Quiz: Horror Films Inspired By Real-Life Exorcisms
What d'you think — how many of these films have you seen? Did we leave out any heavy-hitters? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this quiz, you'll love the upcoming horror film The Ritual! Based on the real notes and findings of a real-life exorcist and the multiple exorcisms of Emma Schmidt (aka Anna Ecklund), it's sure to horrify you. Check out the trailer here:
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San Francisco Chronicle
14 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: Al Pacino's weird accent is the best and worst thing about ‘The Ritual'
Al Pacino loves to do accents, and it's the one thing he's not good at. For 'The Ritual,' in which he plays an exorcist, he speaks in a piping little voice, with an accent that is completely unplaceable, but which we later find out is German. It's the worst and best thing in the movie. It's the worst because it's ridiculous, but it's the best because it's both hilarious and ridiculous, and also because — and this is the kind of paradox often associated with great actors — he somehow makes his bizarre choices work. Pacino integrates the voice and accent into a distinct characterization, which, though far from ideal, has its own weird integrity. We can well imagine that, as an independent director whose previous films have never had a major release, co-screenwriter David Midell was in no position to tell Pacino, 'Lose the accent' — he might have lost Pacino. But ultimately, Midell did the right thing to let the actor have his way. Pacino plays the real-life Catholic priest, Theophilus Riesinger, a German immigrant who conducted what is believed to be the best documented exorcism in history, that of Emma Schmidt in Iowa. The movie changes some things. In real life, there were two exorcisms, separated by 16 years, and Emma was 46 when the process was completed in 1928. Here, there's just one exorcism, and Emma (Abigail Cowen) is a young woman in her 20s. Emma's got some problems. At the start of the movie, her face is blotchy, and she does a lot of writhing in bed while saying rude things in an unnaturally deep voice. A Catholic bishop decides that an exorcism needs to take place, and he orders Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) to host the big event at his church and to aid Theophilus, the exorcist, in every way possible. The second funniest thing about 'The Ritual' is the performance of Stevens, who goes through most of the movie looking completely confused. At first, you think he's thrown off by Pacino's accent. Later, we realize that Father Steiger is suffering from spiritual doubt to a degree that's almost absurd. Stevens is tasked with playing a fellow who can be in the company of a possessed woman — as she lies there growling while objects fly around the room — and walk out saying, 'I think she might be suffering from a physical ailment.' Despite moments of unintentional humor, 'The Ritual' has an appealing gravity about it, which probably derives from its adherence to the historical record. Most movies about exorcisms forget the victim and dramatize the conflict between the demons and the exorcist. But 'The Ritual' emphasizes Emma's torment and, in between exorcism sessions, shows Theophilus and the attending nuns treating her with the tenderness one might give a sick person. More than any other exorcism movie I've seen, 'The Ritual' gives you a sense that, if something like this happened, it would probably happen in exactly this way. Unfortunately, the one thing Midell can't overcome is the ultimately formulaic nature of the genre. Things start bad and get exponentially worse, but no matter what happens, we always know the ending.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Al Pacino stars in new exorcism movie 'The Ritual' produced by NMSU professor Ross Marks
The new exorcism horror movie "The Ritual" starring Al Pacino has strong ties to Las Cruces. New Mexico State University professor Ross Marks recruited top-tier talent to star in the first film he has produced while not also directing. More: Luis Valdez to appear at El Paso's Plaza Classic Film Festival with 2 film screenings Marks, the founder of the Las Cruces International Film Festival, announced that Pacino agreed to star in "The Ritual" which opens nationwide on Friday, June 6. 'I am incredibly proud of this project and the opportunity to collaborate with a legendary actor like Al Pacino,' Marks said in a news release. 'This film is not just a work of art, it's a mirror reflecting the complexities of the human experience.' "The Ritual" is described as a horror film about two priests, one in crisis with his faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, who must overcome their differences to perform a risky exorcism. The film is based on a true story about the last officially ordained exorcism in the United States. More: Las Cruces film makers debut '3' at Las Cruces International Film Festival The film also stars Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, Abigail Cowen and Patricia Heaton. The film was written and directed by Las Cruces International Film Festival alum David Midell. The Clarion Ledger, part of the USA Today network, reported that filming for the supernatural horror movie took place in the historic St. Mary Basilica in Natchez, Mississippi. Marks said the the film was born at the LCIFF, which recently celebrated its 10th year. Marks first became familiar with Midell during the 2020 LCIFF when Midell's 2019 film "The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlin" was screened. That film won the LCIFF Grand Jury Prize. 