Few horror films remain as timeless and controversial as the 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist. Directed by William Friedkin and based on William Blatty's best selling novel, The Exorcist is not only a brilliant exercise in horror, but a spectacular character driven story as well.

The Exorcist is a classic tale of good versus evil as young Regan (Linda Blair) endures the battle of her life when her body is possessed by a demon.

Although highly shocking (even by today's standards), the unsettling images in this film always serve the story and aren't there simply to shock the audience. After all, The Exorcist is a story about the devil, and Friedkin has no intention of coddling the audience.

What really sets The Exorcist apart from most films in it's genre is it's character. Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair give stellar performances that add weight to this extremely riveting film.

Friedkin has a bad reputation and is well known for his unethical approach for getting a film made. That's quite alright though, because if this is the end result, the guy did something right. The Exorcist is a truly scary experience. It freaked me out as a kid and it still has the same effect. But this film offers true scares and not calculated nonsense that we get from recent films like What Lies Beneath. I also applaud the fact that I actually cared about these characters which is all too rare in a film of this type.

It should also be noted that this is a 25th anniversary edition. It includes an incredible digital audio transfer. I've never been so terrified by a simple phone ring in my entire life. Also, as a gimmick to get people into theaters, this version offers eleven extra minutes including a creepy sequence in which Regan does a bizarre spider walk down a steep staircase, an extension of Father Merrin's archeological dig in Kenya, and an unnecessary tagged-on ending that takes away from the impact of the film's climax. These are, of course, minor quibbles. The effect of this film remains the same.

With Halloween right around the corner, this is the perfect monster movie because it's about the greatest beast of all. On a final note, I would like to reiterate the fact that this is not a film for everyone. It's extremely disturbing, very profane, and sure to offend many people. For me, it's one of the greatest horror films of all time. One that actually delivers the goods.