These questions get harder to answer... I need specifics! My thoughts were of 1. Hauntings, 2. Possessions, or 3. Curses. Since the whole "haunted house" thing is over-saturated, that left me with two other options... After looking over the list of questions again, I've decided to go with possessions. Even though most possession films are dogshit (still riding off the coattails of The Exorcist), I am enticed by the concept. There are very few great possession films, and I believe The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) is one of them.
I remember my mom telling me about the first time she watched this film; My parents went to see it in theaters, presumably late October, and being freaked out by it. She said they were extra scared on the drive home because it was very foggy that night. I should've been there, bro...
I watched it a long time ago and it left quite the impression on me. I see the movie as an underrated classic these days. Jennifer Carpenter is a phenomenal actress. The first time I saw her was in White Chicks (2004), screaming half-naked in a changing room. She was so over the top and it makes total sense as to why she would be in this film! Her antics really pull off the possessed act, which can be hard to do without looking cheesy. She was fucking insane in this film.
Again, this movie deals with the theme of faith. It's a possession film after all, always the biblical demons. Whether it'd be Laura Linney's character taking a chance in her client, or Emily choosing to endure her suffering to show that God and the Devil are real, every character has their faith challenged. They all take the plunge into uncertainty, choosing to trust something or someone of a higher power.
I am not a religious person, but a spiritual one. However, I do appreciate Jesus and his mother, La Virgen de Guadalupe. I love La Virgen and her imagery, with her emerald robes and red roses. She meant a lot to my grandparents; The story of Juan Diego would bring my grandfather to tears. She is mentioned in this film, inviting Emily to end her suffering by ascending. The film means something personal to me.
Faith is always a reoccurring theme for myself as well. I have deep scars in regards to religion, having been gripped by my collar while being asked, "Do you want to go to hell?". I had a hard time coping with the thought, "If God is real, why did all of these bad things happen to me?". My faith in humanity was failing, so why would I have faith in a God that lets people do bad things to me? Why was I being punished? Why would I keep praying to God every night when I've wanted to die since I was 7 years old?
I am still adverse to the practice of Catholicism and going to church. I haven't forgiven it for the way it treated my un-wedded mother who was pregnant with me. I hate that it preaches about forgiveness, further enabling dirty rotten bastards who should be punished for their sins before even being considered to go to heaven. I do not believe that pain brings me closer to God. It makes me hate God and everyone who loves "him". But life goes on and I am free. There are many things I still don't understand and I hope to find out after leaving this mortal coil.
Getting a bit too deep in a post discussing your favorite supernatural film, no? Horror is an instrumental tool in story-telling. That is why I love it so much. You can make anything into a horror film and have beautiful messages behind it. Horror is so much more than just cheap thrills (not that there's anything wrong with that) and that's why I love it so much. Horror provides me catharsis. I say this as I watch women being torn apart by evil men... JK, I kid. I am self-aware, do I get a chocolate covered strawberry?
Anyways, let me wrap this fucker up, it's 3:16 in the fucking morning. I'm supposed to be fixing my sleep schedule...
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