FIRST TIME WATCHING The Exorcist (1973) // Reaction & Commentary // HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! 

A lot of people miss the point that it is Burke's voice asking Chris if she knows what her daughter did, and showing it by twisting the head around, just like Burke was found.

“Robe acting” made me laugh way harder than it should have. Probably because this movie makes me so damn nervous. My babysitter showed this movie to be in the 80’s when I was about 4/5. I love horror movies, but this one psychologically scarred me. The subliminal messages, most notably the quick jump cuts of the face, burned into my young brain. It took me 4 months to be able to sleep in my bedroom, alone, again. My mother was bullish- at my babysitter. 😂😂 Even though it scared the ever loving crap out of me, it is a damn good movie, and really holds up over time. I can only watch this movie through reaction videos, and even that is still tough, LMAO.

OMG! You didn’t even flinch when the 🔥 went up in the attic!

bit late here and it's probably been mentioned - there were several odd happenings around this flick - one of them, Linda Blair fractured Her back doing the bed scene...... wouldn't be able to do that today, I thought but apparently they actually have real guns on set, I thought they were all plastic.

Almost every comment I've made was written as the movie was playing and it turns out that they're all in the trivia section Shanelle reads at the end. So I'm carrying all this knowledge around in my head that's all conveniently written down in one place. A wasted life. Just kidding. I tell people this stuff all the time. They're simultaneously impressed and bored to tears.

Great reaction seems genuine 👍🏼

I was going to university when the film came out. I remember the long line waiting to get tickets. I found the film utterly terrifying, even though I had read the book so I knew the story. What you didn't mention in your review was the music, which still takes me back to that day whenever I hear it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FN6jIvKiYOs.html

Of all the actors in this film, you have to give a shoutout to the late Jason Miller. His portrayal of Father Karras was phenomenal. The amount of grief he showed from the death of his mother, and his loss of faith, was written spectacularly all over his face throughout the movie. The viewer could literally feel his pain.

Viewers: Nervous? Shanelle: Yes. Viewers: First time? Shanelle: No I've been nervous lots of times.

The story in the Exorcist is incredible. Karras resolves his own crisis of faith by a Christ like act of sacrificing himself to save the girl.

The Exorcist theme music that sounds like Halloween is "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield. It was not recorded for the film. He was 19 and recorded the album by the same name nearly alone. It is only 2 songs Tubular Bells Pt 1 & 2. Almost 50 minutes long. It came out a few months before the film. It didn't sell until the movie came out. It was also the first album on Virgin records. A bunch of random trivia for a trivia lover. My sister's twin nieces just graduated from Fordham.

Shanelle her whole life: "I'm never watching The Exorcist." The Exorcist: "In time."

I was 24 when it came out. To this day, no other movie has had such a profound effect on me. I was terrified of the possibility that such a thing could happen to someone I knew. And loved.

“The Exorcist” with its 10 Academy Award nominations was the first horror film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. It won two . Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.

Fun fact - the movie was actually released on Christmas Day. There's a good documentary where there's much footage of the event because it was a highly anticipated movie.

When this came out I snuck into the theater with a friend and his older brother. I was 9 and I didn't sleep well for years after. I met Linda Blair in 2018 and she was really sweet. I got to talk to her for a while and told her how she traumatized my childhood. She just laughed because she knows she affected the lives of hundreds of millions. It took her years to just accept that she will always be known as Regan, the possessed girl. And yea, I got my autographed photo of her as the demon.

I went to Georgetown University and our student movie series showed this every year. We used to walk up and down "the Exorcist Steps" when we were drinking on weekends, which could be harrowing. The producers paid for the renovation of our chapel in return for filming on campus. But the desecration of the Statue of Mary was NOT filmed on campus - the university would not allow that. It blows my mind that Max von Sydow was only in his 40s when this was filmed!

According to William Peter Blatty, in interviews, he stated that Father Karras was the principle target for the demon. Possessing Regan was a means to an end to bring them together. A Priest with waning faith is a powerful lure for a Demon.

