Al Pacino's In A Horror Movie Based On A Real-Life Exorcism, And I'm Forever Haunted By What I Saw In The Trailer
I watched the trailer for the horror movie The Ritual, and I should've listened to my rule about avoiding movies with evil spirits, ghosts, and demons. Spoiler alert: I always end up watching them.
Just when I thought it was complete make-believe and couldn't hurt me, I discovered that The Ritual is based on the true notes and findings of a real exorcist who performed multiple exorcisms on Emma Schmidt (who later changed her name to Anna Ecklund). HELP.
The Ritual stars Dan Stevens (Abigail, Cuckoo) and the legendary Al Pacino as two priests who team up to perform Emma's exorcism.
Emma will be portrayed by Abigail Cowen (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Winx Club).
The movie also features Ashley Greene (Twilight Saga) and Patricia Heaton (The Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond).
German-American exorcist Father Theophilus presumably performed multiple exorcisms on Emma (aka Anna Ecklund) in 1912 and 1928, and bless their hearts because it couldn't be me.
XYZ Films
No matter how often I tell myself that I will stay far away from films like Insidious and The Conjuring, I suddenly find myself back in the irresistible clutches of creepy movies.
Thanks to The Ritual, I'm back on my paranormal BS, and I'm utterly terrified... and excited.
Miramax / Via giphy.com
Have you ever had a real-life scary experience that made you wonder if you should search Yellow Pages for an exorcist?
Share your responses in the comments!
The Ritual will be in theaters everywhere June 6th.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘The Ritual' Review: Exorcisms Happen, Excitement Not So Much in Drab Horror Opus With Al Pacino
Not since Paul Schrader's ill-starred 'Exorcist' entry 'Dominion' in 2004 has an exorcism-centric thriller taken itself quite so seriously as 'The Ritual.' Based on a real-life case, like director David Midell's prior 'The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain,' this more fantastical drama is a relatively restrained effort less interested in standard horror effects than the events' psychological impact on their participants. Nonetheless, its integrity and able performers only do so much to elevate a reluctant genre movie that emerges as rather dreary — not unlike 'Dominion,' albeit minus theological discussions. With Al Pacino and Dan Stevens topping the cast, XYZ Films' release should lure in some genre fans. Still, their disappointment may be salved only by the thought that this is a definite genre improvement over the abysmal 'The Exorcist: Believer' from two years ago. Midell's feature is billed as being based on 'the true story that inspired 'The Exorcist,'' though William Peter Blatty's original novel was purportedly more influenced by a 14-year-old Maryland boy's alleged demonic possession in the '40s. Here, the source is accounts of Emma Schmidt, a middle-aged midwesterner who had already been tormented by inexplicable behaviors before being turned over to Catholic authorities in 1928 for emergency spiritual intervention. Because clergy involved documented the exorcisms (which took place over four months), her travails are still considered by believers as one of the strongest proofs for occult possession being an actual thing. More from Variety Spike Lee Says Denzel Washington Deserved Oscar for 'Malcolm X' Over Al Pacino: 'It's Like Basketball, Where the Ref Blows a Call' Al Pacino Joins Bobby Moresco-Directed Biopic 'Maserati: The Brothers' Al Pacino, Katie Holmes Getty Kidnapping Drama 'Captivated' Set for Imminent Rome Shoot as Producer Andrea Iervolino Boards (EXCLUSIVE) The movie's much younger version of Schmidt — played by Abigail Cowen, who's in her late twenties and could pass for a teen — arrives at St. Joseph's as a frail, frightened and passive presence. Nuns of the convent are tasked with her basic care, while parish priest Father Joseph Steiger (Stevens) is charged with keeping a written record of whatever occurs during her stay. All of them assume that Emma's true problem is psychiatric. They see little reason to keep her in restraints as recommended by Father Theophilus Riesinger (Pacino), the visiting Capuchin friar who'll perform 'sacred rites' of exorcism. That turns out to be a big mistake. Emma herself may be a harmless victim, but whatever's got hold of her is crafty, malicious and violent. It's soon terrorizing the novices, in addition to targeting skeptic Steiger and young Sister Rose (Ashley Greene) as weak links in the circle of faith. Enough havoc is wrought that the Mother Superior (Patricia Heaton) insists Emma be moved to the institution's basement. Yet wherever its permanent residents go, and however firmly secured their troubled guest is, these servants of the church sense a mocking, evil entity running loose. There's nothing here you haven't seen before: Furniture moves around on its own, lights flicker and go out. Emma's battered body shows evidence of cruel internal warfare, while the demon also inflicts grievous harm on others who foolishly get too close. That foul being knows things it shouldn't about our protagonists, imitating voices of dead loved ones to manipulate them. Through it all, Pacino's aged friar remains stoic — he's apparently been through the likes of this before. (The real Riesinger had indeed already attempted to exorcise Schmidt