The Exorcist Film

Posted : admin On 5/2/2019

The Exorcist Film 3,8/5 4764 reviews

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The Exorcist 1973 American Supernatural Horror Movie. Won 2 Academy Awards. Won 2 Academy Awards. And High rating From IMDb. Adapted From 1971’s Novel of the Same Name. Oct 21, 2018 - The movie was directed by William Friedkin and starred Linda Blair as Regan. There have been five films in the Exorcist series, along with a TV. The Exorcist, with its excellent cast, mounting intensity, and ingeniously constructed surprises, is still a commanding achievement.

When it comes to horror movies, everybody has something different that scares them. Maybe that something is evil dolls, ghosts, or even possessed children. There are already decades worth of horror movie, but filmmakers continue to pump out flicks that make people’s spines tingle.

Even though people are scared by different elements in horror movies, many people agree that The Exorcist is one of the scariest movies ever made. The Exorcist focuses on a girl named Regan MacNeil who is possessed by a demon and whose only hope is in the hands of an exorcist and a priest. The film was released on December 26, 1973, which meant that many movie-goers didn't have a jolly time when they visited their local cinema.

The movie was directed by William Friedkin and starred Linda Blair as Regan. There have been five films in the Exorcist series, along with a TV show that debuted on Fox in 2016. Blair returned for the first sequel, but it was almost universally panned by fans and critics.

Despite the multiple movies that deal with exorcism, The Exorcist will always be considered one of the best. Even after 45 years, The Exorcist can still give people the creeps. Not all old horror movies can live up after nearly 50 years, but The Exorcist certainly can.

Even though the movie itself is incredibly frightening, some of the behind the scenes secrets and information about the filmmaking process are just as scary.

Here are the 30 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of The Exorcist.

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30 A Priest Was Asked To Bless The Set After It Caught On Fire

There were many creepy occurrences that took place during the filming of The Exorcist. Many people were led to believe the set was haunted, especially after the entire set caught on fire. The set that was being used for the MacNeil house caught on fire, which delayed production for six weeks.

What’s strange, however, is that the only room that wasn’t burned was Regan's demonic bedroom.

Due to this fact, a priest was asked to come and bless the set in order to put the cast and crew somewhat at ease.

The Exorcist Tv Show Cancelled

29 Some Theaters Handed Out Barf Bags

Many movies are marketed as being a truly frightening experience, but not very many films have had the power to make people physically ill. When The Exorcist hit theaters, many of them handed out barf bags because people kept vomiting in the auditoriums. Many people were repulsed by what they saw on the big screen due to the film’s horrific and graphic content.

There are many claims of people passing out, vomiting, or leaving the theater because the film was too much for them to handle. There are some horrifying movies out there today, but none have had quite the impact that The Exorcist did.

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28 Linda Blair Got Body Guards After The Movie Was Released

There are plenty of examples of movies that have been deemed offensive to different people. Any film that has to do with religion typically has to be careful with the way they present certain ideas and religious beliefs. In the case of The Exorcist, there were several sacrilegious acts performed since the movie centered on a girl being possessed by a demon.

Some people who saw The Exorcist were so offended that they sent threats to young Linda Blair.

Since people thought the film glorified Satan, Blair had to have bodyguards with her at all times for six months after Warner Bros. released The Exorcist.

27 Many People Linked To The Movie Met Tragic Ends

While it doesn’t happen all of the time, some cast and crew members do pass away while making a movie. What’s strange about The Exorcist is that a total of nine people’s passings are said to be linked to the movie.

Actors Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros both passed away after filming commenced, but what’s truly weird is that both of their characters passed away in the film as well. Linda Blair’s grandfather, Max von Sydow’s brother, a night watchman, and a special effects expert all also lost their lives during and after production of The Exorcist.

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26 It Was Based On A True Story

Horror movies have the power to be scary on their own, but it adds a whole other level if that film is based on a true story. While the movie was based on William Peter Blatty’s book called The Exorcist, both the book and movie were inspired by the story of a teenager with the pseudonym Roland Doe.

The exorcism of Doe is said to have taken weeks to perform in a home in Missouri in 1949.

The devil’s face apparently appeared on the boy’s leg before the voice of Saint Michael came out of the boy’s mouth telling Satan to leave the boy’s body.

