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The Omen (2006 film)

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‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

The Omen
The Omen 2006 poster.gif
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
John Moore
Produced by
Glen Williamsonn
 John Moore
Written by
David Seltzer
Starring
Julia Stiles
Liev Schreiber
Mia Farrow
David Thewlis
Pete Postlethwaite
Michael Gambon
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick

Music by
Marco Beltrami
Cinematography
Jonathan Sela
Edited by
Dan Zimmerman
Distributed by
20th Century Fox

Release dates

June 6, 2006


Running time
 110 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$25 million
Box office
$119,498,909
The Omen (also known as The Omen: 666) is a 2006 remake of Richard Donner's The Omen. Directed by John Moore and written by David Seltzer, the film stars Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, and Mia Farrow. It was released worldwide on June 6, 2006.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Release and reception 4.1 Box office
4.2 Critical response
5 Home media
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Robert Thorn, an American diplomat stationed in Italy, is told that his son died during birth. Unknown to his unconscious wife, Katherine, Robert adopts an orphaned newborn at the suggestion of the hospital's Catholic priest, Father Spiletto. Naming him Damien, Robert and Katherine raise the boy. Robert's career ascends over the course of the next five years. He is named Deputy Ambassador to the Court of St. James in the United Kingdom. Following the death of the previous ambassador, Robert assumes his position and settles in a large estate just outside London. However, disturbing events begin to transpire, including the suicide of Damien's nanny at his birthday party.
Robert is approached by Father Brennan, who claims to have been involved with events surrounding Damien's birth. Meanwhile, photographer Keith Jennings finds that several of his photographs contain mysterious omens, including premonitions of people's deaths. A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock, is hired. Tension rises when Mrs. Baylock starts to make decisions without the consent of the Thorns, including adopting a Rottweiler for Damien's protection.
Following an incident near a chapel in which Damien attacks Katherine, she begins experiencing vivid dreams about her son, one of these involving a red-hooded jackal skeleton. When the Thorns visit a zoo, the animals react violently at the sight of Damien. Katherine begins to wonder if there is something wrong with Damien. Father Brennan confronts Robert, telling him that Damien's mother was a jackal, and that the boy is the Antichrist. He explains that Damien must die and a man called Bugenhagen, located in Megiddo, can assist. After being rebuked, Father Brennan is killed during a lightning storm.
Katherine discovers she is pregnant and is determined to get an abortion, in fear of having a child similar to Damien. Soon afterward, Damien causes an accident in which Katherine is severely injured, resulting in her miscarriage. While recovering in the hospital, Katherine confides in Robert her suspicions that Damien is evil. Robert decides to rendezvous with Jennings and search for Damien's biological mother. The pair discovers the hospital where Damien was delivered has since been demolished after a fire. They travel to Subiaco and meet Father Spiletto, who directs them to a graveyard. There they find the grave of Damien's mother, who is revealed to indeed have been a jackal. In the neighboring tomb, Robert discovers the corpse of his murdered biological son. He and Jennings are attacked by a pack of dogs and barely escape.
Mrs. Baylock visits Katherine in the hospital and causes her to have an air embolism, killing Katherine. Learning of Katherine's death, Robert goes to Megiddo, meets Bugenhagen, and receives instructions on him to kill Damien on consecrated ground with seven sacrificial daggers. Bugenhagen tells Robert to examine Damien for a birthmark in the shape of three sixes ("666"). However, Robert refuses to kill his son, and throws the daggers on the ground. While reaching down to pick up the daggers, Jennings is suddenly decapitated by a falling sign.
Robert arrives home and is attacked by Mrs. Baylock's Rottweiler, which he subdues. In Damien's room, he finds the 666 birthmark. Mrs. Baylock attacks Robert, but he fends her off; after running her over with his car, he escapes. Pursued by the police, Robert flees to a church to kill Damien. During his escape, Robert is killed by a Diplomatic Protection officer.
As the Pope simultaneously dies, Robert's funeral is attended by the President of the United States, who holds Damien's hand. Damien then looks at the audience as the credits roll.
Cast[edit]
Julia Stiles as Katherine Thorn
Liev Schreiber as Robert Thorn
Mia Farrow as Mrs. Baylock
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Damien Thorn
David Thewlis as Keith Jennings
Pete Postlethwaite as Father Brennan
Michael Gambon as Bugenhagen
Giovanni Lombardo Radice as Father Spiletto
Harvey Spencer Stephens, who portrayed Damien in the original movie, has a cameo role as a reporter
Production[edit]
Principal photography began on October 3, 2005 at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic, where the film was mostly shot. The ‘Jerusalem’ scenes were filmed in Matera, Italy.[1]
Release and reception[edit]
The film was released on June 6, 2006, at 06:06:06 in the morning (i.e., 2006-06-06 06:06:06). This symbolically represents the number 666, the biblical Number of the Beast.[citation needed]
Box office[edit]
The film recorded the highest opening Tuesday box office gross in domestic box office history in the United States, by earning more than $12 million. Fox initially stated that the film earned US$12,633,666 on its first day, but later Bruce Snyder, Fox's president of distribution, admitted that they were "having a little fun" by manipulating the figure to contain the number of the beast in the last three digits.[2]
The film ended grossing $119,498,909 worldwide, making it a modest success on a budget of $25 million. It finished as the 59th highest-grossing film of 2006, the 12th highest-grossing R-rated movie of 2006 and the 2nd highest domestic gross of The Omen series when adjusted for inflation.
Critical response[edit]
The film received negative reviews. The film currently has a rating of 43 out of 100 on Metacritic denoting that overall the film has received mixed feedback or reviews of an average nature.[3] 26% of reviews collected on Rotten Tomatoes were positive.[3]
James Berardinelli commented: "On every level, The Omen isn't just bad filmmaking, it's bad storytelling." He especially criticised the film's similarity to the original film, which he also greatly disliked.[4] Rolling Stone also made the latter point: "Not since Gus Van Sant inexplicably directed a shot-by-shot remake of Hitchcock's Psycho has a thriller been copied with so little point or impact".[5]
Roger Ebert, however, gave the film "thumbs up" and "three stars" in contrast to his negative review of the original, praising John Moore for letting the strong story unfold itself rather than foregrounding visual effects,[6] while the Washington Post's Stephen Hunter praised the film: "It's handsome in the way it's fast-moving: sleek, well-engineered, full of gooses and honks. Some of the casting seems a little off. Still, it works."[7]
Other assessments from critics include:
"John Moore's remake – while arguably better than its source – can't help but feel a bit stale." – BBC film review[citation needed]
"This film is for people who've never seen the original, and who are easily scared by mediocre horror films"- Eric D. Snider[8]
"Director John Moore has added some creepy visuals and assembled an unusually strong cast for a horror flick." – New York Post[citation needed]
"Competently made, and enjoyably played. But you do really end up wondering what the point was. Cinematic déjà vu is the most likely response." – Empire Magazine[9]
While Seamus Davey-Fitzpatricks performance did win him a Chainsaw award from Fangoria magazine for "Creepiest Kid", David Thewlis was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor in 2007, but lost to M. Night Shyamalan for Lady in the Water.[10]
Home media[edit]
The film was released in the US as a Region 1 DVD on October 17, 2006.[11] It was released in the UK as a Region 2 DVD on October 23, 2006.[12] It was released in Australia as a Region 4 DVD on March 7, 2007.[citation needed]
The film was released on Blu-ray on November 14, 2006.[clarification needed][citation needed]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Omen film locations". movie-locations.com. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
2.Jump up ^ "''Omen'' Opens to Tuesday Record". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "The Omen (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
4.Jump up ^ "Reelviews Movie Reviews". Reelviews.net. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
5.Jump up ^ (Posted: June 8, 2006) (June 8, 2006). "Omen : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
6.Jump up ^ "The Omen :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. June 6, 2006. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
7.Jump up ^ "Critic Review for The Omen on". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
8.Jump up ^ Snider, Eric D. (2006) Movie Reviews: "The Omen." EricDSnider.com. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
9.Jump up ^ http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=11300
10.Jump up ^ "The Razzie Awards". Found: 27th Annual Razzie Award Nominees for Worst Supporting Actor. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
11.Jump up ^ "product page". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
12.Jump up ^ "''Omen'' review". Play.com. April 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Omen (2006 film)
The Omen at the Internet Movie Database
The Omen at AllMovie
The Omen at Box Office Mojo
The Omen at Rotten Tomatoes


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Categories: 2006 films
English-language films
American films
20th Century Fox films
2006 horror films
American horror films
Horror film remakes
Films set in Rome
Films shot in the Czech Republic
Religious horror films
Supernatural horror films
Film scores by Marco Beltrami
Films directed by John Moore
American remakes of British films
American film remakes
Fictional depictions of the Antichrist









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The Omen (2006 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

The Omen
The Omen 2006 poster.gif
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
John Moore
Produced by
Glen Williamsonn
 John Moore
Written by
David Seltzer
Starring
Julia Stiles
Liev Schreiber
Mia Farrow
David Thewlis
Pete Postlethwaite
Michael Gambon
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick

Music by
Marco Beltrami
Cinematography
Jonathan Sela
Edited by
Dan Zimmerman
Distributed by
20th Century Fox

Release dates

June 6, 2006


Running time
 110 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$25 million
Box office
$119,498,909
The Omen (also known as The Omen: 666) is a 2006 remake of Richard Donner's The Omen. Directed by John Moore and written by David Seltzer, the film stars Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, and Mia Farrow. It was released worldwide on June 6, 2006.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Release and reception 4.1 Box office
4.2 Critical response
5 Home media
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Robert Thorn, an American diplomat stationed in Italy, is told that his son died during birth. Unknown to his unconscious wife, Katherine, Robert adopts an orphaned newborn at the suggestion of the hospital's Catholic priest, Father Spiletto. Naming him Damien, Robert and Katherine raise the boy. Robert's career ascends over the course of the next five years. He is named Deputy Ambassador to the Court of St. James in the United Kingdom. Following the death of the previous ambassador, Robert assumes his position and settles in a large estate just outside London. However, disturbing events begin to transpire, including the suicide of Damien's nanny at his birthday party.
Robert is approached by Father Brennan, who claims to have been involved with events surrounding Damien's birth. Meanwhile, photographer Keith Jennings finds that several of his photographs contain mysterious omens, including premonitions of people's deaths. A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock, is hired. Tension rises when Mrs. Baylock starts to make decisions without the consent of the Thorns, including adopting a Rottweiler for Damien's protection.
Following an incident near a chapel in which Damien attacks Katherine, she begins experiencing vivid dreams about her son, one of these involving a red-hooded jackal skeleton. When the Thorns visit a zoo, the animals react violently at the sight of Damien. Katherine begins to wonder if there is something wrong with Damien. Father Brennan confronts Robert, telling him that Damien's mother was a jackal, and that the boy is the Antichrist. He explains that Damien must die and a man called Bugenhagen, located in Megiddo, can assist. After being rebuked, Father Brennan is killed during a lightning storm.
Katherine discovers she is pregnant and is determined to get an abortion, in fear of having a child similar to Damien. Soon afterward, Damien causes an accident in which Katherine is severely injured, resulting in her miscarriage. While recovering in the hospital, Katherine confides in Robert her suspicions that Damien is evil. Robert decides to rendezvous with Jennings and search for Damien's biological mother. The pair discovers the hospital where Damien was delivered has since been demolished after a fire. They travel to Subiaco and meet Father Spiletto, who directs them to a graveyard. There they find the grave of Damien's mother, who is revealed to indeed have been a jackal. In the neighboring tomb, Robert discovers the corpse of his murdered biological son. He and Jennings are attacked by a pack of dogs and barely escape.
Mrs. Baylock visits Katherine in the hospital and causes her to have an air embolism, killing Katherine. Learning of Katherine's death, Robert goes to Megiddo, meets Bugenhagen, and receives instructions on him to kill Damien on consecrated ground with seven sacrificial daggers. Bugenhagen tells Robert to examine Damien for a birthmark in the shape of three sixes ("666"). However, Robert refuses to kill his son, and throws the daggers on the ground. While reaching down to pick up the daggers, Jennings is suddenly decapitated by a falling sign.
Robert arrives home and is attacked by Mrs. Baylock's Rottweiler, which he subdues. In Damien's room, he finds the 666 birthmark. Mrs. Baylock attacks Robert, but he fends her off; after running her over with his car, he escapes. Pursued by the police, Robert flees to a church to kill Damien. During his escape, Robert is killed by a Diplomatic Protection officer.
As the Pope simultaneously dies, Robert's funeral is attended by the President of the United States, who holds Damien's hand. Damien then looks at the audience as the credits roll.
Cast[edit]
Julia Stiles as Katherine Thorn
Liev Schreiber as Robert Thorn
Mia Farrow as Mrs. Baylock
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Damien Thorn
David Thewlis as Keith Jennings
Pete Postlethwaite as Father Brennan
Michael Gambon as Bugenhagen
Giovanni Lombardo Radice as Father Spiletto
Harvey Spencer Stephens, who portrayed Damien in the original movie, has a cameo role as a reporter
Production[edit]
Principal photography began on October 3, 2005 at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic, where the film was mostly shot. The ‘Jerusalem’ scenes were filmed in Matera, Italy.[1]
Release and reception[edit]
The film was released on June 6, 2006, at 06:06:06 in the morning (i.e., 2006-06-06 06:06:06). This symbolically represents the number 666, the biblical Number of the Beast.[citation needed]
Box office[edit]
The film recorded the highest opening Tuesday box office gross in domestic box office history in the United States, by earning more than $12 million. Fox initially stated that the film earned US$12,633,666 on its first day, but later Bruce Snyder, Fox's president of distribution, admitted that they were "having a little fun" by manipulating the figure to contain the number of the beast in the last three digits.[2]
The film ended grossing $119,498,909 worldwide, making it a modest success on a budget of $25 million. It finished as the 59th highest-grossing film of 2006, the 12th highest-grossing R-rated movie of 2006 and the 2nd highest domestic gross of The Omen series when adjusted for inflation.
Critical response[edit]
The film received negative reviews. The film currently has a rating of 43 out of 100 on Metacritic denoting that overall the film has received mixed feedback or reviews of an average nature.[3] 26% of reviews collected on Rotten Tomatoes were positive.[3]
James Berardinelli commented: "On every level, The Omen isn't just bad filmmaking, it's bad storytelling." He especially criticised the film's similarity to the original film, which he also greatly disliked.[4] Rolling Stone also made the latter point: "Not since Gus Van Sant inexplicably directed a shot-by-shot remake of Hitchcock's Psycho has a thriller been copied with so little point or impact".[5]
Roger Ebert, however, gave the film "thumbs up" and "three stars" in contrast to his negative review of the original, praising John Moore for letting the strong story unfold itself rather than foregrounding visual effects,[6] while the Washington Post's Stephen Hunter praised the film: "It's handsome in the way it's fast-moving: sleek, well-engineered, full of gooses and honks. Some of the casting seems a little off. Still, it works."[7]
Other assessments from critics include:
"John Moore's remake – while arguably better than its source – can't help but feel a bit stale." – BBC film review[citation needed]
"This film is for people who've never seen the original, and who are easily scared by mediocre horror films"- Eric D. Snider[8]
"Director John Moore has added some creepy visuals and assembled an unusually strong cast for a horror flick." – New York Post[citation needed]
"Competently made, and enjoyably played. But you do really end up wondering what the point was. Cinematic déjà vu is the most likely response." – Empire Magazine[9]
While Seamus Davey-Fitzpatricks performance did win him a Chainsaw award from Fangoria magazine for "Creepiest Kid", David Thewlis was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor in 2007, but lost to M. Night Shyamalan for Lady in the Water.[10]
Home media[edit]
The film was released in the US as a Region 1 DVD on October 17, 2006.[11] It was released in the UK as a Region 2 DVD on October 23, 2006.[12] It was released in Australia as a Region 4 DVD on March 7, 2007.[citation needed]
The film was released on Blu-ray on November 14, 2006.[clarification needed][citation needed]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Omen film locations". movie-locations.com. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
2.Jump up ^ "''Omen'' Opens to Tuesday Record". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "The Omen (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
4.Jump up ^ "Reelviews Movie Reviews". Reelviews.net. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
5.Jump up ^ (Posted: June 8, 2006) (June 8, 2006). "Omen : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
6.Jump up ^ "The Omen :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. June 6, 2006. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
7.Jump up ^ "Critic Review for The Omen on". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
8.Jump up ^ Snider, Eric D. (2006) Movie Reviews: "The Omen." EricDSnider.com. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
9.Jump up ^ http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=11300
10.Jump up ^ "The Razzie Awards". Found: 27th Annual Razzie Award Nominees for Worst Supporting Actor. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
11.Jump up ^ "product page". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
12.Jump up ^ "''Omen'' review". Play.com. April 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Omen (2006 film)
The Omen at the Internet Movie Database
The Omen at AllMovie
The Omen at Box Office Mojo
The Omen at Rotten Tomatoes


