I saw The Exorcist for the first time last night, and while I was ready to have the tuna salad scared out of me, I thought it was pretty low on the fright-o-meter.
There are definitely several "whoa" scenes where you can't believe that what's onscreen is actually happening, but that doesn't make it scary. It would definitely be terrifying to be in the same room with a possessed Regan and the paranormal activity that occurs is pretty mesmerizing, but that doesn't make it scary either.
What stood out to me was the intensity of the exorcism scene and how well Max von Sydow played his part throughout the sequence. It was some hardcore, ghostbustin' ass shit with a devilish twist, but I wasn't nearly as freaked out by it as I was with Rosemary's Baby, which I consider to be a much better film.
When I think of "scary," I refer back to a pair of films that still give me the chills each time I watch them: Psycho and Halloween, most definitely not their respective remakes.
There are still times when I get a little paranoid while taking a shower. I can't see and can barely hear what's going on outside of the curtain, so there exists an air of terror that something may be creeping up on me with a knife or other painful object. This sense is heightened when I'm alone in a house, and while I don't let the feeling overwhelm me, it's definitely something that pops up from time to time. I have Alfred Hitchcock to blame for that, and I'm rather thankful for it.
Michael Myers is a strong reason to be afraid of the dark. You think you see something, then you look back and it's gone. He could be behind you at any time, and you have no way of knowing he's there because he doesn't make noise when he moves. Plus, he can't be killed. What???? And that musical score, probably the most terrifying since Psycho. Whenever I hear it, I look around to make sure I'm safe. Gah! There it is, playing in my head!!! John Carpenter, you are a genius! Well, you were when you made this film.
These are scary moments. Not a girl with Satan inside her strapped to a bed. Maybe it could have been, but it wasn't. While I'll admit that I'm easily frightened, though I often crave these feelings in a controlled environment (movie theaters, roller coasters, etc.), I find it hard for a film to successfully move me to this emotion.
I have no interest in all the Final Destinations (how can there be more than one "final"? I thought that meant it was the end...) and Hostels, so I won't make an effort to be scared by bags full of poo. Instead, give me the real spine-tinglers like Psycho and Halloween. I'll take them every time.