Since you like spiritual kind of horror, I'd suggest 'The Omen', which is also a 70's-era film. It has a lot of shocking scenes, great acting, a few jumpscares, and a stressful atmosphere. Yeah, I know Hallowen time is sadly over, but just a suggestion for a possible future viewing. 👍

I honestly would also love to see you watch The Exorcist III. It is an excellent psychological thriller, with amazing performances from George C. Scott and Brad Dourif. Great vid 👍

I was a 9 year old kid when this came out, but I definitely remember it being very controversial at the time, with an R rating, while some people thought it deserved an X rating. That's how shocking this movie was for 1973's audience.

As terrible as the events are in this book and film, I have always viewed it as more of a love story. A devoted mothers love for her daughter, doing whatever she could for her. Father Karass's love for his mother and being unable to help her. Finding his faith in God again and ultimately giving his life for a child he didn't even know. Reagan kissing the priest at the end of things. At the worst of times no one left reagan or gave up on her. Of course there is the whole demon thing, but, the strong theme of love running through the story from beginning to end , at least for me, tone down the effects and language it's a story of love and hope and self sacrifice.

I saw this shortly after it came out. It scared the wits out of me. It still scares me. Body count movies do nothing for me. Jump scare movies don't do anything for me. This movie still has power over me.

If you haven't already, you should watch "The Omen" (1976). There's a Damien in it too.

Max Von Sydow was much younger than portrayed here, makeup made him look so old. if you look at Max in his old age you can see how effective that make up was, you'd be forgiven for thinking he looked old his entire life. also the scene showing the medical procedure with Reagan was actually performed on her.

2:07 The Exorcism of Emily Rose is such an underrated gem ❤

Shanelle: "I thought that they succeed in getting the spirit out?" Us: "Well...they did. Just at a high cost."

They did succeed in driving the demon out. Damien took it with him out the window. Chris: "Is she going to die?" Damien: "No." He came to terms with his faith in that moment. The Exorcist 2 isn't a good movie, but it's inconsequential, so you can skip it and miss nothing. Exorcist III (AKA Legion) on the other hand is fantastic and a true sequel to the first. Written and directed by the author of The Exorcist novel. This one, you should see, for certain.

Great reaction. It's refreshing to see see people acknowledge the movie was made nearly 50 years ago. No CGI, no internet. All press, word of mouth and cable TV as promotion. Easily my favorite horror movie, although it really is a thriller with excellent pacing and acting. This movie will always be a classic.

"In 1973 this probably would have been the grossest thing you every seen on the screen". You should check out the YT video of the audience reaction when it came out.

The perfect classic horror movie to end spooky month with! This is the grand daddy of the all, the possession movie from which all others get their inspiration XD

When it comes to the original audience reaction, keep in mind it was released after the summer of love and the rest of the innocent sixties. The movie was a shock for many.

Shanelle: *giggling in her comfort blanket - "we are off to the races" Regan: 'first one to the bottom of the stairs wins?'

I’ll watch this on lunch break, but just wanna say thx for the 40 min run time. Seen way too many reactors spend less than 20 min on this classic. You rock.

Most horror movies don't scare me because they're all 3rd person, so it's someone else's story, contained within a fictitious universe. The only way to get to me is if the plot feels like something that could, somehow, invade and impact my life. So even the top rated horror movies, I love them, but I don't get personally frightened by them. This one unnerves me though.

Great reactions and commentary. I saw this movie when it first came out in the theatres as a young bloke - I’m an old Aussie. It was, and still is, awesome. I am also an old Catholic Altar Boy and the Catholic undertones are sprinkled throughout this movie. Thanks again for your thoughtful and perceptive observations. Cheers from the Land Down Under! 🤗🙏👍🌹

I had just graduated High School and was with my buddies from work, whom one was wanting to be a priest. We got to the theater a little late and had to sit in the front row. After it ended and we waited a bit to leave because of the crowd, my buddy, the aspiring Priest said, “I need a drink”. It was an experience for sure.

In the words of Beetlejuice: "It keeps getting funnier everytime I see it."

My favorite part of this story is when they show you this is simply one battle in a seemingly unending war. They were already seeking out the next soldier. Love that

While I absolutely love the fact that younger audiences are more exposed to these older films, you lack one very important thing, context of the times. It is very difficult for the youth of today to imagine a time when there was no internet, cable tv, and phones were an affixed part of our homes. We had only three TV stations (and two or three on UHF if you were very lucky) and news was an anticipated thing rather than the virtual onslaught that it is today. We also had no "on demand" so basically we had only word of mouth and reviews in the local papers to go on when it came to how movies were and if they were worth seeing. Exposure was, therefor, very limited. I thoroughly enjoyed the reaction and hope you will take this advice when watching the older movies.

