The Exorcist vs. The Omen
12/11/2017
By Brian Bitner, originally published at JoBlo.com  This week, it wouldn't be October without a Halloween appropriate Face-Off, so I'm looking at two of my personal favorite horror films of all time. I fell in love with both THE EXORCIST and THE OMEN at a worryingly young age and have been a fan of both franchises since. Both have spawned several sequels, spoofs, and a 2016 television series, but which original film outspooks the other? Grab a crucifix and seven sacred daggers, and let's get wicked. The Child
Cast
The cast members of THE EXORCIST are more often noted for their performances, but Peck and Remick bring a maturity and classic feel to THE OMEN, while the rest of the cast mostly adds to the creepiness factor. Plot
Exorcist Quotes vs. Omen Quotes
Directing
Music
Box Office & Accolades
Legacy
THE VERDICT: |
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#9. The Wicker Man
Christopher Lee seems like a necessary addition to any horror move made within a certain three-decade period. This movie does a good job juxtaposing true religion with a cult. The original The Wicker Man is an absolutely brilliant film about a devoutly Christian policeman who is summoned anonymously to a mysterious island to find a captured girl. Honestly, saying much more would spoil the intricate story. The British film combines the thriller, horror, and musical genres to make something truly unique. Unfortunately, the 2006 remake starring Nicholas Cage may be one of the worst movies of all time, so steer clear of it. Trust us, it is as bad as advertised. |
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#8. A Thief in the Night
This bit of Christian horror seems like a modern twist on the morality plays of Medieval Europe. Unfortunately, this one is still on my to-watch list.
A Thief in the Night is the first of many ‘70s era horror films made by conservative Christians who had one simple goal – get people to convert and fast. The films took a literal approach to the horrors of the end times by depicting beheadings of Christians and an actual rapture. Fellow Beliefnet editors who saw these movies as children vouch for their effectiveness at scaring children. In retrospect though, it is mainly frightening that someone thought this was a good idea.
It looks easy enough to watch this movie on YouTube in its entirety. Comment below with your thoughts and reviews!
This bit of Christian horror seems like a modern twist on the morality plays of Medieval Europe. Unfortunately, this one is still on my to-watch list.
A Thief in the Night is the first of many ‘70s era horror films made by conservative Christians who had one simple goal – get people to convert and fast. The films took a literal approach to the horrors of the end times by depicting beheadings of Christians and an actual rapture. Fellow Beliefnet editors who saw these movies as children vouch for their effectiveness at scaring children. In retrospect though, it is mainly frightening that someone thought this was a good idea.
It looks easy enough to watch this movie on YouTube in its entirety. Comment below with your thoughts and reviews!
#7. Carrie
I added this one to this list of Christian horror after some hesitation, but in the end, I erred on the side of including this Stephen King classic. The religiosity presented in this movie seems to fall beyond the pale. This is not so much Christian horror as an horrific caricature of a Christian. Let me know what you think!
From BeliefNet: "Carrie’s frightening telekinetic powers are the focus of this film, but her overbearingly religious mother is as much of an antagonist as they bullies at her school. Carrie is locked in her room and forced to pray while her mother blames her daughters’ problems on her sins. Unfortunately for the mother though, her intense religious sheltering comes down on her in the end, quite literally."
I added this one to this list of Christian horror after some hesitation, but in the end, I erred on the side of including this Stephen King classic. The religiosity presented in this movie seems to fall beyond the pale. This is not so much Christian horror as an horrific caricature of a Christian. Let me know what you think!
From BeliefNet: "Carrie’s frightening telekinetic powers are the focus of this film, but her overbearingly religious mother is as much of an antagonist as they bullies at her school. Carrie is locked in her room and forced to pray while her mother blames her daughters’ problems on her sins. Unfortunately for the mother though, her intense religious sheltering comes down on her in the end, quite literally."
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#6. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
See? Not all of these Christian horror films are from the 70s, though that begs the question - what was going on in the 70s?
I was so surprised when I first saw this to find a beautiful message folded within this truly horrifying movie. The choice at the end, whether theologically accurate or not, truly elevates this movie. Also, the best part, it's based on a true story, right?
Let’s face it – exorcisms are played out. A priest chanting Bible verses while a demon inhabits a person’s body? Yawn. This film, however, takes an interesting approach to the subject by wrapping the disturbing tale of Emily Rose in a court case against the very priest who performed the exorcism. It is ripe with scary bits, but it also tackles the concept of faith vs. science in a very powerful way, leaving you both scared and ready to discuss what exactly the movie was trying to say. That is rare for a horror film!
