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S01.E01: Chapter One: And Let My Cry Come Unto Thee

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in The Exorcist [V]

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Latverian Diplomat

Latverian Diplomat

Quote

seeing a modern family (or, the mind reels, the Modern Family) forced to embrace the Vatican's medieval rituals 

FWIW, I think there was a distinctly "anti-modern" slant in the original movie. Regan's mom is a single, working mother, an actress no less, and an agnostic. Medical science is unable to help (and the hospital scenes are probably the scariest in the film).

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zxy556575

zxy556575

39 minutes ago, sacrebleu said:

The Exorcist ruined pea soup? I always assumed pea soup was invented when the devil expulsed it from the depths of his bowels and into our world.

Aha! I'm extremely suggestible and was just deciding what to have for lunch. Split pea soup it is. Chunky style.

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Snookums

Snookums

Eh, I didn't bother with that Omen thing and I doubt I will with this. I recommend the fabulous book A Head Full of Ghosts to anybody who really wants a fresh take on the now firmly ensconced in popular culture "rituals" of exorcism and how they blind us to true evil

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janeta

janeta

Aaaand cue the Mike Oldfield. :)

I think this will be three and out.

The local Fox affiliate has been having signal problems so i couldn't tell what was special effects and what was pixellation, but i'll probably watch it til it's cancelled. 

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SimoneS

SimoneS

(edited)

I watched out of curiosity. I have to confess that it scared the shit out of me. WTH is up with all the eyes? I wasn't sure who was possessed. I figured that it wasn't the daughter the mother was worried about. I thought it was the father after he mentioned Marcus. I was shocked as hell that it turned out to be the other daughter. I wonder if the father (Cameron from Ferris Bueller) in his condition can somehow help. He seems to be channeling the good side. After all he helped Tomas find Marcus.

Tomas is gorgeous. I will beat the shit out of that demon if it hurts him. I am glad that Marcus is coming to the rescue. 

Edited by SimoneS
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SimoneS

SimoneS

Tomas in the attic with the demon really gave me a fright. The rat, the demon toying with him, and then coming at him through the daughter. It was made worse by how normal she acted after the mother showed up and light came on.

What always irks me about these exorcist type movies is that angels never seem to there to help out. It is always the priest and his faith which always strikes me as way insufficient against powerful demons.

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numbnut

numbnut

(edited)

I want to watch this but the movie scared the crap out of me as a kid. I'm lurking to see the consensus here. Sounds like it isn't a total waste of time. Deadline gave it a good review so I'll give it a go.

Edited by numbnut
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Enero

Enero

50 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

I watched out of curiosity. I have to confess that it scared the shit out of me. WTH is up with all the eyes? I wasn't sure who was possessed. 

Me too! However, I had to keep turning away when the scary stuff happened. It was just too much to watch with it being dark outside. Lol. I know enough to have a general idea about what was going on but I still missed a lot. 

I'm going to have to rewatch during the day, like morning or noon, hours before sunset. Lol

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AlwaysWatching

AlwaysWatching

1 hour ago, SimoneS said:

Tomas is gorgeous. I will beat the shit out of that demon if it hurts him. I am glad that Marcus is coming to the rescue. 

I'll help you, SimoneS!  I'll be tuning in just to watch Tomas. I'm hoping this show gets a good story going because it's at least not as cookie cutter as a lot of stuff on Network TV.  I might mean that the casting looks good. I know the Exorcist story is not all that original.   They can just follow Father Tomas around and I will be fine.

So far, I like all the characters and, like I said, actors. Also, that was some decent special effects on the sister in the attic.  And I was surprised that it was the younger sister.

I was also one of the few fans that loved the short lived Damien.  It's easier watching these shows when you are a non-believer. I don't think I could watch them if I believed in angels and demons.  Well, I know I can't.  I didn't see the original movie "Exorcist" until years after it was released. Some of my younger years were a bit religious. Somewhere along the way I lost all that. Whew! 

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pezgirl7

pezgirl7

(edited)

I loved the first episode! The acting was great, as well as the story and pacing. I like all the characters so far. I don't scare easily, so I was more grossed out by some things than scared. The effects were pretty good too, except for the raven in the window.