25 The Spider Walk Scene Was Originally Cut

By far one of the most chilling and iconic scenes from The Exorcist comes when the demented Regan does a spider walk down the stairs of the MacNeil home. Even though it is one of the most frightening scenes in the film, it wasn’t in the movie when it first hit theaters.

Director William Friedkin apparently didn’t like that the wires holding the contortionist could be seen, so he decided to cut the scene altogether. In later editions of the film with the help of CGI, the scene was restored with the wires no longer visible.

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24 Ellen Burstyn’s Real Screams Of Pain Made It Into the Movie

Just as audiences were screaming when they watched The Exorcist, the characters in the movie were screaming as well. After all, Regan herself was being possessed and her mother Chris had to watch as a demon took over her daughter. In the scene where Regan mutilates herself, her mother rushes over to stop her but gets shoved onto the floor by the demon in Regan.

Actress Ellen Burstyn lets out a glass-shattering scream, but her screams were actually real screams of pain.

The stuntman had pulled the wire rigged to the actress harder than expected, which caused Burstyn to severely hurt her back when she hit the floor, leading to a permanent spinal injury.

23 Ellen Burstyn Called The Director A Maniac

It’s no surprise that making a movie look as real as The Exorcist was a grueling task. Because of this, director William Friedkin had some rather intense directing techniques.

In the documentary that came with the 2010 Blu-ray edition of The Exorcist, it was revealed that the director would often fire guns or slap actors in the face right before the cameras started rolling. While this often got genuine reactions from the cast, it also angered them, resulting in Ellen Burstyn calling Friedkin a maniac.

22 Mercedes McCambridge Voiced The Demon And Later Experienced A Tragedy

While Linda Blair gave an incredible performance at the age of 14, the voice of the demon was actually done by radio and film actress Mercedes McCambridge. The actress added a startling dimension to the movie by supplying a chilling voice you would never imagine coming from a little girl.

Director William Friedkin once said that the actress swallowed raw eggs, smoked cigarettes, and drank alcohol in order to achieve the voice of the demon.

What’s even more interesting is that McCambridge even gave up her sobriety to make the voice seem as authentic as possible. In 1987, she also faced a tragedy when her son ended the life of his wife, his children, and himself.

21 The White Faced Demon Was Actually From Rejected Makeup Tests

One of the many images that got burnt into people’s eyes after they watched The Exorcist is the image of the white-faced demon. The demon is seen at various points of the movie, most of which are flashed on the screen in a subliminal fashion. It added an eerie effect; however, that version of the demon wasn’t originally a part of the movie.

The face was actually pulled from rejected makeup tests that were done on Linda Blair’s body double named Eileen Dietz. That being said, the face was used in the teaser trailer for the film and the final cut of the movie.

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20 The Set Was Refrigerated

It’s safe to say that the cast and crew working on The Exorcist were incredibly uncomfortable at times. One way that William Friedkin made life difficult for the cast and crew was by refrigerating the entire set. This allowed viewers to see the breath of Regan and the priests and add an eerie effect to the movie.

In behind the scenes photographs, fans can see the crew in big winter coats trying to stay warm while filming scenes inside Regan’s bedroom. While this effect sometimes still happens today, it was much more expensive to pull off in the ‘70s.

19 The Filmmakers Used Low-Tech Special Effects

A lot of horror movies that come out today rely on elaborate computer-generated imagery to scare audiences, but in 1973, filmmakers used practical effects. Most of these effects on The Exorcist were also low-tech, but they worked incredibly well.

A rubber dummy of Linda Blair was used for when Regan’s head twists 360 degrees, which only looked real because of the lighting on set.

For vomit sequences, a hidden tube was attached to Blair’s chin that shot out the thick green slime. Cameramen were also often suspended by pulleys and wires to get the required shot.

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18 The Poster Was Inspired By A Famous Painting

Even if someone hasn’t seen The Exorcist, they probably recognize the poster for the movie. The poster shows Max von Sydow’s character standing by a street light as the light from the MacNeil house shines on him. The poster is nothing short of an iconic image, but it was actually inspired by a famous painting.

The poster was created by graphic designer Bill Gold, who used the painting The Empire of Lights by René Magritte as inspiration for The Exorcist’s poster. The poster is simple, yet it has become one of the most recognized images of the movie.