'I was so impressed by David and his film that I offered to help get his next film off the ground," Marks said in a news release. "David gave me the script for 'The Ritual,' and I knew right away the film would make for great cinema. I asked David who he wanted in the lead role, and he said without hesitation, Al Pacino. Through some industry contacts, I was able to get the script to Al, and we were off and running." Marks said pivoting to producing was initially a challenge, sacrificing the creative control and direct relationships with actors that are enjoyed by a director. "Producing is about mentorship and finding and creating the resources necessary for the director to succeed," Marks told the Las Cruces Sun-News in an email. "In some ways, it's all the fun of making a movie without the added stress and headaches of being director. Having directed many movies, I have a strong sense of what a director needs and how to provide it." Marks has since produced "Love on Tap", directed by former NMSU student Keagan Karnes. Marks is current in the process of producing "The Mensch" for director David Shapiro and "A Silent Violence" for director Norberto Barba. Those films will both be shot in Las Cruces in the fall. Movies: Renée Victor, 'Coco' and 'Weeds' star, dies at 86 "I am able to make more movies and employ more New Mexicans as a producer," Marks wrote in an email. "I can produce 3-4 movies a year. I can only direct one movie every year or so." This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: 'The Ritual': NMSU professor produces new Al Pacino exorcism movie
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘The Ritual' Review: Al Pacino Performs an Exorcism in a Horror Effort Possessed by Mediocrity
If Hollywood is to be believed, life as a Catholic priest at the turn of the 20th century involved spending 75 percent of your time sitting in your office while people brought troubled women to you and asked you to determine if all of their problems could be explained away by demonic possession. So begins 'The Ritual,' David Middel's excruciatingly generic horror effort that forces us to wonder whether the exorcism subgenre has any interesting juice left squeezing out of it — and then offers little in terms of reassurance on that front. When Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen) begins experiencing night terrors, crippling fears of holy objects, and other signs of extreme distress, the clergymen in Earling, Iowa have differing opinions about how to treat her afflictions. Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens), the young priest in charge of the local parish, is inclined to take a modern approach. Informed on the latest scientific developments, he sees a woman who needs psychiatric help, not evidence that Satan himself has infiltrated a human soul and needs to be exorcised. But the elderly (and eccentric) Father Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) has other ideas. A lifelong believer in the ritual of exorcism, Theophilus won't be fooled by any of that newfangled science. He's determined to rely on old world methods to expunge the demonic presence from Emma, and the local bishop (Patrick Fabian), overrules Joseph and insists that they use his church to do it. More from IndieWire 'Stick' Review: Owen Wilson's Golf Comedy Takes Too Many Shortcuts Trying to Be 'Ted Lasso' 'John Candy: I Like Me' Documentary to Open 2025 Toronto International Film Festival What follows is so redundant that it barely merits a summary. Per usual, the old and new world methods clash over topics like whether to physically restrain Emma to a bed, and Theophilus is convinced that anything that looks like rational evidence against his ideas is just Satan manipulating everyone's brain. Despite all of that, Joseph gradually realizes that his nutty companion is correct about Satan being in the room with us. (Just once, I'd like to see one of these movies where the rational priest is vindicated after the crackpot's tactics completely fail and leave the church in a shambles.) While the film occasionally makes an attempt at a jump scare, it doesn't offer nearly enough spectacle to justify its strict adherence to plot beats we've seen so many times before. A certain breed of cinephile might read this and think that the prospect of current Al Pacino playing a borderline senile exorcist with a thick German accent in a cheap B-movie is enough to guarantee a campy good time, narrative flaws be damned. But the final nail in the coffin of the film's watchability is how much effort the octogenarian star actually puts into the role. He plays the character perfectly straight, ensuring that there's no memeably bad outburst or low effort moment in a film that really could have used one. The film's greatest sin is how utterly boring it is, from its straightforward Catholic rituals that give way to predictable scares to the shaky handheld camerawork that doesn't fit with a movie that never makes any attempt to brand itself as found footage. And it appears that its filmmakers (or at least its marketing team) hope to rectify that by branding it as the one 'real' exorcism movie. 'The Ritual' leans into its status as a 'true story' of one of the most documented exorcisms in American history, using title cards to note that Father Theophilus Riesinger was eventually profiled in Time Magazine and that the events influenced other movies like 'The Exorcist.' It's a flimsy platform to stake an entire movie's existence on, as the claim is impossible to prove, and those who want to believe it will say it's impossible to disprove. We know that Emma Schmidt was a real woman who had an exorcism performed on her by these two men, but we don't have any way of knowing that there was an actual demon inside of her. For a film that treats historical realism as a primary selling point, 'The Ritual' has no real grounds on which to assert that it's less fantastical than any of the better exorcism movies out there. An XYZ release, 'The Ritual' opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, June 6. Want to stay up to date on IndieWire's film and critical thoughts? to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers. Best of IndieWire The 25 Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies, Ranked Every IndieWire TV Review from 2020, Ranked by Grade from Best to Worst