I saw the movie in high school (mid-'90s) after my dad had told me it was the scariest movie he'd ever seen. He saw it in the theatre and said people walked out and generally lost their sh*t. In one of my religion classes (it was a Catholic high school), the priest who taught us said he'd read the book in several days straight when it came out, it was such a page-turner he couldn't put it down. So even though I'd seen the movie, I borrowed the book from the library and gave it a go. Like my teacher, the priest, *I could not put it down* and got through it in a few days. I highly recommend reading Blatty's original novel, it's that good. But just don't make any other plans, haha.

Fun Fact: When it was confirmed that Chris was an actress and you smiled, I smiled. Top notch reaction and commentary to this awesome film. It takes a person of faith to really get it, I think. This one, because of all the things you said, still is the only "horror" film to ever actually make me uneasy.

Friedkin, like Lumet, is one of the often under-rated masters of the golden age. French Connection, Sorcerer, Bug, are all terrific. That being said, William Friedkin was also of the Hitchcock/Kubrick school in another way: he was absolutely sadistic towards his actors when filming The Exorcist. Randomly firing guns on set was the least of it.

I've never seen you actually scared, and you were... Imagine watching this when it was released it did effect many people. Creepiest movie in my eyes, good to see you scared hehe 😆

The flashing demonic faces appeared less in the original theatric version and were much more effective because of it. Also the guy who appears as the medical technician during the brain scan procedure scenes later turned out to be a serial killer in real life.

I love that you take into account when the movie came out and not comparing it to today's standards of horror.

In the original theatrical version there is only one flash of the demon face (during the dream sequence). It's way overused in the Director's Cut (which I otherwise like)/ With all due respect to Linda Blair (who was great), Tatum O'Neal won the Oscar that year, only 8 years old, the youngest winner ever, for her incredible performance in "Paper Moon", a movie I really hope you get to see one day, Shanelle, on or off the channel, because you will love that movie. If had the money to be a super duper Patreon, that would be the movie I would "force" you to watch, lol. You've seen "American Graffiti" and "The Exorcist".....but "Paper Moon" is another classic from '73 that was practically made just for you! Madeline Kahn is also in it, and was also nominated for Supporting Actress that year. Tatum O'Neal beat them both and she deserved it. GREAT movie. "Paper Moon", directed by Peter Bogdonovich, with Ryan and Tatum O'Neal.

Shanelle, thanks for another of your refreshingly sophisticated reactions. I was around in 1973 but for some reason didn't see the movie during its first run. A few days ago on another reaction channel I said the scene of Karras's hurling himself out the window was, though very brief, the most heroic act I'd ever seen on film. Another poster (a person, not a flyer) added the fact that Karras never got to meet the "normal" Regan, and therefore was sacrificing himself for a young girl he'd never met. Magnificent character. Also, when Father Merrin first enters the house, before he goes upstairs, we hear the demon scream loudly. I'd always thought it was just a scream until someone told me no... and I later recognized it was a name: M E R R I N !!!

Most movies were more "compelling" back then. They generally were written and directed by experienced adults and didn't dumb it down to lure teens looking for superheroes and gross-out comedies. The characters were textured and layered and just not the more simplistic characters you get today. It was compelling because it felt more real and wasn't rushed with jump cuts and explosions every two minutes. Even early blockbusters, before they took in the '80s, were more compelling and rich. "Jaws," "Close Encounters," "Star Wars"--even the first two "Superman" movies were deeper than anything out there today flying around with a cape. Aspects of these films were aimed at kids, but they also had adult layers (like Pixar and other animated films today, with their inside jokes to make parents chuckle).

Thank you for finally watching The Exorcist! I've been waiting. This is like my new favorite thing, watching people watch The Exorcist!