17 The Original Teaser Trailer Was Banned In Theaters

The Exorcist has been scaring audiences for years, but the scares first started when the teaser trailer was released for the movie. The teaser consisted of the iconic scene of Father Merrin getting out of his cab, followed by flashes of the white-faced demon and the demented Regan.

The trailer seems fairly tame by today’s standards, but in 1973 the trailer was actually pulled from several theaters because people thought it was too scary to be shown. Those people were likely the ones who had to be carried out of the theater by paramedics when the movie started too.

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16 One Movie-Goer Sued Warner Bros.

It’s quite known that The Exorcist caused people to faint, feel ill, or even lose their lunch in the auditorium. That being said, these people bought tickets to the movie and willingly went into the theater, so any repercussions from this shouldn’t be at the cost of Warner Bros. right? Wrong.

When one woman passed out at a screening of The Exorcist, she passed out and broke her jaw.

She ended up suing Warner Bros. and claimed that the subliminal messages caused her injury. Warner Bros. is also said to have settled the dispute for an undisclosed amount to avoid going to court over the matter.

15 Linda Blair Beat Out 500 Other Actresses To Play Regan

For any movie or TV show, filmmakers usually hold auditions to decide which actor or actress is a good fit for the role. In the case of Regan MacNeil, Linda Blair is said to have beat out 500 other actresses for the role.

Not very many child actresses would be able to handle the intensity that The Exorcist required, but Linda Blair’s mother actually brought her to the audition without an appointment because she knew her daughter could play the role. Blair could apparently keep it together while talking about the obscene things her character would have to do, and the director knew she had to be cast.

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14 Regan’s Makeup Almost Looked Very Different

The makeup for The Exorcist truly helped the movie turn into a one of a kind horror spectacle. Regan’s makeup was performed by makeup artist Dick Smith, but it originally looked very different.

The original makeup for the character looked more like a demon than a human, which director William Friedkin didn’t like. He wanted the makeup to look like it was the cause of more self-inflicted injuries. Both makeup styles look horrifying, but it’s hard to argue that the one that made it into the final film isn’t the better of the two.

13 The Projectile Vomit Wasn’t Supposed To Hit Jason Miller’s Face

Actress Ellen Burstyn wasn't the only one to show real emotion in the final cut of the movie - Jason Miller did as well. The projectile vomit scene is said to have been filmed in only one take since Miller’s reaction was genuine.

When the vomit launches at Father Karras, it was supposed to hit him on the chest, but instead, it sprayed all over his face.

The plastic tube used to shoot the vomit actually misfired, which caused it to hit him right in the face and mouth. Actor Jason Miller was genuinely disgusted and was really coughing and wiping the vomit off of himself.

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12 Max von Sydow Went Through A Four Hour Makeup Process

While Linda Blair obviously had to go through a long makeup application, Max Von Sydow did as well. The actor was only 44, yet he was cast in a role that was written for someone nearly twice his age. Makeup artist Dick Smith had to make Sydow appear 40 years older than he actually was, which took around four hours.

Apparently, after The Exorcist was released, Sydow had a hard time finding work because movie studios thought he was too old to play many roles even though he was only 44.

11 Stanley Kubrick Was Considered To Direct

Since the early ages of cinema, there have been some incredible directors that have graced the world with their movies. Stanley Kubrick is one of those directors, as he has directed films like The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. When Warner Bros. sent the script to Kubrick, he responded by saying, “I only like to develop my own stuff.”

William Peter Blatty fought for William Friedkin to get the job, which of course happened. While Friedkin crafted one of the greatest horror movies ever made, it’s hard to not wonder what The Exorcist directed by Stanley Kubrick would have looked like.

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10 It Was The First Horror Movie To Be Nominated For Best Picture

Horror movies often get snubbed when it comes to Oscar season. That being said, a handful of horror movies have gotten Academy Awards over the years, including Silence of the Lambs, Get Out, and The Exorcist. The Exorcist was actually the first horror movie to ever be nominated for best picture in 1974.

Even though Friedkin’s movie lost to the movie The Sting, The Exorcist was still nominated for 10 Oscars.

The movie won two of those nominations, including Best Writing and Best Sound, but let’s be real: actress Linda Blair clearly should have won her Oscar Nomination and Dick Smith should have at least been nominated for Best Makeup.