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
The Omen
























[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by John Moore









  


Categories: 2006 films
English-language films
American films
20th Century Fox films
2006 horror films
American horror films
Horror film remakes
Films set in Rome
Films shot in the Czech Republic
Religious horror films
Supernatural horror films
Film scores by Marco Beltrami
Films directed by John Moore
American remakes of British films
American film remakes
Fictional depictions of the Antichrist









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This page was last modified on 17 February 2015, at 17:21.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omen_(2006_film)





























The Omen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the 1976 film. For the remake, see The Omen (2006 film).
See also: Omen (disambiguation)


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2013)
‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

The Omen
Omen ver4.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung

Directed by
Richard Donner
Produced by
Harvey Bernhard
Written by
David Seltzer
Starring
Gregory Peck
Lee Remick
David Warner
Billie Whitelaw
Music by
Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography
Gilbert Taylor
Edited by
Stuart Baird
Distributed by
20th Century Fox

Release dates

June 6, 1976 (UK)
June 25, 1976 (US)


Running time
 111 minutes
Country
United States
 United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$2.8 million[1]
Box office
$60,922,980[2]
The Omen is a 1976 British/American supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner. The film stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer Stephens, Billie Whitelaw, Patrick Troughton, Martin Benson and Leo McKern. It is the first film in The Omen series and was scripted by David Seltzer.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Music
4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance
4.2 Critical reception
4.3 Awards and nominations
4.4 Parodies and Pop Culture
4.5 International versions
5 Novels
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]


 This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (January 2015)
In Rome, American diplomat Robert Thorn's (Gregory Peck) wife Katherine (Lee Remick) gives birth to a boy, who he is told dies moments after being born. Robert is convinced by the hospital chaplain, Father Spiletto (Martin Benson), to secretly adopt an orphan whose mother died at the same time. Out of concern for his wife's mental well-being, Robert agrees, but does not reveal to her that the child is not theirs. They name the child Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens).
Soon after, Robert is appointed U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. Mysterious events plague the Thorns. Animals, with the exception of large dogs congregating near the Thorn home, are terrified of the child. Damien violently resists entering a church. Damien's nanny publicly hangs herself at his fifth birthday party. A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw), arrives to replace her. When the Thorns question her unexpected arrival, she claims "the agency" sent her after reading about the death in the newspapers.
Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton), a Catholic priest, tries repeatedly to warn the Ambassador about Damien's mysterious origins. The priest hints that Damien may not be human. Thorn is irritated by the man and rebuffs his persistent intrusions. Finally convincing Thorn to meet him near the Thames, the priest tells Robert that Katherine is pregnant, and that Damien will prevent her from having the child. Afterward, Brennan is impaled by a lightning rod thrown from the roof of his church during a sudden storm.
Upon returning home, Katherine tells Robert that she is pregnant. Robert is surprised but delighted, but Katherine wants an abortion. Katherine claims that she feels overwhelmed and threatened by Damien.
Learning of Father Brennan's death, photographer Keith Jennings (David Warner) begins investigating Damien. He notices shadows in photographs of the nanny and of Father Brennan that seem to presage their bizarre deaths. Photos of Keith also show these shadows. Keith shows Robert the photos and tells him he also believes that Damien is a threat and that he wants to help Robert.
While Robert is away, Mrs. Baylock allows Damien to work himself into a frenzy. Speeding through the mansion on his tricycle, he knocks Katherine over an upstairs railing to the floor below. Robert receives a phone call from a hospital, and rushes to Katherine's side. She miscarries.
Keith and Robert travel to Rome to investigate Damien's birth. A fire has destroyed the hospital records and the maternity and nursery wards; most of the staff on duty died in the fire. Robert and Keith trace Father Spiletto to a rural monastery, where he is recuperating from his injuries but is not expected to survive. Stricken mute, Spiletto writes the name of an ancient Etruscan cemetery where Damien's biological mother is buried. Robert and Keith find a jackal's skeleton in the grave and a child's skeleton with a shattered skull: Damien's unnatural "mother" and the remains of the Thorns' own child, murdered at birth so that Damien could take his place. Keith reiterates Father Brennan's belief that Damien is the Antichrist, whose coming is being supported by a conspiracy of Satanists. A pack of wild dogs, similar to ones seen near the Thorn's mansion, attack Robert and Keith. They escape the cemetery with injuries.
Robert and Keith travel to Israel to find Karl Bugenhagen (Leo McKern), an archaeologist and expert on the Antichrist. Bugenhagen explains to Robert that Damien will possess a birthmark in the shape of three sixes if he is the Antichrist. Robert learns that the only way to kill the Antichrist is with seven mystical daggers from Megiddo. Appalled by the idea of murdering a child, Robert discards the daggers. When Keith tries to retrieve the daggers, he is decapitated by a sheet of window glass sliding off a truck.
Back in London, Mrs. Baylock murders Katherine by pushing her out of her hospital window.
Agonized by the deaths, Robert resolves to end the nightmare. Returning home, he waylays a large dog that is standing guard at the mansion and examines Damien for the birthmark. As he finds it on Damien's scalp, Mrs. Baylock attacks him. Robert kills her. He loads Damien and the daggers into a car and drives to the nearest church. Due to his erratic driving and excessive speed, he is followed by the police, who arrive as he is dragging the screaming child to the altar. An officer orders him to raise his hands and stand away. Robert raises the first dagger, and the officer fires his gun.
Damien attends the funeral of Katherine and Robert in the custody of the U.S. President. The final shot focuses on Damien, who smiles gleefully as the ceremony ends.
Cast[edit]
Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn
Lee Remick as Katherine Thorn
David Warner as Keith Jennings
Billie Whitelaw as Mrs Baylock
Harvey Spencer Stephens as Damien Thorn
Patrick Troughton as Father Brennan
Martin Benson as Father Spiletto
Leo McKern as Carl Bugenhagen
Robert Rietti as Monk
Tommy Duggan as Priest
John Stride as The Psychiatrist
Anthony Nicholls as Dr. Becker
Holly Palance as Nanny
Roy Boyd as Reporter
Freda Dowie as Nun
Sheila Raynor as Mrs Horton
Robert MacLeod as Horton
Bruce Boa as Thorn's Aide 1
Don Fellows as Thorn's Aide 2
Music[edit]

The Omen

Soundtrack album by Jerry Goldsmith

Released
1976
Genre
Film music
Length
34:16
Label
20th Century Fox
Producer
Jerry Goldsmith




Jerry Goldsmith – "Ave Satani"







listen to a clip from the soundtrack of "The Omen".

Problems playing this file? See media help.
An original score for the film, including the movie's theme song "Ave Satani," was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant. The refrain to the chant is, "Sanguis bibimus, corpus edimus, tolle corpus Satani" (ungrammatical Latin for, "We drink the blood, we eat the flesh, raise the body of Satan"; note that the correct Latin would be, "Sanguinem bibimus, corpus edimus, tolle corpus Satani"), interspersed with cries of "Ave Satani!" and "Ave Versus Christus" (Latin, "Hail, Satan!" and "Hail, Antichrist!"). Aside from the choral work, the score includes lyrical themes portraying the pleasant home life of the Thorn family, which are contrasted with the more disturbing scenes of the family's confrontation with evil.
1."Ave Satani" – 2:32
2."New Ambassador" – 2:33
3."Killer's Storm" – 2:51
4."Sad Message" – 1:42
5."Demise of Mrs. Baylock" – 2:52
6."Don't Let Him" – 2:48
7."Piper Dreams" – 2:39
8."Fall" – 3:42
9."Safari Park" – 2:04
10."Dog's Attack" – 5:50
11."Homecoming" – 2:43
12."Altar" – 2:00
On October 9, 2001, a deluxe version of the soundtrack was released with eight additional tracks.
1."Ave Satani" – 2:35
2."On This Night" – 2:36
3."The New Ambassador" – 2:34
4."Where Is He?" – :56
5."I Was There" – 2:27
6."Broken Vows" – 2:12
7."Safari Park" – 3:24
8."A Doctor, Please" – 1:44
9."The Killer Storm" – 2:54
10."The Fall" – 3:45
11."Don't Let Him" – 2:49
12."The Day He Died" – 2:14
13."The Dog's Attack" – 5:54
14."A Sad Message" – 1:44
15."Beheaded" – 1:49
16."The Bed" – 1:08
17."666" – :44
18."The Demise of Mrs. Baylock" – 2:54
19."The Altar" – 2:07
20."The Piper Dreams" – 2:41
Reception[edit]
Box office performance[edit]
The Omen was released following a successful $2.8 million marketing campaign inspired by the one from Jaws one year prior, with two weeks of sneak previews, a novelization by screenwriter David Seltzer, and the logo with "666" inside the film's title as the centerpiece of the advertisement.[3] The film was a massive commercial success in the United States. It grossed $4,273,886 in its opening weekend and $60,922,980 domestically on a tight budget of $2.8 million.[4][5] The film was the fifth highest grossing movie of 1976.
Critical reception[edit]
The Omen received mostly positive reviews from critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1976, as well as one of the best horror films ever made.[6][7][8] The film holds an 85% "Certified Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[9] The movie boasted a particularly disturbing scene, in which a character willingly and joyfully hangs herself at a birthday party attended by young children. It also features a violent decapitation scene (caused by a horizontal sheet of plate glass), one of mainstream Hollywood's first: "If there were a special Madame Defarge Humanitarian Award for best decapitation," wrote Kim Newman in Nightmare Movies (1988), "this lingering, slow-motion sequence would get my vote."
Conversely, The Omen appeared in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time by Harry Medved (co-author of the Golden Turkey Awards) and Randy Dreyfuss.
The Omen was ranked number 81 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Thrills,[10] and the score by Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.[11] The film was ranked #16 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.[12] Similarly, the Chicago Film Critics' Association named it the 31st scariest film ever made.[13]
Awards and nominations[edit]
The film received numerous accolades for its acting, writing, music and technical achievements. Jerry Goldsmith won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and received an additional nomination for Best Original Song for "Ave Satani". Goldsmith's score was also nominated for a Grammy award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture. Billie Whitelaw was nominated for a BAFTA film award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She was also awarded the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress. The film also received recognition by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Harvey Stephens was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut – Male. David Seltzer's original screenplay was nominated by the Writers Guild of America for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen and for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture. The film was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and Gregory Peck received the Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Horror Film. Gilbert Taylor won the Best Cinematography Award from the British Society of Cinematographers.[14]
Parodies and Pop Culture[edit]
The film was spoofed in Mad Magazine #189, March 1977,[15] as "The Ominous"—written by Dick DeBartolo with art by Harry North—and on Saturday Night Live as "The Ointment".
In 1998, Damien appeared in an episode of South Park, confronting Jesus Christ, but he makes friends with the gang, except Eric Cartman. In its tenth season, South Park also used an excerpt from Goldsmith's score at the end of the episode "Tsst".[16]
The novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett satirizes the apocalypse and several events of the film, including the baby swap.
The protagonist in the short story 'Moment of Truth' by Wayne Stellini, published in Offset (no. 14), is named Damien. He awaits the assistance of the diplomatic Mr. Thorn, whom he internally refers to as The Man, to get him out of trouble.[17]
International versions[edit]
Outside the United States, The Omen was titled into their languages. The Spanish-speaking countries used the title La profecía. Italian versions title it Il presagio, while the DVD title adds to such a title (in the form of Omen - Il presagio.) The German version of the film is titled Das Omen. The title Pretkazanje was used in the Croatian-speaking countries. De vervloeking is the Flemish version, shown in Belgium. Tegnet is in the Danish language and was used for the Denmark release. The titles Ennustus (Finnish) and Spådom (Swedish) are versions that circulated in Finland. La malédiction was used as the French title in France, Luxembourg and the Canadian province of Quebec. Sweden, Japan and Poland simply showed it under Omen. It was released in Turkey as Kehanet and Ómen in Hungary. Zenklas was the title used in Lithuania. In Tamil, the movie titled, Jenma Nakshathiram, was influenced by The Omen. In Brazil, it's called A Profecia; in Portugal, O Génio do Mal.[18]
Novels[edit]



[hide]This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.




