Watched for the first time, wasn't impressed by an off-the-wall ending

I think the pace of the film was quite slow, actually, and perfect for the build-up and ending that came. It ran for just over two hours, and nothing much happened until over 30 minutes in that would cause alarm or even so much as a gasp.

In my opinion, if you watch the film as Friedkin intended (which was very close to the novel), you're pretty much ready for an ending at the point where it actually does end. The poor girl and mother (and everyone else) had gone through enough.

To be fair, and to put myself in your shoes, I can see where you may have been disappointed...perhaps if you were hoping for more of a fight with the demon or for her to get loose and go running up in through the house or something, whipping everyone's azz along the way. That's not how the novel was written, however, and most people (like myself) who think the original is a masterpiece, can find little to critique.

If the movie had been done today, come to think of it (and if they didn't follow the book), I bet Karras WOULD have taken off out of the room and chased everyone into a beat down. Poor Chris might have ended up taking another punch or two, with Regan ending up shooting him in the back (with a gun she got out of Chris's room) just before he strangles her mother to death. Yep, that would be modern day.

I haven't read the book, so I can't compare it, but in the film, it makes sense to me to have the moment of demonic possession of Father Karas be fleeting. I think what the devil "wanted" was to drive the force of goodness and sancity, as embodied by the priest, to enter his body/mind so he could fight the battle on even turf, so to speak. The devil accepts the "dare" and enters the soul of Father Karas, bent on destroying the priest--starting with the first evil deed to murder R gan. For a brief moment, the devil has control and has won the battle--but the intristic goodness and devotion of Father Karas, wins out, repossessing his own soul. Father Karas would not be strong enough to hold off the devil for long. So in that fleeting moment that Karas (ie, Goodness and sanctity) has control, there is only one choice if the demon is to be defeated: self-sacrifice in the act of suicide, a metaphor for (or homage to) the original sacrifice of the Savior for humanity. In the ultimate test, divine goodness triumphs over evil. It would not make sense for the possession to last longer than seconds. Aside from the story calling for a speedy resolve, prolonged possession would have meant the murder of Regan. The filmmakers did not wish to go there. The story is far more powerful with Karas winning out over the devil, thereby saving Regan, as Christ saved humanity.

small disclaimer: these are not my beliefs; I'm saying all this purely as an interpretation of the film/the story.

The other guy is not a priest, he's a Muslim museum curator. I think he is so deep into his cataloguing that he simply doesn't notice that the clock has stopped.

As to Chris's reaction/non-reaction to the planchette, I'll have to rely on somebody who's memory is better than mine. To me the scene looks oddly edited or dubbed, but I can't say for sure.

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I thought that was also out of place, since those two don't even know each other much. The aftermath of Regan's ordeal I also found lazily put together. She was subjected to physical torture, yet we just see faded spots on her face, with the assurance of her not remembering anything. I guess a vaginal trauma of pretty big proportions wasn't a big deal.

That wasn't clear to me and that's why I thought it was open to interpretation.

I will admit it is well made.