9 Pea Soup Was Used For The Vomit Sequences

Forty-five years later, it may not be much of a secret that pea soup was used for the vomit sequences in The Exorcist, but it is interesting none the less. The mixture for the gross looking green vomit was pea soup and porridge. Not just any pea soup was used, however. Andersen’s pea soup was the soup of choice for the production.

Campbell’s soup was apparently tested but didn’t have the same effect as the Andersen’s brand. This just goes to show that the production used low-tech, and in this case low cost, effects to make the movie look disgusting.

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8 Audrey Hepburn and Jane Fonda Almost Played Regan’s Mother

Actress Ellen Burstyn had been acting since the late ‘50s, which made her an ideal candidate for the role of Regan’s mom in The Exorcist. While she was ultimately cast in the movie, Audrey Hepburn and Jane Fonda were also considered for the role.

Given Hepburn and Fonda’s reputation in Hollywood, they both would have been great in the role of Chris MacNeil. That being said, Burstyn brought something special to her performance and was even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

7 The Head Spinning Scene Was Almost Cut

There are many scenes in The Exorcist that are frightening and became iconic moments in the movie. One of these moments was when Regan sits up in bed and her head twists around 360 degrees. It is a truly horrifying scene that many horror films copy to this day. That being said, it almost got cut from the movie.

When the novel’s writer William Peter Blatty saw the scene where Regan spins her head around, he thought it should be cut from the film.

However, thankfully it ended up in the final product.

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6 Linda Blair Made Max von Sydow Forget His Lines

No matter what kind of horror movie someone has seen, it is still surprising to hear some of the things Linda Blair says in The Exorcist. Granted, Mercedes McCambridge did a lot of the vocal work for the demon, but before McCambridge was brought on board, Blair got to say the obscenities herself.

When Max von Sydow first heard Blair go off during the exorcism scene, he apparently forgot his lines because he was so taken aback by what Blair had said. After seeing the finished product, it’s not hard to see why.

5 Jamie Lee Curtis Could Have Played Regan

While Linda Blair did an amazing job in the role of Regan MacNeil, the role could have gone to Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis is a horror star in her own right, as she starred in the original Halloween by legendary horror director John Carpenter. When Curtis was 13 years old, she was asked to audition for The Exorcist, but her mother said no.

Her mother is, of course, another horror actress named Janet Leigh, who is known for starring alongside Anthony Perkins in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Apparently horror runs in the family.

4 Sound Design Was A Huge Part Of The Filmmaking Process

Often times, people can underestimate the importance of sound design in a movie. Throughout the film, agitated animals are often heard and mixed with the voice of the demon.

In order to get the sound for certain vomit sequences, it’s rumored that Mercedes McCambridge would voluntarily vomit up raw eggs and mushed apples.

Likewise, in order to get the sound of Regan’s neck snapping, an old leather wallet with credit cards was twisted in front of a microphone. The sound effects for the film came from some unlikely places, but they worked perfectly for the horror movie.

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3 The Name Of The Demon Is Never Stated In The Movie

One common misconception about The Exorcist is that Regan is actually not possessed by Satan, but another demon called Pazuzu. Since it is never stated in the movie, people often think that Captain Howdy is the Devil himself, although this is later revealed to not be the case when Father Karras is skeptical about the demon being Satan.

Based on the statue seen in the film and the explanation in the novel, Regan is indeed possessed by Pazuzu who is “the demon of the wind.”

2 Marlon Brando And Jack Nicholson Were Considered For Priest Roles

Several famous actors were passed up when it came to the roles of Regan and her mother Chris, but even more famous actors were considered for the roles of the priests. Father Karras was played by Jason Miller; however, Jack Nicholson and Gene Hackman were also considered for the role.

As for Father Merrin, Marlon Brando was considered to play the character. Brando was well known by 1973, especially after starring in The Godfather, but William Friedkin wouldn’t let Warner Bros. hire him since the movie would turn into a “Brando movie” if he was in it.

1 Linda Blair Was Scared Of The Dummy Used For Certain Scenes

Most people who saw The Exorcist were horrified of both Linda Blair and the dummy they used for certain scenes. As it turns out, so was Blair. In behind-the-scenes footage of the scene where Regan turns her head around 360 degrees, Blair explained that she constantly had to sit next to the dummy in the makeup room.

When being interviewed about the scene, she admitted that she “didn’t enjoy the experience of being in its presence.” It’s probably safe to say that most people wouldn't enjoy the experience either given how realistic it looks.

