The Exorcist
Theatrical release poster
Directed by | William Friedkin
Produced by | William Peter Blatty
Screenplay by | William Peter Blatty
Based on | The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Starring | Ellen Burstyn Max von Sydow Lee J. Cobb Kitty Winn Jack MacGowran Jason Miller Linda Blair Mercedes McCambridge
Music by | Jack Nitzsche (additional)
Cinematography | Owen Roizman
Editing by | Norman Gay
Distributed by | Warner Bros.
Release dates | December 26, 1973 (1973-12-26)
Running time | 122 minutes
Country | United States
Language | English Latin Greek French German Arabic
Budget | $12 million[1]
Box office | $441,071,011[2]

The Exorcist is a 1973 horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe,[3][4] deals with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother's desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests.

The film features Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb, Linda Blair, and (in voice only) Mercedes McCambridge. It is one of a cycle of "demonic child" films produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, including Rosemary's Baby and The Omen.

The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. The film earned ten Academy Award nominations, winning two (Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay), and losing Best Picture to The Sting. It became one of the highest earning movies of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide. It is also the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.

The film has had a significant influence on popular culture.[5][6] It was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly[7] and Movies.com[8] and by viewers of AMC in 2006, and was No. 3 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.[9] In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry.[10][11]

## Plot[edit]

At an archaeological dig in Northern Iraq, archaeologist Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) visits a site where a silver Roman Catholic medallion along with a small stone amulet resembling a grimacing, bestial creature are found buried together.

Meanwhile, Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), a young priest at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's illness. A friend, Father Joe Dyer (William O'Malley), tries to advise and console him.

While making a film near her temporary residence in Georgetown, actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior of her 12-year-old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair). Chris initially believes Regan's changes are related to puberty; however, doctors suspect a lesion on her temporal lobe. Regan endures a series of unpleasant medical tests. When X-rays show nothing out of the ordinary, a doctor advises that Regan be taken to a psychiatrist, whom she assaults. Paranormal occurrences continue, including a violently shaking bed, strange noises, and unexplained movements.

A film director, Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran), visiting the MacNeil home, dies violently, found at the bottom of steps that run the full length of the house, as well as onto a nearby street, where Dennings broke his neck upon landing. Lieutenant Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb) investigates, and confides in Karras that Dennings' head was found fully twisted around his shoulders. Kinderman also speaks with Chris and promises to return when Regan is feeling better. Just after Kinderman leaves, Chris is brutally attacked by her daughter, leaving her with facial bruises.

When all medical explanations are exhausted, doctors recommend an exorcism. In desperation, Chris consults Karras, who is both a priest and a psychiatrist. During a period in which Karras observes Regan, she constantly refers to herself as the Devil. Karras initially believes her to be merely suffering from psychosis, until he records her speaking in a strange language which turns out to be English spoken backwards, and he is later shown Regan's abdomen where the words "help me" rise in relief in the form of Regan's handwriting. Despite his doubts, Karras decides to request permission from the Church to conduct an exorcism.

Merrin, an experienced exorcist, is summoned to Georgetown to perform the exorcism, with Karras assisting. He and Karras try to drive the spirit from Regan. The demon threatens and taunts both priests, both physically and verbally (including the demon using the voice of Father Karras' mother). Merrin requests that he and Karras take a break, whereby he administers to himself the viaticum, a sign of his impending doom at the hands of the demon. Merrin excuses the younger priest and begins the exorcism, once more on his own.

Karras returns to find Merrin has suffered a fatal heart attack. He attempts to perform CPR to no avail, but Regan is proud of it. Karras strikes and chokes her, challenging the demon to leave Regan and enter him. The demon does so, whereupon the priest regains enough control and throws himself through Regan's bedroom window and falls down the steps outside. At the bottom, a devastated Father Dyer administers last rites as Karras dies. Regan is restored to health and does not appear to remember her ordeal. Chris and Regan leave Georgetown and their trauma behind. They return Karras' silver medallion to Dyer, who takes one final look down the steps behind the house and departs.

In the Alternate Ending on the 2000 Extended Director's Cut, just as Dyer says his goodbyes to Chris and Regan, Kinderman approaches him to also bid farewell, only to learn from Dyer that he just missed them. He invites Dyer to a movie (and then lunch, when Dyer said he had already seen the movie), and the two depart from the house.