I think my favorite moment was when Tomas told that older sister off at dinner. He's awesome. I wonder how his past affair will play into the story?

What was that retreat place all about? It was super creepy, maybe more than the possession stuff!

Edited by pezgirl7
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voiceover

voiceover

(edited)

I loved Ben Daniels in Law & Order: UK, so I'll tune in for his sake.

And man, that Tubular Bells soundtrack hits all the right iconic notes.  *shiver*  It's like the Pink Panther theme in that respect -- buckle up, 'cause you know what's coming.

Edited by voiceover
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kitticup

kitticup

(edited)

Yeah!  I am glad other's liked this. I loved the feel of the show.  The music at the end had a slight variation of the classic exorcist theme, so it was iconic but with a modern twist.  I love Tomas but I really love his nephew Luis.  That kid cracked me up.  Gina Davis brings a dignity to her character.  

I am looking forward to more of Father Marcus and trying to figure out who is a good guy and who is a bad guy.

Edited by kitticup
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TDT

TDT

So if this sticks around till sweeps,what are the odds that we'll see a guest appearance by Linda Blair as a "psychic" character lol.. preferably for a two-part episode..

and yes every episode should end on a creepy moment with Tubular Bells playing on the soundtrack

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Ms Lark

Ms Lark

Saw the Original in the theater waaay back in the day and it scared the wits out of me (and my roomies) for months. The good thing that came out of that was I was able to sort out what I believe in and what I don't, what I feel is possible and what isn't. Then we found out about the suliminal visuals spliced in, which are now pretty much verboten in movies. Sheesh. No wonder we were spooked! Since then only a few jump scares in movies have got me and really, just for the moment. That said, I watched on a whim and this didn't do much for me. I think the double pupil in the kid's eye was the most effective. That was creepy!

I'll probably wind up watching while I'm doing other things. It's not a real winner, but what else is there on Friday night when you're old and your partying days are long over? Oh, yeah: books, netflix, etc. Or watch the Original Exorcist, which is still the #1 scariest movie ever on my list.

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jenrising

jenrising

I really enjoyed this. Of course, I'll watch any terrible movie about possession, so my bar is very low. But I liked it. Good acting, nice level of creepiness. And not to slick to ruin the old school cheesiness I love about these stories. 

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SimoneS

SimoneS

(edited)
6 hours ago, kitticup said:

Yeah, I glad other's liked this. I loved the feel of the show.  the music at the end had a slight variation so it was iconic but with a modern twist.  I love Tomas but I really love his nephew Luis.  That kid cracked me up.  

Luis was funny and sweet. I am worried about him since he is so close to his uncle.

 

7 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

I think my favorite moment was when Tomas told that older sister off at dinner. He's awesome. I wonder how his past affair will play into the story?

What was that retreat place all about? It was super creepy, maybe more than the possession stuff!

I loved how Tomas told off the sister at dinner too. I don't know what her problem is, but I hated how cruel she was to her father. I hope that father continues to act as a conduit for the good side of things, Maybe he can be temporarily be possessed by an angel that helps.

That retreat was spooky. I wasn't sure what was going on there. Maybe it is a place where troubled priests like Marcus go to rest, but the eye thing with that man Tomas spoke to was freaky.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, but I am not optimistic that it will gain a strong enough audience to keep it on the air, even on a Friday night. However, maybe word of mouth and positive online fan reaction will help it out.

Edited by SimoneS
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Madding crowd

Madding crowd

I thought it was really good and had genuine creepy moments. I love scary stuff and have pretty much seen it all but I really liked the scene with Father Tomas in the attic and the little boy with the double pupils. I didn't guess it was really the other daughter either! And Father Tomas is very nice to look it, I like it that he is a more modern priest. 

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atomationage

atomationage

(edited)

I wouldn't watch this at night, so I'm watching this morning, glancing away at the scariest bits.  The cast is brilliant.  I'm curious about the church they showed in the beginning.  It looked like it could be in Chicago.  I got to the "L" scene.  That's definitely in Chicago. 