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Are there any other behind-the-scenes secrets about The Exorcist we missed? Let us know in the comments!

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The Exorcist
Created byWilliam Peter Blatty
Original workThe Exorcist
Print publications
Novel(s)The Exorcist
Legion
Films and television
Film(s)The Exorcist
Exorcist II: The Heretic
The Exorcist III
The Exorcist (2000 Director's Cut)
Exorcist: The Beginning
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Television seriesThe Exorcist (TV series)
The

The Exorcist is an American media franchise that originated with William Peter Blatty's 1971 horror novel of the same name and most prominently featured in a 1973 film adapted from the novel, and many subsequent prequels and sequels. All of these installments focus on fictional accounts of people possessed by Pazuzu, the main antagonist of the series, and the efforts of religious authorities to counter this possession.

  • 1Novels
  • 2Films
    • 2.7Related films
  • 4Theatre
  • 5Video game
  • 7Parodies and pastiches

Novels[edit]

The Exorcist (1971)[edit]

The Exorcist is a 1971 novel by American writer William Peter Blatty. The book details the demonic possession of twelve-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise the demon. It was published by Harper & Row.

The novel was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University.[1] As a result, the novel takes place in Washington D.C. near the campus of Georgetown University. In September 2011, the novel was reprinted by Harper Collins to celebrate its fortieth anniversary, with slight revisions made by Blatty as well as interior title artwork by Jeremy Caniglia.

Legion (1983)[edit]

Legion is the 1983 follow-up to the Exorcist novel. It was made into the movie The Exorcist III in 1990. Like The Exorcist, it involves demonic possession. The book was the focus of a court case over its exclusion from The New York Times Best Seller list.

133 rows  Product keys are required for installation of Autodesk products and are used to differentiate products that are both sold independently and as part of a product suite. Product key autocad 2013.

Blatty based aspects of the Gemini Killer on the real-life Zodiac Killer,[2] who, in a January 1974 letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, had praised the original Exorcist film as 'the best satirical comedy that I have ever seen'.[3]

Films[edit]

FilmRelease date
The ExorcistDecember 26, 1973
Exorcist II: The HereticJune 17, 1977
The Exorcist IIIAugust 17, 1990
The Exorcist(director's cut)September 22, 2000
Exorcist: The BeginningAugust 20, 2004
Dominion: Prequel to the ExorcistMay 20, 2005

The Exorcist (1973)[edit]

The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernaturalhorror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name, and starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, and Jason Miller. The film is part of The Exorcist franchise. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism of Roland Doe,[4][5] deals with the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's attempts to win back her child through an exorcism conducted by two priests. The adaptation is relatively faithful to the book, which itself has been commercially successful (hitting the New York Times bestseller list).[6][7]

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)[edit]

John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic was released in 1977, and revisited Regan four years after her initial ordeal. The plot dealt with an investigation into the legitimacy of Merrin's exorcism of Regan in the first film. In flashback sequences, we see Regan giving Merrin his fatal heart attack, as well as scenes from the exorcism of a young boy named Kokumo in Africa many years earlier.

The Exorcist III (1990)[edit]

The Exorcist III appeared in 1990, written and directed by Blatty himself from his own 1983 novel Legion. Completely ignoring the events of Exorcist II, this book and film presented a continuation of Karras' story. Following the precedent set in The Ninth Configuration, Blatty turned a supporting character from the first film – in this case, Kinderman — into the chief protagonist. Though the characters of Karras and Kinderman were acquainted during the murder investigation in The Exorcist and Kinderman expressed fondness for Karras, in Exorcist III Blatty has Kinderman remembering Karras as his 'best friend'. Jason Miller reprised his Academy Award-nominated role in The Exorcist for this film.

Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)[edit]

Because of the studio's dissatisfaction with Schrader's version of the prequel (see 'Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist'), Renny Harlin was then hired as director to retool the movie. Harlin reused some of Schrader's footage but shot mostly new material to create a more conventional horror film. Harlin's new version Exorcist: The Beginning was released, but was not well received.

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)[edit]

A prequel film attracted attention and controversy even before its release in 2004; it went through a number of directorial and script changes, such that two versions were ultimately released. John Frankenheimer was originally hired as director for the project, but withdrew before filming started due to health concerns. He died a month later. Paul Schrader replaced him. Upon completion the studio rejected Schrader's version as being too slow, and hired another director to retool the movie. Nine months after the release of the retooled movie (see 'Exorcist: The Beginning') Schrader's original version, retitled Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was given a small theatrical release.

