Fear in a Handful of Dust: Hell, Faith, and Will in The Exorcist

A concerned Regan bows her head and leans against the wall near the door of her bedroom to listen to her mother in the other room.

|Harry Mackin| The Exorcist knows you’re afraid of it from the moment it begins. Well before its disturbing supernatural plot starts in earnest, you can feel the malice Friedkin imbues into every shot and frame, like “fear in a handful of dust”…  Continue reading

The Wang Chung Connection, or: Everybody Live and Die in L.A. Tonight

|Jay Ditzer| A new wave band and three guys named William team up for movie soundtrack magic. Like most film directors, the late great William Friedkin had a career of peaks and valleys. After getting his start in a Chicago TV station’s mail room, he eventually began directing… Continue reading

Don’t Give Me that Do Goody-Good Bullshit (or Get Rich or Try Dyin’)

|Lucas Hardwick| (And behold, let thine eyes be warned; yay verily, here there be spoilers, so sayeth the Lord.)
One of the cornerstones of any healthy marriage is to go out on a date once in a while. Occasionally, I like to take Mrs. Hardwick to a fancy joint like the McDonald’s… Continue reading