Edited by atomationage
update
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saber5055

saber5055

I flipped over to this to kill time during the first commercial break in Shark Tank, and WOW, just the little I saw scared the beejesus out of me, something I totally did not expect. So I didn't get to see the entire episode, just enough to tell me it's a FREAKING good show. Reading here, I missed the reveal about the "affair," saw nothing about the retreat, and only saw the very end of the attic scene after Mom turned on the light. I hope it gets rerun, or is online somewhere so I can watch the entire show uninterrupted. If network can let air stuff that was shown on Hannibal, this show should be able to pull off some pretty spooky stuff. I'm in!

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primadonna

primadonna

I thought it had a bit of an X-Files feel, with a lot of dark scenes, skepticism, and an excellent cast. I'm in the generation when the original Exorcist had an X rating and we practically had to sneak to the theater to see it.  I found this show less disturbing than many other shows on tv, and hope Fox gives it a chance to gather an audience.  

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ennui

ennui

14 hours ago, TDT said:

So if this sticks around till sweeps,what are the odds that we'll see a guest appearance by Linda Blair as a "psychic" character lol..

I want Linda to portray a nun. 

I watched, so I'm going to guess the first night ratings were pretty good, since I rarely watch anything. The attic scene gave me the creeps, so I will also be averting my eyes for some things in the future.

17 hours ago, SimoneS said:

What always irks me about these exorcist type movies is that angels never seem to there to help out. It is always the priest and his faith which always strikes me as way insufficient against powerful demons.

Angels follow God's will, so if He asks them to help, they will. I think the whole point of these stories, however, is the power of faith. If the priest does not have enough faith, no, he won't succeed. Imho.

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pezgirl7

pezgirl7

(edited)
7 hours ago, atomationage said:

I wouldn't watch this at night, so I'm watching this morning, glancing away at the scariest bits.  The cast is brilliant.  I'm curious about the church they showed in the beginning.  It looked like it could be in Chicago.  I got to the "L" scene.  That's definitely in Chicago. 

During one of the first scenes of the camera panning down the streets, I thought, That looks like Chicago. I'm sure there are a lot of city neighborhoods that look like that, but it just looked so quintessentially Chicago to me. And then when Tomas was reading the letter from Evanston, I figured I had guessed right! I'm curious too what neighborhood the church was in. I might Google it.

ETA I couldn't find where the church is, but it seems most of the interior shots are done on a soundstage, and the Rance's house is suppose to be Andersonville. I think the church is on the near south side, hence the L train ride. I'm guessing the father grew up there, and that's why his family travels to a different neighborhood for church.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/bill-zwecker/the-exorcist-joins-large-group-of-tv-shows-filming-in-chicago/

Sounds like the first episode didn't do too good in the ratings. :( This is from ew.com...

CBS’ MacGyver reboot of the 1980s action-hour classic got off to a very strong start in a tough time slot at 8 p.m., delivering 10.1 million viewers and a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49. That makes MacGyver the best CBS series debut in that time slot since 2012. MacGyver also easily ranked as the night’s highest-rated show. On the other hand, Fox’s attempt to bring horror franchise The Exorcist to the small screen struggled out of the gate at 9 p.m. The Exorcist only possessed 2.9 million viewers and a 1.0 rating in the demo. 

Edited by pezgirl7
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Pestilentia

Pestilentia

This was not bad- some decent casting, Herrera isn't bad to look at, and I love Ben Daniels voice and face. I was especially happy there at the end to hear that they spent the big bucks and got the rights to the real music- it's become such an integral part of the genre.

The only problem I saw was that Geena Davis's face took me out of the moment every time she appeared onscreen. While Daniel's face is lovely and lined and aged as a person's should be at that stage of their life, Davis's was just wrong. Sorry, but bad/excessive surgery just destroys a faces character- she sounded enough like Geena Davis but the essential 'essence of' was lacking for me. Superficial maybe, and I don't necessarily want to descend into a rant about aging actresses destroying what made them attractive to begin with, but it really bothered me.

Keeping the season pass for now- maybe they'll tweak the lighting or smear vaseline on the lens or something and it won't stand out as badly as the season progresses. Hope so.

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starri

starri

It's very slickly made, and I liked it enough to stick out for however long it sticks around, but I have to say it kind of spoiled it for me when they decided to tip into the supernatural stuff right away.  Even though the movie is calledThe Exorcist and the audience knows what's coming, Reagan doesn't start doing demonic stuff until about halfway into the movie.  Those scenes of her getting tortured in the name of a medical diagnosis are as scary if not scarier than the head-spinning and soup-spitting. 

