The Exorcist (1973)

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SeanF1989

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With the 40th anniversary of this film been in recent news I wanted to ask who here has seen the film and what did you think of it?

Have you read the book?
 
SeanF1989 said:
With the 40th anniversary of this film been in recent news I wanted to ask who here has seen the film and what did you think of it?

Have you read the book?
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I had to wait several years to see the movie after it came out, as it was rated R, and I was in the sixth grade. I finally saw it in high school. I was never concerned about Satan prior to that movie. The fact that it was supposed to based on a true story was terrifying to us. Let’s just say it got our attention.

My older sister bought the book. I had to quit reading at a certain part I could not get past, and that was it. People still debate the whole thing even today.
 
I don’t care much for the storyline but Max von Sydow is quite the actor.
I haven’t read the book.
 
It is a great movie. The best ever produced on the subject. 👍
 
Good basic horror film. Decent effects for the time period. I love films from that era because they are so quiet-music isn’t used to drive a point into the ground.

Interesting snapshot of Georgetown and faith issues in the 70s.

Don’t play with the Ouija board!
 
I’ve seen parts of the movie and I haven’t read the book. I used to drive by The Exorcist stairs on a regular basis and I was very aware of doing so each time. Gave me the wiggins.
 
I have read other true stories of exorcism and it seemed accurate except for the twisting head. It was very interesting. I didn’t get frightened or have any bad reactions from it. And I have seen it several more times since then.

I thought that it would have people running to church again, but I don’t think it did.

I didn’t see anything morally objectionable in it so the movie must have had an R rating because of the subject itself.
 
The Character Fr. Merrin SJ, seems to resemble me a lot personality wise.
 
I thought the movie was very scary. Fr. Walter Halloran was an associate pastor at my church, years ago and called the movie “stupid”. He was involved in the true case; score another one for the Jesuits!
 
I read the book before the movie was released, then saw the movie. ‘Disturbing’ is the word I would use to describe both the book and movie. Since I first saw the movie I have never been able to watch the complete movie again. The book is based upon the actual possession of a teenage boy. William Peter Blatty, the books author, knew of the boys’ possession, researched it, and wrote the book. In a TV interview, the author expressed no doubt that the possession was real. In fact researching the case and writing the book led Mr Blattty to become a more faithful Catholic. I also saw a TV interview with the priest who assisted in the boys’ exorcism ritual, he also expressed belief that the boy was possessed.

However, the movie contains many Hollywood dramatic effects that were not part of the actual possession.
 
I thought the movie was scary. The part about the twisting head, is weird in my opinion. I thought it was a lot scarier than the Rite.

Does anybody have any idea what happened to the boy who was possessed? I am curious to see how he lived his life, and if faith plays a large role in his life.
 
I read the book before I saw the movie and the book was scarier. I remember that the story line in the book made an issue of the fact that the detective was Jewish. I guess they were trying to portray him as being perplexed by the whole thing. Maybe not a good way to treat him. I also recall that in the book,Hans, the butler, was shown trying to visit his daughter,
but she and her boyfriend stopped him on the doorstep. They took his money and asked him to leave. During the exorcism, the demon teased him about his daughter’s heroine addiction.

I watched a Public Television story about the actual exorcism, and the interview was given by a couple or three Jesuit priests who actually conducted the exorcism. In real life, the victim was a young boy, not a girl, and his name was “Robby” something. Also, the exorcism was done at the Jesuit community in St. Louis, not Washington, D.C.

I’m sure that if someone wanted to they could go to PBS and buy a copy of the story.

John Jerpe
 
Does anyone have a link to the real story, as told by the people involved? I suppose the novel is too dramatized to be of any use.

Do you guys remember the silly kid’s game where you supposedly say “Bloody Mary” three times in a bathroom mirror and she’s supposed to appear behind you? There were other little things involved, like the number of people you had to have, how you stood and candles, etc… I remember my brothers and I tried it and ran screaming out of the bathroom before we reached the third one. Someone always put their hand on someone else’s back and then denied it afterwards. :rolleyes: It must have been a Protestant inspired game, LOL!

(I’m leaving out details on purpose because kids might be reading-don’t try it at home, JIC).
 
lutheran_farmer said:
Does anyone have a link to the real story, as told by the people involved? I suppose the novel is too dramatized to be of any use.

Do you guys remember the silly kid’s game where you supposedly say “Bloody Mary” three times in a bathroom mirror and she’s supposed to appear behind you? There were other little things involved, like the number of people you had to have, how you stood and candles, etc… I remember my brothers and I tried it and ran screaming out of the bathroom before we reached the third one. Someone always put their hand on someone else’s back and then denied it afterwards. :rolleyes: It must have been a Protestant inspired game, LOL!

(I’m leaving out details on purpose because kids might be reading-don’t try it at home, JIC).
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**Here is a documentary in 3 parts) - **

youtube.com/watch?v=m3vtYgmzCR8

youtube.com/watch?v=4UX_GS7jNNQ

youtube.com/watch?v=e-6c6P5Ee0c

Here is another documentary (This one is in 4 parts)

youtube.com/watch?v=dDgoNlOn-hk

youtube.com/watch?v=gUVm8iK8nT4

youtube.com/watch?v=Mj1j0Us1CUc

youtube.com/watch?v=LZ-0lPNIBC4
 
Scariest movie I have ever seen! The special effects are dated and look a little silly now, but it is the story line and the voice that scared me, not the effects.

Peace

Tim
 
I heard an NPR interview recently with the two Williams – William Peter Blatty (the author of the book and writer of the screenplay) and William Friedkin (the director; they’re both still close friends). The interview had been done on the occasion of the release of the “director’s cut.”

One thing that was brought out was that Friedkin’s shortened original was actually the “director’s cut,” because he had taken several scenes out to tighten the movie up, and Blatty had been lobbying ever since to have those scenes put back in. The audio of one of the excised and reinserted scenes was played during the course of the interview; it is a conversation between the two priests (sitting, I believe, on the famous steps), and the older priest says that what Satan really wants is to make us feel like we are worthless in God’s eyes and in our own eyes. That was one of the main points that Blatty wanted to make in writing the book, and he was really glad to have it put back into the movie.

I’ve read the book and seen the movie several times, although not for 20-30 years now. I just bought the expanded version.
 
Has anyone seen “The Conjuring”? Also has a Catholic theme. I decided it would be a good idea to watch it while I had some ‘alone time’ a few nights ago. Not a good idea! Again, a good scary story.
 
SeanF1989 said:
With the 40th anniversary of this film been in recent news I wanted to ask who here has seen the film and what did you think of it?

Have you read the book?
Click to expand...
Good afternoon, Sean,

I’ve seen the movie and read the book, but it’s been awhile. I did not like it when the young priest jumped out the window. That was a totally uncalled for Hollywood embellishment.

God loves you,
Don
 
Orogeny said:
Scariest movie I have ever seen! The special effects are dated and look a little silly now, but it is the story line and the voice that scared me, not the effects.

Peace

Tim
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I saw the movie and agree about the scariness and the special effects, but I never have read the book.
 
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