This section possibly contains original research.  (August 2013)




This section does not cite any references or sources.  (January 2015)


David Seltzer, The Omen. (Futura, 1976).
Joseph Howard, Damien: Omen II. (Futura, 1978).
Gordon McGill, Omen III: The Final Conflict. (Futura, 1980).
Gordon McGill, Omen IV: Armageddon 2000. (Futura, 1983).
Gordon McGill, Omen V: The Abomination. (Futura, 1985).
Both The Omen and its novelization were written by David Seltzer (the book preceded the movie by two weeks as a marketing gimmick). For the book, Seltzer augmented some plot points and character backgrounds, and changed minor details (such as character names — Holly becomes Chessa Whyte, Keith Jennings becomes Huber Jennings, Father Brennan becomes Father Edgardo Emilio Tassone, et cetera). The second and third novels were more direct adaptations of those films' screenplays. Gordon McGill retroactively changed the time period of The Omen to the 1950s, in order to make The Final Conflict (featuring an adult Damien) take place explicitly in the 1980s.
Although neither the first Omen movie nor its novelisation mention what year the story takes place in dialogue, in the scene where Katherine and Damien visit the safari park the tax disc on their car can be clearly seen to state it expires in August 1976. With the majority of the events of the film taking place immediately before and after Damien's fifth birthday party, this would place his birth at 6am on the 6th of June 1971. Filming began in October 1975 and wrapped in late-January 1976.
The fourth novel, Omen IV: Armageddon 2000, was entirely unrelated to the fourth movie, but continued the story of Omen III following the one-night stand between Damien Thorn and Kate Reynolds in that film. This affair included an act of sodomy and thence Kate gave rectal "birth" to another diabolical entity called "the Abomination" in the Omen IV novel. This novel attempted to address the apparent contradiction of whether the Antichrist could be slain by just one of the "Seven Sacred Daggers of Megiddo" as premised in Omen III, or only by all of them as stated in the first book and film. According to Omen IV, one dagger could kill Damien's body but not his soul, which complies loosely with the explanation given in the original film. Damien's acolyte Paul Buher (played by Robert Foxworth in the second movie) is a major character in the fourth book and achieves redemption in its climax.
Omen V: The Abomination begins with a "memorial" listing all of the characters who had been killed throughout the saga up to that point, and cements Damien's life in the period of 1950–1982. The novel closes with the chronicle of Damien's life about to be written by the character Jack Mason. Its last few lines are identical to the beginning of David Seltzer's novel, thus bringing the story full circle.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Academy Award portal
Portal icon Film portal
Portal icon Horror fiction portal
List of fictional Antichrists
Lucius (video game)
The Omen (2006 film)



References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p258
2.Jump up ^ "The Omen, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
3.Jump up ^ Wyatt, Justin (1998). "Chapter 3: From Roadshowing to Saturation Release: Majors, Independents, and Marketing/ Distribution Innovations". In Lewis, Jon. The new American cinema. Duke University Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN 0-8223-2115-7.
4.Jump up ^ "Box Office Information for The Omen". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
5.Jump up ^ "Box Office and Business Information for The Omen". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
6.Jump up ^ "The Greatest Films of 1976". AMC Filmsite.org. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
7.Jump up ^ "The Best Movies of 1976 by Rank". Films101.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
8.Jump up ^ "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1976". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
9.Jump up ^ "The Omen Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
10.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
11.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Ballot
12.Jump up ^ "Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ "Chicago Critics’ Scariest Films". AltFilmGuide.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
14.Jump up ^ "The Omen: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
15.Jump up ^ "Mad Magazine #189 at madcoversite.com".
16.Jump up ^ http://dictionary.sensagent.com/tsst/en-en/#Cultural_references
17.Jump up ^ B. Young, et al. (ed), Offset, no. 14, Victoria University, 2014, pp.62-66,<http://offsetartsjournal.vu.edu.au/article/view/660/790>
18.Jump up ^ The Omen at the Internet Movie Database
External links[edit]
The Omen at the Internet Movie Database
The Omen at the TCM Movie Database
The Omen at AllMovie
The Omen at Box Office Mojo
The Omen at Rotten Tomatoes
The Omen script


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Categories: 1976 films
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1976 horror films
1970s thriller films
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Suspense films
20th Century Fox films
Films set in Israel
Films set in London
Films set in Rome
Films set in Washington, D.C.
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The Omen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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This article is about the 1976 film. For the remake, see The Omen (2006 film).
See also: Omen (disambiguation)


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2013)
‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

The Omen
Omen ver4.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung

Directed by
Richard Donner
Produced by
Harvey Bernhard
Written by
David Seltzer
Starring
Gregory Peck
Lee Remick
David Warner
Billie Whitelaw
Music by
Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography
Gilbert Taylor
Edited by
Stuart Baird
Distributed by
20th Century Fox

Release dates

June 6, 1976 (UK)
June 25, 1976 (US)


Running time
 111 minutes
Country
United States
 United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
$2.8 million[1]
Box office
$60,922,980[2]
The Omen is a 1976 British/American supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner. The film stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer Stephens, Billie Whitelaw, Patrick Troughton, Martin Benson and Leo McKern. It is the first film in The Omen series and was scripted by David Seltzer.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Music
4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance
4.2 Critical reception
4.3 Awards and nominations
4.4 Parodies and Pop Culture
4.5 International versions
5 Novels
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]


 This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (January 2015)
In Rome, American diplomat Robert Thorn's (Gregory Peck) wife Katherine (Lee Remick) gives birth to a boy, who he is told dies moments after being born. Robert is convinced by the hospital chaplain, Father Spiletto (Martin Benson), to secretly adopt an orphan whose mother died at the same time. Out of concern for his wife's mental well-being, Robert agrees, but does not reveal to her that the child is not theirs. They name the child Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens).
Soon after, Robert is appointed U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. Mysterious events plague the Thorns. Animals, with the exception of large dogs congregating near the Thorn home, are terrified of the child. Damien violently resists entering a church. Damien's nanny publicly hangs herself at his fifth birthday party. A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw), arrives to replace her. When the Thorns question her unexpected arrival, she claims "the agency" sent her after reading about the death in the newspapers.
Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton), a Catholic priest, tries repeatedly to warn the Ambassador about Damien's mysterious origins. The priest hints that Damien may not be human. Thorn is irritated by the man and rebuffs his persistent intrusions. Finally convincing Thorn to meet him near the Thames, the priest tells Robert that Katherine is pregnant, and that Damien will prevent her from having the child. Afterward, Brennan is impaled by a lightning rod thrown from the roof of his church during a sudden storm.
Upon returning home, Katherine tells Robert that she is pregnant. Robert is surprised but delighted, but Katherine wants an abortion. Katherine claims that she feels overwhelmed and threatened by Damien.
Learning of Father Brennan's death, photographer Keith Jennings (David Warner) begins investigating Damien. He notices shadows in photographs of the nanny and of Father Brennan that seem to presage their bizarre deaths. Photos of Keith also show these shadows. Keith shows Robert the photos and tells him he also believes that Damien is a threat and that he wants to help Robert.
While Robert is away, Mrs. Baylock allows Damien to work himself into a frenzy. Speeding through the mansion on his tricycle, he knocks Katherine over an upstairs railing to the floor below. Robert receives a phone call from a hospital, and rushes to Katherine's side. She miscarries.
Keith and Robert travel to Rome to investigate Damien's birth. A fire has destroyed the hospital records and the maternity and nursery wards; most of the staff on duty died in the fire. Robert and Keith trace Father Spiletto to a rural monastery, where he is recuperating from his injuries but is not expected to survive. Stricken mute, Spiletto writes the name of an ancient Etruscan cemetery where Damien's biological mother is buried. Robert and Keith find a jackal's skeleton in the grave and a child's skeleton with a shattered skull: Damien's unnatural "mother" and the remains of the Thorns' own child, murdered at birth so that Damien could take his place. Keith reiterates Father Brennan's belief that Damien is the Antichrist, whose coming is being supported by a conspiracy of Satanists. A pack of wild dogs, similar to ones seen near the Thorn's mansion, attack Robert and Keith. They escape the cemetery with injuries.
Robert and Keith travel to Israel to find Karl Bugenhagen (Leo McKern), an archaeologist and expert on the Antichrist. Bugenhagen explains to Robert that Damien will possess a birthmark in the shape of three sixes if he is the Antichrist. Robert learns that the only way to kill the Antichrist is with seven mystical daggers from Megiddo. Appalled by the idea of murdering a child, Robert discards the daggers. When Keith tries to retrieve the daggers, he is decapitated by a sheet of window glass sliding off a truck.
Back in London, Mrs. Baylock murders Katherine by pushing her out of her hospital window.
Agonized by the deaths, Robert resolves to end the nightmare. Returning home, he waylays a large dog that is standing guard at the mansion and examines Damien for the birthmark. As he finds it on Damien's scalp, Mrs. Baylock attacks him. Robert kills her. He loads Damien and the daggers into a car and drives to the nearest church. Due to his erratic driving and excessive speed, he is followed by the police, who arrive as he is dragging the screaming child to the altar. An officer orders him to raise his hands and stand away. Robert raises the first dagger, and the officer fires his gun.
Damien attends the funeral of Katherine and Robert in the custody of the U.S. President. The final shot focuses on Damien, who smiles gleefully as the ceremony ends.
Cast[edit]
Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn
Lee Remick as Katherine Thorn
David Warner as Keith Jennings
Billie Whitelaw as Mrs Baylock
Harvey Spencer Stephens as Damien Thorn
Patrick Troughton as Father Brennan
Martin Benson as Father Spiletto
Leo McKern as Carl Bugenhagen
Robert Rietti as Monk
Tommy Duggan as Priest
John Stride as The Psychiatrist
Anthony Nicholls as Dr. Becker
Holly Palance as Nanny
Roy Boyd as Reporter
Freda Dowie as Nun
Sheila Raynor as Mrs Horton
Robert MacLeod as Horton
Bruce Boa as Thorn's Aide 1
Don Fellows as Thorn's Aide 2
Music[edit]

The Omen

Soundtrack album by Jerry Goldsmith

Released
1976
Genre
Film music
Length
34:16
Label
20th Century Fox
Producer
Jerry Goldsmith




Jerry Goldsmith – "Ave Satani"







listen to a clip from the soundtrack of "The Omen".

Problems playing this file? See media help.
An original score for the film, including the movie's theme song "Ave Satani," was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant. The refrain to the chant is, "Sanguis bibimus, corpus edimus, tolle corpus Satani" (ungrammatical Latin for, "We drink the blood, we eat the flesh, raise the body of Satan"; note that the correct Latin would be, "Sanguinem bibimus, corpus edimus, tolle corpus Satani"), interspersed with cries of "Ave Satani!" and "Ave Versus Christus" (Latin, "Hail, Satan!" and "Hail, Antichrist!"). Aside from the choral work, the score includes lyrical themes portraying the pleasant home life of the Thorn family, which are contrasted with the more disturbing scenes of the family's confrontation with evil.
1."Ave Satani" – 2:32
2."New Ambassador" – 2:33
3."Killer's Storm" – 2:51
4."Sad Message" – 1:42
5."Demise of Mrs. Baylock" – 2:52
6."Don't Let Him" – 2:48
7."Piper Dreams" – 2:39
8."Fall" – 3:42
9."Safari Park" – 2:04
10."Dog's Attack" – 5:50
11."Homecoming" – 2:43
12."Altar" – 2:00
On October 9, 2001, a deluxe version of the soundtrack was released with eight additional tracks.
1."Ave Satani" – 2:35
2."On This Night" – 2:36
3."The New Ambassador" – 2:34
4."Where Is He?" – :56
5."I Was There" – 2:27
6."Broken Vows" – 2:12
7."Safari Park" – 3:24
8."A Doctor, Please" – 1:44
9."The Killer Storm" – 2:54
10."The Fall" – 3:45
11."Don't Let Him" – 2:49
12."The Day He Died" – 2:14
13."The Dog's Attack" – 5:54
14."A Sad Message" – 1:44
15."Beheaded" – 1:49
16."The Bed" – 1:08
17."666" – :44
18."The Demise of Mrs. Baylock" – 2:54
19."The Altar" – 2:07
20."The Piper Dreams" – 2:41
Reception[edit]
Box office performance[edit]
The Omen was released following a successful $2.8 million marketing campaign inspired by the one from Jaws one year prior, with two weeks of sneak previews, a novelization by screenwriter David Seltzer, and the logo with "666" inside the film's title as the centerpiece of the advertisement.[3] The film was a massive commercial success in the United States. It grossed $4,273,886 in its opening weekend and $60,922,980 domestically on a tight budget of $2.8 million.[4][5] The film was the fifth highest grossing movie of 1976.
Critical reception[edit]
The Omen received mostly positive reviews from critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1976, as well as one of the best horror films ever made.[6][7][8] The film holds an 85% "Certified Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[9] The movie boasted a particularly disturbing scene, in which a character willingly and joyfully hangs herself at a birthday party attended by young children. It also features a violent decapitation scene (caused by a horizontal sheet of plate glass), one of mainstream Hollywood's first: "If there were a special Madame Defarge Humanitarian Award for best decapitation," wrote Kim Newman in Nightmare Movies (1988), "this lingering, slow-motion sequence would get my vote."
Conversely, The Omen appeared in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time by Harry Medved (co-author of the Golden Turkey Awards) and Randy Dreyfuss.
The Omen was ranked number 81 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Thrills,[10] and the score by Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.[11] The film was ranked #16 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.[12] Similarly, the Chicago Film Critics' Association named it the 31st scariest film ever made.[13]
Awards and nominations[edit]
The film received numerous accolades for its acting, writing, music and technical achievements. Jerry Goldsmith won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and received an additional nomination for Best Original Song for "Ave Satani". Goldsmith's score was also nominated for a Grammy award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture. Billie Whitelaw was nominated for a BAFTA film award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She was also awarded the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress. The film also received recognition by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Harvey Stephens was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut – Male. David Seltzer's original screenplay was nominated by the Writers Guild of America for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen and for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture. The film was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and Gregory Peck received the Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Horror Film. Gilbert Taylor won the Best Cinematography Award from the British Society of Cinematographers.[14]
Parodies and Pop Culture[edit]
The film was spoofed in Mad Magazine #189, March 1977,[15] as "The Ominous"—written by Dick DeBartolo with art by Harry North—and on Saturday Night Live as "The Ointment".
In 1998, Damien appeared in an episode of South Park, confronting Jesus Christ, but he makes friends with the gang, except Eric Cartman. In its tenth season, South Park also used an excerpt from Goldsmith's score at the end of the episode "Tsst".[16]
The novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett satirizes the apocalypse and several events of the film, including the baby swap.
The protagonist in the short story 'Moment of Truth' by Wayne Stellini, published in Offset (no. 14), is named Damien. He awaits the assistance of the diplomatic Mr. Thorn, whom he internally refers to as The Man, to get him out of trouble.[17]
International versions[edit]
Outside the United States, The Omen was titled into their languages. The Spanish-speaking countries used the title La profecía. Italian versions title it Il presagio, while the DVD title adds to such a title (in the form of Omen - Il presagio.) The German version of the film is titled Das Omen. The title Pretkazanje was used in the Croatian-speaking countries. De vervloeking is the Flemish version, shown in Belgium. Tegnet is in the Danish language and was used for the Denmark release. The titles Ennustus (Finnish) and Spådom (Swedish) are versions that circulated in Finland. La malédiction was used as the French title in France, Luxembourg and the Canadian province of Quebec. Sweden, Japan and Poland simply showed it under Omen. It was released in Turkey as Kehanet and Ómen in Hungary. Zenklas was the title used in Lithuania. In Tamil, the movie titled, Jenma Nakshathiram, was influenced by The Omen. In Brazil, it's called A Profecia; in Portugal, O Génio do Mal.[18]
Novels[edit]



[hide]This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.