## Cast[edit]

- Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, a famous actress temporarily living in Washington, D.C., with her daughter. She is an atheist and a loving mother. When Regan displays strange behavior, Chris experiences an emotional breakdown and tries to find help for her daughter, consulting neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, and finally a Catholic exorcist.
- Jason Miller as Father Damien Karras, a troubled priest, vocational counselor and psychiatrist. He suffers deeply when his mother dies, and confesses to have lost his faith in God. Jack Nicholson was the original choice for the role, but Miller was cast after Friedkin saw his performance in That Championship Season.
- Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin, an elderly priest and archeologist. A quiet and patient man, he has prior experience in performing exorcisms and is aware of the risks of facing evil.
- Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil, Chris's friendly and outgoing 12 year-old daughter. She displays strange and aggressive behaviors after playing with a Ouija board, which are later revealed as early symptoms of demonic possession.
- Lee J. Cobb as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, a police detective investigating Burke Dennings' death. Assertive and cunning, he thinks Regan was involved in Dennings' death, which may be related to the recent desecration of a nearby church.
- Mercedes McCambridge as the voice of the Pazuzu.
- Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer, Chris' friend and personal assistant who acts as Regan's governess and tutor.
- Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings, an eccentric film director and close friend of Chris; his unexplained death while looking after Regan elicits a police homicide investigation.
- Father William O'Malley as Father Joseph Dyer, a close friend of Karras who tries to help him deal with his mother's death.
- Robert Symonds as Dr. Taney.
- Barton Heymen as Dr. Samuel Klein, a doctor who suggests that Regan needs "special" help.
- Arthur Storch as the psychiatrist.
- Titos Vandis as Karras's uncle.
- Eileen Dietz as a face associated with the demon, seen only in visions and flash cuts.

William Peter Blatty has a small speaking role during the scene where Chris is filming in front of Healy Hall. His character engages in a minor technical dispute with director Burke Dennings.

## Production[edit]

### Factual basis for the film[edit]

See also: Exorcism of Roland Doe

Aspects of the novel were inspired by an exorcism performed on a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland in 1949 by the Jesuit priest, Fr. William S. Bowdern, who formerly taught at both St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School. Hunkeler's Catholic family was convinced the child's aggressive behavior was attributable to demonic possession, and called upon the services of Father Walter Halloran to perform the rite of exorcism.[12] Father Halloran maintained until his death in 2005 that he never witnessed the boy display any of the supernatural behavior portrayed in the film; no foreign languages, changes in tone of voice, aversion to holy objects, unusual strength, vomiting or urinating, or unusual markings on the boy's body.[citation needed]

### Casting[edit]

Although the agency representing Blair did not send her for the role, Blair's mother brought her to meet with Warner Bros.' casting department and then with Friedkin. Pamelyn Ferdin, a veteran of science fiction and supernatural drama, was a candidate, but the producers may have felt she was too well-known. Denise Nickerson, who played Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka the Chocolate Factory, was considered, but her parents pulled her out, troubled by the material. Anissa Jones, known for her role as Buffy in Family Affair, auditioned for the role but was rejected for much the same reason as Ferdin. The part went instead to Blair, a relative unknown except for a role in The Way We Live Now.

The studio wanted Marlon Brando for the role of Father Lankester Merrin.[citation needed] Friedkin immediately vetoed this by stating it would become a "Brando movie." Jack Nicholson was up for the part of Karras before Stacy Keach was hired by Blatty. Friedkin then spotted Miller following a performance of Miller's play That Championship Season in New York. Even though Miller had never acted in a film, Keach's contract was bought out by Warner and Miller was cast.

Jane Fonda, and Shirley MacLaine were approached to play Chris; yet both refused to do the film. Audrey Hepburn was approached, but said she would only agree if the film were to be shot in Rome. Anne Bancroft was another choice, but she was in her first month of pregnancy. Burstyn then received the role.

Friedkin originally intended to use Blair's voice, electronically deepened and roughened, for the demon's dialogue. Although Friedkin felt this worked fine in some places, he felt scenes with the demon confronting the two priests lacked the dramatic power required and selected legendary radio actress Mercedes McCambridge, an experienced voice actress, to provide the demon's voice. After filming, Warner Bros. attempted to conceal McCambridge's participation which led to a lawsuit from McCambridge and a grudge between her and Friedkin that was never healed.[citation needed]

### Direction[edit]

Warner had approached Arthur Penn (who was teaching at Yale), Peter Bogdanovich (who wanted to pursue other projects, subsequently regretting the decision), and Mike Nichols (who did not want to shoot a film so dependent on a child's performance) and John Boorman?who would direct the second film?said he did not want to direct it because it was "cruel towards children". Originally Mark Rydell was hired to direct, but William Peter Blatty insisted on Friedkin instead, because he wanted his film to have the same energy as Friedkin's previous film, The French Connection. After a standoff with the studio, which initially refused to budge over Rydell, Blatty eventually got his way. Stanley Kubrick was offered the film (and later on its first sequel) but declined.