Box office[edit]

FilmRelease dateBox office revenueBox office rankingBudgetReference
United StatesForeignWorldwideAll time domesticAll time worldwide
The ExorcistDecember 26, 1973$193,000,000$208,400,000$401,400,000#65#97$12,000,000[8][9]
Exorcist II: The HereticJune 17, 1977$30,749,142$30,749,142#1,810[10]
The Exorcist IIIAugust 17, 1990$26,098,824$12,925,427$39,024,251#2,025[11]
The Exorcist (2000 Director's Cut)September 22, 2000$39,671,011$72,382,055$112,053,066#716$11,000,000[12]
Exorcist: The BeginningAugust 20, 2004$41,821,986$36,178,600$78,000,586#1,324$80,000,000[13]
Dominion: Prequel to the ExorcistMay 20, 2005$251,495(L)$251,495#7,028[14]
Total$331,592,458$329,886,082(A)$661,478,540(A)$103,000,000(A)
List indicator(s)
  • A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film.
  • (L) indicates the film had a limited release.
  • (A) indicates an estimated figure based on available numbers.

Related films[edit]

The Ninth Configuration (1980)[edit]

Blatty directed The Ninth Configuration, a post-Vietnam War drama set in a mental institution. Released in 1980, it was based on Blatty's novel of the same name. Though it contrasts sharply with the tone of The Exorcist, Blatty regards Configuration as its true sequel.[15] The lead character is the astronaut from Chris' party, Lt. Cutshaw.

Possessed (2000)[edit]

A made-for-television film, Possessed (based on the book of the same name by Thomas B. Allen), was broadcast on Showtime on October 22, 2000, directed by Steven E. de Souza and written by de Souza and Michael Lazarou. The film claimed to follow the true accounts that inspired Blatty to write The Exorcist and starred Timothy Dalton, Henry Czerny, and Christopher Plummer.

Television series[edit]

On January 22, 2016, 20th Century Fox Television announced they were developing a television series of The Exorcist.[16] On February 2, 2016, Rupert Wyatt was hired to direct the pilot episode.[17] On March 2, 2016, Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels were cast as Father Tomas Ortega and Father Marcus Lang.[18]Geena Davis was cast as Angela Rance in the pilot.[19]

The pilot filmed in Chicago in early 2016, and on May 10 the series was greenlit for a first season.[20]

Theatre[edit]

The Exorcist (2012)[edit]

In February 2008, American playwright John Pielmeier expressed an interest in adapting William Peter Blatty's novel of the same name into a play and soon met with Blatty. He then began working on a script for the play, in which the first draft was completed in ten days.[21]The Exorcist first premiered at the Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles in 2012.

Video game[edit]

The Exorcist: Legion VR (2017)[edit]

A horror VR video game, called The Exorcist: Legion VR, was published on Steam, Oculus and PlayStation in 2018 and was based on the events of The Exorcist III.[22][23][24][25]

Unmade sequels and remakes[edit]

In November 2009, it was announced that Blatty planned to direct a mini-series of The Exorcist.[26][27]

In September 2015, Morgan Creek Productions announced it was selling its library of films, while retaining remake and sequel rights to key properties, including The Exorcist. Rumors began circulating that the original film would be remade, which was denied by Morgan Creek.[28]

Film

Parodies and pastiches[edit]

The success of The Exorcist inspired a string of possession-related films worldwide. The first was Beyond the Door, a 1974 Italian film with Juliet Mills as a woman possessed by the devil. It appeared in the U.S. one year later. Also in 1974, a Turkish film, Şeytan (Turkish for Satan; the original film was also shown with the same name), is an almost scene-for-scene remake of the original. The same year in Germany, the exorcism-themed film Magdalena, vom Teufel besessen was released. In 1975, Britain released The Devil Within Her (also called I Don't Want to Be Born) with Joan Collins as an exotic dancer who gives birth to a demon-possessed child.

In 1987, Warner Brothers released an animated short starring Daffy Duck, entitled 'Duxorcist' which was a parody of 'Exorcist', where a group of spirits possess a female duck, and Daffy does succeed in getting them out of the female figure. Similarly, a blaxploitation film was released in 1974 titled Abby. While the films Şeytan and Magdalena, vom Teufel besessen were protected from prosecution by the laws of their countries of origin, Abby's producers (filming in Louisiana) were sued by Warner. The film was pulled from theaters, but not before making $4 million at the box office.