This section possibly contains original research.  (August 2013)




This section does not cite any references or sources.  (January 2015)


David Seltzer, The Omen. (Futura, 1976).
Joseph Howard, Damien: Omen II. (Futura, 1978).
Gordon McGill, Omen III: The Final Conflict. (Futura, 1980).
Gordon McGill, Omen IV: Armageddon 2000. (Futura, 1983).
Gordon McGill, Omen V: The Abomination. (Futura, 1985).
Both The Omen and its novelization were written by David Seltzer (the book preceded the movie by two weeks as a marketing gimmick). For the book, Seltzer augmented some plot points and character backgrounds, and changed minor details (such as character names — Holly becomes Chessa Whyte, Keith Jennings becomes Huber Jennings, Father Brennan becomes Father Edgardo Emilio Tassone, et cetera). The second and third novels were more direct adaptations of those films' screenplays. Gordon McGill retroactively changed the time period of The Omen to the 1950s, in order to make The Final Conflict (featuring an adult Damien) take place explicitly in the 1980s.
Although neither the first Omen movie nor its novelisation mention what year the story takes place in dialogue, in the scene where Katherine and Damien visit the safari park the tax disc on their car can be clearly seen to state it expires in August 1976. With the majority of the events of the film taking place immediately before and after Damien's fifth birthday party, this would place his birth at 6am on the 6th of June 1971. Filming began in October 1975 and wrapped in late-January 1976.
The fourth novel, Omen IV: Armageddon 2000, was entirely unrelated to the fourth movie, but continued the story of Omen III following the one-night stand between Damien Thorn and Kate Reynolds in that film. This affair included an act of sodomy and thence Kate gave rectal "birth" to another diabolical entity called "the Abomination" in the Omen IV novel. This novel attempted to address the apparent contradiction of whether the Antichrist could be slain by just one of the "Seven Sacred Daggers of Megiddo" as premised in Omen III, or only by all of them as stated in the first book and film. According to Omen IV, one dagger could kill Damien's body but not his soul, which complies loosely with the explanation given in the original film. Damien's acolyte Paul Buher (played by Robert Foxworth in the second movie) is a major character in the fourth book and achieves redemption in its climax.
Omen V: The Abomination begins with a "memorial" listing all of the characters who had been killed throughout the saga up to that point, and cements Damien's life in the period of 1950–1982. The novel closes with the chronicle of Damien's life about to be written by the character Jack Mason. Its last few lines are identical to the beginning of David Seltzer's novel, thus bringing the story full circle.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Academy Award portal
Portal icon Film portal
Portal icon Horror fiction portal
List of fictional Antichrists
Lucius (video game)
The Omen (2006 film)



References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p258
2.Jump up ^ "The Omen, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
3.Jump up ^ Wyatt, Justin (1998). "Chapter 3: From Roadshowing to Saturation Release: Majors, Independents, and Marketing/ Distribution Innovations". In Lewis, Jon. The new American cinema. Duke University Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN 0-8223-2115-7.
4.Jump up ^ "Box Office Information for The Omen". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
5.Jump up ^ "Box Office and Business Information for The Omen". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
6.Jump up ^ "The Greatest Films of 1976". AMC Filmsite.org. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
7.Jump up ^ "The Best Movies of 1976 by Rank". Films101.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
8.Jump up ^ "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1976". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
9.Jump up ^ "The Omen Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
10.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
11.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Ballot
12.Jump up ^ "Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ "Chicago Critics’ Scariest Films". AltFilmGuide.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
14.Jump up ^ "The Omen: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
15.Jump up ^ "Mad Magazine #189 at madcoversite.com".
16.Jump up ^ http://dictionary.sensagent.com/tsst/en-en/#Cultural_references
17.Jump up ^ B. Young, et al. (ed), Offset, no. 14, Victoria University, 2014, pp.62-66,<http://offsetartsjournal.vu.edu.au/article/view/660/790>
18.Jump up ^ The Omen at the Internet Movie Database
External links[edit]
The Omen at the Internet Movie Database
The Omen at the TCM Movie Database
The Omen at AllMovie
The Omen at Box Office Mojo
The Omen at Rotten Tomatoes
The Omen script


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The Exorcist (novel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

The Exorcist
The Exorcist 1971.jpg
First edition cover

Author
William Peter Blatty
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
horror novel
Publisher
Harper & Row

Publication date
 1971
Media type
Print (Hardcover, paperback)
Pages
340 (first edition)
ISBN
978-0-06-010365-1
OCLC
29760583
Followed by
Legion
The Exorcist is a 1971 novel by American writer William Peter Blatty. The book details the demonic possession of twelve-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the Jesuit psychiatrist priest who attempts to exorcise the demon. Published by Harper & Row, the novel was the basis of a highly successful film adaption released two years later, whose screenplay was also written by Blatty.
The novel was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University.[1] As a result, the novel takes place in Washington D.C. near the campus of Georgetown University. In September 2011, the novel was reprinted by Harper Collins to celebrate its fortieth anniversary, with slight revisions made by Blatty as well as interior title artwork by Jeremy Caniglia.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Factual basis for the novel
3 Achievements
4 Republications
5 Adaptations
6 See also
7 References

Plot[edit]
An elderly Jesuit priest named Father Lankester Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and is studying ancient relics. After discovering a small statue of the demon Pazuzu (an actual ancient Assyrian demigod), a series of omens alerts him to a pending confrontation with a powerful evil, which, unknown to the reader at this point, he has battled before in an exorcism in Africa.
Meanwhile, in Georgetown, a young girl named Regan MacNeil is living with her famous mother, actress Chris MacNeil, who is in Georgetown filming a movie. As Chris finishes her work on the film, Regan begins to become inexplicably ill. After a gradual series of poltergeist-like disturbances in their rented house, for which Chris attempts to find rational explanations, Regan begins to rapidly undergo disturbing psychological and physical changes: she refuses to eat or sleep, becomes withdrawn and frenetic, and increasingly aggressive and violent. Chris initially mistakes Regan's behavior as a result of repressed anger over her parents' divorce and absent father.
After several unsuccessful psychiatric and medical treatments, Regan's mother, an atheist, turns to a local Jesuit priest for help as Regan's personality becomes increasingly disturbed. Father Damien Karras, who is currently going through a crisis of faith coupled with the loss of his mother, agrees to see Regan as a psychiatrist, but initially resists the notion that it is an actual demonic possession. After a few meetings with the child, now completely inhabited by a diabolical personality, he turns to the local bishop for permission to perform an exorcism on the child.
The bishop with whom he consults does not believe Karras is qualified to perform the rites, and appoints the experienced Merrin—who has recently returned to the United States—to perform the exorcism, although he does allow the doubt-ridden Karras to assist him. The lengthy exorcism tests the priests both physically and spiritually. When Merrin, who had previously suffered cardiac arrhythmia, dies during the process, completion of the exorcism ultimately falls upon Father Karras. When he demands that the demonic spirit inhabit him instead of the innocent Regan, the demon seizes the opportunity to possess the priest. Karras heroically surrenders his own life in exchange for Regan's by jumping out of her bedroom window and falling to his death, regaining his faith in God as his last rites are read.
Factual basis for the novel[edit]
Aspects of the character Father Merrin were based on the British archaeologist Gerald Lankester Harding, who had excavated the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls had been found and whom Blatty had met in Beirut. Blatty has stated that Harding "was the physical model in my mind when I created the character [of Merrin], whose first name, please note, is Lankester."[2]
Aspects of the novel were inspired by an exorcism performed by the Jesuit priest, Fr. William S. Bowdern, who formerly taught at both St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School.
Recent investigative research by freelance journalist Mark Opsasnick indicates that Blatty's novel was based on an actual 1949 exorcism of a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland, whom Opsasnick refers to using the pseudonyms Robbie Mannheim and Roland Doe. The boy was sent to his relative's home on Roanoke Drive in St. Louis where most of the exorcism took place.[3]
Blatty refers to the Loudun possessions and the Louviers possessions throughout the story, mostly when Fr. Karras is researching possession and exorcism to present the case to his superiors.[4] He also has one of his characters tell a brief story about an unnamed fraudulent Spiritualist medium who had studied to be a Jesuit priest. This story can be found in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 114. 1930, in an article about fraudulent practices by Daniel Dunglas Home.[5]
Achievements[edit]
According to a research from the Spanish Book Institute, the Spanish translated version was the eighth-most popular book sold in Spain in 1975.[6]
Republications[edit]
On October 31, 2010, Cemetery Dance published a special omnibus edition of The Exorcist and its sequel Legion, signed by Blatty (ISBN 978-1587672118). A limited edition of 750 copies (with an additional 52 leatherbound copies), it is now out of print.[7] On September 27, 2011, The Exorcist was re-released as a 40th Anniversary Edition in paperback, hardcover and audiobook editions with differing cover artwork. This new, updated edition featured and revised material, as Blatty writes: "The 40th Anniversary Edition of The Exorcist will have a touch of new material in it as part of an all-around polish of the dialogue and prose. It also features all new cover artwork and interiors by the artist Jeremy Caniglia. First time around I never had the time (meaning the funds) to do a second draft, and this, finally, is it. With forty years to think about it, a few little changes were inevitable -- plus one new character in a totally new very spooky scene. This is the version I would like to be remembered for."[8]
Adaptations[edit]
In 1973, the novel was adapted by Blatty for the film of the same name and directed by William Friedkin with Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller and Linda Blair. The screenplay for the film won Blatty an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In February 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a two-part adaptation of the novel by Robert Forrest[9] produced and directed by Gaynor MacFarlane and starring Robert Glenister as Father Karras, Lydia Wilson as Regan, Teresa Gallagher as Chris MacNeil, Karl Johnson as Detective Kinderman, Bryan Dick as Father Dyer, Alexandra Mathie as The Demon and Ian McDiarmid as Father Merrin.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Horror fiction portal
Portal icon Novels portal
##William S. Bowdern (Fr. William Bowdern)
##Walter Halloran (Fr. Walter Halloran)
##Edward Hughes
##Robbie Mannheim
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Dimension Desconocida. Ediciones Robinbook. 2009. ISBN 9788499170015. Retrieved 2010-04-04. "La inspiración del exorcista La historia de Robbie Mannheim es un caso típico de posesión, y es la que dio vida a la película El Exorcista."
2.Jump up ^ "A website dedicated to William Peter Blatty, The Ninth Configuration & Legion". TheNinthConfiguration.com. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
3.Jump up ^ "Part I - The Haunted Boy: the Inspiration for the Exorcist". Strangemag.com. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
4.Jump up ^ Pages 245-250 in the 40th Anniversary edition.
5.Jump up ^ Count Petrovsky-Petrovo-Solovo. "Some Thoughts on D. D. Home." In Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 114. 1930. Quoted in John Casey (2009), After Lives: A Guide to Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. Oxford. pp. 373-374.
6.Jump up ^ Folha de São Paulo, Ilustrada, p.5, January 28, 1976 (in Portuguese) - Retrieved December 29, 2011.
7.Jump up ^ "Cemetery Dance Publications: The Exorcist and Legion (Special Edition)". Cemeterydance.com. 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
8.Jump up ^ TheNinthConfiguration.com - Further 40th Details
9.Jump up ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Exorcist". Bbc.co.uk. 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-03-31.


