‘The Exorcist’: Fox’s Fantastic Pilot Will Make Your Head Spin!
By Billy Cripps
The Exorcist TV series, based on the 1973 classic, premiered Friday night on FOX. Is It great or terrible? Find out just how it measure up to the original below.
When it comes to William Friedkin’s 1973 film version of William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist, there should be no doubt whatsoever that the film is an all-time classic. It was frightening enough at the time to make people vomit and leave the theater. So it may have come as somewhat of a shock to everyone when FOX announced a new TV series based on The Exorcist.
The Exorcist on FOX
Could a network TV version of a classic actually live up to its inspiration? Will The Exorcist TV series make our heads spin in delight, or will it be a cold bowl of split pea soup? Well, I viewed the season premiere and it definitely shows promise.
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The first thing you need to know is The Exorcist TV series is its own story. In Chapter One: And Let My Cry Come Unto Thee, the series opener, You won’t see Regan here. So far the only connection to the movie at all is a quick blink and you’ll miss it Easter egg. To give a hint it’s when Father Tomas is searching the internet.
Father Tomas Ortega is a preacher who is starting to doubt his faith. That is until Angela Rance comes to him believing there is a demonic presence in her home. Father Tomas seeks out the help of Exorcist Father Marcus Keane. Keane has a troubled past.
Director Rupert Wyatt (The Gambler, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes) takes control behind the camera for the first episode of The Exorcist. He does this with such zeal that it sucks you right in. At times I felt like instead of watching a TV show, I was in the story right alongside Father Tomas.
The cast of ‘The Exorcist’- Courtesy of FOX
The cast is top of the line. Geena Davis plays mother Angela Rance, who believes there’s a demonic presence in her home. Also, Alfonso Herrera is Father Tomas. The best performances, however, come from Ben Daniel who plays the troubled Father Marcus Keane. As well as Brianne Howey as Angela’s daughter, Kat.
Where The Exorcist TV series falls a little short is in the effects department; It’s a mixed bag. Some of the effects are great, some not so great. The pilot episode kind of moves at a snail’s pace. This is understandable, however. It gives us something a lot of horror shows, or movies for that matter lack these days. A thing called character development.
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I feel the drama, and fear will begin to ramp up as the series. When that happens, the series will certainly pack a wallop. So does the series stack up compared to the movie? It’s too soon to tell but I think it will be an emotional thrill-ride nevertheless.
Check out a preview of next weeks outing, Chapter Two: Lupus in Fabula, courtesy of FOX:
So, if you’re not watching it based on some sort of warped principle blind hatred for remakes, my friend you are missing out. Because
The ExorcistTV series is turning heads.