The one horror movie Ron Howard knew was a level above the rest: “Just great contemporary cinema”
A true master of the director’s chair, Ron Howard‘s cinematic journey is one of genuine quality. His prowess as a storyteller has been proven repeatedly, even since he decided to leave the acting profession – comprised of performances in The Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days, American Graffiti and The Shootist – behind.
It was a bold decision that likely took months of thinking to agree upon, however, when you look at the impressive list of movies he has made since as a director, its difficult to see it as anything other than a fantastic decision.
Since then, Howard showed that he’s a far more adept filmmaker than most with his early efforts, Willow and Backdraft showing promise before he amazed the film world with A Beautiful Mind, an effort for which he was awarded the Academy Awards for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Picture’.
With other iconic movies, including Apollo 13, Cinderella Man, The Da Vinci Code and Solo: A Star Wars Story to his name, Howard is a true legend of modern cinema. Equally, the acclaimed director is something of a cinephile himself, as any good filmmaker worth their salt ought to be, and he once named the five movies that inspired him the most in a feature with A-Frame.
In doing so, the director pointed out his favourite horror movie, noting, “The Exorcist, I just love as a fan.” The picture is arguably one of the most influential of all time, and it delivers on the high-scare factor: “It scared the crap out of me and my then-girlfriend, now wife, Cheryl,” Howard said. “I don’t know how many times we stood in line for two hours in Westwood to see The Exorcist. That’s what you had to do in those days, and we did it over and over again.”
The director continued: “It slowly dawned on me that I loved this movie the way I loved the Roger Corman horror movies that I would see in the drive-in, but it was so elevated through this sophisticated writing and these excellent, nuanced performances.”
The first horror movie to be nominated for ‘Best Picture’ at the Academy Awards and the highest-grossing R-rated release in cinema history at the time, The Exorcist was a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
William Friedkin’s film, based on the novel and screenplay from author William Peter Blatty, is in part a dark tale of a young girl transitioning into adulthood with intense painful trauma, and on the other hand, a satanic possession story about two priests questioning their faith to save the same girl. These two elements marry together with perfection to explain why Friedkin’s film is such a timeless classic, defining the horror of a generation marred by the Vietnam War.
Punctuated by the flickering, ethereal soundtrack of the tubular bells acting as a religious omniscient overseer, the film achieves an eerie, unsettling tone with effortless ease. Layered atop of groundbreaking special effects, bringing a satanic Linda Blair to life, as well as a rich subtext of growing women’s independence, The Exorcist’s longevity and impression on horror cinema make it a classic of the genre.
Going on to express his love for The Exorcist, Howard said, “It went from sort of cheap thrills to, by about the third time I saw it, I realized that it was just great contemporary cinema. And it was all the more terrifying because the horror just felt so every day, so regular, so part of our contemporary society.”
He signed off, “Of course, the filmmaking and the music are next-level. What Friedkin did with that, it was one of the movies announcing a new level of urgency and power that a Hollywood movie could carry with it.”
