In The Grip Of Evil
Directed by Charles Vanderpool
Winstar Video Release 1998

reviews by Terry Wickham

In 1949, a young boy from Mt. Rainer, Maryland had to go through a series of exorcisms to rid him of demonic possession. It was the most detailed account of exorcism performed to this day and the basis for William Peter Blatty's novel The Exorcist.

The Discovery Channel has gathered all the important facts, recreated scenes and interlaced them with interviews with the key people who are still alive who were involved with the case. Everyone pretty much speaks, except for the boy, whose identity has been kept secret for his well-being.

The boy had an aunt from St. Louis, who spent quite a bit of time with him during his adolescent years. Sometime during this period, the boy and his mother started hearing scratching coming within the walls of the house. At first they believed it was from rats or mice. Also during this time the boy started having trouble sleeping, as he was plagued with nightmares.

Shortly after, the boy's aunt passed away. This is when things really started to get weird. This documentary will hold you spellbound because it's not only the basis for The Exorcist, but also this is based on truth.

Leading experts in the fields of psychology and theology give their expert opinions on what really happened. I think the truth is, much of what's said is still unexplained, which makes you wonder about the real possibility of demonic possession. It's scary to think about, but not really far fetched after watching this DVD.

Besides the intense documentary, Winstar has included transcripts from Father Bishop's diary, news articles, additional interviews with witnesses and the original case study/diary of Father Halloran.

This is something everyone (not young children) should see. It's educational and frightening.

Official Website:
http://www.winstarhomevideo.com

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