7. The Exorcist Is Unintentionally Hilarious
My dad insists that when he saw The Exorcist in the cinema as a child, it scared the living crap out of him, but when I watched it as a wee nipper back in the mid-90s, it did practically nothing for me; if anything, I thought it was pretty damn funny (a lot funnier than that spoof attempt in Scary Movie 2, anyway). Even ignoring the ludicrous claim that it's based on true events, the special effects have dated horribly throughout - the infamous pea-soup scene makes roughly nobody scared anymore - and the performances are more barmy than terrifying. The quirks that were once scary now feel like they would belong in The Evil Dead, particularly the infamous crucifix masturbation scene, which was no doubt horrific and disturbing at the time. Perhaps it's a sign of how depraved we've become, but while the film is obviously well crafted for its time, it just doesn't hold up very well for a contemporary, savvy audience. Sorry.