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enchanted with traditional religion,
people of all ages are becoming in–
creasingly curious about the mys–
teries of the supernatural. And
Hollywood is capitalizing on that in–
terest.
Devastating Effects
Frankenstein Meets Woifman
was
never taken seriously.
The Mummy,
in many cases, triggered more
la ughs than shrieks. Viewers of
these old monster flicks knew for
certain that what they were seeing
was not real, and sensed that the
makers of the films were cranking
their cameras with tongue in cheek.
But audience reaction to today's
devil movies is markedly different.
Viewers. in many cases, are taking
them
very
seriously. Interviews with
patrons leaving the theater leave
little doubt about tbe films' impact.
Sorne are Iiterally
terrified,
shivering
with fright. A few are sick physi–
cally, sorne having actually fainted
or thrown up in the theater. Many
speak solemnly about the reinforce–
ment of their belief in the super–
natural , and demons in particular.
Sorne say tbey want to study further
into the mysteries of tbe occult .and
the spirit world. And sorne, of
course, attempt to laugh it off, often
unconvincingly.
Follow-up studies show that
many viewers go home and can't
sleep for days or weeks. Many are
afraid to be in the dark. Sorne start
hearing "creaky noises" at night.
Many have traumatic nightmares.
Sorne temporarily lose their appe–
tites. One man who viewed
The Ex–
orcist
lost 15 pounds, suffered a stiff
neck. and experienced a recurring
nightmare in which he auempted to
intercede between a blood-lustíng
vampire and its female victim.
Moreover, viewers who may have
been disoriented or emotionally un–
stable in the first place have on oc–
casion totally "freaked out" after
seeing one ofthese films. Sorne have
suffered hallucinations and delu–
sions. Sorne have begun thinking
that they, their mates, or their chil–
dren were possessed by demons.
Sorne have become uncontrollably
violent, morbidly preoccupied, or
self-destructive.
Dr. James C. Bozzuto. assistant
professor of psychiatry at the Uni-
10
versity of Connecticut (Farm–
ington) , has recently drawn
attention to an illness he calls
cine–
matic neurosis
-
"a traumatic shock
to the ego produced by viewing a
horrifying fi lm." Dr. Bozzuto's first
cinematically neurotic patients were
provided by
The Exorcist,
which
deals with the demonic possession
of a 12-year-old girl named Regan.
The vividly brutal , hair,.raising por–
trayal of her possession and sub–
sequent exorcism was simply too
much for them to take.
Ominously, Dr. Bozzuto expects
the syndrome to become more prev–
alen! across the country, given the
continuing onslaught of devil mov–
ies. Quoted in a recent issue of
Science Digest ,
Dr. Bozzuto warns
that
The Exorcist
and similar films
"can produce significan! psychiatric
impairment, and both the physician
and the public should be aware."
Biblicallnaccuracies
Psychological problems are not the
only potential danger in devil films.
At the same time as interest in the
"pop religions" ofmysticism and oc–
cultism is on the rise, large segments
ofsociety remain biblically illiterate.
For aU they know, the pseudo-bíbli–
ca! pretentions of sorne of these
films are
pure biblical truth,
when in
fact they are riddled with biblical
inaccuracies, twistings and per–
versions.
The Omen
is a case in point. The
film. which deals with the birth and
early childhood of the so-called
"Antichrist," pictures him as the off–
spring of the bizarre mating of
Satan and a female jackal. The
boy's birth occurs on June 6 at 6:00
p.m. - an apparent, but inaccurate
reference to Revelation 13:18- her–
alded by a comet in the heavens.
None of this has any biblical basis.
Even the use of the term "An–
tichrist" is technically in error. It is
mistakenly used as another name
for the prophesied "Beast" or great
military dictator ofthe book of Rev–
elation. Actually, the term refers not
solely to a specific individual but to
an anti-Christian spirit or attitude
which has been prevalent in the
world
for nearly two millennia!
The
apostle John, writing about A.D. 90,
said: " ...
Even now already
it is in
the world" (I John 4:3). John also
shows that
many
deceivers or an–
tichrists - false ministers perverting
the doctrines of Christ - were al–
ready at work during his lifetime (11
John 7; I John 2:18).
The Omen's
three planned sequels
will follow the "Antichrist's" growth
into manhood and will culminate in
a depictment of the prophesied end–
time "Battle of Armageddon." Fee1-
ing no compunction to be biblically
·accurate, Hollywood will certain1y
continue to dish out sorne bizarre
interpretations of prophecy.
So.me theologians, consequently,
have accused the writers and pro–
ducers of these and similar films of
unwitting1y playing into the hands
of the very devil whose existence
they in most cases deny. By per–
verting and fictiona lizing the Bio1e
- popularizing a false picture of
Satan and his future intentions -
Hollywood, these critics charge, may
be rendering the
real
"Antichrist"
(or Beast) virtually unrecogn izable.
What more could Satan want than a
distorted popular image of his fu–
ture p1ans?
These charges may indeed be
valid, though many theologians
themselves are confused on the sub–
ject of prophecy.
Demonic lnfluence
There are much more
immediate
personal dangers in the devil-movie
surge, however, than mere scriptural
inaccuracies. Despite the unfounded
assertions of "enlightened" modern–
day psychologists and philosophers,
there
is
a spirit world. There
are
such things as demons. There
is
a
devil .
The Bible reveals that Satan the
devil was originally named
Lucifer
("Light Bringer"), a superarchange1
of great power and beauty created
by God even before the earth was
made (Ezek. 28: 12-15 ; Job 38:4. 7).
Lucifer became exalted in his own
estimation, and led one-third of the
angels in a rebellion to unseat God
from His throne (lsa. 14: 12-14; Rev.
12:4, 7- 10). Unsuccessful , they were
cast down to earth where Lucifer,
now called
Satan
("The Adver–
sary"), and the rebellious angels
(demons) have been influencing
mankind ever since the days of
Adam and Eve. (Write for our free
(Continued on page 38)
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1977