Movies/Scenes
Representing Evil as "Possession"
- The
Green Mile (1999)
- "Wild Bill = the evil that can and does possess anyone." (see review at Hollywood Jesus)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Sarris disguises himself as one of their own (Tommy) in order to attack the Galaxy Quest crew.
- The
Shining (1999)
- Hallorann's talk with Danny about the evil in the Overlook. Sometimes when people do bad things, something is left behind - kind of like burnt toast.
- Jack is "possessed" by the evil of the Overlook because he is particularly susceptible to it. The evil that possesses him there is not particularly foreign to his character.
- Fallen (1998)
- Demon possession is spread by touch.
- Amistad
(1997)
- The Africans are captured and "possessed"/colonized by others who attempt to strip them of their humanity.
- Spitfire
Grill (1996)
- The townspeople feel 'bentover/crippled' and see only a dry future. They are awakened to a living spirit--set free from their ailment by the outsider-renewer-forgiver. They learn to live in a new way--a new 'sabbath' spirit of excitement. It is planted among them before they realize it and may only recognize what they have been given as they look back--many with joy for who came to their town. (Dennis Sytle)
- Out of Africa (1985)
- The "possession" of people by people in this film mirrors the "possession" of countries by countries.
- Tron (1982)
- The movie "Tron," which came out sometime in the 80s, is the story of the Incarnation. A man has created a computer game; in it, characters ask one another, "Do you believe in the User?" The warriors in the program are trying to resist an evil being, but they're losing because REAL evil enters the being and he begins to take over computers in the real world. The "User," watches the game in anguish, saying, "Don't give up guys! You're the best program in the world! I wrote you." Finally, he realizes there's only one remedy: so he becomes one of the characters in the game, in order to overthrow evil. I've used this as a retreat centerpiece several times. (submitted by Kristen Ingram)
- The Exorcist
(1973)
- "Innocent" Regan (or Regan on the cusp of maturity), is possessed in order to attack Father Merrin.
- "I noticed that there are two pictures that Regan draws. The detective in the movie picks these pictures up and examines them. I noticed that one of them was a lamb with spots and a lion with wings, these are both beasts in Revelation. One of the priests asked Regan's mother that if they had any religious beliefs, and she said no. I took that into conclusion thinking that if she didn't have any beliefs she would have never thought about what Regan was drawing." (Patrick, Memphis TN)
