The Exorcist...again

     So it seems that I have seen one too many inappropriate films at way toooooo young of an age.  I was little when horror was at quite the peak and the video tape and video store were just being born.  This meant many scary times for a little girl with an already large imagination and a thirst for the bizarre.  But somewhere in there a mother might have just prevented certain films from being seen....you know,  like Amityville Horror IN the theater.  Or Halloween.  Let's do some math.  These movies came out in '78 and '79 and I was born in '72.  See what I mean?
     My mother (unlike many parents of today) did what she wanted more often than what her child needed.  I could list the movies to make you raise your eyebrows...and maybe they explain why I am the way I am today...but I'll stick to the topic.
     The Exorcist was first seen while sitting at the foot of the bed while my parents were comfy under safe blankets.  My mother found it funny to do the scary demon voice and my response was a slap to her mouth in pure terrified fashion.  I was a child who attended Catholic school with nuns and priests and statues and fear of the red guy.  This movie scared the hell out of me.  For years.  I mean....like until I JUST saw it again.  My pals from work mentioned that they were going and I am trying to reconnect with my love for the frightening especially this time of year...so I went for it.  This time I realized how long and drawn out the intro is, I analyzed the special effects and make up and didn't feel scared at any point.  The gentleman who introduced the Revival Series movie reminded us that at the time it was new and groundbreaking  and if you had a religious background it definitely would bother you more than if you had not.
     I am a grown up now with a spirituality that doesn't allow the gloom and doom of the red hot basement.  Not to say that there isn't evil in the world because I do believe there is...but it doesn't have the hold on my fears as it used to as a child.  There is a part during the exorcism when the priest is reminding the other not to listen to the demon.  The demon will go for the hot button items and pull at the very things that can rattle the man trying to expel this force.  He grew weak at times and fed into it.  It gave me a huge lesson in the way people sometimes communicate.  Some go for those buttons because they are easy.  Others get sucked into the triggers.  We need to remind ourselves that the darkness will sometimes take the back door and sneak up on us...but really we need to just be clear.  We need to be the light.  So this little girl got a beautiful message out of a scary, scary movie and had a fun October night with her friends while hiding behind our scarves.  Thanks, Marq, Hannah, Leigh Ann and John for making a life long fear...a fun night at the movies.