Top Five Bizarre Exorcism Movies

The rare few moments I spend watching television rarely affords me a glimpse of anything actually inspirational. In other words, most of what makes it to That is Bizarre has nothing to do with television. However, a movie preview caught my eye the other day and made me think how utterly bizarre exorcisms are and how dramatizing exorcisms make them even more bizarre. The inspiration for this post came from the preview for the upcoming movie "The Devil Inside." While I would love to add the movie to this list, I have not seen it yet, so I will have to stick to exorcism movies with which I am familiar.

Note: There was a barrage of rip-off exorcism films after the release of The Exorcist in 1973. These movies were relatively bizarre, but only in their blatant attempts cash in on the first film's success. This list will contain none of the '74-'75 rip-off films. 


5. Exorcist: The Beginning

"Exorcist: The Beginning" is the prequel to the 1973 The Exorcist film based on William Peter Blatty's novel of the same name. It deals with the priest who exorcised Regan in the original film and his first encounter with the demon who had possessed Regan. What is bizarre about this film is actually one scene that involves Father Merrin descending into the annals of an ancient church. At one point, he is stuck in a tunnel in the Earth that can only manage on person - one way. In this tunnel, he is faced by the demon. It was one heck of a way to portray a face-off with a demon and why this is in the number 5 spot on this list.

4. The Last Exorcism

"The Last Exorcism" is a refreshing exorcism film, in that it is filmed like a documentary. That is what makes it bizarre. However, the film itself is a little over the top, even for this genre. It basically takes a skeptical reverend and makes a believer out of him with the help of a cult-like group and a demon baby. It's ultimate cheese.

3. The Exorcism of Emily Rose

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is a film loosely based on the real life exorcism of Anneliese Michel. While the supernatural subject matter is not believed to be true by all, the suffering of the girl in the film is undeniable. She goes through many of the hardships that Anneliese suffered, just in a more dramatic light. There is a lot of bizarre antics in this film, from rapid-fire demon talk to contorting young women.

2. Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

"The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel" is an actual documentary. Creepy, right? It discusses the topic of the multiple exorcisms of Anneliese, who died as a result of either her alleged possession or the exorcism that was meant to cure it. The documentary includes audio from Anneliese's actual exorcisms. They are not for the faint of heart, nor are photos of the girl as she died. She was starved and very sick by the time she eventually expired.

1. The Exorcist

"The Exorcist" takes the number one spot on this list because it took the genre to a whole new level. Filmmakers have yet to outdo it, even with advances in moviemaking technology. This film included rough special effects that somehow managed to be the most disturbing thing most people had ever seen. The movie created a sort of hysteria about exorcisms that would have been laughable if the film was not so darn creepy.