Toy Story: PICK

(1995: 10th anniversary DVD)

The Exorcist: PASS

(1973/2000)

To Kill a Mockingbird: PASS

(1962: special DVD)

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE comes to theaters almost on the five-year anniversary of the 2000 reworking of The Exorcist, a box-office smash of nearly unprecedented levels in 1973, still widely considered one of the scariest movies ever made.

Even jaded, sophisticated 1970s audiences were rattled by the film's stark, horrifying vision of absolute evil in all its obscenity and banality — and its unapologetic context of institutional religion, in the form of the Catholic Church, as the framework in which to understand and combat evil.

Catholic writer E. Michael Jones has connected the fascination of horror to the debunking of Enlightenment rationalism, and The Exorcist certainly supports his case. Modern areligiosity, the decline of marriage, casual dabbling in such occult phenomena as Ouija boards and the therapeutic culture are all indicted in this horrifying tale of a bubbly, increasingly troubled young girl whose single mother turns for help to doctors, tests and prescriptions.

“You just take your pills and you'll be fine, really,” Mom promises, but pills aren't the answer to everything, and faith and religion may have answers science doesn't.

Very strong obscene and profane language and imagery make The Exorcist a shocking, harrowing experience, but arguably the film's most damning factor is the lack of true redemption in the twist ending, which resolves the demon possession without allowing the Church to triumph over evil.

In Terence Fisher's Hammer horror films in the '50s and '60s, the power of the cross or holy water over satanic powers was absolute. Not here: The demon isn't ultimately expelled by God's power, but induced into departing. Christian novelist Stephen Lawhead argues that the film depicts evil as powerful, but good as merely “lucky,” winning by a “surprise tactic.” That's not good enough.

Another film celebrating an anniversary — with a new 10th-anniversary DVD this week — is the original Toy Story, the first all-CGI animated film and Pixar's first masterpiece. It's a breathtakingly perfect blend of wide-eyed childhood wonder and wry adult humor, yesteryear nostalgia and eye-popping novelty, rollicking storytelling and touchingly honest emotion.

First-time feature director John Lasseter brings a sure hand to a tale that takes us back to a time when playthings seemed as real to us as other people, and a beloved teddy bear, doll or stuffed dog was almost as important a fixture in our world as our parents or siblings.

For young Andy, the sun rises and sets on his lanky Sheriff Woody doll. And Andy is just as important to Woody (Tom Hanks). But the status quo is upset by the arrival of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy new action figure who doesn't realize he's a toy.

Also debuting this week in a special-edition DVD is the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, Robert Mulligan's faithful adaptation of Harper Lee's semi-autobigraphical, Pulitzer Prize-winning tale of life in the rural South. Gregory Peck gives his signature performance as Atticus Finch, a deeply principled, widowed attorney and father of two young children whose decision to defend a black man against the accusations of a white woman makes him a target of epithets and potentially violence.

CONTENT ADVISORY: The Exorcist contains very strong obscene and profane language and imagery, and is not recommended. Toy Story contains some scenes of menace and mildly scary imagery, and is fine for kids and up. To Kill a Mockingbird contains courtroom references to sexual assault, attempted seduction and domestic abuse, and is fine for teens and up.