Filmmakers do their best to lure us into a theater to be spooked by a Catholic priest doing his best to expel demons from a girl. As soon as The Exorcist made a bundle at the box office, the demon possession game went into overdrive. Every few months there’s another tale of a girl who needs Roman Catholic help to get the devil out of her. But how real is this activity? What’s it really look like when someone gets the devil inside them. How does a priest free the trouble soul outside of a Hollywood script? Thankfully you can now get a real look in the documentary The Exorcist in the 21st Century.
Father Jose Antonio Fortea is a Vatican approved exorcist who ministers in Spain. His daily life and background is explored. He’s a bit of a superstar with his talent for casting out demons. Although he comes off as a rather humble man of God. But this isn’t merely a chat about his unique profession. Director Fredrik Horn Akselsen catches him in action. A Colombian woman has suffered from demons for over 15 years. She’s ready to evict those voices inside her head. She travels to see Father Fortea. Will there be heads rotating around, pea soup vomit and floating in space? Or just some down and dirty physical praying? This is a really well put together documentary that doesn’t play straight to the cinema. This is a look at an exorcism that hasn’t been juiced up by Eli Roth. The real thing does have an intensity to the interaction between priest, possessed and evil spirits. You really need to watch this before the release of Last Exorcism 3: We’re Think We Almost Have All the Demons.
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The cinematography captures the life of a real life exorcist. The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1. Most of the film is in foreign languages, but the subtitles are in English. You might want to keep the remote nearby since those demons like to get loud.
Father Jose Antonio Fortea Extended (35:40) is a complete chat with the exorcist.
Father Gabriele Amorth Extended Interview (28:49 gives more time with the head of the International Association of Exorcists.
Complete Exorcism Ritual (49:29) should be shown at film schools so that students can have a clue what really goes on.
The Exorcist in the 21st Century is a real look at what a priest does to expel demons. The complete exorcism footage gives a better view of the good versus evil wrestling match than any Eli Roth produced flick.
Disinformation presents The Exorcist in the 21st Century. Directed by: Fredrik Horn Akselsen. Starring: Father Jose Antonio Fortea. Running Time: 81 minutes. Released: May 7, 2013. Available at Amazon.com.