once, in 1912 Wisconsin.) You might expect 85-year-old Pacino to chew scenery in this lurid supernatural context. Instead, he wisely chooses to play his Bavarian-emigre figure as a man who endures outlandish, alarming phenomena by refusing to be ruffled, maintaining a demeanor of gentle authority and humor. The normally expert Stevens appears less assured than usual, as if fearful that he might have gotten himself into some real schlock. He hasn't, but 'The Ritual' sometimes makes you wish he had. It just isn't much fun, even as it lacks the gravitas needed to make a more deeply unsetting impression, as William Friedkin famously managed with 'The Exorcist' 52 years ago. Cowen, who bears passing resemblance to Ashley Bell of 'The Last Exorcism' (that film's costar, Patrick Fabian, plays a senior cleric here), provides a touchingly pathetic presence, whenever she's not a yelling, growling special effect. But neither the afflicted party or its afflicting demon are imbued with much personality by Midell and Enrico Natale's script. There are some creepy and scary moments, yet the whole feels uninspired — this director doesn't seem terribly committed to the mechanics of horror, while the milieu and characters don't come to vivid life in a way that reinforces 'Ritual's' stance as more of a strange-but-supposedly-true docudrama. Once the end credits roll, we're left with the odd sensation of still waiting for some cathartic climax. The Mississippi-shot production's physical modesty is apt enough for story purposes, though you might wish for a smidge more assertive style from Adam Biddle's cinematography and other craft departments. 'The Ritual' merits some appreciation for not being merely another cheesy exploitation of familiar themes. But that doesn't redeem the fact that, in the end, it's a bit of an earnest slog — an exorcism movie more tame than bedeviled. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Time Magazine
5 hours ago
- Time Magazine
The Real Story Behind The Ritual and the Woman Who Inspired The Exorcist
Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Ritual. Considering it provided some inspiration for William Friedkin's seminal 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, the real-life exorcism case of Emma Schmidt (who was also referred to by the pseudonyms Anna Ecklund and Mary X) is unsurprisingly one for the books. But how much truth there is to the religiously-fueled aspects of the story is up for interpretation. The Ritual, now in theaters, purports to be based on the true story of Schmidt's exorcism, which took place at a secluded convent just north of Earling, Iowa, in late 1928. In the movie, writer-director David Midell (NightLights, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain) presents Schmidt's afflictions as symptomatic of demonic possession rather than mental illness or other influences, a decision that positions the film as a faith-based thriller despite an ending title card that acknowledges there are those who doubt that narrative. Although Schmidt (who is played by 27-year-old Abigail Cowen despite the fact that she was in her 40s at the time of the events chronicled in the movie) is at the center of the story, The Ritual really revolves around the push and pull between the two Catholic clergymen who preside over the rite, local parish priest Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) and Capuchin friar Father Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino). While Steiger is experiencing a crisis of faith following his brother's suicide, Riesinger is a devout and somewhat controversial believer in the ritual of exorcism. This focus on the two male characters may result from the fact that, as Midell explained in a video he shared on Instagram in April, The Ritual is based on a 1935 booklet titled Begone Satan! This account of Schmidt's case was put together by the Catholic Church, which it's probably safe to assume brought its own slant to the way the story was told. What happened to Emma Schmidt? The Ritual hits most of the generic exorcism horror plot beats in retelling Schmidt's story, with Schmidt exhibiting an aversion to holy objects, spewing blasphemy, experiencing fits of violent rage, vomiting bile, and clinging to walls in an inhuman fashion, among other demonic behaviors. In real life, Schmidt's exorcism was one of the last officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church, a fact that seems to have contributed to its infamy. As the movie alludes to, Schmidt, who was born in 1882, began showing signs of what was deemed to be possession starting at the age of 14. The issues began after Schmidt was subjected to abuse at the hands of her father, who allegedly took a sexual interest in her, and her Aunt Mina, who was reportedly her father's lover, a child murderer, and also a witch "who had placed a spell on some herbs which she placed among the girl's food." However, when it comes to claims about witchcraft, it's important to remember this was still the 1800s, when the term was applied with some regularity to women who defied various social norms and conventions. Riesigner performed the rites of exorcism on Schmidt for the first time in 1912. But Schmidt's symptoms later returned, pushing her to what Begone Satan! author Father Carl Vogl wrote in the booklet seemed like the edge of sanity. "She was conscious of some sinister inner voices that kept on suggesting