The Best Horror Film of All Time

It is difficult to choose what movie in a particular genre is the best of the best. I could say My Cousin Vinny (1992) is the best comedy, Heat (1995) the best action film, The Dark Knight (2008) the best superhero movie or Toy Story (1995) as the best animated film. My opinion is generated by someone who enjoys watching movies and focuses on acting, directing and writing as much as popular critics out there. That being said, I have chosen William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist (1973) as the best horror film of all time. This film is composed of superior directing, acting and writing. Linda Blair, famous for portraying 12-year-old Reagan, acted in such a way to scare the hell out of us and detach the innocent girl into an image of nightmares--another praise for the makeup department. The special effects were superior for the time it was made. It provided a "realistic" effect of an exaggerated exorcism. The writing, one of my favorite parts of the film, was remarkable enough to remember lines like my favorite song. Some of those lines may not be appropriate religiously or may offend the occasional millennial but it is a well-written work however offensive it may be. After all, when the devil has dialogue, we can't expect a filter. All the work, challenges and injuries during filming paved the road for one of the most successful horror films of all time...and one of the best. Generating negative reviews, heavy warnings, bans, the occasional nightmare, and almost "X" rated rating is what makes a film scary as hell.  I was still in middle school when I first watched it. In high school a second time. And now I own the DVD as an Adult. I have seen plenty of horror films made in the last forty years to justify my opinion. While some of those horror films are amazing works of cinematography, they have not changed my opinion regarding The Exorcist.