Horror films such as The Exorcist: Believer are “potentially dangerous” and could lead to “preventable deaths”, a priest claims.
Helen Hall says this is because it risks spreading the message exorcism is an “essentially positive and universal practice”. She said modes of exorcism across the world “vary enormously”, from quietly spoken prayers to violent assaults.
If movies persuade authorities that “harmful practices” are actually acceptable this can lead to “preventable exorcism-related deaths”, she said.
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Ms Hall, a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and a priest in the Church of England, added: “The Exorcist: Believer’s treatment of exorcism as a simple and benign phenomenon spanning cultural and religious divides isn’t accurate, or even desirable – even in the context of a horror film.
(Image: Publicity Picture)
“The film asserts that exorcism exists in every culture and suggests that all people engaged in it are effectively doing the same thing.
“In reality, this is an oversimplification – with some potentially dangerous implications. Pop culture does influence people’s perceptions.” In the original 1973 movie The Exorcist, a young girl played by Linda Blair, inset, is possessed by a demon and her head spins 180 degrees in one scene.
It comes after The Exorcist: Believer’s director has admitted that he was forced to “take ice baths after filming” in an attempt to “calm down”. David Gordon Green addressed the on set antics while filming the horror reboot and told Metro.co.uk: “I would take an ice bath when I got home to chill. I do look forward to making a comedy so I can get back into the vein of some of the ridiculous, absurdist, comedic work I’ve done because this was a really heavy experience.”
(Image: Publicity Picture)
David also addressed rumours that strange goings-on occurred while filming and confessed that there was a menacing “vibe”. He said: “Nothing supernatural happened, but it was very weird energy. Like walking into a vibe you’ve never felt before.”
“There were a lot of people that wouldn’t stand in the circle where the chairs were for the exorcism, so you’d have to make the hair fixes outside of the circle and then send the girls in.”
(Image: Publicity Picture)
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Green admitted that had had “child psychologists” and “spiritual counsellors” on set for the young stars Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum, who play the main characters. The girls disappear into the woods and return to their families three days later, but the pair are clearly changed – they begin to act very strangely and neither recalls what happened during their 72 hour disappearance.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
