Worst idea ever!
Who’s the programming genius who came up with adapting the brilliant X-rated 1973 William Friedkin thriller “The Exorcist” – arguably the scariest movie ever forged – into a broadcast television series?
Because Fox should give that programming genius a raise. The netlet’s new “Exorcist” pilot is genuinely scary and brimming with compelling characters. It’s probably this autumn’s best hourlong pilot.
Don’t expect to revisit characters from the novel or the movie. There’s no Regan MacNeil or Father Merrin or Father Karras. The setting is Chicago instead of D.C. But there is a young priest and an older priest and a successful mom and her oddly behaving teen daughter.
I’ve only seen the pilot but this pilot will give viewers plenty of confidence that series creator Jeremy Slater, who helped script the wildly underrated first hour of last year’s “Fantastic Four” movie, knows what he’s doing.
... well-made, well-acted television, which is more than can be said for some of the reboots rolling out this fall. Where it’s going after the first episode is anyone’s guess, but fans of sophisticated horror will certainly be curious to find out. …
... The dogs howl; the crows gather. “The Exorcist” is back in business. Grade: B.
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... the special effects are convincing, and the script is a labyrinth of mystery and suspicion guaranteed to hold your interest. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... There’s a baroque, gothic beauty to the pilot, which relies more on silence, darkness and startling moments than it does on gore to convey a spooky, sinister tone. The pilot is slow but it builds to a twist that sets up the show’s first season and offers a solid enough foundation that encourages horror fans to come back for more. …
... My head is spinning. I was fully prepared to find a cheesy knock-off, a lame attempt to milk the franchise once again. But the pilot is better than it has any right to be — tensely paced, sharply directed, and creepy enough to make you look and look away at the same time. …
... The real draw is the sustained, dream-state tension, as if reality were slowly giving way to a nightmare, punctuated by yelp-inducing bursts. The film gave you spinning heads and pea-soup vomit; the TV version has its own tricks up its sleeve. …
... The first installment of the drama does a truly impressive job of establishing a mournful atmosphere, as it sketches out an array of characters worth following on what promises to be a very challenging journey. … There’s always the chance this “Exorcist” may falter after the pilot, but Slater, director/executive producer Rupert Wyatt and the show’s capable array of actors have given it an exceptionally effective starting point. …
9 p.m. Friday. Fox.