most disagreeable things to her," he wrote. "These voices tried their utmost to arouse thoughts of the most shameful type within her, and tried to induce her to do things unmentionable and even to bring her to despair. The poor creature was helpless and secretly was of the opinion that she would become insane." Schmidt's final exorcism was eventually performed in three stages over the course of a total of 23 days between Aug. 18 and Dec. 22, 1928. During the course of these sessions, Riesinger claimed there were four different spirits possessing her: Judas Iscariot, Beelzebub, her Aunt Mina, and her father. If Vogl's account is to be believed, Schmidt's ailments during this time appeared to be of an unearthly and inexplicable nature. But your opinion on the matter will likely depend on how much stock you put in the word of the Church. Eventually, Riesinger is said to have successfully completed the exorcism after three consecutive nights and days of working on Schmidt with no breaks, allowing her to live out the rest of her life in relative peace. Some accounts claim Schmidt was possessed off and on until her death. Riesinger would go on to be profiled by TIME in 1936. As for what Midell himself thinks happened to Schmidt, in a statement included in the film's production notes, he describes feeling "struck by the scientific and fact-based approach many have taken in relation to seemingly unexplainable (i.e. paranormal) events." "Some have described exorcisms as Rorschach tests: those with a background in faith and religion see a spiritual struggle for the soul of a human being, while those who are more scientifically minded see a person in need of psychiatric assistance," he said. "Spiritual or psychological, what cannot be denied is the profound suffering experienced by Emma Schmidt, and the bravery and fortitude required by those who came together to alleviate her suffering."
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
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With ‘Dogma's' re-release, director Kevin Smith's prayers for his cult classic have been answered
For more than a quarter century, director Kevin Smith has tried to resurrect 'Dogma,' his religious satire about two fallen angels looking to get back into heaven. Recently, his prayers for the 1999 comedy were finally answered. On Thursday, the movie got a theatrical re-release across 1,500 AMC Theatres screens in honor of its 25th anniversary. Technically, the milestone was last year. But the second coming of a movie that brought us one of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's best on-screen collaborations and an A-list comedic ensemble — including George Carlin, Chris Rock, Janeane Garofalo and Alan Rickman — not to mention the meme-worthy, winking 'Buddy Christ,' warrants a long-awaited hallelujah. 'It's got a good legacy to it,' Smith said of the film. 'It's become the 'umbrella film' for me. The umbrella film is the movie that no matter what you do, even if you make s— that people don't like, they won't crucify you — pun intended — because you made a movie that they like.' Though the sparkling period of Smith's career is largely defined by 1994's 'Clerks' and 1997's 'Chasing Amy,' his fourth film, 'Dogma,' steeped in irreverence and hilarity centered around his former Catholic faith, is still considered one of his classics. The movie debuted at Cannes in 1999. He returned to the renowned film festival last month, when the comedy played in the Cannes Classics section, just days before sitting down with The Times on camera to discuss 'Dogma's' whirlwind re-release. In the interview, the director, writer and actor recounts how the movie was saved by filmmaker and actor Alessandra Williams, who raised money to buy the film from Miramax earlier this year, decades after it was acquired and shelved by disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein sold Smith's film, along with a trove of others, to Williams to help pay for his legal defense, Smith said. In collaboration with Iconic Events, the film has since been remastered in 4K for its screening tour and is being shown in select AMC theaters. Smith is well-seasoned when it comes to touring his old films, pairing the screenings with Q&As and stand-up performances throughout the live presentations. It took little time for him to book a sold-out, 20-city tour aimed at getting fans fired up to come see 'Dogma' once again under much different (and safer) circumstances. 'Even with getting people aware of the movie this time around, it's not as fraught with peril as it was back in the day,' Smith said, referring to the death threats, protests and 400,000 pieces of hate mail he said the movie garnered from Christian extremists who denounced what they believed to be the film's mockery of their faith. 'You Jews better take that money you stole from us and start investing in flak jackets,' Smith said while closing his eyes and reciting one of the letters from memory. 'We're coming because we're coming in there with shotguns. Signed, Your Brothers in Christ.' Though the controversy of the film has definitely waned, the inspiration behind the film remains steadfast, Smith said. 'To me, it plays like a kid really trying to celebrate his faith after having grown up in a church where every Sunday, everyone seemed to be mourning it. So I think [people hopefully see it] for what it is. It's a love letter to spirituality.'
