Scott Derrickson and the Excorcism of Emily Rose

Posted on September 9, 2005

The Christian Post (somewhat surprisingly) interviews director/screenwriter Scott Derrickson (Hellraiser: Inferno) whose new horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose opens today.

The Christian Post: There are quite a few frightening scenes in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Is the horror aspect of the film something that is there more for the sake of drawing an audience or is there as a medium to communicate the intention of film as you’ve just spoken of?

Scott Derrickson: That’s an insightful question; I think that it’s both. I am certainly cognizant of the fact the general public loves scary movies and The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a marketable movie. It’s a film that has the kind of scary material that people love, and so that was certainly part of the reason for pursuing the film, but I think that it’s also accurate to say that the movie is a sheep in wolves clothing, that there is a nobility to the film and that it is good for everyone. I think that there’s an assumption that films of this genre, films that deal with unpleasant or frightening material, aren’t nurturing to the soul, but the Bible is full of frightening stories. And considering the reality of our plight, I think that the more explicit stories, the darker stories, can actually be more meaningful to us. I think that this film is something that, when watched and absorbed by the audience, has the potential to enrich people’s lives aesthetically, intellectually, and spiritually as well. I hope that many people who watch this movie will experience that.

In the interview, Scott Derrickson talks about being a Christian in Hollywood and making movies like Hellraiser. Ok, we haven't seen The Exorcism of Emily Rose yet. But somehow the trailers don't really seem to be aiming at the same audience that saw The Passion of the Christ. But maybe we're missing something here.

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