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
The Exorcist


Films
The Exorcist (1973) ·
 Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) ·
 The Exorcist III (1990) ·
 Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) ·
 Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
 

Novels
The Exorcist (1971) ·
 Legion (1983)
 

Characters
Regan MacNeil ·
 Father Damien Karras ·
 Father Lankester Merrin ·
 Pazuzu
 

Related
William Peter Blatty ·
 The Ninth Configuration (1980)
 

  


Categories: 1971 novels
American horror novels
American novels adapted into films
Arab-American novels
Harper & Row books
Novels by William Peter Blatty
The Exorcist


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The Exorcist (novel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

The Exorcist
The Exorcist 1971.jpg
First edition cover

Author
William Peter Blatty
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
horror novel
Publisher
Harper & Row

Publication date
 1971
Media type
Print (Hardcover, paperback)
Pages
340 (first edition)
ISBN
978-0-06-010365-1
OCLC
29760583
Followed by
Legion
The Exorcist is a 1971 novel by American writer William Peter Blatty. The book details the demonic possession of twelve-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the Jesuit psychiatrist priest who attempts to exorcise the demon. Published by Harper & Row, the novel was the basis of a highly successful film adaption released two years later, whose screenplay was also written by Blatty.
The novel was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University.[1] As a result, the novel takes place in Washington D.C. near the campus of Georgetown University. In September 2011, the novel was reprinted by Harper Collins to celebrate its fortieth anniversary, with slight revisions made by Blatty as well as interior title artwork by Jeremy Caniglia.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Factual basis for the novel
3 Achievements
4 Republications
5 Adaptations
6 See also
7 References

Plot[edit]
An elderly Jesuit priest named Father Lankester Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and is studying ancient relics. After discovering a small statue of the demon Pazuzu (an actual ancient Assyrian demigod), a series of omens alerts him to a pending confrontation with a powerful evil, which, unknown to the reader at this point, he has battled before in an exorcism in Africa.
Meanwhile, in Georgetown, a young girl named Regan MacNeil is living with her famous mother, actress Chris MacNeil, who is in Georgetown filming a movie. As Chris finishes her work on the film, Regan begins to become inexplicably ill. After a gradual series of poltergeist-like disturbances in their rented house, for which Chris attempts to find rational explanations, Regan begins to rapidly undergo disturbing psychological and physical changes: she refuses to eat or sleep, becomes withdrawn and frenetic, and increasingly aggressive and violent. Chris initially mistakes Regan's behavior as a result of repressed anger over her parents' divorce and absent father.
After several unsuccessful psychiatric and medical treatments, Regan's mother, an atheist, turns to a local Jesuit priest for help as Regan's personality becomes increasingly disturbed. Father Damien Karras, who is currently going through a crisis of faith coupled with the loss of his mother, agrees to see Regan as a psychiatrist, but initially resists the notion that it is an actual demonic possession. After a few meetings with the child, now completely inhabited by a diabolical personality, he turns to the local bishop for permission to perform an exorcism on the child.
The bishop with whom he consults does not believe Karras is qualified to perform the rites, and appoints the experienced Merrin—who has recently returned to the United States—to perform the exorcism, although he does allow the doubt-ridden Karras to assist him. The lengthy exorcism tests the priests both physically and spiritually. When Merrin, who had previously suffered cardiac arrhythmia, dies during the process, completion of the exorcism ultimately falls upon Father Karras. When he demands that the demonic spirit inhabit him instead of the innocent Regan, the demon seizes the opportunity to possess the priest. Karras heroically surrenders his own life in exchange for Regan's by jumping out of her bedroom window and falling to his death, regaining his faith in God as his last rites are read.
Factual basis for the novel[edit]
Aspects of the character Father Merrin were based on the British archaeologist Gerald Lankester Harding, who had excavated the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls had been found and whom Blatty had met in Beirut. Blatty has stated that Harding "was the physical model in my mind when I created the character [of Merrin], whose first name, please note, is Lankester."[2]
Aspects of the novel were inspired by an exorcism performed by the Jesuit priest, Fr. William S. Bowdern, who formerly taught at both St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School.
Recent investigative research by freelance journalist Mark Opsasnick indicates that Blatty's novel was based on an actual 1949 exorcism of a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland, whom Opsasnick refers to using the pseudonyms Robbie Mannheim and Roland Doe. The boy was sent to his relative's home on Roanoke Drive in St. Louis where most of the exorcism took place.[3]
Blatty refers to the Loudun possessions and the Louviers possessions throughout the story, mostly when Fr. Karras is researching possession and exorcism to present the case to his superiors.[4] He also has one of his characters tell a brief story about an unnamed fraudulent Spiritualist medium who had studied to be a Jesuit priest. This story can be found in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 114. 1930, in an article about fraudulent practices by Daniel Dunglas Home.[5]
Achievements[edit]
According to a research from the Spanish Book Institute, the Spanish translated version was the eighth-most popular book sold in Spain in 1975.[6]
Republications[edit]
On October 31, 2010, Cemetery Dance published a special omnibus edition of The Exorcist and its sequel Legion, signed by Blatty (ISBN 978-1587672118). A limited edition of 750 copies (with an additional 52 leatherbound copies), it is now out of print.[7] On September 27, 2011, The Exorcist was re-released as a 40th Anniversary Edition in paperback, hardcover and audiobook editions with differing cover artwork. This new, updated edition featured and revised material, as Blatty writes: "The 40th Anniversary Edition of The Exorcist will have a touch of new material in it as part of an all-around polish of the dialogue and prose. It also features all new cover artwork and interiors by the artist Jeremy Caniglia. First time around I never had the time (meaning the funds) to do a second draft, and this, finally, is it. With forty years to think about it, a few little changes were inevitable -- plus one new character in a totally new very spooky scene. This is the version I would like to be remembered for."[8]
Adaptations[edit]
In 1973, the novel was adapted by Blatty for the film of the same name and directed by William Friedkin with Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller and Linda Blair. The screenplay for the film won Blatty an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In February 2014, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a two-part adaptation of the novel by Robert Forrest[9] produced and directed by Gaynor MacFarlane and starring Robert Glenister as Father Karras, Lydia Wilson as Regan, Teresa Gallagher as Chris MacNeil, Karl Johnson as Detective Kinderman, Bryan Dick as Father Dyer, Alexandra Mathie as The Demon and Ian McDiarmid as Father Merrin.
See also[edit]

Portal icon Horror fiction portal
Portal icon Novels portal
##William S. Bowdern (Fr. William Bowdern)
##Walter Halloran (Fr. Walter Halloran)
##Edward Hughes
##Robbie Mannheim
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Dimension Desconocida. Ediciones Robinbook. 2009. ISBN 9788499170015. Retrieved 2010-04-04. "La inspiración del exorcista La historia de Robbie Mannheim es un caso típico de posesión, y es la que dio vida a la película El Exorcista."
2.Jump up ^ "A website dedicated to William Peter Blatty, The Ninth Configuration & Legion". TheNinthConfiguration.com. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
3.Jump up ^ "Part I - The Haunted Boy: the Inspiration for the Exorcist". Strangemag.com. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
4.Jump up ^ Pages 245-250 in the 40th Anniversary edition.
5.Jump up ^ Count Petrovsky-Petrovo-Solovo. "Some Thoughts on D. D. Home." In Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 114. 1930. Quoted in John Casey (2009), After Lives: A Guide to Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. Oxford. pp. 373-374.
6.Jump up ^ Folha de São Paulo, Ilustrada, p.5, January 28, 1976 (in Portuguese) - Retrieved December 29, 2011.
7.Jump up ^ "Cemetery Dance Publications: The Exorcist and Legion (Special Edition)". Cemeterydance.com. 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
8.Jump up ^ TheNinthConfiguration.com - Further 40th Details
9.Jump up ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Exorcist". Bbc.co.uk. 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-03-31.


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
The Exorcist


Films
The Exorcist (1973) ·
 Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) ·
 The Exorcist III (1990) ·
 Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) ·
 Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
 

Novels
The Exorcist (1971) ·
 Legion (1983)
 

Characters
Regan MacNeil ·
 Father Damien Karras ·
 Father Lankester Merrin ·
 Pazuzu
 

Related
William Peter Blatty ·
 The Ninth Configuration (1980)
 

  


Categories: 1971 novels
American horror novels
American novels adapted into films
Arab-American novels
Harper & Row books
Novels by William Peter Blatty
The Exorcist


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The Exorcist (film)

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Jump to: navigation, search



 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2015)
‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

The Exorcist
Exorcist ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
William Friedkin
Produced by
William Peter Blatty
Screenplay by
William Peter Blatty
Based on
The Exorcist
 by William Peter Blatty
Starring
Ellen Burstyn
Max von Sydow
Lee J. Cobb
Kitty Winn
Jack MacGowran
Jason Miller
Linda Blair

Cinematography
Owen Roizman
Edited by
Jordan Leondopoulos
Evan Lottman
Norman Gay


Production
 company

Hoya Productions

Distributed by
Warner Bros.

Release dates

December 26, 1973


Running time
 122 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$12 million[1]
Box office
$402.7–441.3 million[1][2]
The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe,[3][4] deals with the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's desperate attempts to win back her child through an exorcism conducted by two priests.
The film features Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, and (in voice only) Mercedes McCambridge. It is one of a cycle of "demonic child" films produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, including Rosemary's Baby and The Omen.
The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. The film earned 10 Academy Award nominations, winning two (Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay), and losing Best Picture to The Sting. It became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide. It is also the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.
The film has had a significant influence on popular culture.[5][6] It was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly,[7] Movies.com[8] and by viewers of AMC in 2006, the best horror film of all time by Time Out,[9] and was No. 3 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.[10] In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry.[11][12] In 2003, it was placed at No. 2 in Channel 4's The 100 Greatest Scary Moments in the United Kingdom.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Factual basis for the film
3.2 Casting
3.3 Direction
3.4 Music
3.5 Filming locations
3.6 Special effects
4 Alternative and uncut versions 4.1 The spider-walk scene
5 Sequels and related films 5.1 Other films
5.2 Other references
6 Home media
7 Reception 7.1 Box office
7.2 U.K. reception
7.3 Audience reception 7.3.1 Alleged subliminal imagery

8 Awards and honors 8.1 Academy Awards
8.2 Golden Globe Awards
8.3 Library of Congress
8.4 American Film Institute Lists
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

Plot[edit]
Lankester Merrin is a veteran Catholic priest who is on an archeological dig in Iraq. There he finds an amulet which resembles the statue of Pazuzu, a demon who Merrin defeated years ago. Merrin then realizes the demon has returned to get his revenge.
Meanwhile in Georgetown, Washington, D.C, famous actress Chris MacNeil is living on location with her pre-teen daughter Regan. After playing with an Ouija board Regan begins acting strangely including making mysterious noises, using constant bad language and exhibiting abnormal strength. Regan also causes her bed to shake, much to her and Chris's horror. In response, her mother consults several physicians but despite undergoing a series of unpleasant diagnostic tests, Dr. Klein and his associates find nothing medically wrong with her, unaware that she is now fully possessed by Pazuzu.
One night Regan kills her babysitter and Chris' director, Burke Dennings. His murder is investigated by a detective named William Kinderman. He interviews Chris as well as a young priest and psychiatrist named Damien Karras, who has lost faith in God after his frail mother died. Chris knows that Regan was the only one who was in the house when Dennings died.
After the doctors decide that an exorcism may be the only way to help Regan, Chris arranges a meeting with Karras. Karras at first refuses to get permission to perform an exorcism, despite Regan now being completely possessed by the demon. After getting a recording of her talking in reverse and seeing the words "Help Me" on her stomach Karras decides to perform an exorcism with Merrin chosen to help.
In Regan's bedroom both men try to exorcise the demon but a stubborn Pazuzu toys with them, especially Karras, including insulting his late mother. After a break and hint of faltering, Karras is dismissed. Merrin attempts the exorcism alone. Karras enters the room and discovers Merrin has died and confronts the mocking, laughing spirit of Pazuzu. At Karras' plea, Pazuzu then possesses Karras, leaving Regan's body. In a moment of self-sacrifice, the priest throws himself out of the window before Pazuzu can compel him to harm Regan, and dies from head injuries, thereby completing the exorcism of Pazuzu, banishing him away.
A few days later Regan, who is now back to her normal self, returns home to Los Angeles with her mother. Kinderman, who narrowly misses them, befriends Father Dyer, an old friend of Karras, as he investigates how Karras died.
Cast[edit]
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, a famous actress temporarily living in Washington, D.C., with her daughter. She is an agnostic and has a quick temper but is also a loving mother. When Regan displays strange behavior, Chris experiences an emotional breakdown and tries to find help for her daughter, consulting neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, and finally a Catholic priest.
Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin, an elderly priest and archeologist. A quiet and patient man with great faith, he has prior experience in performing exorcisms and is aware of the risks of facing evil.
Jason Miller as Father Damien Karras, a troubled priest, vocational counselor, and psychiatrist. He suffers deeply when his mother dies and confesses to have (apparently) lost his faith in God. Upon taking the case of Regan MacNeil, he begins to understand the possession is genuine. Jack Nicholson was the original choice for the role, but Miller was cast after Friedkin saw his play, That Championship Season, and meeting the playwright/actor after the performance.
Linda Blair as Regan Teresa MacNeil, Chris's friendly and innocent twelve-year-old daughter. She displays strange and aggressive behaviors after playing with a Ouija board, which are later revealed as early symptoms of demonic possession.
Lee J. Cobb as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, a police detective investigating Burke Dennings's death. Assertive and cunning, he thinks Regan was involved in Dennings's death, which may be related to the recent desecration of a nearby church. He is also a film buff.
Mercedes McCambridge provided the voice of the demon, Pazuzu.
Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer, Chris's friend and personal assistant who acts as Regan's tutor.
Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings, an eccentric film director and close friend of Chris; his unexplained death while looking after Regan elicits a police homicide investigation.
Father William O'Malley as Father Joseph Dyer, a close friend of Karras's who tries to help him deal with his mother's death and reaffirm Karras's faith.
Robert Symonds as Dr. Taney.
Barton Heyman as Dr. Samuel Klein, a doctor who suggests that Regan needs "special" help.
Arthur Storch as the psychiatrist.
Titos Vandis as Karras's uncle.
Eileen Dietz as a face associated with the demon, seen only in visions and flash cuts.
William Peter Blatty himself has a small speaking role during the scene where Chris is filming in front of Healy Hall. His character engages in a minor technical dispute with director Burke Dennings.
Production[edit]
Factual basis for the film[edit]
See also: Exorcism of Roland Doe
Aspects of the novel were inspired by an exorcism performed on a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland, in 1949 by the Jesuit priest, Fr. William S. Bowdern, who formerly taught at both St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School. Hunkeler's Catholic family was convinced the child's aggressive behavior was attributable to demonic possession, and called upon the services of Father Walter Halloran to perform the rite of exorcism.[13] Although Friedkin admits he is very reluctant to speak about the factual aspects of the film, he made the film with the intention of immortalizing the events that took place in Cottage City, Maryland in 1949, and despite the relatively minor changes that were made, the film depicts everything that could be verified by those involved. It was one of three exorcisms to be sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the U.S. at that time. In order to make the film, Friedkin was allowed access to the diaries of the priests involved, as well as the doctors and nurses; he also discussed the events with the boy's aunt in great detail. Friedkin doesn't believe that the "head-spinning" actually occurred, but this has been disputed. Friedkin is not a Christian of any denomination.[14]
Casting[edit]


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Although the agency representing Blair did not send her for the role, Blair's mother took her to meet with Warner Brothers's casting department and then with Friedkin. Pamelyn Ferdin, a veteran of science fiction and supernatural drama, was a candidate for the role of Regan. April Winchell was considered, until she developed Pyelonephritis, which caused her to be hospitalized and ultimately taken out of consideration. Denise Nickerson, who played Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, was considered, but the material troubled her parents too much, and they pulled her out of consideration. Anissa Jones, known for her role as Buffy in Family Affair, auditioned for the role, but she too was rejected, for much the same reason as Ferdin. The part went instead to Blair, a relative unknown except for a role in The Way We Live Now.
The studio wanted Marlon Brando for the role of Father Lankester Merrin.[citation needed] Friedkin immediately vetoed this by stating it would become a "Brando movie." Jack Nicholson was up for the part of Karras before Stacy Keach was hired by Blatty. Friedkin then spotted Miller following a performance of Miller's play That Championship Season in New York. Even though Miller had never acted in a film, Keach's contract was bought out by Warner Brothers, and Miller was signed.
Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn and Anne Bancroft were under consideration for the role of Chris. Ellen Burstyn received the part after she phoned Friedkin and emphatically stated she was going to play Chris.[15]
Friedkin originally intended to use Blair's voice, electronically deepened and roughened, for the demon's dialogue. Although Friedkin felt this worked fine in some places, he felt scenes with the demon confronting the two priests lacked the dramatic power required and selected legendary radio actress Mercedes McCambridge, an experienced voice actress, to provide the demon's voice. After filming, Warner Brothers did not include a credit for McCambridge during early screenings of the film, which led to Screen Actors Guild arbitration before she was credited for her performance.[16]
Direction[edit]