*Fun facts: Ellen Burstyn suffered a neck/back injury during the infamous crucifix self stabbing scene, that plagued her for the rest of her life. Also, the hospital scenes were filmed in Bellevue Hospital in NYC, and the procedures were real, and performed by actual staff members. One, the radiologist, Paul Bateson, went on to become a serial killer in real life.

THE best horror movie I've ever seen and I remember it vividly when I saw it in 1973 and it shook me to my bones. No other movie has been able to do that to me again.

Try “Constantine” Under-talked about with some excellent performances. Since you like exorcism movies.

I’m one of the probably few who never found this particular movie scary, even when younger (which was strange because I found LOTS of other horror movies, and even horror-comedy movies, freaky as all hell, when tons of other friends and people didn’t-The Omen, Ghostbusters, even the Thriller music video scared me lol). The mom’s performance here was fantastic though, and I was only today years old when I learned she was also the same mom as Requiem for a Dream.

Father O'Malley wasn't an actor so to get the right emotional reaction out of him during the benediction scene at the end, William Friedkin turned to him and asked, "Do you trust me?" O'Malley said, "Yes", and Friedkin punched him in the face. Linda Blair also damaged her back during filming, though thankfully not permanently.

Hey, Shanelle! My dad saw this in a theater when he was in his 30s and my mom said he came out white as a sheet! He refuses to watch it again. Lol. The demon likely gained entry to Regan via the ouija board and the Iraq prologue establishes Merrin as a former combatant of Pazuzu who recognizes the harbingers of his return. The priest faces the statue squaring off for a second confrontation and possessed Regan bellows his name when he enters the Georgetown residence. Father Merrin is played by legendary Swedish actor Max von Sydow who regularly starred in Ingmar Bergman films. There is a famous image of him as a medieval knight returned from the Crusades playing chess with a black-robed, white-faced Death on a stony beach in Sweden from Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" in 1957. There is a prequel to "The Exorcist" about Father Merrin's first encounter with the demon Pazuzu starring Stellan Skarsgard as a young Merrin in East Africa called "The Exorcist: The Beginning" from 2004 directed by Renny Harlin with some really terrifying scares that had people moaning with fear in the audience! Another really good movie about demonic possession is "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" directed by Scott Derrickson in 2005. The William Peter Blatty book William Friedkin adapted for this movie is based on a real incident in Missouri in 1949. A lot of freaky and spooky things happened during the film's production including a set fire, the deaths of nine people involved in the film, a back injury from a botched stunt suffered by Ellen Burstyn and a bit player who actually murdered someone for real six years later. The famous shot of Father Merrin standing in a shaft of light piercing the gloom outside the MacNeil residence is based on Rene Magritte's series of paintings called "Empire of Light". The green goop was split pea soup and the projectile vomit that splats in Karras' face was actually supposed to hit his chest! His shock is totally real! Linda Blair's incredible performance left such an indelible impression, she could never escape being associated with the role. Mercedes McCambridge, a veteran character actress from the '40's-'80's who lent support to many of Hollywood's leading ladies, was the voice of Pazuzu. She achieved the desired effect by gorging on raw eggs, chain-smoking and binge drinking before reading her lines! You saw the Director's Cut which features the famous "spider-walk" scene where a contortionist stand-in for Blair scuttles downstairs bent-over backwards like a spider! Karras' faith is renewed by his experience and the shock of Merrin's death. Only then is he able to expel Pazuzu from Regan by offering himself as a tasty alternative. Pazuzu opts for the priest's soul over the child's as the greater prize but is thwarted from seizing full control by the priest's newfound belief long enough for Karras to leap to his death thereby denying Pazuzu a host. When Regan kisses Father Dyer's cheek, it indicates to the audience she has been freed of the demon's grip. She has no conscious recollection of what occurred but seeing Dyer's collar stirs a subconscious compulsion to express gratitude. Some devout Christians feel this movie glorifies evil but it is actually a powerful example of the renewal of faith! Jason Miller, who played Father Damien Karras, is Jason Patric's dad.

I believe that this was the first "possession" trope or genre in film, and therefore that in itself made it shocking. Then take Linda Blair's character and what she says and does, at her depicted age, in 1973, which adds to the shock. And the sound design, which is relentless. So I imagine it had a much more profound effect on audiences then than it might now. But it's still a good and important movie in terms of cinematic history. For another religious angle horror with a psychological aspect, you might check out "Saint Maude" from a few years ago.