See? Not all of these Christian horror films are from the 70s, though that begs the question - what was going on in the 70s?
I was so surprised when I first saw this to find a beautiful message folded within this truly horrifying movie. The choice at the end, whether theologically accurate or not, truly elevates this movie. Also, the best part, it's based on a true story, right?
Let’s face it – exorcisms are played out. A priest chanting Bible verses while a demon inhabits a person’s body? Yawn. This film, however, takes an interesting approach to the subject by wrapping the disturbing tale of Emily Rose in a court case against the very priest who performed the exorcism. It is ripe with scary bits, but it also tackles the concept of faith vs. science in a very powerful way, leaving you both scared and ready to discuss what exactly the movie was trying to say. That is rare for a horror film!
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#5. The Omen
This movie has it all, as well as about 40 sequels ... and Gregory Peck to boot! The end times are a common concept in horror movies, but few are willing to go to the lengths that The Omen did in the ‘70s. Young Damien is a little different than the other children. Namely, people seem to suffer bizarre deaths in his presence. The audience follows his family as they discover the horrible truth – their only son is the antichrist. What makes the film a classic is the parents’ believable relationship and genuine reactions to the insane events happening around them. Damien is so adorable that you won’t believe it either. |
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#4 and #3.
The Seventh Sign The Seventh Seal Please excuse me for including these together, despite one film being far superior to the other. This is as much to help me disambiguate! As a child of the 80s, I admit I was probably watching this movie more for Demi Moore than its Christian themes. Watch out with this one - there is a mix of pseudo-Christian theology and Hebrew mysticism in this movie. Don't confuse this movie or any of these movies for the Catechism! I've also included the Ingmar Bergman film of the same name, which is in all respects superior to the Demi Moore Version :) |
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#2.
Rosemary's Baby Not exactly the feel-good movie of the decade ... but a classic nonetheless. Rosemary’s Baby seeks to answer the age old question - “What would you do if you were carrying Satan’s baby?” It seems far-fetched, but the genius of the film lies in just how normal everything seems much of the time. The characters live their seemingly mundane liveswhile the audience sees the macabre events taking place around them. Little do they know, the Woodhouse couple is actually a part of a satanic ritual aimed at bringing the antichrist into the world. The film is incredibly bold considering its age, and it will still effect you today. |
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#1. The Exorcist
Big surprise, right? A movie so chilling it spawned a whole horror sub-genre. Also, it provides a healthy reminder to all people, everywhere: when things get really bad, accept no substitutes, get a Catholic priest!
At its heart The Exorcist is a simple movie about a family, a group of Priests, and the lengths that they would all go through to save a little girl. All of this is told through a nastily claustrophobic take on demonic possession. Its shocking scenes may lose some impact nowadays, but the emotional content of the film is as effective as it has always been.
I've also included a link to a great book by the world's most experienced exorcist priest. Very interesting read!
Big surprise, right? A movie so chilling it spawned a whole horror sub-genre. Also, it provides a healthy reminder to all people, everywhere: when things get really bad, accept no substitutes, get a Catholic priest!
At its heart The Exorcist is a simple movie about a family, a group of Priests, and the lengths that they would all go through to save a little girl. All of this is told through a nastily claustrophobic take on demonic possession. Its shocking scenes may lose some impact nowadays, but the emotional content of the film is as effective as it has always been.
I've also included a link to a great book by the world's most experienced exorcist priest. Very interesting read!
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Adapted from an article originally published at BeliefNet.
The First Pro-Life Horror Novel
5/13/2017
Horror novel from Scott L. Smith, Jr. is the first of its kind ...
From LifeDate, Quarterly Journal:
The Seventh Word was written by Scott Smith or S.L. Smith as his name appears on the front of the novel. Smith is an author, attorney, and (Roman Catholic) theologian from Louisiana. He also has a blog www.thescottsmithblog.com.
From LifeDate, Quarterly Journal:
The Seventh Word was written by Scott Smith or S.L. Smith as his name appears on the front of the novel. Smith is an author, attorney, and (Roman Catholic) theologian from Louisiana. He also has a blog www.thescottsmithblog.com.