Production of The Exorcist began on August 14, 1972 and though it was only supposed to last 85 days, it lasted for 224.

Friedkin went to some extraordinary lengths, reminiscent of D.W. Griffith's manipulation of the actors, to get the genuine reactions he wanted. Yanked violently around in harnesses, both Blair and Burstyn suffered back injuries and their painful screams went right into the film. Burstyn later reported that she had permanent back injury after landing on her coccyx when a stuntman jerked her via cable during the scene when Regan slaps her mother. After asking Reverend William O'Malley if he trusted him and being told yes, Friedkin slapped him hard across the face before a take to generate a deeply solemn reaction that was used in the film, as a very emotional Father Dyer read last rites to Father Karras; this offended the many Catholic crew members on the set.[citation needed] He also fired a gun without warning on the set to elicit shock from Jason Miller for a take, and only told Miller that pea soup would hit him in the chest rather than the face concerning the projectile-vomiting scene, resulting in his disgusted reaction. Lastly, he had Regan's bedroom set built inside a freezer so that the actors' breath could be visible on camera, which required the crew to wear parkas and other cold-weather gear.

### Music[edit]

Lalo Schifrin's working score was rejected by Friedkin. Schifrin had written six minutes of music for the initial film trailer but audiences were reportedly too scared by its combination of sights and sounds. Warner Bros. executives told Friedkin to instruct Schifrin to tone it down with softer music, but Friedkin did not relay the message.

In the soundtrack liner notes for his 1977 film, Sorcerer, Friedkin said had he heard the music of Tangerine Dream earlier, he would have had them score The Exorcist. Instead, he used modern classical compositions, including portions of the 1971 Cello Concerto by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, Five Pieces for Orchestra by Austrian composer Anton Webern as well as some original music by Jack Nitzsche. But the music was heard only during scene transitions. The 2000 "Version You've Never Seen" features new original music by Steve Boddacker, as well as brief source music by Les Baxter.

The original soundtrack LP has only been released once on CD, as an expensive and rare Japanese import. It is noteworthy for being the only soundtrack to include the main theme Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, which became very popular after the film's release, and the movement Night of the Electric Insects from George Crumb's string quartet Black Angels.

The Greek song playing on the radio when Father Karras leaves his mother's house is called "Paramythaki mou" (My Tale) and is sung by Giannis Kalatzis. Lyric writer Lefteris Papadopoulos has admitted that a few years later when he was in financial difficulties he asked for some compensation for the intellectual rights of the song.

### Filming locations[edit]

The Exorcist steps in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

The film's opening sequence was filmed in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border. The people of Sinjar are mostly Kurdish members of the ancient Yezidi sect, which reveres Melek Taus. Outsiders often equate Melek Taus with the Devil,[13] though this benevolent being has little in common with the Islamic and Christian Satan.[14] The archaeological dig site seen at the beginning of the movie is the actual site of ancient Hatra in Nineveh Province.

The "Exorcist steps", stone steps at the end of M Street in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. were padded with 1/2"-thick rubber to film the death of Karras. The stuntman tumbled down the stairs twice. Georgetown University students charged people around $5 each to watch the stunt from the rooftops.

The MacNeil residence interiors were filmed at CECO Studios in Manhattan. The bedroom set had to be refrigerated to capture the authentic icy breath of the actors in the exorcizing scenes, while the bedroom scenes along with many other scenes were filmed in the basement of Fordham University in New York. The temperature was brought so low that a thin layer of snow fell onto the set one morning. Blair, who was only in a thin nightgown, says to this day she cannot stand being cold.[15] Exteriors of the MacNeill house were filmed at 36th and Prospect in Washington, using a family home and a false wall to convey the home's thrust toward the steps. In fact, both then and now, a garden sits atop the embankment between the steps and the home.

The interior of Karras' room at Georgetown was a meticulous reconstruction of Theology professor Father Thomas M. King, S.J.'s "corridor Jesuit" room in New North Hall. Fr. King's room was photographed by production staff after a visit by Blatty, a Georgetown graduate, and Friedkin. Upon returning to New York, every element of King's room, including posters and books, was recreated for the set, including a poster of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., a paleontologist on whom the character of Fr. Merrin was loosely based. Georgetown was paid $1,000 per day of filming, which included both exteriors, such as Burstyn's first scene, shot on the steps of the Flemish Romanesque Healy Hall, and interiors, such as the defilement of the statue of the Virgin Mary in Dahlgren Chapel, or the Archbishop's office, which is actually the office of the president of the university. One scene was filmed in The Tombs, a student hangout across from the steps that was founded by a Blatty classmate. The motion picture St. Elmo's Fire includes scenes filmed at The Tombs.