Fantastic reaction!! What a great way to end my Halloween week.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You get it, and respect it! This is my favorite film of all time. I do film studies of this movie, and have watched countless of interviews, and documentaries on it. You should definitely read the novel. The audio book narratived by the author is also excellent. I have watched so many reactions to this film and it disappoints me how few people understand it. You just got a new subscriber!

I can’t believe you didn’t get to the trivia were Linda Blair nearly broke her back as they were bouncing off the bed and the fact that she screaming “stop it hurts! stop it hurts!” she wasn’t acting she was trying to get them to quit spring me her off the bed because I have literally fractured her back.

I saw this alone in the theatre when I was 14, I never wanted a movie to end so badly. Toward the end I was a scared shitless mess. In Junior High a paperback copy of The Exorcist got passed around. Page 50-60ish is a sex story. Great job Shanelle, you rock.

I saw the Exorcist in 1973 at the State-Lake theatre in downtown Chicago. I was 15 at the time and the theatre was packed and the audience went berserk!! Six years later, I repeated the experience when I saw ALIEN.

Don’t know if anyone else has recommended it but ‘Stigmata’ from 1999 is very good if you prefer the more spiritual and possession type of movies. Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne.

Movies back then were made with love and skill. Now in days it's only about money, and not the art of story telling.

I have a true story concerning the Exorcist trilogy. I know because it happened to me. When I was younger, I was big into horror movies. I'd actually seen the Exorcist when I was around Linda Blair's age. It made an impression, to say the least. I did appreciate the film as a masterpiece, even though it scared the crap out of me. I didn't bother seeing the second Exorcist, it got horrible reviews. But when the third Exorcist came out in 1990, I was determined to see it on the night of its premiere at a local theater not far from my apartment in Gainesville, Florida. I briefly debated if I should walk or drive to it. I drove. The local parking lot was full, and would be full until the wee hours of the morning with returning college students (University of Florida) and their parents, etc. It was a well lit, friendly setting. I had seen TONS of horror movies. I even once had a boyfriend who had been into horror makeup and showed me several techniques. So, I was not easily frightened by horror movies. I went in to see the 10pm-ish showing of Exorcist III. At first, I realized it wasn't nearly as frightening as it should be, and I kind of felt sorry for George C. Scott for being in the thing. Then something very creepy happened, and I didn't know why until four years later. At first, I just felt... uncomfortable. The phrase "There's a goose walking on my grave" came to mind. I wondered if the film had subluminals to generate the increasing feeling of fear and dread I had. As the movie progressed, I felt more and more freaked out and nervous. When it finally ended, I bolted out the theater and into the parking lot. I wanted to go home and get rid of this strange, kind of embarrassing feeling of panic. And I'll never forget... as I touched my car door, it was like someone was suddenly, silently screaming in my ear "DON'T GO! DON'T GO! DON'T GET IN YOUR CAR!, SOMETHING IS. VERY. WRONG. HERE. SOMETHING VERY, VERY BAD!!!" I also have expressed this feeling as a herd of antelope who know the lion is in the grass, but they don't know where. The phrase "dirty oil, filthy oil in your brain" suddenly popped into my head, I could not make it stop. I felt nauseated and polluted. I was freaking out, and embarrassed at the same time. BTW, I do not drink. I was not into any drug, prescription or otherwise. I'm a normal, sane person, and this was not typical of me at all. So I forced myself to get in my car. I forced myself to turn the key. And then...it was like someone had turned the silent screaming from 10 up to 100. I had an absolutely overwhelming feeling of evil and dread, and had to turn off the car engine and try to collect myself. After fifteen minutes of trying to convince myself to simply drive three blocks over to my apartment, I had to give in. Then I did something I've never done before or since, which is why I remembered it so well four years later. I went in and saw another movie. It was "My Blue Heaven". I could not enjoy the first part, my mind would not let go of the fear. At about 2am when the show let out, I finally went home. My panic had abruptly stopped. Two weeks later, the Gainesville serial killings started. Danny Rolling killed four women, one man. All the women were in their early 20's, petite, brunette UF college students who lived on the ground floor of an apartment with sliding glass doors. He would break in, duct tape them, torture them with mutilation for hours while videoing them, then kill them brutally. The only man he killed was an accident. His male victim had been staying over at his female friends apartment to make her feel more safe. Both he and his friend were murdered. Women freaked out and left the college and town. There were emergency tents set up with counselors, and the city was crawling with police and FBI agents. Thankfully, they caught Rolling only a few months later, tried him, sentenced him to death. He was executed in 2006. But, in 1994, I was in a grocery store check-out line in Utah. I was looking at the tabloids by the register. The "Star" tabloid had a big headline "WHY DID DANNY DO IT?" They had interviewed Danny Rolling and his (ew) girlfriend. Asked what his favorite books and albums were, etc. Then, they asked him what his favorite film was. He said "Exorcist III. I was at the Butler Plaza Theater the day it premiered. I saw it over and over that day, every showing. I fanaticized as I watched about what I would do to my victims." I was at that theater. I was there the night of the premiere. He could of been sitting next to me for all I know. Some have said I had a guardian angel. My cousin has a theory that he gave off a subliminal smell as a signal he was insane. All I know is, it would be an amazing coincidence if the only time I ever panicked like that was on the exact same night I was sitting in a theater with a serial killer. Evil tends to attract evil.

