By Peter Covino

Lifestyles Editor

How many movies previews begin with “Based on a true story?”

I don’t have an answer either, but add one more to that lenghty list.

The Possession doesn’t offer anything new to the “there is something seriously wrong with my child” genre of movie-making, but at least it does feature a Jewish exorcism instead of the usual Catholic “out, out damned demon” view of things.

It  also delivers a few jolts and thrills along the way.

Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick) are a recently divorced couple, and as usual, it is the couple’s two young daughters who seem to suffer the most from the separation.

Dad is trying his best to to be super dad, he even buys a new home so the girls will have someplace special to stay on their weekend visits.

Unfortunately, dad and the girls stop at a yard sale during that first weekend, and at the insistence of younger daugther Emily, he buys a mysterious old wooden box.

The box, of course, is the  home of a demon, and it speaks to her and she soon lets the genie out of the bottle, so to speak, and all hell breaks loose.

As the demon’s powers grow, The Possession looks more and more like The Exorcist, but with that slightly Jewish twist.

After Clyde  becomes convinced that the box is evil, he  takes it to Brooklyn and comes back with a Hasidic Jewish scholar who fortunately, knows just what to do.

The family angle keeps The Possession from being just another run-of-the-mill film of this type. Both youngsters (Madison Davenport and Natasha Calis) also help this from being a routine outing.

If you are going to go see this and want a little bonus, if you  purchase your tickets for  with Fandango or MovieTickets.com you’ll receive a free download of Matisyahu’s (he plays the  Jewish scholar who performs the exorcism)  new single “Searchin’” from iTunes. Go to: http://bit.ly/PossnTix or: http://bit.ly/PossessTix.

Elvis Elvis Elvis

One of the Elvis Presley films worth watching, if for no other reason to watch Elvis and Ann Margaret sing, Viva Las Vegas, will be shown free in Winter Park, Thursday, Sept. 13.

It is part of the Enzian Theatre’s Popcorn Flicks in Central Park.

It will be screened from 8  to 10 p.m. Blankets, lawn chairs, etc. are suggested.

Critic's rating: B-

Rated: PG-13