## Urban legends and on-set incidents[edit]

Many of the film's participants claimed the film was cursed. Blatty stated on video[16] that there were some strange occurrences during the filming. Lead actress Burstyn indicated some rumors are true in her 2006 autobiography Lessons in Becoming Myself. Because of a studio fire, the interior sets of the MacNeil residence (with the exception of Regan's bedroom) had to be rebuilt and caused a setback in pre-production. Friedkin claimed that a priest was brought in numerous times to bless the set. After difficulties encountered in the New York production, Blatty asked Fr. King (see reference above) to bless the Washington crew on its first day of filming at the foot of Lauinger Library's steps to 37th Street. The incident was recounted in Fr. King's Washington Post obituary in 2009. While filming the crucifix masturbation scene, Ellen Burstyn was injured when the crew pulled her harness too hard after Blair's character struck her across the face and sent her onto the floor, sending Burstyn to a chiropractor (fortunately, no permanent damage was dealt, according to an interview with Burstyn). While filming the scene where Regan is being thrashed by the demon on her bed, Blair's metal harness came loose and injured her back as well. Irish actor Jack MacGowran died from influenza shortly after he filmed his role as director Burke Dennings.

## Alternate and uncut versions[edit]

Several versions of The Exorcist have been released: the 1979 theatrical re-issue was reconverted to 70mm, with its 1.75:1 ratio[17] cropped to 2.20:1 to use all the available screen width that 70mm offers. This was also the first time the sound was remixed to six-channel Dolby Stereo sound. Almost all video versions feature this soundtrack.

In both the TV-PG and TV-14 rated network versions, the image of the obscenely defiled statue of the Virgin Mary stays intact. It stays on screen several seconds longer for the TV-14 version. On original TV airings, the shot was replaced with one where the statue's face is smashed in but without other defilement.

The DVD released for the 25th Anniversary retains the original theatrical ending, and includes the extended ending with Dyer and Kinderman as a special feature (as opposed the "Version You've Never Seen" ending, which features Dyer and Kinderman but omits the Casablanca reference). The Special Edition DVD also includes a 75-minute documentary titled The Fear of God on the making of The Exorcist (although PAL releases feature an edited, 52 minute version). The documentary includes screen tests and additional deleted scenes. The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology (box set) was released in October, 2006. This DVD collection includes the original theatrical release version The Exorcist; the extended version, The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen; the sequel with Linda Blair, Exorcist II: The Heretic; the supposed end of the trilogy, The Exorcist III; and two different prequels: Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. Morgan Creek, current owner of the franchise, is now negotiating a cable television mini-series of Blatty's novel, which is the basis for the original film.

### The spider-walk scene[edit]

Contortionist Linda R. Hager performed the infamous spider-walk scene on April 11, 1973. Director Friedkin deleted this scene just prior to the December 26, 1973 premiere because it was technically ineffective due to the visible wires suspending Hager in a backward-arched position as she descends the stairs. According to Friedkin, "I cut it when the film was first released because this was one of those effects that did not work as well as others, and I was only able to save it for the re-release with the help of computer graphic imagery."[18] Additionally, Friedkin considered that the spider-walk scene appeared too early in the film's plot and removed it despite screenplay writer William Peter Blatty's request that the scene remain. In the book, the spider-walk is very quiet, and consists of Regan following Sharon around and occasionally licking her ankle. It is the crucial incident which tells Chris that Regan is possessed and not mentally ill.

In 1998, Warner re-released the digitally remastered DVD of The Exorcist: 25th Anniversary Special Edition. The DVD includes the BBC documentary, The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist,[19] highlighting the never-before-seen original non-bloody variant of the spider-walk scene.

To appease the screenwriter and some fans of The Exorcist, Friedkin worked with CGI artists to digitally remove the wires holding Hager. The director reinstated the bloody variant of the spider-walk scene for the 2000 theatrically re-released version of The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen.

In October 2010, Warner released The Exorcist (Extended Director's Cut Original Theatrical Edition) on Blu-ray, including the behind-the-scenes filming of the spider-walk scene.

## Sequels and related films[edit]

After the film's success, rip-off films and The Exorcist franchise sequels appeared. 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 film was so sharply criticized that director John Boorman reedited the film immediately after its premiere. Both versions have now been released on video; the cut version on VHS and the original uncut version now on DVD.

The Exorcist III appeared in 1990, written and directed by Blatty himself from his own 1983 novel Legion. Jumping past 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 minor 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.