“I know those stairs. Those are The Exorcist stairs.” …

Thanks as always for excellent reaction, review and commentary. I'm 53 and I unfortunately watched this when I was about 11 on tv. It traumatized my sleep for months after and still haunts me to this day, even though later in life I developed an obsession with it.

I saw the film in 1975 at the age of 16… I managed to sneak in to the cinema with my cousin. I was terrified going home that night in the dark to an empty and dark house (my parents were out). The Exorcist was NEW to people in 1973. There was nothing like it. Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ (1960) was previously the closest to (although very far from) causing as much of an upset. Since then, The Exorcist opened up the way for a new breed of horror films. Consequently, today’s audience is immune to the shock experienced by 1973 audiences. To many people today the fright and disgust effect of this film is tame as they’re all too accustomed to worse.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is based on the story of Anneliese Michel, and the true story is far more horrifying and ultimately heartbreaking than the movie portrayed. A genuinely haunting story of suffering, religion and the clash of science and spirituality. My favourite podcast, Mysterious Universe, did an outstanding episode about Anneliese Michel and is worth finding if these kinds of stories fascinate you.

Interesting thing abt this movie is there's very little BGM, which adds to this film's realism. Also this movie is all about the buildup. I saw this movie on video on TV when I was 14, alone and at night, and it scared the 💩 outta me. But when I FFWD to just the exorcism scene it wasn't scary at all. But when I watched it a 3rd time from the beginning again, it scared me again. So ya the slow burn is crucial in the film.

Bravo! Ultimate mad props to you, Shanelle. I love that you went into this with the respect owed this type of film. As a lifelong horror fan, I’m as pleased as punch that you understand the different styles of this genre. Movies like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street are roller coaster rides meant to thrill and entertain, but The Exorcist is something else altogether. This film is actually a sober “drama,” which happens to contain spiritual horror elements, and everyone involved (screenwriter, director, cinematographer, actors, art/production director, costume designer, etc.) addressed it as such. And that’s why this film has the staying power that it has. Sometimes the planets align perfectly, enabling all creative departments to reach their highest peak (although I think Mercedes McCambridge’s voice acting may be the secret sauce of the entire production - try listening to it with your eyes closed and you’ll see what I mean; still scary AF). And you are a BOSS for dropping this on “All Hallows Eve.” If I could subscribe ten more times I would. You made my night. 👌🏽😆

SHANELLE: "I'm ready. I'm readyI'm ready!" *MEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!* SHANELLE: "..." INTERNET: "You were saying?"

The 70s was the high water mark of film in my opinion...great stories, acting, music, everything....

A possible reason Why we don’t faint at this anymore - There is a theory out there called The 100th Monkey… it speaks of a phenomenon that allow for spontaneous collective knowing. Demonstrated by the world of studies with rats in a maze. Each test started with the best score of the rats in the previous time. The rats and tests were by unconnected Labs over many decades. To bring it back to the film… Millions have seen it and now the Species Knows.