A parody, Repossessed, was released the same year as The Exorcist III, with Blair lampooning the role she had played in the original. Another parody, was made in Italy by actor and comedian Ciccio Ingrassia in 1977, called L'esorciccio. The prologue for Scary Movie 2 was a short parody of several scenes from the original.

Mexican comics 'Los Polivoces' (The Multivoices), made a copy-parody, called 'El Exorcista'. Eduardo Manzano incarned the 'possession' and hard make-up was used. Flying clothes were used as 'phantoms' and rotoscophy techniques make his bed fly.

Other references[edit]

A 1995 episode of The Simpsons (titled 'Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily') features Bart, Lisa and Maggie getting put under the care of the Flanders family. After Lisa reveals that neither she, Bart nor Maggie is baptized, Ned decides to baptize them. On the way to the baptism, Maggie turns her head around like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. It was also parodied in Treehouse of Horror I, Treehouse of Horror XVI and Treehouse of Horror XXVIII. It was also parodied in 'Fland Canyon'.

In the Gravity Falls episode 'The Inconveniencing', Mabel twisting her head 180 degrees while being possessed by a ghost is a reference to a scene in the movie The Exorcist, in which Pazuzu, possessing Regan MacNeil, turns its head 180 degrees.

In Bride of Chucky, When Chucky is on the bed his head turns all the way around just before killing Damien and Tiffany watches.

A meta-reference to the film was made in an episode of Supernatural titled 'The Usual Suspects'. On the show, demons possessing humans is a common plot element; demons in the series are human souls corrupted by their time in Hell, lacking physical bodies of their own to interact with Earth. Linda Blair appeared in 'The Usual Suspects' as a police detective, with protagonist Dean Winchester finding her character familiar and expressing a strange desire for pea soup at the episode's conclusion.

In Angel: Earthly Possessions, a spin-off comic story based on the TV series Angel, protagonist Angel finds himself dealing with a priest who performs exorcisms, but comes to realize that the priest is summoning the demons for him to exorcise in the first place. He also makes a note of The Exorcist film, noting that the vision it created of possession actually made things easier for possession demons by making it harder for humans to know what to expect from a possession.

The Exorcist Film Score

In the animated Horror-comedy show Courage the Cowardly Dog, the episode 'The Demon In The Mattress' is a direct spoof of the film, using several plot elements that was lifted straight from The Exorcist. In the episode, Muriel orders a comfy new mattress, not paying attention to the grotesque deliveryman nor the sinister horse-drawn carriage that delivered it. Unaware of the demon in the mattress, she is later possessed by it when while she sleeps.

In the paranormal TV show Ghost Adventures the producers visited the Exorcist House for their 100th episode of the series. In the episode, Zak, Nick, and Aaron visit the house to see that an exorcism occurred there in 1949. The episode has been announced as one of the scariest lockdown since Bobby Mackeys.

The film was parodied in The Boondocks episode 'Stinkmeaner Strikes Back' (season 2, episode 4).

The 2013 disaster comedy film This Is the End referenced the exorcism when Jonah Hill is possessed by a demon and Jay Baruchel performs an exorcism on by repeating lines from the movie.

In 2014, British author Saurav Dutt released a book entitled 'Pazuzu Unbound', which is a book set in contemporary times dealing with the demon Pazuzu but which does not deal with the original characters in the film and novel on which the book is inspired.

Characters[edit]

