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.

Response

The film was a huge international hit, grossing as of 2004 $402,500,000 worldwide. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards (winning two), and also won four Golden Globes. McCambridge's role was originally uncredited; after Blair was nominated for her role, McCambridge initiated a lawsuit seeking redress. (Incidentally, McCambridge's voice was not processed or treated for The Exorcist, she had worked extensively in radio drama and had a flexible vocal range. In interviews, she described eating raw eggs, a pulpy apple, and experimenting with hot pepper sauce to get a properly rough, gurgling sound.)

Related Topics:
2004 - Academy Award - Golden Globe - Lawsuit - Radio drama

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The Exorcist is commonly regarded as one of the best and most effective horror films; one that balances a stellar script, gruesome effects, and outstanding performances. Detractors, such as Kim Newman, have criticised it for messy plot construction, overblown pretentiousness, and conventionality, though Newman (in Nightmare Movies) still credits it with fine acting and effective scare scenes.

Related Topics:
Horror film - Kim Newman

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Interestingly, the part of Regan was originally offered to troubled actress Dana Plato, whose mother refused to allow her to take it. Pamelyn Ferdin, a veteran of science fiction and supernatural drama, was another candidate, but the producers felt she was too well-known. The part went instead to Linda Blair, a relative unknown who at that time could have been Ferdin's twin. Blair's stunt double in a few scenes was Eileen Dietz, an older actress.

Related Topics:
Dana Plato - Pamelyn Ferdin

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In the United Kingdom, the movie was included in the 'Video nasty' phenomenon of the early 1980s. Although it had been released uncut for home video in 1981, when resubmitted for classification to the British Board of Film Classification after the implementation of the Video Recording Act 1984 it was refused a release and no video copies were to be sold in the UK. However, following a successful re-release in cinemas in 1998, the film was resubmitted and was passed uncut with an 18 certificate rating in 1999, signifying a relaxation of the censorship rules with relation to home video in the UK. The movie was shown on UK television for the first time in 2001, on Channel 4.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Video nasty - 1980s - 1981 - British Board of Film Classification - Video Recording Act 1984 - 1998 - 18 certificate - 1999 - Censorship - 2001 - Channel 4

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Writer James Baldwin provides an extended negative critique of The Exorcist in his book length essay The Devil Finds Work .

Related Topics:
James Baldwin - The Devil Finds Work

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