I can't believe you made it through this. What a trip. Still to this day I haven't seen a movie as dark since. And I LOVE horror movies. 🙃

Mercedes Mccambrige. The actress who voiced the demon. Smoked at least two, & then some. She also drank quite heavily. Not taking care of herself in general. For about 4 months prier. In order to make her already deep voice. Sound like that. Organically / no effect. She was in such a poor state of health. She was experiencing shortness of breath. By the time she gave that performance. Talk about suffering for your art. She recovered, & lived until the very early 2000s. I'm old. As a kid. I remember being very curious to see her. I finally got my chance. In a Charlie's Angels episode. Featuring a shady Health Spa. LOL PS. oops, should have waited until the end. That said. I do have a fun fact. I was five, maybe six. I asked my parents if I could go to the movies with them. ( This movie ) They said this movie was scary / only for adults. I was dropped off at grandma's for the night. What was she, & I by extension, watching? HELTER SKELTER! LOL

In addition to the subliminal imagery I recall there was some low frequency audio trickery that might not translate to a home viewing setup very well. Low frequency sounds as I understand it can cause a physical reaction in people and might explain some of the stuff original audiences experienced.

This is the only good Exorcist Movie. By the Way,The First "Mainstream"Horror Movie in the Cinema

The scariest part of the film (for me) is the Spinal Tap in the hospital, horrified me the first time I saw it... then I found out that the actor playing the technician, the one with a beard, in that scene is a serial killer. He's been out of prison since 2003 though.

Apparently at the end when father Dyer is giving father Karras last rites his tears were real. William Friedkin wanted more reality out of him so he gave him a big whopping slap across the face just before the scene and then he leaned in and did it.

25:10 Spongebob is such an underrated gem ❤

Probably the most disturbing bit of trivia related to this film (copied from imdb): "In the arteriogram scene, the bearded man who assists the doctor is Paul Bateson. He was an x-ray technician at NYU Medical Center where that scene was shot and managed to get that small part. In 1979, he was convicted of the murder of a film critic and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, he bragged about and was a suspect in the murders of six men whom he said he picked up in gay bars, had sex with them and then murdered and dismembered their bodies and put them into plastic bags 'for fun' in 1977 and 78. They were known as the 'bag murders'. Although investigators believed his story, he was never officially charged and those murders have technically never been solved. Bateson was released from prison in 2004. The whole story involving the 'bag murders' were later fictionalized in Cruising (1980), which is also directed by William Friedkin."

I disagree. I think the demon face flashes were perfect. What I do think unnecessary is/was the director’s cut ‘spider walk’ down the stairs. When I saw “The Exorcist” in 1975 (I was 16) a couple of years after it’s original release the spider walk was not in the film. I feel it’s totally unnecessary and almost affects the whole film by nearly sending it to the stage of being that little bit ‘too much’ towards the ridiculous.

Avoid The Exocist II: The Heretic at all cost! But, watch the Exorcist III - It connects directly back to these events and is a wonderful, scary (if quirky) film itself. The friendship between Kinderman and Dyer continues and is beautifully portrayed by George C Scott and Ed Flanders.

You're not the only one that thinks of the priest that looks like a boxer looks like Rocky Balboa, but this film came out two years before Rocky. So in fact, Rocky looks like a priest!!🤣😂🤣😂

Shanelle Remember these effects are practical, not CGI. Legendary special makeup artist, Dick Smith and his team including another artist, Rick Baker created all those effects including head of Regan/Linda Blair rotates 360 degrees and make then Max von Sydow who was in his 40's during filming as 70's to 80's man. Max died last year at the age of 90.

Ellen Burstyn got more beautiful the older she gets I swear! She’s going to be 90 in December and I just saw her on the new Law and Order Organized Crime playing Stabler’s Mom and she’s still stunning!! She also has 5 things in production including a sequel to the Exorcist!! I had no idea till I just looked.

Sooo many great actors in the movie. Of course the two female leads, Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair, but Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb (12 Angry Men) in small character roles. Playwright Jason Miller as Father Damien. Quality through and through, here.

