I hated to do that to you (the image above), but I knew it would get your attention. Today someone forwarded me a site that listed 19 facts about The Exorcist. When I read the list, I was literally blown away! First let me start by saying The Exorcist is the holy grail of all horror movies, and I believe it is still the scariest movie ever made. It is the one movie that haunted my subconscious well into adulthood and although I have seen it hundreds of times, I still find things in the movie I don’t remember seeing before. Maybe its because of all the times I watched it with my eyes closed. Anyhow, if you have seen this movie you must…READ THIS LIST! I’ll give you my breakdown of the list too!
#1 & #2: It is soooo interesting how a movie like this almost didn’t succeed. But I can bet that 45 minute interview with William Peter Blatty had people literally glued to their TV sets.
#3: Although I had heard tales of this movie and book being based on a true story, I had never read the actual newspaper article from when it happened in 1949. What’s even more spooky is finding what I think is the actual case study notes from St. Louis University in Missouri (where the original true story occurred). The details are all here and the read is very interesting.
#4: I agree with the comments that if Stanley Kubrick had done this film, it wouldn’t necessarily be scarier or better. Just different. Maybe we all would have loved it, and then again maybe not.
#5 & #6: I am happy that Ellen Burstyn got the role of Reagan’s mother in the movie The Exorcist. Her performance is so stunning I totally empathize with her decline into total despair while she is trying to find out what is happening to her daughter. Ellen Burstyn was nominated for an academy award for best actress for her role in this movie.
#7: Hmmm. Interesting.
#7: Omg! That is some stiff competition. I can’t imagine what they had her do during her audition. Especially knowing the things she had to do as the demon in that movie.
#8: THANK GOD they didn’t use this makeup. If they had I don’t think the movie would have been the success it is today. The makeup from The Exorcist film is the most frightening makeup job ever. This year the movie is 40 years old and it still holds up to time. And still looks good…and still freaks me the hell out!
#9: An absolutely iconic scene that took me years before I could watch the whole thing in its entirety.
#10: Jesus…I hope they destroyed that doll and ripped it into little bitty pieces and threw it in the ocean.
#12: Ok so Ellen Burstyn SHOULD have won the academy award for her commitment to acting to the point of sacrificing her body for that scene.
#13: First time I’ve ever seen this trailer. OMG how freakin scary is that! I showed it to a couple guys at work who sat next to me and they couldn’t even finish it. WOW!
#14: This was one of the most fascinating facts of all. I had NO!!! idea that this actor was only 43 years old! I thought he was an old man playing the role and I always felt sorry for him that he had to fall so much in the movie. Thought the old dude was going to have a heart attack while filming. 43! No way…the power of movie makeup!
#15: This is the one that I find hard to swallow, but if it did happen…pretty weird!
#16: Holy shit! This face is the scariest creature known to man! I remember seeing it flash during the movie and scared me to death. Even now it still makes me uneasy to look at it! And the whole fact of the name…Pazuzu being a real name of an evil spirit in the ancient times. Too much for me to handle. I don’t even want to mention the name again fearing it might be like Beetlejuice. Say it three times and don’t want to know what will happen.
#17: A commenter said it best…real life Dexter! Look at those dead eyes even in this scene. FREAKY!
#18: Damn well deserved the attention it got. Should have won Best Picture! Unfortunately it wasn’t until Silence of the Lambs (1991) that a horror movie actually won an academy award for best picture. (Great movie too!)
#19: As well it should. Any movie that can totally screw with the minds of generations of people should definitely go down in the history books.
And there you have it. My breakdown of the mind-blowing facts about the scariest film of all time. Now get some courage, make some popcorn, turn out ALL the lights and watch this film! If you dare!
