"The Possessed" has a priest sent on a mission to destroy evil arriving at an all girls' college where a series of inexplicable fires are occurring, some of which have injured the students. As time rolls on, it becomes clear that everything at the school is not as copacetic as it seems.
What is it about '70s television horror films that is so endearing? I really don't know. I didn't even grow up in the era, but I still find a certain sort of charm and unique attention to detail in them that theatrical films of the era didn't always offer, and "The Possessed" is another example to be added to this list.
Often viewed as a TV riff on "The Exorcist," "The Possessed" is actually incredibly different, specifically in its explicitness, as well as its treatment of evil. As Father Leahy tells one of the female students in the film, sometimes evil just appears without any rhyme or reason, and to think that our actions are what bring it about is not only inaccurate, but foolish.
It is this approach that the film takes which is certainly unusual— the very nature of the evil forces in question are incredibly vague, and remain so. These forces are visually represented (or rather, manifested) through the random fires that are occurring on the school campus, and the treatment of these scenes is surprisingly unnerving and bizarre. There are also some unusual meditations on student-teacher relationships and the sexualized politics of academia that sometimes take center stage as the film's central drama— however, they may or may not be inconsequential to the supernatural events occurring at the school.
The film was shot at Reed College in Portland, Oregon— an area I grew up near— and there is a hazy, foggy look to the entire film that is effective and establishes an appropriate level of gloom. The film's conclusion is a bit brisk (perhaps too brisk), but for a television film from the '70s, is entirely forgivable.
Overall, a noble and understated effort that captures the charm of '70s television films while reaching considerable heights on the creep-o-meter. Also worth checking out for its top-notch cast— Joan Hackett, Claudette Nevins, and James Farentino head the cast. Also some great early performances from P.J. Soles (who filmed "Halloween" the following year), Diana Scarwid, and Harrison Ford, who, three weeks after "The Possessed"'s air date, would only forever be known as Han Solo. 8/10.
What is it about '70s television horror films that is so endearing? I really don't know. I didn't even grow up in the era, but I still find a certain sort of charm and unique attention to detail in them that theatrical films of the era didn't always offer, and "The Possessed" is another example to be added to this list.
Often viewed as a TV riff on "The Exorcist," "The Possessed" is actually incredibly different, specifically in its explicitness, as well as its treatment of evil. As Father Leahy tells one of the female students in the film, sometimes evil just appears without any rhyme or reason, and to think that our actions are what bring it about is not only inaccurate, but foolish.
It is this approach that the film takes which is certainly unusual— the very nature of the evil forces in question are incredibly vague, and remain so. These forces are visually represented (or rather, manifested) through the random fires that are occurring on the school campus, and the treatment of these scenes is surprisingly unnerving and bizarre. There are also some unusual meditations on student-teacher relationships and the sexualized politics of academia that sometimes take center stage as the film's central drama— however, they may or may not be inconsequential to the supernatural events occurring at the school.
The film was shot at Reed College in Portland, Oregon— an area I grew up near— and there is a hazy, foggy look to the entire film that is effective and establishes an appropriate level of gloom. The film's conclusion is a bit brisk (perhaps too brisk), but for a television film from the '70s, is entirely forgivable.
Overall, a noble and understated effort that captures the charm of '70s television films while reaching considerable heights on the creep-o-meter. Also worth checking out for its top-notch cast— Joan Hackett, Claudette Nevins, and James Farentino head the cast. Also some great early performances from P.J. Soles (who filmed "Halloween" the following year), Diana Scarwid, and Harrison Ford, who, three weeks after "The Possessed"'s air date, would only forever be known as Han Solo. 8/10.