If they made more of these kinds of horror movies I might actually enjoy the genre. This movie gives you time to calm down between intense scenes, even the climax has breaks. The modern formula of keeping your anxiety levels high and giving jump scares every few minutes isn't fun, it's just tedious and annoying. Really the only horror I've properly enjoyed has been The Exorcist, Cube, Cube Zero, and Alien, maybe a few others I can't remember off the top of my head (Blair Witch wasn't bad, does Ghostbusters count?).

"I had my picture taken on The exorcist stairs" "That's how it resolves? It takes him instead?" I would not stand-on, walk up, or come down the Exorcist stairs for anything less an absolute life-changing money. The first time I saw this movie I was about twelve or thirteen years old. I wasn't healthy adolescent. I even made what should have been an absolutely successful suicide attempt around that age. It was a compounding trauma. As a healthy if not PTSD diagnosed adult, I can do a lot of things I couldn't do before. Deal with grief, manage anxiety, laugh at horror. But having my picture taken on The Exorcist stairs is not one of them. I went bungee jumping out of a hot air balloon. I play The knockout game with Nazis. . aiming for the swastika(they usually have it on their neck). I work at a police station and I have a Joe Biden sticker on my car. Exorcist stairs?!? 5 million dollars. Not 4.

The movie was rated X in 1973. This just meant 18 and over at that time. Later they invented NC 17 to separate from naked films

You should watch "Rosemary's Baby"...w/Mia Farrow 1968 or so. Good reaction & recap...always enjoy your insights!

"I'm not proud I was never going to see this movie" Shanelle, you should know movies become classics for a reason. Never vow to avoid classics.

Yet few realize that the movie, and Peter Blatty's novel of the same name, are based on a true story: a months-long exorcism by Jesuit priests of a 14-year-old Maryland boy, who priests assigned the pseudonym Roland Doe, in 1949.

I love that the end can be taken one of two ways. Happy’ish ending is he willingly accepted the demon so he could save the girl, a great sacrifice. The bad ending is what the demon told him, it was all about bringing them together, not the demon and her but the demon and himself… the demon got what it wanted. Many of the demon face flashes were part of the re-release done around 2000. Adds a few scenes (stairs crawl and a couple extensions) but does have some wonky face morphs and digital additions which sadly does feel out of place.

1. I was 13 when I saw this in the theater with friends. What rating system they had at the time wasn't really followed that closely. By word of mouth I was aware of the head spinning, vomiting and language but what freaked me the most was the demon flashes. 2. When the doctor is looking at Regan's skull x-ray and says, "Nothing in there" I always 🤣 3. The spider walk down the stairs was NOT in the original release. 4. Father Merrin and the demon had a previous encounter where he almost killed the father. Merin doesn't acknowledge the receipt of the note and tells Karras there's no need for analysis. 5. The demon doesn't kill Merrin. From the beginning we know he has a heart problem most likely brought on by the previous encounter. 6. Karras doesn't kill the demon. He does manage to draw it out of her and sacrificed himself for her. 7 Karras is confessing and asking for forgiveness of his MORTAL SIN of suicide with the other priest. 8. Imagine how hard it was to sell that house.

This movie ranked at #3 in the 100 scariest movie moments on Bravo

ps - Linda Blair, at 13, was phenomenal (should've won the Best supporting Actress Oscar--- was robbed by an even younger Tatum O'Neil)

Jason Miller is the father of actor Jason Patric, who is probably best known for The Lost Boys. A few months ago Patric was a guest on the "Ty & That Guy" podcast (which is a podcast featuring novelist Ty Franck and actor Wes Chatham of The Expanse); he told the strange story of how his father landed the role of Karras even though he had no previous acting experience. The relevant segment begins at 9:50 in the video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RR0HZ590lEw.html

The old age makeup on Max von Sydow is better that what's being done today. He died last year 2020 at the age of 90, which is remarkable, But in his later years he looked exactly the same as the old age makeup in this showed him. Yeah... Ignore all the bullshite about Ouija boards. The only reason they got a notoriety was this movie. It's a board game made by Parker Bros. It just so happens that this game is in this movie and idiots connect the 2. Would the idiots still be the same if she was playing Mousetrap, Clue, Ches? Nope. But somehow this one board game makes idiots think that they're talking to the dead. No you're not... They're dead. And if they could talk then they wouldn't be spelling out shit letter by letter. They'd be pretty pissed off that they were dead.