His book is set in a small Louisiana town and tells the story of a quiet community that has an abortion clinic open up in it midst. Prior to opening its doors two strange visitors begin to pop up and have frightening and disturbing encounters with the unsuspecting locals.
Smith's book was definitely inspired by the works of Stephen King and Bram Stoker. The famous novel Dracula was told through multiple character perspectives as is The Seventh Word. Many of King's novels such as It or Salem's Lot take place in small town America and feature a supernatural evil that preys upon the inhabitants and must be defeated. This small town USA setting and a supernatural battle that unfolds there is also present in the book.
The central characters in the book are Jim David, a young lawyer, Monsignor a priest who suspects something wicked has come to town, and Edward Teach who speaks on behalf of his business partner Mr. LaColt who set up the abortion clinic in this tiny Louisiana town. Throughout the book Smith enjoys rotating the perspective from Jim to Monsignor or some lesser known characters in the book. This allows the reader to experience the events that are unfolding from multiple perspectives. One of the most intriguing smaller characters is a nurse named Jana who takes a job at the new abortion clinic due to her gradual discovery of something spiritual that is unfolding at the clinic.
Not only does Smith draw upon the work of King and Stoker the reader will also find scenes depicted in the book that bring to mind the apocalyptic scenes of Revelation. For instance readers will find depictions reminiscent of what John saw regarding the trumpets of judgment from chapter 8, or the woman and the dragon from chapter 12 of Revelation. Just as John sought to give us a picture of the spiritual side of life here in this world, so Smith also seeks to use the horror genre to show the spiritual reality of abortion.
The narrative flow Smith uses for The Seventh Word is both literary and suspenseful in keeping the reader guessing until the end. Smith also seeks to show how the taking of the life of an unborn child is a deeply spiritual matter. These elements of writing and reflection provide a lot for the reader to ponder. Anyone who is thinking about reading Smith's book does need to be forewarned about what they will be reading.
This is a horror novel and there are some frightening scenes in this book that are also quite graphic as well. However, it was refreshing to read a book where Christianity (from a Roman Catholic position) was depicted in a positive, useful, and ultimately victorious way.
I greatly appreciated Smith tackling the subject of abortion using the medium of story and in particular the horror genre. Abortion is a horrific matter that needs the voice of Christ's people who are called to be salt and light in the midst of dark times.
Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness
5/13/2017
This Present Darkness is among the classic novels of the Christian horror genre. It also serves as strong commentary against the hidden dangers of New Age-ism, which is as important now as it was in the 1980s, when the book was first published. Set in the deceptively peaceful small town of Ashton, the book's ingredients are solid: an intrepid Christian pastor, Hank Busche; the dogged editor of The Clarion, Marshall Hogan; and sinister figures slowly manipulating a town toward their own dark purposes.
This Present Darkness is the first book of a two-part series, including Piercing the Darkness.
This Present Darkness is the first book of a two-part series, including Piercing the Darkness.
First published in 1986, Peretti's book set the standard for suspense for spiritual warfare story-telling. Nearly every page of the book describes sulfur-belching, ash-choking demons battling fierce angelic warriors. All of this occurs on a level of reality that is just beyond the senses. It is a helpful spiritual practice for Christians to read books such as these. They help us tinge our reality with the supernatural, even as the rest of the world focuses on the purely material.
This book also teaches us about the power of prayer in our own unseen spiritual battles. Christian believers and New Age demon-worshippers influence the unseen clashes between the angels and demons through prayer. This book is not for the faint of heart. The descriptions of exorcisms are especially vivid: "There were fifteen [demons], packed into Carmen's body like crawling, superimposed maggots, boiling, writhing, a tangle of hideous arms, legs, talons, and heads."
This Present Darkness should be on every Christian Horror reader's summer reading list.
This book also teaches us about the power of prayer in our own unseen spiritual battles. Christian believers and New Age demon-worshippers influence the unseen clashes between the angels and demons through prayer. This book is not for the faint of heart. The descriptions of exorcisms are especially vivid: "There were fifteen [demons], packed into Carmen's body like crawling, superimposed maggots, boiling, writhing, a tangle of hideous arms, legs, talons, and heads."
This Present Darkness should be on every Christian Horror reader's summer reading list.
Reviewers
The Christian Horror staff, including Amelia Pathing, Christian writer, and Scott Smith, horror novelist and blogger at thescottsmithblog.com.
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