Bogdan Boner is an exorcist who will get rid of every uninvited guest from hell for less than three hundred zlotys (with an invoice more expensive). He is not afraid of demons, vampires or ghosts, which he eliminates in the company of Marcinek and Domin, a former demon who seeks revenge on Earth against his former kin. The creator of the animation is Bartek Walaszek, known for many comedy productions where pastiche dominated, such as the series “Angry Fists of the Serpent”, the series “Kapitan Bomba”, “Blok Ekipa” or “General Italia”. The artist is also a member of the musical satirical duo Figo Fagot Brothers. All the works of the Polish director, animator, editor and producer deal with stereotypes and are a humorous commentary on social vices.
Polish production criticized by the International Association of Exorcists
The Exorcist, the 2017 animated comedy series, is no different. The very list of characters appearing in the adult cartoon clearly suggests that the events seen on the screen should be taken with a grain of salt. In the world of Bogdan Boner, we will find priest Piotr Natan, father of Risk-Physics, the beast Kutasorocorn, a demon-mercenary named Pentakilo, Wampizda – an old-fashioned vampire who gave up drinking human blood, or Antichristosaurus – a demon endowed with powers such as sending hailstorms. Of course, Bartek Walaszek’s sense of humor will not appeal to every viewer, but it is difficult to define it as spreading Satanism or an attack on the Church.
The International Association of Exorcists is of a different opinion. An article by Alberto Castaldini, a journalist and lecturer at the Faculty of Greek Catholic Theology in Cluj, Romania, has appeared on the organization’s website. The author of a long dissertation on Walaszek’s “Exorcist” was clearly familiar with the content of the series and decided to warn especially young generations against the “dangerous product”. Castaldini counts the cartoon among the “provocative” productions, hoping that most teenagers reaching for the series will quickly get bored with it.
The author criticizes the series for the current profanity, violence, occult elements, showing demons and people addicted to alcohol, and for the ubiquitous (animated) blood. He emphasizes that the production distorts the image of hell in the viewer’s mind. In the series, demons live in blocks of flats, earn their living during the pandemic “working remotely”, and their lives are not very different from the ones we know from our own experience.
First, they warned against the film with Russell Crow, now they do not like the Polish series. The “Exorcist” shared the fate of “The Pope’s Exorcist”
Information about the article reached the author of “The Exorcist”, who commented on the text with a short one “Well, I dropped in… I’m not going to Italy anymore.”. A moment later, the creator of the cartoon noticed that the journalist is not from Italy and denied the statement with the words: “Friends, false alarm! It turns out that Cluj is in Romania. They only watch Italian Netflix there”.
On the same page where we can find an article critical of “The Exorcist”, a comment was previously published on the trailer for the horror film “The Exorcist of the Pope”, which will be shown in Polish cinemas from April 12. The production, starring Russell Crowe, is based on the bestselling exorcist Gabriele Amorth, who was supposed to have performed about 50,000 successful exorcisms. The International Association of Exorcists, founded in the 1990s by priests, condemned the production even before its premiere. The film was called derogatory towards victims who suffered from possession. The author of the article does not support the spectacular nature of the production, accusing it of bending historical facts and distorted and false narrative.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