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. Renny Harlin was then hired as director. 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. Nine months later Schrader's original version, retitled Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was given a small theatrical release. It received better, but still mostly negative, critical responses. Both films are now available on DVD. Like Exorcist III, both films made significant changes from the original storyline. The plot of these films centered on an exorcism that Father Merrin had performed as a young priest in Africa, many years prior to the events in The Exorcist. This exorcism was first referenced in The Exorcist, and was shown in flashback in the first sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. Although the plots for both Beginning and Dominion were similar, they both deviated significantly from the original version of the story, making no effort to be faithful the details presented in the earlier films.

In November 2009, it was announced that Blatty planned to direct a mini-series of The Exorcist.[20][21]

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.

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[citation needed]. The lead character is the astronaut from Chris' party, Lt. Cutshaw.

### Other films[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, ?eytan (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 1976, 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.

Similarly, a blaxploitation film was released in 1974 titled Abby. While the films ?eytan 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.

### Other references[edit]

A meta-reference to the film was made in an episode of Supernatural- a show where 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-, where Linda Blair appeared 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 realise 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.

## Home media[edit]

A limited edition box set was released in 1998; it was limited to 50,000 copies, with available copies circulating around the Internet. There are two versions; a special edition VHS and a special edition DVD. The only difference between the two copies is the recording format.

DVD features

- The original film with restored film and digitally remastered audio, with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio.
- An introduction by director Friedkin
- The 1998 BBC documentary The Fear of God: The Making of "The Exorcist"
- 2 audio commentaries
- Interviews with the director and writer
- Theatrical trailers and TV spots

Box features

- A commemorative 52-page tribute book, covering highlights of the film's preparation, production, and release; features previously-unreleased historical data and archival photographs
- Limited edition soundtrack CD of the film's score, including the original (unused) soundtrack ("Tubular Bells" and "Night of the Electric Insects" omitted)
- 8 lobby card reprints
- Exclusive senitype film frame (magnification included)

Blu-ray

In an interview with DVD Review, Friedkin mentioned that he was scheduled to begin work on a 'The Exorcist' Blu-ray on December 2, 2008.[22] This edition features a new restoration, including both the 1973 theatrical version and the 2000 "Version You've Never Seen".[23] It was released on October 5, 2010.[24][25]

## Reception[edit]

Upon its December 26, 1973 release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, "ranging from 'classic' to 'claptrap'."[26] Stanley Kauffmann, in The New Republic, wrote, "This is the scariest film I've seen in years?the only scary film I've seen in years?... If you want to be shaken?and I found out, while the picture was going, that that's what I wanted?then The Exorcist will scare the hell out of you."[27] Variety noted that it was "an expert telling of a supernatural horror story?... The climactic sequences assault the senses and the intellect with pure cinematic terror."[28] In Castle of Frankenstein, Joe Dante called it "an amazing film, and one destined to become at the very least a horror classic. Director Friedkin's film will be profoundly disturbing to all audiences, especially the more sensitive and those who tend to 'live' the movies they see?... Suffice it to say, there has never been anything like this on the screen before."[29]

However, Vincent Canby, writing in the New York Times, dismissed The Exorcist as "a chunk of elegant occultist claptrap?... a practically impossible film to sit through?... It establishes a new low for grotesque special effects?..."[30] Andrew Sarris complained that "Friedkin's biggest weakness is his inability to provide enough visual information about his characters?... whole passages of the movie's exposition were one long buzz of small talk and name droppings?... The Exorcist succeeds on one level as an effectively excruciating entertainment, but on another, deeper level it is a thoroughly evil film."[31] Writing in Rolling Stone, Jon Landau felt the film was "nothing more than a religious porn film, the gaudiest piece of shlock this side of Cecil B. DeMille (minus that gentleman's wit and ability to tell a story) ?... "[32] Author James K. Morrow disliked the movie on similar grounds:

> "From the first frame to the last, The Exorcist serves up a feckless Manichean attack on the Enlightenment, rigging the discourse at every turn. On one side we have the forces of darkness: clueless physicians in lab coats, blinded by their materialism, blithely torturing a demonically possessed child with their diagnostic instruments... What I find most exasperating about this movie and the novel before it is Blatty and Friedkin's stupefyingly unimaginative notion of radical evil. You know, Radical Evil, that phenomenon we secular humanists are continually told we fail to appreciate. In the world of The Exorcist, the Devil's agenda comes down to one thing and one thing only: the sex act. For Friedkin and Blatty, human reproductive organs are the sine qua non of chaos, depravity, and filth.... Not one of the 'obscene' utterances spewed forth by Pazuzu touches on historical or social evils. Pazuzu files no briefs on behalf of war, slavery, misogyny, anti-Semitism, homophobia, or pedophilia. Can it be a coincidence that, at certain points in its ragged history, the Catholic Church has acquiesced to all six of those institutions?... The wife of the police inspector, played by Lee C. Cobb, no longer enjoys watching movies with him?get it? When The Exorcist isn't busy wagging its index finger at secular reason, it gives its middle digit to anyone who would presume to find redemption in the erotic."[33]