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pezgirl7

pezgirl7

13 hours ago, atomationage said:

I'm curious about the church they showed in the beginning.  It looked like it could be in Chicago.  I got to the "L" scene.  That's definitely in Chicago. 

I still had the episode on my DVR, so I watched the beginning again, noticed a street sign that said Peoria, took to Google maps, and found the church! It's called Ebenezer House of Prayer and is on the south side.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ebenezer+House+of+Prayer,+911+W+50th+Pl+%234,+Chicago,+IL+60609/@41.8086361,-87.6290278,12z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!1m3!3m2!1s0x880e2cd178d20ea1:0xc391cb63055946dc!2sN+Peoria+St,+Chicago,+IL!3m1!1s0x880e2e91e0f04a81:0x923437d233c469b6

I couldn't find any photos, just a YouTube video from last year, which shows it was in pretty bad disrepair. I wonder what it looks like now? I'm assuming the TV show fixed it up. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ov2-wov_rW4

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atomationage

atomationage

The interior might be a different location.   I'm really going to look into this.  My uncle and aunts lived less than a mile from there in the 1930s, and went to Visitation, on Garfield Blvd, literally 5 blocks south on Peoria.  On the face of  Ebenezer is carved St. Jean Baptiste.  I guess that was the original name of the church.   

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pezgirl7

pezgirl7

(edited)

I compared the YouTube video with the show and it looks like the same interior. The stained glass windows in the choir loft are the same!

Edited by pezgirl7
Updated with proper term for the balcony that I couldn't remember before
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SoSueMe

SoSueMe

16 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

This was not bad- some decent casting, Herrera isn't bad to look at, and I love Ben Daniels voice and face. I was especially happy there at the end to hear that they spent the big bucks and got the rights to the real music- it's become such an integral part of the genre.

The only problem I saw was that Geena Davis's face took me out of the moment every time she appeared onscreen. While Daniel's face is lovely and lined and aged as a person's should be at that stage of their life, Davis's was just wrong. Sorry, but bad/excessive surgery just destroys a faces character- she sounded enough like Geena Davis but the essential 'essence of' was lacking for me. Superficial maybe, and I don't necessarily want to descend into a rant about aging actresses destroying what made them attractive to begin with, but it really bothered me.

Keeping the season pass for now- maybe they'll tweak the lighting or smear vaseline on the lens or something and it won't stand out as badly as the season progresses. Hope so.

When I looked at Geena Davis I wasn't thinking surgery, I am naive. I thought that maybe it was a little extra weight. She kind of looked her age (60) to me.

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Epeolatrix

Epeolatrix

Quote

I wonder if the father (Cameron from Ferris Bueller) in his condition can somehow help. He seems to be channeling the good side. After all he helped Tomas find Marcus.

This brought to mind my the movie Exorcist III, where is was brought up that the demon found it easy to use people who were infirm of mind, like the elderly dementia patients at the hospital. Fr Tomas being directed to Fr Marcus might not actually be the work of the good side, especially in light of Fr Marcus saying, "They'll love you." in reference to demonic spirits. Fr Tomas is ripe for destruction, given his lack of belief in actual demons rather than the metaphorical; putting him face to face with a true evil that he isn't prepared for would do wonders to crush his own faith and that of those around him.

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Straycat80

Straycat80

The movie is still the scariest movie I've ever seen so I was on the fence wether to watch this or not. I'm glad I did, not a fan of scary scenes but so far I like the story between the two priests. I'm also wondering how the father fits into all this. 

I still get squicked out by that Tubular Bells song after all these years! 

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TobinAlbers

TobinAlbers

(edited)
20 hours ago, Violet Impulse said:

Fr Marcus saying, "They'll love you." in reference to demonic spirits. Fr Tomas is ripe for destruction, given his lack of belief in actual demons rather than the metaphorical; putting him face to face with a true evil that he isn't prepared for would do wonders to crush his own faith and that of those around him.

