Few horror sub-genres are as divisive as exorcism movies. For some, they are silly to the point of high camp, outrageous stories about invisible creatures that can take control of normal people and make them do outrageous things. For others, exorcism movies reveal a hidden realm of evil that has a very real impact on our world.
That tension allows a wide variety of approaches within the sub-genre, despite the dominance of one monumental film from the 70s. Exorcism movies can be ridiculous crowd-pleasers, stately dramas, or lowbrow comedies. Whether it’s because of the power of Christ or a really good script, you should feel compelled to watch these great exorcism movies.
The Exorcist (1973)
Of course, it starts with The Exorcist, directed by the late, great William Friedkin. Friedkin wasn’t writer William Peter Blatty’s first choice to direct the movie, which first went to Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich.
That tension allows a wide variety of approaches within the sub-genre, despite the dominance of one monumental film from the 70s. Exorcism movies can be ridiculous crowd-pleasers, stately dramas, or lowbrow comedies. Whether it’s because of the power of Christ or a really good script, you should feel compelled to watch these great exorcism movies.
The Exorcist (1973)
Of course, it starts with The Exorcist, directed by the late, great William Friedkin. Friedkin wasn’t writer William Peter Blatty’s first choice to direct the movie, which first went to Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich.
- 8/24/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions.
While it’s easy to appreciate the grounded, almost stoic nature of the original, it’s hard not to enjoy the outright campiness of Amityville 2: The Possession. The sequel, which never explicitly mentions the Lutzs due to real life legal issues, is an absolutely wild ride.
Written by Fright Night Part 2 and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch’s Tommy Lee Wallace, the second film in the Amityville franchise crams in over the top performances, incest and more than a few nods to horror trends, including both the infamous Pov shots from slasher films like Halloween and Black Christmas, and a narrative riff on The Exorcist.
The film tells the story of the Montelli family, an Italian American family that moves into the now iconic house.
While it’s easy to appreciate the grounded, almost stoic nature of the original, it’s hard not to enjoy the outright campiness of Amityville 2: The Possession. The sequel, which never explicitly mentions the Lutzs due to real life legal issues, is an absolutely wild ride.
Written by Fright Night Part 2 and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch’s Tommy Lee Wallace, the second film in the Amityville franchise crams in over the top performances, incest and more than a few nods to horror trends, including both the infamous Pov shots from slasher films like Halloween and Black Christmas, and a narrative riff on The Exorcist.
The film tells the story of the Montelli family, an Italian American family that moves into the now iconic house.
- 11/22/2022
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Happy Weekend! We made it to another Friday, which means we’re that much closer to Halloween now. For our latest edition of From Streams to Screams, we’re summoning up some evil forces with 30 different movies that either dabble in the demonic or offer up some supernatural scares. I’ve gone ahead and culled various platforms, so there’s plenty here to enjoy if you either subscribe to the premium services or are looking to enjoy some horror on a budget.
Enjoy!
The Amityville Horror (2005) (Available on Hulu)
In this terrifying remake, a young family moves into a house with a dark past and soon learns it's inhabited by a sinister force.
Bones (Available on Tubi TV)
20 years after his death, a local legend and benefactor returns as a ghost to avenge those who killed him and restore his neighborhood.
Demons (Available on Shudder)
A horror movie audience turns into bloodthirsty demons.
Enjoy!
The Amityville Horror (2005) (Available on Hulu)
In this terrifying remake, a young family moves into a house with a dark past and soon learns it's inhabited by a sinister force.
Bones (Available on Tubi TV)
20 years after his death, a local legend and benefactor returns as a ghost to avenge those who killed him and restore his neighborhood.
Demons (Available on Shudder)
A horror movie audience turns into bloodthirsty demons.
- 10/11/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Full disclosure: The Amityville Horror films do not make up my favorite franchise. And it has nothing to do with the central “haunted house” premise, but rather the execution of the series thus far, from the serviceable ground zero template, The Amityville Horror (1979) through the (as yet unseen) upcoming Amityville: The Awakening, with some stops in between at DTVville (not to mention the Ryan Reynolds remake; but I said not to mention, so not mention I shall). The name is so shopworn now that “Amityville” has become synonymous with “poopy”.
But, but, But…let’s rewind to a time when a follow up to the kind-of goofy James Brolin (and his glorious perm) starrer was actually anticipated. That film was a smash success at the box office, and the powers that be wanted to revisit the village of Amityville to see what other demons they could find in the basement.
But, but, But…let’s rewind to a time when a follow up to the kind-of goofy James Brolin (and his glorious perm) starrer was actually anticipated. That film was a smash success at the box office, and the powers that be wanted to revisit the village of Amityville to see what other demons they could find in the basement.
- 3/18/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
October 1st will see the release of The Amityville Horror Trilogy Blu-ray set and we have a look at the original trailers for The Amityville Horror and Amityville II: The Possession.
“There’s no place like home…for bloodcurdling horror! For George and Kathy Lutz from The Amityville Horror, the colonial house on the river’s edge seemed ideal: quaint, spacious and amazingly affordable. Of course, six brutal murders had taken place there just a year before, but houses don’t have memories…or do they? Soon the Lutz dream house becomes a hellish nightmare, as walls begin to drip blood and satanic forces threaten to destroy them. Now the family must try to escape or forfeit their lives – and their souls! One of the most talked-about haunted house stories of all time, The Amityville Horror is a spine-tingling tale of a house possessed by unspeakable evil. The film stars James Brolin (Christine,...
