User blog:ShawnCognitionCP/Shocktober: The Exorcist

Hello, Creepypasta Wiki community, and welcome back to Shocktober. A late entry, for a dark story. As we are traveling through influential and great films, we needed to speak about the movie that changed how people thought of horror, and how people reacted to shock.



Released in 1973, The Exorcist was a breathe of fresh, darker air into an already defined genre. Dubbed the scariest film of all time, the title of "scariest film ever" still stands today.

The plot is about Lankester Merrin, a Catholic priest, as he finds a statue of Pazuzu, a demon he once battled years ago. Pazuzu wants revenge on Lankester, the demon possesses Regan MacNeil, leaving her mother with only one option- contacting Lanester Merrin for an exorcism. The fight between the two insists, fueled by hatred, and a thirst for revenge.

Directed by William Friedkin (The Guardian) and based off a novel by the same name written by William Peter Blatty (whom also produced this film), it took a massive 12 million USD to make this film, but the conservative masses of the time weren't just scared- they were hooked. Pulling in an incredible 441 million dollars in the box office,

Everything from memorable quotes ("Your mother sucks cocks in Hell!"), to memorable scenes (stairwell scene), the effects of this movie were top-notch for the time, and still look acceptable today, almost 45 years later. That's half a century of nightmares, only comparable to Poltergeist, almost a decade later.

Yes, the controversy is true. There are subliminal messages in this film (though you really can't say they are subliminal, if you notice them), and imagery, that exists to tell the story in greater, hardly explored fashion. My favorite example of these would have to be Pazuzu's face imprinted on the breath of Lankester's breath.

This movie ended up receiving countless awards, for each category you can think of, which I will not name here. It can simply be said that it is enough to make any movie fan, whom hasn't (somehow) seen this film, take a second look.

Acting choice was spectacular, as all choices, with Max von Sydow (Esbern in Skyrim) being the best example. The rest of the actors had their careers launched do to this movie. All emotion is pulled of greatly, though some, because of more dark reasons, behind the scenes-

Actors were manipulated in this film to gain the reactions needed. Actual injuries resulted, and the disgust in the vomit scene was true, as Friedkin promised Dyer it would not hit is face. Friedkin went as far as to ask Dyer if he trusted him, before smacking his face, so that shock would be pulled off perfectly in an upcoming scene.

Overall, this film influenced much of the modern feeling of Halloween, and horror as a whole. Let's just say, it had heads spinning. This legendary story will never be forgotten, not even if it ends up buried, some priest will dig it back up- and it will have its revenge.