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 The puppet used in the film.
Warner had approached Arthur Penn (who was teaching at Yale), Peter Bogdanovich (who wanted to pursue other projects, subsequently regretting the decision), and Mike Nichols (who did not want to shoot a film so dependent on a child's performance) and John Boorman—who would direct the second film—said he did not want to direct it because it was "cruel towards children". Originally Mark Rydell was hired to direct, but William Peter Blatty insisted on Friedkin instead, because he wanted his film to have the same energy as Friedkin's previous film, The French Connection. After a standoff with the studio, which initially refused to budge over Rydell, Blatty eventually got his way. Stanley Kubrick was offered the film (and later on its first sequel) but declined.
Production of The Exorcist began on August 14, 1972, and though it was only supposed to last 85 days, it lasted for 224.
Friedkin went to some extraordinary lengths, reminiscent of some directors from the old Hollywood directing style, manipulating the actors, to get the genuine reactions he wanted. Yanked violently around in harnesses, both Blair and Burstyn suffered back injuries and their painful screams went right into the film. Burstyn injured her back after landing on her coccyx when a stuntman jerked her via cable during the scene when Regan slaps her mother. According to the documentary Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist, however, the injury did not cause permanent damage, although Burstyn was upset the shot of her screaming in pain was used in the film. After asking Reverend William O'Malley if he trusted him and being told yes, Friedkin slapped him hard across the face before a take to generate a deeply solemn reaction that was used in the film, as a very emotional Father Dyer read last rites to Father Karras; this offended the many Catholic crew members on the set. He also fired a gun without warning on the set to elicit shock from Jason Miller for a take, and only told Miller that pea soup would hit him in the chest rather than the face concerning the projectile-vomiting scene, resulting in his disgusted reaction. Lastly, he had Regan's bedroom set built inside a freezer so that the actors' breath could be visible on camera, which required the crew to wear parkas and other cold-weather gear.
Music[edit]


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Lalo Schifrin's working score was rejected by Friedkin. Schifrin had written six minutes of music for the initial film trailer but audiences were reportedly too scared by its combination of sights and sounds. Warner Bros. executives told Friedkin to instruct Schifrin to tone it down with softer music, but Friedkin did not relay the message. It has been claimed Schifrin later used the music written for The Exorcist for The Amityville Horror,[17] but he has denied this in interviews. According to "The Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist" on the 25th Anniversary DVD release of the film, Friedkin (known for his temper) literally took the tapes that Schifrin had recorded and threw them away in the studio parking lot.
In the soundtrack liner notes for his 1977 film, Sorcerer, Friedkin said had he heard the music of Tangerine Dream earlier, he would have had them score The Exorcist. Instead, he used modern classical compositions, including portions of the 1972 Cello Concerto No. 1, of Polymorphia, and other pieces by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, Five Pieces for Orchestra by Austrian composer Anton Webern as well as some original music by Jack Nitzsche. The music was heard only during scene transitions. The 2000 "Version You've Never Seen" features new original music by Steve Boddacker, as well as brief source music by Les Baxter.
The original soundtrack LP has only been released once on CD, as an expensive and rare Japanese import. It is noteworthy for being the only soundtrack to include the main theme Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, which became very popular after the film's release. Oldfield himself said he was not impressed with how his work was used in the film. The movement Night of the Electric Insects from George Crumb's string quartet Black Angels is also used.
The Greek song playing on the radio when Father Karras leaves his mother's house is called "Paramythaki mou" (My Tale) and is sung by Giannis Kalatzis. Lyric writer Lefteris Papadopoulos has admitted that a few years later when he was in financial difficulties he asked for some compensation for the intellectual rights of the song. Part of Hans Werner Henze's 1966 composition Fantasia for Strings is played over the closing credits.[18][19]
Filming locations[edit]



The Exorcist stairs in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
The film's opening sequence was filmed in the Kurdish town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border. The people of Sinjar are mostly Kurdish members of the ancient Yezidi sect, which reveres Melek Taus. Outsiders often equate Melek Taus with the Devil,[20] though this benevolent being has little in common with the Islamic and Christian Satan.[21] The archaeological dig site seen at the film's beginning is the actual site of ancient Hatra in Nineveh Province.
The "Exorcist stairs" are concrete stairs located in Georgetown at the corner of Prospect St NW and 36th St NW, leading down to M Street NW. The stairs were padded with 1/2"-thick rubber to film the death of the character Father Karras. Because the house from which Karras falls is set back slightly from the stairs, the film crew constructed an extension with a false front to the house in order to film the scene.[22] The stuntman tumbled down the stairs twice. Georgetown University students charged people around $5 each to watch the stunt from the rooftops.[23]
The MacNeil residence interiors were filmed at CECO Studios in Manhattan. The bedroom set had to be refrigerated to capture the authentic icy breath of the actors in the exorcising scenes, while the bedroom scenes along with many other scenes were filmed in the basement of Fordham University in New York. The temperature was brought so low that a thin layer of snow fell onto the set one morning. Blair, who was only in a thin nightgown, says to this day she cannot stand being cold.[24] Exteriors of the MacNeill house were filmed at 36th and Prospect in Washington, using a family home and a false wall to convey the home's thrust toward the steps. In fact, both then and now, a garden sits atop the embankment between the steps and the home.
The scenes involving Regan's medical tests were filmed at New York University Medical Center and were performed by actual medical staff which normally carry out the procedures shown.[25] In the film Regan first undergoes an electroencephalography (EEG), then an early type of cerebral angiography and finally a pneumoencephalography, the latter two being painful diagnostic tests that have since been replaced by far less invasive neuroimaging studies using modern CT or MRI scanners. As was the common practice at the time, the angiography was performed by the nowadays obsolete method of direct puncture of the carotid artery in the neck. This resulted in blood squirting that caused some movie viewers to faint. The follow-on procedure, pneumoencephalography, though routinely performed from the 1920s through the 70s, was very taxing on patients and sometimes required months of recuperation. In the film Regan is shown to be in great distress while undergoing it, as actual patients often were. In the prior scene, Chris MacNeil experiences a breakdown when the doctors suggest it be attempted as the other tests Regan underwent failed to detect a brain lesion they are certain would be found.
The interior of Karras' room at Georgetown was a meticulous reconstruction of Theology professor Father Thomas M. King, S.J.'s "corridor Jesuit" room in New North Hall. Fr. King's room was photographed by production staff after a visit by Blatty, a Georgetown graduate, and Friedkin. Upon returning to New York, every element of King's room, including posters and books, was recreated for the set, including a poster of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., a paleontologist on whom the character of Fr. Merrin was loosely based. Georgetown was paid $1,000 per day of filming, which included both exteriors, such as Burstyn's first scene, shot on the steps of the Flemish Romanesque Healy Hall, and interiors, such as the defilement of the statue of the Virgin Mary in Dahlgren Chapel, or the Archbishop's office, which is actually the office of the president of the university. One scene was filmed in The Tombs, a student hangout across from the steps that was founded by a Blatty classmate. The motion picture St. Elmo's Fire includes scenes filmed at The Tombs.
Special effects[edit]
The Exorcist contained a number of special effects, engineered by makeup artist Dick Smith. In one scene from the film, Max von Sydow is actually wearing more makeup than the possessed girl (Linda Blair). This was because director Friedkin wanted some very detailed facial close-ups. When this film was made, von Sydow was 44, though he was made up to look 74.[26] Alan McKenzie stated in his book Hollywood Tricks of the Trade that the fact "that audiences didn't realize von Sydow was wearing makeup at all is a tribute to the skills of veteran makeup artist Dick Smith."
Alternative and uncut versions[edit]
Several versions of The Exorcist have been released: the 1979 theatrical re-issue was reconverted to 70mm, with its 1.75:1 ratio[27] cropped to 2.20:1 to use all the available screen width that 70mm offers. This was also the first time the sound was remixed to six-channel Dolby Stereo sound. Almost all video versions feature this soundtrack.
In both the TV-PG and TV-14 rated network versions, the image of the obscenely defiled statue of the Virgin Mary stays intact. It stays on screen several seconds longer for the TV-14 version. On original TV airings, the shot was replaced with one where the statue's face is smashed in but without other defilement.
The DVD released for the 25th Anniversary retains the original theatrical ending, and includes the extended ending with Dyer and Kinderman as a special feature (as opposed the "Version You've Never Seen" ending, which features Dyer and Kinderman but omits the Casablanca reference). The Special Edition DVD also includes a 75-minute documentary titled The Fear of God on the making of The Exorcist (although PAL releases feature an edited, 52 minute version). The documentary includes screen tests and additional deleted scenes. The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology (box set) was released in October 2006. This DVD collection includes the original theatrical release version The Exorcist; the extended version, The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen; the sequel with Linda Blair, Exorcist II: The Heretic; the supposed end of the trilogy, The Exorcist III; and two different prequels: Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. Morgan Creek, current owner of the franchise, is now negotiating a cable television mini-series of Blatty's novel, which is the basis for the original film.
The spider-walk scene[edit]
Contortionist Linda R. Hager performed the infamous spider-walk scene on April 11, 1973. Director Friedkin deleted this scene just prior to the December 26, 1973 premiere because it was technically ineffective due to the visible wires suspending Hager in a backward-arched position as she descends the stairs. According to Friedkin, "I cut it when the film was first released because this was one of those effects that did not work as well as others, and I was only able to save it for the re-release with the help of computer graphic imagery."[28] Additionally, Friedkin considered that the spider-walk scene appeared too early in the film's plot and removed it despite screenplay writer William Peter Blatty's request that the scene remain. In the book, the spider-walk is very quiet, and consists of Regan following Sharon around and occasionally licking her ankle.
In 1998, Warner re-released the digitally remastered DVD of The Exorcist: 25th Anniversary Special Edition. The DVD includes the BBC documentary, The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist,[29] highlighting the never-before-seen original non-bloody variant of the spider-walk scene.
To appease the screenwriter and some fans of The Exorcist, Friedkin worked with CGI artists to digitally remove the wires holding Hager. The director reinstated the bloody variant of the spider-walk scene for the 2000 theatrically re-released version of The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen.
In October 2010, Warner released The Exorcist (Extended Director's Cut & Original Theatrical Edition) on Blu-ray, including the behind-the-scenes filming of the spider-walk scene.
Sequels and related films[edit]
After the film's success, rip-off films and The Exorcist franchise sequels appeared. John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic was released in 1977, and revisited Regan four years after her initial ordeal. The plot dealt with an investigation into the legitimacy of Merrin's exorcism of Regan in the first film. In flashback sequences, we see Regan giving Merrin his fatal heart attack, as well as scenes from the exorcism of a young boy named Kokumo in Africa many years earlier. The film was so sharply criticized that director John Boorman reedited the film for a secondary release immediately after its premiere. Both versions have now been released on video; the cut version on VHS and the original uncut version now on DVD.
The Exorcist III appeared in 1990, written and directed by Blatty himself from his own 1983 novel Legion. Jumping past the events of Exorcist II, this book and film presented a continuation of Karras' story. Following the precedent set in The Ninth Configuration, Blatty turned a supporting character from the first film—in this case, Kinderman—into the chief protagonist. Though the characters of Karras and Kinderman were acquainted during the murder investigation in The Exorcist and Kinderman expressed fondness for Karras, in Exorcist III Blatty has Kinderman remembering Karras as his "best friend". Jason Miller reprised his Academy Award-nominated role in The Exorcist for this film.
A prequel film attracted attention and controversy even before its release in 2004; it went through a number of directorial and script changes, such that two versions were ultimately released. John Frankenheimer was originally hired as director for the project, but withdrew before filming started due to health concerns. He died a month later. Paul Schrader replaced him. Upon completion the studio rejected Schrader's version as being too slow. Renny Harlin was then hired as director. Harlin reused some of Schrader's footage but shot mostly new material to create a more conventional horror film. Harlin's new version Exorcist: The Beginning was released, but was not well received. Nine months later Schrader's original version, retitled Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was given a small theatrical release. It received better, but still mostly negative, critical responses. Both films were made available on DVD. Like Exorcist II: The Heretic, both films made significant changes from the original storyline. The plot of these films centered on an exorcism that Father Merrin had performed as a young priest in Africa, many years prior to the events in The Exorcist. This exorcism was first referenced in The Exorcist, and in the first sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic, flashback scenes were shown of Merrin exorcising the demon Pazuzu from an African boy named Kokumo. Although the plot for both prequels Beginning and Dominion centered around Merrin's exorcism in Africa, they both took a significant departure from the original storyline, making no effort to be faithful to original details. For example: the African boy, though he appeared in the film was not named Kokomu, and eventually discovered not to actually be the possessed character.
In November 2009, it was announced that Blatty planned to direct a mini-series of The Exorcist.[30][31]
A made-for-television film, Possessed (based on the book of the same name by Thomas B. Allen), was broadcast on Showtime on October 22, 2000, directed by Steven E. de Souza and written by de Souza and Michael Lazarou. The film claimed to follow the true accounts that inspired Blatty to write The Exorcist and starred Timothy Dalton, Henry Czerny, and Christopher Plummer.
Blatty directed The Ninth Configuration, a post-Vietnam War drama set in a mental institution. Released in 1980, it was based on Blatty's novel of the same name. Though it contrasts sharply with the tone of The Exorcist, Blatty regards Configuration as its true sequel[citation needed]. The lead character is the astronaut from Chris' party, Lt. Cutshaw.
Other films[edit]
The success of The Exorcist inspired a string of possession-related films worldwide. The first was Beyond the Door, a 1974 Italian film with Juliet Mills as a woman possessed by the devil. It appeared in the U.S. one year later. Also in 1974, a Turkish film, Şeytan (Turkish for Satan; the original film was also shown with the same name), is an almost scene-for-scene remake of the original. The same year in Germany, the exorcism-themed film Magdalena, vom Teufel besessen was released. In 1976, Britain released The Devil Within Her (also called I Don't Want to Be Born) with Joan Collins as an exotic dancer who gives birth to a demon-possessed child.
Similarly, a blaxploitation film was released in 1974 titled Abby. While the films Şeytan and Magdalena, vom Teufel besessen were protected from prosecution by the laws of their countries of origin, Abby‍ '​s producers (filming in Louisiana) were sued by Warner. The film was pulled from theaters, but not before making $4 million at the box office.
A parody, Repossessed, was released the same year as The Exorcist III, with Blair lampooning the role she had played in the original.
The prologue for Scary Movie 2 was a short parody of several scenes from the original.
Other references[edit]
A meta-reference to the film was made in an episode of Supernatural titled "The Usual Suspects". On the show, demons possessing humans is a common plot element; demons in the series are human souls corrupted by their time in Hell, lacking physical bodies of their own to interact with Earth. Linda Blair appeared in "The Usual Suspects" as a police detective, with protagonist Dean Winchester finding her character familiar and expressing a strange desire for pea soup at the episode's conclusion.
In Angel: Earthly Possessions, a spin-off comic story based on the TV series Angel, protagonist Angel finds himself dealing with a priest who performs exorcisms, but comes to realize that the priest is summoning the demons for him to exorcise in the first place. He also makes a note of The Exorcist film, noting that the vision it created of possession actually made things easier for possession demons by making it harder for humans to know what to expect from a possession.
In the paranormal TV show "Ghost Adventures" visited the Exorcist House for their 100th episode of the series. In the episode, Zak, Nick, and Aaron visit the house to see that an exorcism occurred there in the early 1900s. The episode has been announced as one of the scariest lockdown since Bobby Mackeys.
In 2014 British Author Saurav Dutt released a book entitled "Pazuzu Unbound" which is a book set in contemporary times dealing with the demon Pazuzu but which does not deal with the original characters in the film and novel on which the book is inspired.
Home media[edit]
A limited edition box set was released in 1998; it was limited to 50,000 copies, with available copies circulating around the Internet. There are two versions; a special edition VHS and a special edition DVD. The only difference between the two copies is the recording format.
DVD featuresThe original film with restored film and digitally remastered audio, with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio.
An introduction by director Friedkin
The 1998 BBC documentary The Fear of God: The Making of "The Exorcist"
2 audio commentaries
Interviews with the director and writer
Theatrical trailers and TV spots
Box featuresA commemorative 52-page tribute book, covering highlights of the film's preparation, production, and release; features previously unreleased historical data and archival photographs
Limited edition soundtrack CD of the film's score, including the original (unused) soundtrack ("Tubular Bells" and "Night of the Electric Insects" omitted)
8 lobby card reprints
Exclusive senitype film frame (magnification included)
Blu-ray
In an interview with DVD Review, Friedkin mentioned that he was scheduled to begin work on The Exorcist Blu-ray on December 2, 2008.[32] This edition features a new restoration, including both the 1973 theatrical version and the 2000 "Version You've Never Seen".[33] It was released on October 5, 2010.[34][35] A 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray will be released on October 8, 2013. The release will contain both cuts of the film and many of the previously released bonus features in addition to two featurettes that revolve around author William Peter Blatty.[36]
Reception[edit]
Upon its December 26, 1973, release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, "ranging from 'classic' to 'claptrap'."[37] Stanley Kauffmann, in The New Republic, wrote, "This is the scariest film I've seen in years—the only scary film I've seen in years ... If you want to be shaken—and I found out, while the picture was going, that that's what I wanted—then The Exorcist will scare the… (shit) out of you."[38] Variety noted that it was "an expert telling of a supernatural horror story ... The climactic sequences assault the senses and the intellect with pure cinematic terror."[39] In Castle of Frankenstein, Joe Dante called it "an amazing film, and one destined to become at the very least a horror classic. Director Friedkin's film will be profoundly disturbing to all audiences, especially the more sensitive and those who tend to 'live' the movies they see ... Suffice it to say, there has never been anything like this on the screen before."[40] Roger Ebert gave the film a 4-out-of-4 star review, praising the actors (particularly Burstyn) and the convincing special effects but at the end of the review wrote, "I am not sure exactly what reasons people will have for seeing this movie; surely enjoyment won’t be one, because what we get here aren’t the delicious chills of a Vincent Price thriller, but raw and painful experience. Are people so numb they need movies of this intensity in order to feel anything at all?"[41]
The reviews were not all positive, however. Vincent Canby, writing in The New York Times, dismissed The Exorcist as "a chunk of elegant occultist claptrap ... a practically impossible film to sit through ... It establishes a new low for grotesque special effects ..."[42] Andrew Sarris complained that "Friedkin's biggest weakness is his inability to provide enough visual information about his characters ... whole passages of the movie's exposition were one long buzz of small talk and name droppings ... The Exorcist succeeds on one level as an effectively excruciating entertainment, but on another, deeper level it is a thoroughly evil film."[43] Writing in Rolling Stone, Jon Landau felt the film was "nothing more than a religious porn film, the gaudiest piece of shlock this side of Cecil B. DeMille (minus that gentleman's wit and ability to tell a story)  ... "[44]
Over the years, The Exorcist‍ '​s critical reputation has grown considerably. The film currently has an 88% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website, based on 57 reviews the website collected.[45] Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel placed it in the top five films released that year.[46] BBC film critic Mark Kermode believes the film to be the best film ever made saying "There's a theory that great films give back to you whatever it is you bring to them. It's absolutely true with The Exorcist - it reflects the anxieties of the audience. Some people think it's an outright horror-fest but I don't. It was written by a devout Catholic who hoped it would make people think positively about the existence of God. William Peter Blatty, who wrote the book, thought that if there are demons then there are also angels and life after death. He couldn't see why people thought it was scary. I've seen it about 200 times and every time I see something I haven't seen before." However, the film has its detractors as well, including Kim Newman who has criticized it for messy plot construction, conventionality and overblown pretentiousness, among other perceived defects. Writer James Baldwin provides an extended negative critique in his book length essay The Devil Finds Work.[citation needed] Director Martin Scorsese placed The Exorcist on his list of the 11 scariest horror films of all time.[47] In 2008, the film was selected by Empire Magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies Ever Made.[48] It was also placed on a similar list of 1000 films by The New York Times.[49]
Box office[edit]
The film earned $66.3 million in distributors' domestic (US/CAN) rentals during its theatrical release in 1974, becoming the second most popular film of that year (trailing The Sting).[50] After several reissues, the film eventually grossed $232,671,011 in North America,[51] which if adjusted for inflation, would be the ninth highest-grossing film of all time and the top-grossing R-rated film of all time.[52] To date, it has a total gross of $441,071,011 worldwide.[51]
U.K. reception[edit]
Following a successful re-release in cinemas in 1998, the film was submitted for home video release for the first time in February 1999 [53] and was passed uncut with an 18 certificate, signifying a relaxation of the censorship rules with relation to home video in the UK. The film was shown on terrestrial television in the U.K. for the first time in 2001, on Channel 4.[54]
Audience reception[edit]
Roger Ebert, while praising the film, believed the special effects to be so unusually graphic he wrote, "That it received an R rating and not the X is stupefying."[55]
Theaters provided "Exorcist barf bags".[56]
Alleged subliminal imagery[edit]
The Exorcist was also at the center of controversy due to its alleged use of subliminal imagery. Wilson Bryan Key wrote a whole chapter on the film in his book Media Sexploitation alleging multiple uses of subliminal and semi-subliminal imagery and sound effects. Key observed the use of the Pazuzu face (in which Key mistakenly assumed it was Jason Miller made up in a death mask makeup) and claimed that the safety padding on the bedposts were shaped to cast phallic shadows on the wall and that a skull face is superimposed into one of Father Merrin's breath clouds. Key also wrote much about the sound design, identifying the use of pig squeals, for instance, and elaborating on his opinion of the subliminal intent of it all. A detailed article in the July/August 1991 issue of Video Watchdog examined the phenomenon, providing still frames identifying several uses of subliminal "flashing" throughout the film.[57] In an interview from the same issue, Friedkin explained, "I saw subliminal cuts in a number of films before I ever put them in The Exorcist, and I thought it was a very effective storytelling device... The subliminal editing in The Exorcist was done for dramatic effect—to create, achieve, and sustain a kind of dreamlike state."[58] However, these quick, scary flashes have been labeled "[not] truly subliminal".[59] and "quasi-" or "semi-subliminal".[60] True subliminal imagery must be, by definition, below the threshold of awareness.[61][62][63][64] In an interview in a 1999 book about the film, The Exorcist author Blatty addressed the controversy by explaining that, "There are no subliminal images. If you can see it, it's not subliminal."[65]
Awards and honors[edit]
Academy Awards[edit]
The Exorcist was nominated for ten Academy Awards in 1973, winning two. It is the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.[66] At the 46th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, the film won two statuettes (highlighted in bold).[67]
The film was nominated for:
Academy Award for Best Picture – William Peter Blatty and Noel Marshall
Academy Award for Best Actress – Ellen Burstyn
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – Jason Miller
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Linda Blair
Academy Award for Best Director – William Friedkin
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay – William Peter Blatty
Academy Award for Best Cinematography – Owen Roizman
Academy Award for Best Film Editing – Norman Gay
Academy Award for Best Production Design – Bill Malley and Jerry Wunderlich
Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing – Robert Knudson, Chris Newman
Golden Globe Awards[edit]
The Exorcist was nominated for seven total Golden Globes in 1973. At the 31st Golden Globes ceremony that year, the film won four awards.
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globe Award for Best Director – William Friedkin
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture – Linda Blair
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay – William Peter Blatty
The film was nominated for
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama – Ellen Burstyn
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture – Max von Sydow
Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress – Linda Blair
Library of Congress[edit]
2010 National Film Registry
American Film Institute Lists[edit]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – Nominated[68]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – #3
AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains: Regan MacNeil – #9 Villain
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes: "What an excellent day for an exorcism." – Nominated[69]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – Nominated[70]
See also[edit]