“There’s no place like home…for bloodcurdling horror! For George and Kathy Lutz from The Amityville Horror, the colonial house on the river’s edge seemed ideal: quaint, spacious and amazingly affordable. Of course, six brutal murders had taken place there just a year before, but houses don’t have memories…or do they? Soon the Lutz dream house becomes a hellish nightmare, as walls begin to drip blood and satanic forces threaten to destroy them. Now the family must try to escape or forfeit their lives – and their souls! One of the most talked-about haunted house stories of all time, The Amityville Horror is a spine-tingling tale of a house possessed by unspeakable evil. The film stars James Brolin (Christine,...
- 9/24/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Scream Factory will release The Amityville Horror Trilogy Blu-ray set this October and they’ve provided us with the final list of bonus features:
“Holidays arrive early this year for horror fans and pop culture enthusiasts. Prepare to bring home one of the most iconic haunted house movie collections! For the first time ever, experience three original classic Amityville horror films collected together on 3D Blu-ray! On October 1, Scream Factory is proud to present The Amityville Horror Trilogy Deluxe Collector’S Edition Three-Disc Blu-ray™ Pack. Featuring perfect high-definition picture visuals and purest digital sound available, this essential collection brings together The Amityville Horror (starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder and Oscar(R)-winner Rod Steiger), Amityville II: The Possession (starring James Olson, Burt Young, Rutanya Alda, Andrew Prine, Jack Magner, Diane Franklin) and Amityville 3D (starring Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, Candy Clark). Each movie from this collection is packed with extensive bonus features and more!
“Holidays arrive early this year for horror fans and pop culture enthusiasts. Prepare to bring home one of the most iconic haunted house movie collections! For the first time ever, experience three original classic Amityville horror films collected together on 3D Blu-ray! On October 1, Scream Factory is proud to present The Amityville Horror Trilogy Deluxe Collector’S Edition Three-Disc Blu-ray™ Pack. Featuring perfect high-definition picture visuals and purest digital sound available, this essential collection brings together The Amityville Horror (starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder and Oscar(R)-winner Rod Steiger), Amityville II: The Possession (starring James Olson, Burt Young, Rutanya Alda, Andrew Prine, Jack Magner, Diane Franklin) and Amityville 3D (starring Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, Candy Clark). Each movie from this collection is packed with extensive bonus features and more!
- 8/9/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Every time we do a story about the Scream Factory, two things Always happen... 1 - We feel our wallets burning like The Wicker Man and 2 - We want to leave a fruit basket of thanks outside of their offices on the doorstep.
On tap right now is more about their upcoming releases of Prince of Darkness and The Amityville Trilogy.
Get ready for the ultimate presentation of the heart-pounding supernatural thriller by heralded master of horror director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, They Live) as the long-awaited Prince Of Darkness Collector’s Edition Blu-ray™ and DVD invade home entertainment shelves everywhere on September 24 from Scream Factory. Available for the first time on Blu-ray, this collector’s edition is brimming with insightful extras, including new interviews with John Carpenter and Alice Cooper, special audio commentary and much more!
Donald Pleasence (Halloween), Jameson Parker (Simon & Simon), Lisa Blount (Needful Things), rock icon Alice Cooper,...
On tap right now is more about their upcoming releases of Prince of Darkness and The Amityville Trilogy.
Get ready for the ultimate presentation of the heart-pounding supernatural thriller by heralded master of horror director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, They Live) as the long-awaited Prince Of Darkness Collector’s Edition Blu-ray™ and DVD invade home entertainment shelves everywhere on September 24 from Scream Factory. Available for the first time on Blu-ray, this collector’s edition is brimming with insightful extras, including new interviews with John Carpenter and Alice Cooper, special audio commentary and much more!
Donald Pleasence (Halloween), Jameson Parker (Simon & Simon), Lisa Blount (Needful Things), rock icon Alice Cooper,...
- 7/24/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Scream Factory has officially announced their fall lineup, with more than 15 classic horror titles making their way to Blu-ray, including Day of the Dead, Price of Darkness, The Amityville Horror Trilogy, and six Vincent Price movies:
Scanners II and III: “On September 10, Scream Factory will unleash Christian Duguay’s science fiction action thrillers Scanners II: The New Order and Scanners III: The Takeover in a Double Feature Two-Disc Blu-ray™+ DVD Combo Pack. In Scanners II, a breed of humans with dangerously powerful telepathic abilities – the scanners – are being recruited by a corrupt police commander, John Forrester, in his crusade to take over the city. Forrester first enlists the help of an evil scientist, Dr. Morse, who wants to conduct mind-control experiments on the scanners with a new drug. When the side effects render the scanners incapable, Forrester then finds David Kellum (David Hewlett, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes...
Scanners II and III: “On September 10, Scream Factory will unleash Christian Duguay’s science fiction action thrillers Scanners II: The New Order and Scanners III: The Takeover in a Double Feature Two-Disc Blu-ray™+ DVD Combo Pack. In Scanners II, a breed of humans with dangerously powerful telepathic abilities – the scanners – are being recruited by a corrupt police commander, John Forrester, in his crusade to take over the city. Forrester first enlists the help of an evil scientist, Dr. Morse, who wants to conduct mind-control experiments on the scanners with a new drug. When the side effects render the scanners incapable, Forrester then finds David Kellum (David Hewlett, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes...
- 7/3/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
One of the earliest entries of this type is probably Amityville II: The Possession (1982). This one tells the story of the family who lived before the Lutzes from the 1979 favorite. In real life that family was named the DeFeo family, but in this movie the name was changed to Montelli. Regardless, it keeps the idea that the son (Jack Magner) somehow was supposedly influenced by some evil, demonic force in the house and made to kill his family. The first one The Exorcist: Dominion directed by Paul Schrader (Cat People) was disliked by the studio, so they shot a new movie, this one by Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master), called Exorcist: The Beginning.
- 1/14/2012
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.
For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.
For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.
- 9/3/2010
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
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