Over the years, The Exorcist's critical reputation has grown considerably. The film currently has an 85% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website, based on 47 reviews the website collected.[34] Some critics regard it as being one of the best and most effective horror films of all time. Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel placed it in the top five films released that year.[35] However, the movie has its detractors as well, including Kim Newman who has criticized it for messy plot construction, conventionality and overblown pretentiousness, among other perceived defects. Writer James Baldwin provides an extended negative critique in his book length essay The Devil Finds Work.[citation needed] Director Martin Scorsese placed The Exorcist on his list of the 11 scariest horror films of all time.[36] In 2008, the film was selected by Empire Magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies Ever Made.[37] It was also placed on a similar list of 1000 movies by The New York Times.[38]

### Box office[edit]

The film earned $66.3 million in distributors' domestic (US/CAN) rentals during its theatrical release in 1974, becoming the second most popular film of that year (trailing The Sting).[39] After several reissues, the film eventually grossed $232,671,011 in North America,[40] which if adjusted for inflation, would be the 9th highest grossing film of all time and the top-grossing R-rated film of all time.[41] To date, it has a total gross of $441,071,011 worldwide.[40]

### UK reception[edit]

In the United Kingdom, the film was included in the "video nasty" phenomenon of the early 1980s. Although it had been released uncut for home video in 1981, this was prior to the implementation of the Video Recording Act 1984. When the Act came into force, Warner Bros. decided against submitting it to the BBFC for a rating following the 'Video Nasties' scare. It is a widely-reported myth that the BBFC banned the film, but it was never rejected by them, nor did it appear on the official "Video Nasties" list.

Following a successful re-release in cinemas in 1998, the film was submitted for home video release for the first time in February 1999 [42] and was passed uncut with an 18 certificate rating, signifying a relaxation of the censorship rules with relation to home video in the UK. The film was shown on terrestrial television in the UK for the first time in 2001, on Channel 4.[43]

### Special effects and audience reception[edit]

The Exorcist contained a number of special effects, engineered by makeup artist Dick Smith. Roger Ebert, while praising the film, believed the effects to be so unusually graphic he wrote, "That it received an R rating and not the X is stupefying."[44]

Theaters provided "Exorcist barf bags".[45]

Because of death threats against Blair, Warner hired bodyguards to protect her for six months after the film's release.[15]

#### Alleged subliminal imagery[edit]

The Exorcist was also at the center of controversy due to its alleged use of subliminal imagery. Wilson Bryan Key wrote a whole chapter on the movie in his book Media Sexploitation alleging multiple uses of subliminal and semi-subliminal imagery and sound effects. Key observed the use of the Pazuzu face (in which Key mistakenly assumed it was Jason Miller made up in a death mask makeup) and claimed that the safety padding on the bedposts were shaped to cast phallic shadows on the wall and that a skull face is superimposed into one of breath clouds of Father Merrin. Key also wrote much about the sound design, identifying the use of pig squeals, for instance, and elaborating on his opinion of the subliminal intent of it all. A detailed article in the July/August 1991 issue of Video Watchdog examined the phenomenon, providing still frames identifying several usages of subliminal "flashing" throughout the film.[46] In an interview from the same issue, Friedkin explained, "I saw subliminal cuts in a number of films before I ever put them in The Exorcist, and I thought it was a very effective storytelling device... The subliminal editing in The Exorcist was done for dramatic effect?to create, achieve, and sustain a kind of dreamlike state."[47] However, these quick, scary flashes have been labeled "[not] truly subliminal".[48] and "quasi-" or "semi-subliminal".[49] True subliminal imagery must be, by definition, below the threshold of awareness.[50][51][52][53] In an interview in a 1999 book about the film, The Exorcist author Blatty addressed the controversy by explaining that, "There are no subliminal images. If you can see it, it's not subliminal."[54]

## Awards and honors[edit]

### Academy Awards[edit]

The Exorcist was nominated for a total of ten Academy Awards in 1973, winning two. It is the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.[55] At the 46th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, the film won two statuettes (highlighted in bold).[56]

The film was nominated for:

- Academy Award for Best Picture?? William Peter Blatty and Noel Marshall
- Academy Award for Best Actress?? Ellen Burstyn
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor?? Jason Miller
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress?? Linda Blair
- Academy Award for Best Director?? William Friedkin
- Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay?? William Peter Blatty
- Academy Award for Best Cinematography?? Owen Roizman
- Academy Award for Best Film Editing?? Norman Gay
- Academy Award for Best Art Direction?? Bill Malley and Jerry Wunderlich
- Academy Award for Best Sound?? Robert Knudson, Chris Newman

### Golden Globe Awards[edit]

The Exorcist was nominated for a total of seven Golden Globes in 1973. At the 31st Golden Globes ceremony that year, the film won four awards.

- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture ? Drama
- Golden Globe Award for Best Director?? William Friedkin
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress ? Motion Picture?? Linda Blair
- Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay?? William Peter Blatty

The film was nominated for

- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress ? Motion Picture Drama?? Ellen Burstyn
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor ? Motion Picture?? Max von Sydow
- Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year ? Actress?? Linda Blair

### Library of Congress[edit]

- 2010 National Film Registry

### American Film Institute Lists[edit]

- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies?? Nominated[57]
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills?? #3
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
  - Regan MacNeil?? #9 Villain
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
  - "What an excellent day for an exorcism."?? Nominated[58]
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)?? Nominated[59]

## See also[edit]

| Horror fiction portal

## References[edit]

| This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (November 2011)

1. ^ "Box Office Information for The Exorcist". The Numbers. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
2. ^ "Box Office Information for The Exorcist". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
3. ^ Mannheimcd=3#v=onepageq=Robbie Mannheimf=false Cinema of the occult: new age, satanism, Wicca, and spiritualism in film. Rosemont Publishing Printing Corp. December 31, 2008. ISBN 978-0-934223-95-9. Retrieved April 4, 2010. "Blatty's novel was loosely based on an actual exorcism, and the producers of Possessed claim the film is closer to the "real" story."
4. ^ Mannheimcd=5#v=onepageq=Robbie Mannheimf=false Dimension Desconocida. Ediciones Robinbook. 2009-04. ISBN 978-84-9917-001-5. Retrieved April 4, 2010. "La inspiraci?n del exorcista La historia de Robbie Mannheim es un caso t?pico de posesi?n, y es la que dio vida a la pel?cula El Exorcista." Check date values in: `|date=` (help)
5. ^ Layton, Julia (2005-09-08). "Science.howstuffworks.com". Science.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
6. ^ "Allmovie.com". Allmovie.com. 2005-09-09. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
7. ^ Ascher, Rebecca (1999-07-23). "Entertainment Weekly, "The 25 Scariest Movies of All Time"". Ew.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
8. ^ "Movies.com, "Get Repossessed With the Exorcist Movies"". Movies.com. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
9. ^ AMC Poll: The Exorcist Scariest Movie. Multichannel News. October 23, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
10. ^ "'Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks". Retrieved December 28, 2010.
11. ^ Barnes, Mike (December 28, 2010). "'Empire Strikes Back,' 'Airplane!' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
12. ^ [1] Strangemag
13. ^ TNR.com[dead link]
14. ^ "Scholarisland.org". Scholarisland.org. 1963-12-20. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
15. ^ a b "Friedkin's ? The Exorcist". Thefleshfarm.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
16. ^ Youtube.com[dead link]
17. ^ http://www.bbfc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Exorcist-Final.pdf
18. ^ USA Today. January 19, 2001 http://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/1011friedkin.htm `|url=` missing title (help).
19. ^ "The Exorcist 25th Anniversary Special Edition". Timewarner.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
20. ^ "'The Exorcist' Miniseries Reteams Original Writer/Director?".
21. ^ "Cemetery Dance #62: The William Peter Blatty special issue shipping now!". Cemeterydance.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
22. ^ "Blu-ray.com". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
23. ^ "The Exorcist Announced on Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
24. ^ "Full Blu-ray Details to Make Your Head Spin?? The Exorcist". DreadCentral.
25. ^ "The Exorcist releasing on Blu-ray in October 2010". Morehorror.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
26. ^ Travers, Peter and Rieff, Stephanie. The Story Behind 'The Exorcist', Pg. 149, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
27. ^ Kauffmann, Stanley. New Republic review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist', written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 152?154, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
28. ^ Exorcist "The Exorcist". Variety. January 1, 1973. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
29. ^ Dante, Joe. Castle of Frankenstein, Vol 6, No. 2 (Whole Issue #22), pgs. 32?33. Review of The Exorcist
30. ^ Canby, Vincent. New York Times review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist', written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 150?152, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
31. ^ Sarris, Andrew. Village Voice review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist', written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 154?158, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
32. ^ Landau, Jon. Rolling Stone review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist', written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 158?162, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
33. ^ Morrow, James (January, 2012). "The Exorcist: In Three Parts". The New York Review of Science Fiction (Pleasantville, N.Y.: Dragon Press) 24 (281): 15. ISSN 1052-9438. More than one of `|number=` and `|issue=` specified (help); Check date values in: `|date=` (help)
34. ^ "The Exorcist" (1973)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
35. ^ "The Official Site of Gene Siskel". Cmgww.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
36. ^ Scorsese, Martin (October 28, 2009). "11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
37. ^ "Empireonline.com". Empireonline.com. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
38. ^ "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. April 29, 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
39. ^ Gebert, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards (listings of 'Box Office (Domestic Rentals)' for 1974, taken from Variety magazine), pg. 314, St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1996. ISBN 0-668-05308-9. "Rentals" refers to the distributor/studio's share of the box office gross, which, according to Gebert, is normally roughly half of the money generated by ticket sales.
40. ^ a b "The Exorcist". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
41. ^ "All Time Box Office Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
42. ^ "Original BBFC.co.uk entry". Bbfc.co.uk. 1999-02-25. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
43. ^ "TV premiere for The Exorcist". BBC News. March 4, 2001. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
44. ^ ":: rogerebert.com :: Reviews :: The Exorcist (xhtml)". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
45. ^ "Screen shockers". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02. Text " Independent, The (London) " ignored (help); Text " Find Articles at BNET.com " ignored (help)
46. ^ Lucas, Tim and Kermode, Mark. Video Watchdog Magazine, issue No. 6 (July/August 1991), pgs. 20?31, "The Exorcist: From the Subliminal to the Ridiculous"
47. ^ Friedkin, William. Interviewed in Video Watchdog Magazine, issue No. 6 (July/August 1991), pg. 23, "The Exorcist: From the Subliminal to the Ridiculous"
48. ^ "Dark Romance?? Book of Days?? The 'subliminal' demon of The Exorcist". darkromance.com. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
49. ^ "Films that flicker: the origins of subliminal advertising myths and practices.". subliminalworld.org. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
50. ^ "subliminal - Definitions from Dictionary.com".
51. ^ "Subliminal Messages".
52. ^ "Subliminal Perception".
53. ^ "Subliminal Advertising". )
54. ^ McCabe, Bob (1999). "It's none of that; there are no subliminal images. If you can see it, it's not subliminal." The Exorcist. London: Omnibus. p. 138. ISBN 0-7119-7509-4.
55. ^ "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
56. ^ "NY Times: The Exorcist". NY Times. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
57. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
58. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
59. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Ballot" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.

