The Exorcist

The Exorcist is an influential and successful 1973 horror film, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name.

Plot

In the film, Father Merrin, an elderly priest, is in the Middle East studying ancient relics which are evidence of demon worship. His discovery of a bizarre statue seems to release an evil force. Meanwhile, a young girl named Regan, living in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., with her mother, (a famous actress) becomes inexplicably ill. She undergoes a series of physical and psychological changes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After unsuccessful medical tests and treatment, Regan's mother turns to religion. The girl is examined by a priest, Father Damien Karras, who is convinced of the diabolical nature of the case. He turns to the local bishop, who appoints Father Merrin to perform an exorcism with Karras assisting. The lengthy exorcism tests the priests, both physically and spiritually.

Related Topics:
Bishop - Exorcism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Exorcist contained a number of disturbing special effects, engineered by makeup legend and pioneer Dick Smith. The effects were so graphic that Roger Ebert writes "That it received an R rating and not the X is stupefying."http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19731226/REVIEWS/301010310/1023

Related Topics:
Special effect - Dick Smith - Roger Ebert

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Exorcist was also accused of, among many other things, manipulation of its audience through the use of subliminal imagery; a claim that is verifiably false upon a viewing of the film. The imagery in question is readily apparent and easily recognizable as a simple, yet effective editing technique, designed to make the viewer ill at ease - the desired effect for a horror film, after all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The film originally contained several key sequences from the novel, which were cut prior to release by director Friedkin, despite Blatty's protests. These scenes were later restored and ? along with a number of new digital effects ? inserted into the re-release subtitled "the version you've never seen" in 2000.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~