CharacterFilmTelevision series
The Exorcist (1973)Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)The Exorcist III (1990)Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)The Exorcist (2016-2017)
Regan MacNeil / Angela RanceLinda BlairGeena Davis
Chris MacNeilEllen BurstynSharon Gless
Father Lankester MerrinMax von SydowStellan Skarsgård
Father Damien KarrasJason MillerJason Miller
Father Joseph DyerWilliam O'MalleyEd Flanders
Sharon SpencerKitty Winn
Lt. William F. KindermanLee J. CobbGeorge C. Scott
Pazuzu / The SalesmanEileen DietzMercedes McCambridge (voice) Ron Faber (voice)Colleen Dewhurst (voice)Rupert Degas (voice)Mary Beth Hurt (voice)Robert Emmet Lunney David Hewlett (voice)
Father Philip LamontRichard Burton
Dr. Gene TuskinLouise Fletcher
KokumoJames Earl JonesJoey Green (Young)
Gary TuskinShane Butterworth
Linda TuskinJoely Adams
Dr. TempleScott Wilson
James 'The Gemini Killer' VenamunBrad Dourif
Father FrancisJames D'ArcyGabriel Mann
Sarah NovakIzabella Scorupco
Major GranvilleJulian Wadham
ChumaAndrew French
Sergeant Major-HarrisRalph Brown
Lieutenant KesselAntonie Kamerling
SemelierBen Cross
JefferiesAlan Ford
BessionPatrick O'Kane
Rachel LesnoClara Bellar
ChecheBilly Crawford
Father Tomas OrtegaAlfonso Herrera
Father Marcus KeaneBen Daniels
Father BennettKurt Egyiawan
Casey RanceHannah Kasulka
Katherine RanceBrianne Howey
Henry RanceAlan Ruck
Andrew KimJohn Cho
VerityBrianna Hildebrand

See also[edit]

  • The Exorcist: Italian Style or L'esorciccio, a 1975 Italian comedy film that parodies the original 1973 film

References[edit]

  1. ^Dimension Desconocida. Ediciones Robinbook. 2009. ISBN9788499170015. Retrieved 2010-04-04. La inspiración del exorcista La historia de Robbie Mannheim es un caso típico de posesión, y es la que dio vida a la película El Exorcista.
  2. ^'The Exorcist III Info, Trailers, and Reviews at MovieTome'. Movietome.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  3. ^'Zodiac Killer : The Letters - 01-29-1974'. SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle). 2 December 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  4. ^Fry 2008, p. 130.
  5. ^Pons 2009, p. 132.
  6. ^Holtzclaw, Mike (October 24, 2014). 'The sound and fury of 'The Exorcist''. Daily Press. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  7. ^Susman, Gary (December 26, 2013). ''The Exorcist': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Terrifying Horror Classic'. news.moviefone.com. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  8. ^'The Exorcist (1973)'. Box Office Mojo.
  9. ^'Movie The Exorcist - Box Office Data'. The Numbers. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17.
  10. ^'Exorcist II (1977)'. Box Office Mojo.
  11. ^'The Exorcist III (1990)'. Box Office Mojo.
  12. ^'The Exorcist (2000)'. Box Office Mojo.
  13. ^'Exorcist: The Beginning (2008)'. Box Office Mojo.
  14. ^'Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)'. Box Office Mojo.
  15. ^Fitch, Alex (February 25, 2011). 'Light in the Darkness: William Peter Blatty's Faith Trilogy'. Electric Sheep Magazine. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  16. ^Prudom, Laura. ''The Exorcist' Pilot Ordered at Fox with Modern Twist'. Variety.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  17. ^Briers, Michael. 'Rupert Wyatt To Resurrect A Horror Icon By Helming TV Pilot Of The Exorcist'. wegotthiscovered.com. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  18. ^Andreeva, Nellie (March 2, 2016). ''Exorcist': Alfonso Herrera & Ben Daniels To Star In Fox Drama Pilot'. Deadline.
  19. ^Wagmeister, Elizabeth. 'Geena Davis Cast in Fox's 'Exorcist' Reboot Pilot'. Variety.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  20. ^Elber, Lynn. 'Fox orders series based on 'Lethal Weapon,' 'Exorcist''. denverpost.com. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  21. ^'The Exorcist John Pielmeier'. johnpielmeier.com. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  22. ^http://www.exorcistlegion.com/
  23. ^http://store.steampowered.com/app/708580/The_Exorcist_Legion_VR/
  24. ^https://exorcistvr.com/Oculus
  25. ^https://exorcistvr.com/PSVR
  26. ^''The Exorcist' Miniseries Reteams Original Writer/Director?'.
  27. ^'Cemetery Dance #62: The William Peter Blatty special issue shipping now!'. Cemeterydance.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  28. ^Barkan, Jonathan (September 28, 2015). 'Morgan Creek Confirms They Will NOT Remake 'The Exorcist''. Bloody-Disgusting. Retrieved May 6, 2016.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Exorcist (film).
Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Exorcist

The Exorcist 1973 Film

  • The Exorcist on IMDb


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