When Marcus said that it scared the crap out of me. It's just chilling to think how one can be manipulated by unseen forces like that. And it seemed to be later proven when Tomas came face to face with the possessed Casey that it was toying with him literally like a cat with a mouse/rat and openly mocking him. It revealed itself to him and was like 'What ya gonna do?'

I'm not normally a horror fan and I refuse to watch the movie; the positive reviews intrigued me and I found the tension to be great and the hook of can Tomas and Marcus save not just this family but it seems the city on a larger scale if previews are to be believed interesting.

Gah, when the possessed kid broke free and slapped Marcus not once but TWICE and was like 'See (what I can do!) and killed that kid? That was tough.

Although I gotta hope/wonder if FOX will go there and do a Lucifer/The Exorcist crossover, LOL. Or have Lucifer watching The Exorcist and shaking his head at the show and lamenting 'that's not that works' or 'I do not condone nor support the actions of these demons who decide to go topside and possess individuals.   They operate under their own discretion.'

Edited by TobinAlbers
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mfun21

mfun21

Thanks to those of you who confirmed the Chicago setting!  While watching I noticed the Billy Goat tshirt and the reference to the Palmer House and US 41.  

Overall, I really liked this episode.  The pacing and background scenes did a nice job setting a tone similar to the movie without feeling like an outright copy.  I think I will really enjoy watching the relationship between Fr. Marcus and Tomas, the "apprentice".  And I definitely didn't see the twist coming that it was Casey possessed, and not Kat.  I enjoyed it and thought it was well done.  Looking forward to more!

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atomationage

atomationage

The Billy Goat thing goes back to some guy a long time ago who supposedly put a curse on The Cubs because they wouldn't let him in with his goat.  When I worked in the Insurance Exchange Building at 175 W. Jackson, which is now a hotel, there was a Billy Goat Tavern around the corner on Wabash, IIRC.  I also worked in the Carbide and Carbon Building, 230 N. Michigan, which has been in many movies.  It's now a Hard Rock Hotel. 

In the show, the only flaw was the one priest who was exorcising.  He was overacting a bit, but they're trying to make sure we know this is serious stuff. 

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ennui

ennui

(edited)
On 9/25/2016 at 10:50 AM, SoSueMe said:

When I looked at Geena Davis I wasn't thinking surgery, I am naive. I thought that maybe it was a little extra weight. She kind of looked her age (60) to me.

Same for me. She's had three children. I think it's nearly impossible for any actress to resist a few nips and tucks and still get work. At least until you're into your dowager years. 

Edited by ennui
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iMonrey

iMonrey

Quote

The only problem I saw was that Geena Davis's face took me out of the moment every time she appeared onscreen. While Daniel's face is lovely and lined and aged as a person's should be at that stage of their life, Davis's was just wrong. Sorry, but bad/excessive surgery just destroys a faces character- she sounded enough like Geena Davis but the essential 'essence of' was lacking for me. Superficial maybe, and I don't necessarily want to descend into a rant about aging actresses destroying what made them attractive to begin with, but it really bothered me.

I had the same issue. She kind of distracted me. That said, so did Courtney Cox's face in Cougar Town and I managed to get through all six seasons of that show so maybe I can get past Davis's face too.

I though the pilot was alright but I tend to agree with the recap - I don't see how they're going to stretch the premise out over an entire season if the story focuses on this one family.

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atomationage

atomationage

(edited)
3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I don't see how they're going to stretch the premise out over an entire season if the story focuses on this one family.

Father Tomas takes his shirt off in the next episode.  In the one after that he takes a shower.  In the one after that someone catches him coming out of the shower.  In the one after that there's an inappropriate kiss.  How many episodes of Sense8 did they do?

From the Billy Goat link, I noticed that I've actually been to that place made famous by Belushi many years ago.  It was in a very odd location, somewhere I would never be able to find again. (There is more than one street level there.)  It was sort of in between Tribune Tower and The old Sun Times Daily News Building, and I think the employees of both papers used to meet there.   The STDN bldg is gone, Drumpf Tower is there instead now.

Edited by atomationage
billy goat update
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ennui

ennui

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 I don't see how they're going to stretch the premise out over an entire season if the story focuses on this one family.

The description for the second episode is moving outside this one family, so I think we're good.

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