Portal icon Horror fiction portal
The Possession of Joel Delaney
References[edit]


 This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (November 2011)
1.^ Jump up to: a b "The Exorcist - Box Office Data, DVD and Blu-ray Sales, Movie News, Cast and Crew Information". The Numbers. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
2.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist (1973)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
3.Jump up ^ Cinema of the occult: new age, satanism, Wicca, and spiritualism in film. Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp. December 31, 2008. ISBN 978-0-934223-95-9. Retrieved April 4, 2010. "Blatty's novel was loosely based on an actual exorcism, and the producers of Possessed claim the film is closer to the "real" story."
4.Jump up ^ Dimension Desconocida. Ediciones Robinbook. April 2009. ISBN 978-84-9917-001-5. Retrieved April 4, 2010. "La inspiración del exorcista La historia de Robbie Mannheim es un caso típico de posesión, y es la que dio vida a la película El Exorcista."
5.Jump up ^ Layton, Julia (2005-09-08). "Science.howstuffworks.com". Science.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
6.Jump up ^ "Allmovie.com". Allmovie.com. 2005-09-09. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
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8.Jump up ^ "Movies.com, "Get Repossessed With the Exorcist Movies"". Movies.com. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
9.Jump up ^ "Time Out London, "The 100 best horror films"". TimeOut. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
10.Jump up ^ "AMC Poll: The Exorcist Scariest Movie". Multichannel News. October 23, 2006. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
11.Jump up ^ "'Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks". Retrieved December 28, 2010.
12.Jump up ^ Barnes, Mike (December 28, 2010). "'Empire Strikes Back,' 'Airplane!' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ [1] Strangemag
14.Jump up ^ [2] The Diane Rehm Show
15.Jump up ^ Emery, Robert J. (2000). The directors: in their own words 2. TV Books. p. 258. ISBN 1575001292.
16.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist actress Mercedes McCambridge dies at 85". USA Today. March 17, 2004. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
17.Jump up ^ Konow, David (2012). "It's only a movie". Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films. Macmillan. p. 153. ISBN 9781250013590.
18.Jump up ^ "Henze: Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings" by Brett Allen-Bayes, Limelight, 9 January 2014
19.Jump up ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2002). "The Exorcist (1973)". Horror Films of the 1970s. McFarland. p. 263. ISBN 9780786491568.
20.Jump up ^ TNR.com[dead link]
21.Jump up ^ "Scholarisland.org". Scholarisland.org. 1963-12-20. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
22.Jump up ^ Truitt, Brian (October 7, 2013). "'Exorcist' creators haunt Georgetown thirty years later.". Retrieved June 24, 2014.
23.Jump up ^ "Excorcist Steps in Washington, DC". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
24.Jump up ^ "Friedkin's – The Exorcist". Thefleshfarm.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
25.Jump up ^ "Former Exorcist Movie Star, Dr. X, Tells All". Stanford University School of Medicine. 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
26.Jump up ^ Alan McKenzie, Hollywood Tricks of The Trade, p.122
27.Jump up ^ [3][dead link]
28.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist". USA Today. 2015-02-08.
29.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist 25th Anniversary Special Edition". Timewarner.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
30.Jump up ^ "'The Exorcist' Miniseries Reteams Original Writer/Director?".
31.Jump up ^ "Cemetery Dance #62: The William Peter Blatty special issue shipping now!". Cemeterydance.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
32.Jump up ^ "Blu-ray.com". Blu-ray.com. October 20, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
33.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist Announced on Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
34.Jump up ^ "Full Blu-ray Details to Make Your Head Spin – The Exorcist". DreadCentral.
35.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist releasing on Blu-ray in October 2010". Morehorror.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
36.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
37.Jump up ^ Travers, Peter and Rieff, Stephanie. The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, Pg. 149, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
38.Jump up ^ Kauffmann, Stanley. New Republic review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 152–154, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
39.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist". Variety. January 1, 1973. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
40.Jump up ^ Dante, Joe. Castle of Frankenstein, Vol 6, No. 2 (Whole Issue #22), pgs. 32–33. Review of The Exorcist
41.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger. "The Exorcist Movie Review & Film Summary (1973)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
42.Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent. The New York Times review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 150–152, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
43.Jump up ^ Sarris, Andrew. The Village Voice review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 154–158, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
44.Jump up ^ Landau, Jon. Rolling Stone review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 158–162, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
45.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist" (1973)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
46.Jump up ^ "The Official Site of Gene Siskel". Cmgww.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
47.Jump up ^ Scorsese, Martin (October 28, 2009). "11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
48.Jump up ^ "Empireonline.com". Empireonline.com. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
49.Jump up ^ "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. April 29, 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
50.Jump up ^ Gebert, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards (listings of 'Box Office (Domestic Rentals)' for 1974, taken from Variety magazine), pg. 314, St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1996. ISBN 0-668-05308-9. "Rentals" refers to the distributor/studio's share of the box office gross, which, according to Gebert, is normally roughly half of the money generated by ticket sales.
51.^ Jump up to: a b "The Exorcist". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
52.Jump up ^ "All Time Box Office Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
53.Jump up ^ "Original BBFC.co.uk entry". Bbfc.co.uk. 1999-02-25. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
54.Jump up ^ "TV premiere for The Exorcist". BBC News. March 4, 2001. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
55.Jump up ^ Blog, Chaz's. ":: rogerebert.com :: Reviews :: The Exorcist (xhtml)". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
56.Jump up ^ "Screen shockers | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
57.Jump up ^ Lucas, Tim and Kermode, Mark. Video Watchdog Magazine, issue No. 6 (July/August 1991), pgs. 20–31, "The Exorcist: From the Subliminal to the Ridiculous"
58.Jump up ^ Friedkin, William. Interviewed in Video Watchdog Magazine, issue No. 6 (July/August 1991), pg. 23, "The Exorcist: From the Subliminal to the Ridiculous"
59.Jump up ^ "Dark Romance – Book of Days – The 'subliminal' demon of The Exorcist". darkromance.com. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
60.Jump up ^ "Films that flicker: the origins of subliminal advertising myths and practices.". subliminalworld.org. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
61.Jump up ^ "subliminal - Definitions from Dictionary.com".
62.Jump up ^ "Subliminal Messages" (PDF).
63.Jump up ^ "Subliminal Perception".
64.Jump up ^ "Subliminal Advertising".)
65.Jump up ^ McCabe, Bob (1999). The Exorcist. London: Omnibus. p. 138. ISBN 0-7119-7509-4.
66.Jump up ^ "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
67.Jump up ^ "NY Times: The Exorcist". NY Times. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
68.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
69.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
70.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Ballot" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Exorcist (film).
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Exorcist (film)
Official website
The Exorcist at the Internet Movie Database
The Exorcist at AllMovie
The Exorcist at Box Office Mojo
The Exorcist at Rotten Tomatoes
The Exorcist at Metacritic
The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
Jason Miller Remembers The Exorcist