## External links[edit]

| Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: API

- Official website
- The Exorcist at the Internet Movie Database
- The Exorcist at allmovie
- The Exorcist at Box Office Mojo
- The Exorcist at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Exorcist at Metacritic
- The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
- Jason Miller Remembers The Exorcist
- [2] The Exorcist steps

The Exorcist series
Films | The Exorcist (1973) Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) The Exorcist III (1990) Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
Novels | The Exorcist Legion
Characters | Regan MacNeil Father Damien Karras Father Lankester Merrin Pazuzu
Related | William Peter Blatty The Ninth Configuration (1980)

Films directed by William Friedkin
1960s | Good Times (1967) The Birthday Party (1968) The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968)
1970s | The Boys in the Band (1970) The French Connection (1971) The Exorcist (1973) Sorcerer (1977) The Brink's Job (1978)
1980s | Cruising (1980) Deal of the Century (1983) To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) Rampage (1988)
1990s | The Guardian (1990) Blue Chips (1994) Jailbreakers (1994) Jade (1995) 12 Angry Men (1997)
2000s | Rules of Engagement (2000) The Hunted (2003) Bug (2006)
2010s | Killer Joe (2012)

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama (1961–1980)
The Guns of Navarone – Carl Foreman (1961) Lawrence of Arabia – Sam Spiegel (1962) The Cardinal – Otto Preminger (1963) Becket – Hal B. Wallis (1964) Doctor Zhivago – Carlo Ponti (1965) A Man for All Seasons – Fred Zinnemann (1966) In the Heat of the Night – Walter Mirisch (1967) The Lion in Winter – Martin Poll (1968) Anne of the Thousand Days – Hal B. Wallis (1969) Love Story – Howard G. Minsky (1970) The French Connection – Philip D'Antoni (1971) The Godfather – Albert S. Ruddy (1972) The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty (1973) Chinatown – Robert Evans (1974) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – Michael Douglas (1975) Rocky – Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler (1976) The Turning Point – Arthur Laurents (1977) Midnight Express – Alan Marshall (1978) Kramer vs. Kramer – Stanley R. Jaffe (1979) Ordinary People – Ronald L. Schwary (1980)
Complete List (1951–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020)

Template:Saturn Award for Best Horror Film 1972?1990