety of having to go through test after test, a process of elimination, just to find a diagnosis.
This was apparently inspired by a real exorcism on a teen boy in 1949. I am not a fan of possession/exorcism movies...I don't find them scary, I just find those possession scenes too over the top. What I did find scary, were the earlier parts of the film, before the full blown possession of Regan, where the changes in her was thought of as being a medical issue. She is sent to various medical tests and we see her mother scared and worried. That, I thought was scary and presented well. It was the kind of real horror that a lot people go through when they are sick, the stress and anxiety of having to go through test after test, a process of elimination, just to find a diagnosis.
Psycho (1960)
This was inspired by the story of Ed Gein. Out of the three movies I picked today, this is the only one I like.
This was inspired by the story of Ed Gein. Out of the three movies I picked today, this is the only one I like.
---
If
you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget
below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which
will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs,
spread the word about this series, and also link back to my blog on your
own Thursday Movie Picks post :)
---
Participating Blogs/Bloggers
The Exorcist & Psycho were the first two that occurred to me when I saw the theme but I'd used both before.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for Exorcist when I first saw it, I think I was too young but I went to see it with my nieces and nephew when it was re-released and thought much more of it. I agree about the beginning of the film having a great deal of tension and dread.
Psycho is nowhere near my favorite Hitchcock movie but it is a taut disturbing film.
I've heard of your first but haven't seen it.
Since I had to move on from those two first choices I had to poke around quite a bit to come up with these three but while I didn't love any of them they were decent enough time passers.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)-Plot: An attorney (Laura Linney) defends a priest (Tom Wilkinson) accused of negligent homicide after an exorcism.
Basis: Anneliese Michel died after being subjected to an exorcism. She was found to have been malnourished and dehydrated. Her parents and the responsible priests were charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to three years' probation. Her epilepsy was likely the real culprit.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)-Plot: A man (Richard Gere) investigates the Mothman, a strange red-eyed creature that appears to signify impending disasters.
Basis: Journalist John Keel wrote The Mothman Prophecies after investigating hundreds of reports of sightings and other strange phenomena in Point Pleasant, West Virginia during the late 1960s.
The Entity (1982)-Plot: A woman (Barbara Hershey) is tormented and sexually molested by an invisible demon.
Basis: In 1974 Doris Bither claimed to have been repeatedly sexually assaulted by an invisible entity leading to her being observed by doctoral students at the University of California, Los Angeles.
I saw the Mothman Prophecies a long time ago so I remember nothing, it's one I'd like to rewatch. I had an impression then that it was based on urban legend or folklore.
DeleteI wasn't aware that both Psycho and The Exorcist are based on real stories!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did also pick a movie featuring an exorcism this week: The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
Psycho and The Exorcist - I don't think they were marketed as based on a true story, at least it didn't appear on the posters.
DeleteI was thinking about Psycho too but I just used it for another theme. I haven't seen the other two... yikes.
ReplyDeleteThe Exorcist is one of the all time greats! I forgot Psycho was based on Ed Gein.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of The Exorcist. Hate that it didn't work for you. Of course, Psycho is great. Haven't seen your other pick.
ReplyDeleteI had really wanted to like The Exorcist...but yeah no.
DeleteGosh, I am late but I am here! I haven’t seen your first pick but The Exorcism scared the hell out of me and whenever Linda Blair turned her head 360, I had to turn off the tv. When this film first came out, people got so scared they vomited in the theatres and some passed out. It really affected people. Did you read about the strange happenings behind the scene...it’s pretty creepy. Psycho is excellent and a film that also shocked people when it came out. Janet Leigh started she never ever took showers after making this film.
ReplyDeleteYou're not late, you have a bout a week to submit your link.
DeleteThe Exorcist - nope I don't know about the behind the scene stuff. Though I always thought movie sets can be creepy especially when it's empty of cast and crew.