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The Exorcist (film)

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The Exorcist
Exorcist ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
William Friedkin
Produced by
William Peter Blatty
Screenplay by
William Peter Blatty
Based on
The Exorcist
 by William Peter Blatty
Starring
Ellen Burstyn
Max von Sydow
Lee J. Cobb
Kitty Winn
Jack MacGowran
Jason Miller
Linda Blair

Cinematography
Owen Roizman
Edited by
Jordan Leondopoulos
Evan Lottman
Norman Gay


Production
 company

Hoya Productions

Distributed by
Warner Bros.

Release dates

December 26, 1973


Running time
 122 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$12 million[1]
Box office
$402.7–441.3 million[1][2]
The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe,[3][4] deals with the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's desperate attempts to win back her child through an exorcism conducted by two priests.
The film features Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, and (in voice only) Mercedes McCambridge. It is one of a cycle of "demonic child" films produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, including Rosemary's Baby and The Omen.
The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. The film earned 10 Academy Award nominations, winning two (Best Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay), and losing Best Picture to The Sting. It became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide. It is also the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.
The film has had a significant influence on popular culture.[5][6] It was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly,[7] Movies.com[8] and by viewers of AMC in 2006, the best horror film of all time by Time Out,[9] and was No. 3 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.[10] In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry.[11][12] In 2003, it was placed at No. 2 in Channel 4's The 100 Greatest Scary Moments in the United Kingdom.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Factual basis for the film
3.2 Casting
3.3 Direction
3.4 Music
3.5 Filming locations
3.6 Special effects
4 Alternative and uncut versions 4.1 The spider-walk scene
5 Sequels and related films 5.1 Other films
5.2 Other references
6 Home media
7 Reception 7.1 Box office
7.2 U.K. reception
7.3 Audience reception 7.3.1 Alleged subliminal imagery

8 Awards and honors 8.1 Academy Awards
8.2 Golden Globe Awards
8.3 Library of Congress
8.4 American Film Institute Lists
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

Plot[edit]
Lankester Merrin is a veteran Catholic priest who is on an archeological dig in Iraq. There he finds an amulet which resembles the statue of Pazuzu, a demon who Merrin defeated years ago. Merrin then realizes the demon has returned to get his revenge.
Meanwhile in Georgetown, Washington, D.C, famous actress Chris MacNeil is living on location with her pre-teen daughter Regan. After playing with an Ouija board Regan begins acting strangely including making mysterious noises, using constant bad language and exhibiting abnormal strength. Regan also causes her bed to shake, much to her and Chris's horror. In response, her mother consults several physicians but despite undergoing a series of unpleasant diagnostic tests, Dr. Klein and his associates find nothing medically wrong with her, unaware that she is now fully possessed by Pazuzu.
One night Regan kills her babysitter and Chris' director, Burke Dennings. His murder is investigated by a detective named William Kinderman. He interviews Chris as well as a young priest and psychiatrist named Damien Karras, who has lost faith in God after his frail mother died. Chris knows that Regan was the only one who was in the house when Dennings died.
After the doctors decide that an exorcism may be the only way to help Regan, Chris arranges a meeting with Karras. Karras at first refuses to get permission to perform an exorcism, despite Regan now being completely possessed by the demon. After getting a recording of her talking in reverse and seeing the words "Help Me" on her stomach Karras decides to perform an exorcism with Merrin chosen to help.
In Regan's bedroom both men try to exorcise the demon but a stubborn Pazuzu toys with them, especially Karras, including insulting his late mother. After a break and hint of faltering, Karras is dismissed. Merrin attempts the exorcism alone. Karras enters the room and discovers Merrin has died and confronts the mocking, laughing spirit of Pazuzu. At Karras' plea, Pazuzu then possesses Karras, leaving Regan's body. In a moment of self-sacrifice, the priest throws himself out of the window before Pazuzu can compel him to harm Regan, and dies from head injuries, thereby completing the exorcism of Pazuzu, banishing him away.
A few days later Regan, who is now back to her normal self, returns home to Los Angeles with her mother. Kinderman, who narrowly misses them, befriends Father Dyer, an old friend of Karras, as he investigates how Karras died.
Cast[edit]
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, a famous actress temporarily living in Washington, D.C., with her daughter. She is an agnostic and has a quick temper but is also a loving mother. When Regan displays strange behavior, Chris experiences an emotional breakdown and tries to find help for her daughter, consulting neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, and finally a Catholic priest.
Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin, an elderly priest and archeologist. A quiet and patient man with great faith, he has prior experience in performing exorcisms and is aware of the risks of facing evil.
Jason Miller as Father Damien Karras, a troubled priest, vocational counselor, and psychiatrist. He suffers deeply when his mother dies and confesses to have (apparently) lost his faith in God. Upon taking the case of Regan MacNeil, he begins to understand the possession is genuine. Jack Nicholson was the original choice for the role, but Miller was cast after Friedkin saw his play, That Championship Season, and meeting the playwright/actor after the performance.
Linda Blair as Regan Teresa MacNeil, Chris's friendly and innocent twelve-year-old daughter. She displays strange and aggressive behaviors after playing with a Ouija board, which are later revealed as early symptoms of demonic possession.
Lee J. Cobb as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, a police detective investigating Burke Dennings's death. Assertive and cunning, he thinks Regan was involved in Dennings's death, which may be related to the recent desecration of a nearby church. He is also a film buff.
Mercedes McCambridge provided the voice of the demon, Pazuzu.
Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer, Chris's friend and personal assistant who acts as Regan's tutor.
Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings, an eccentric film director and close friend of Chris; his unexplained death while looking after Regan elicits a police homicide investigation.
Father William O'Malley as Father Joseph Dyer, a close friend of Karras's who tries to help him deal with his mother's death and reaffirm Karras's faith.
Robert Symonds as Dr. Taney.
Barton Heyman as Dr. Samuel Klein, a doctor who suggests that Regan needs "special" help.
Arthur Storch as the psychiatrist.
Titos Vandis as Karras's uncle.
Eileen Dietz as a face associated with the demon, seen only in visions and flash cuts.
William Peter Blatty himself has a small speaking role during the scene where Chris is filming in front of Healy Hall. His character engages in a minor technical dispute with director Burke Dennings.
Production[edit]
Factual basis for the film[edit]
See also: Exorcism of Roland Doe
Aspects of the novel were inspired by an exorcism performed on a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland, in 1949 by the Jesuit priest, Fr. William S. Bowdern, who formerly taught at both St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School. Hunkeler's Catholic family was convinced the child's aggressive behavior was attributable to demonic possession, and called upon the services of Father Walter Halloran to perform the rite of exorcism.[13] Although Friedkin admits he is very reluctant to speak about the factual aspects of the film, he made the film with the intention of immortalizing the events that took place in Cottage City, Maryland in 1949, and despite the relatively minor changes that were made, the film depicts everything that could be verified by those involved. It was one of three exorcisms to be sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the U.S. at that time. In order to make the film, Friedkin was allowed access to the diaries of the priests involved, as well as the doctors and nurses; he also discussed the events with the boy's aunt in great detail. Friedkin doesn't believe that the "head-spinning" actually occurred, but this has been disputed. Friedkin is not a Christian of any denomination.[14]
Casting[edit]


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Although the agency representing Blair did not send her for the role, Blair's mother took her to meet with Warner Brothers's casting department and then with Friedkin. Pamelyn Ferdin, a veteran of science fiction and supernatural drama, was a candidate for the role of Regan. April Winchell was considered, until she developed Pyelonephritis, which caused her to be hospitalized and ultimately taken out of consideration. Denise Nickerson, who played Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, was considered, but the material troubled her parents too much, and they pulled her out of consideration. Anissa Jones, known for her role as Buffy in Family Affair, auditioned for the role, but she too was rejected, for much the same reason as Ferdin. The part went instead to Blair, a relative unknown except for a role in The Way We Live Now.
The studio wanted Marlon Brando for the role of Father Lankester Merrin.[citation needed] Friedkin immediately vetoed this by stating it would become a "Brando movie." Jack Nicholson was up for the part of Karras before Stacy Keach was hired by Blatty. Friedkin then spotted Miller following a performance of Miller's play That Championship Season in New York. Even though Miller had never acted in a film, Keach's contract was bought out by Warner Brothers, and Miller was signed.
Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn and Anne Bancroft were under consideration for the role of Chris. Ellen Burstyn received the part after she phoned Friedkin and emphatically stated she was going to play Chris.[15]
Friedkin originally intended to use Blair's voice, electronically deepened and roughened, for the demon's dialogue. Although Friedkin felt this worked fine in some places, he felt scenes with the demon confronting the two priests lacked the dramatic power required and selected legendary radio actress Mercedes McCambridge, an experienced voice actress, to provide the demon's voice. After filming, Warner Brothers did not include a credit for McCambridge during early screenings of the film, which led to Screen Actors Guild arbitration before she was credited for her performance.[16]
Direction[edit]


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 The puppet used in the film.
Warner had approached Arthur Penn (who was teaching at Yale), Peter Bogdanovich (who wanted to pursue other projects, subsequently regretting the decision), and Mike Nichols (who did not want to shoot a film so dependent on a child's performance) and John Boorman—who would direct the second film—said he did not want to direct it because it was "cruel towards children". Originally Mark Rydell was hired to direct, but William Peter Blatty insisted on Friedkin instead, because he wanted his film to have the same energy as Friedkin's previous film, The French Connection. After a standoff with the studio, which initially refused to budge over Rydell, Blatty eventually got his way. Stanley Kubrick was offered the film (and later on its first sequel) but declined.
Production of The Exorcist began on August 14, 1972, and though it was only supposed to last 85 days, it lasted for 224.
Friedkin went to some extraordinary lengths, reminiscent of some directors from the old Hollywood directing style, manipulating the actors, to get the genuine reactions he wanted. Yanked violently around in harnesses, both Blair and Burstyn suffered back injuries and their painful screams went right into the film. Burstyn injured her back after landing on her coccyx when a stuntman jerked her via cable during the scene when Regan slaps her mother. According to the documentary Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist, however, the injury did not cause permanent damage, although Burstyn was upset the shot of her screaming in pain was used in the film. After asking Reverend William O'Malley if he trusted him and being told yes, Friedkin slapped him hard across the face before a take to generate a deeply solemn reaction that was used in the film, as a very emotional Father Dyer read last rites to Father Karras; this offended the many Catholic crew members on the set. He also fired a gun without warning on the set to elicit shock from Jason Miller for a take, and only told Miller that pea soup would hit him in the chest rather than the face concerning the projectile-vomiting scene, resulting in his disgusted reaction. Lastly, he had Regan's bedroom set built inside a freezer so that the actors' breath could be visible on camera, which required the crew to wear parkas and other cold-weather gear.
Music[edit]


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Lalo Schifrin's working score was rejected by Friedkin. Schifrin had written six minutes of music for the initial film trailer but audiences were reportedly too scared by its combination of sights and sounds. Warner Bros. executives told Friedkin to instruct Schifrin to tone it down with softer music, but Friedkin did not relay the message. It has been claimed Schifrin later used the music written for The Exorcist for The Amityville Horror,[17] but he has denied this in interviews. According to "The Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist" on the 25th Anniversary DVD release of the film, Friedkin (known for his temper) literally took the tapes that Schifrin had recorded and threw them away in the studio parking lot.
In the soundtrack liner notes for his 1977 film, Sorcerer, Friedkin said had he heard the music of Tangerine Dream earlier, he would have had them score The Exorcist. Instead, he used modern classical compositions, including portions of the 1972 Cello Concerto No. 1, of Polymorphia, and other pieces by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, Five Pieces for Orchestra by Austrian composer Anton Webern as well as some original music by Jack Nitzsche. The music was heard only during scene transitions. The 2000 "Version You've Never Seen" features new original music by Steve Boddacker, as well as brief source music by Les Baxter.
The original soundtrack LP has only been released once on CD, as an expensive and rare Japanese import. It is noteworthy for being the only soundtrack to include the main theme Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, which became very popular after the film's release. Oldfield himself said he was not impressed with how his work was used in the film. The movement Night of the Electric Insects from George Crumb's string quartet Black Angels is also used.
The Greek song playing on the radio when Father Karras leaves his mother's house is called "Paramythaki mou" (My Tale) and is sung by Giannis Kalatzis. Lyric writer Lefteris Papadopoulos has admitted that a few years later when he was in financial difficulties he asked for some compensation for the intellectual rights of the song. Part of Hans Werner Henze's 1966 composition Fantasia for Strings is played over the closing credits.[18][19]
Filming locations[edit]



The Exorcist stairs in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
The film's opening sequence was filmed in the Kurdish town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border. The people of Sinjar are mostly Kurdish members of the ancient Yezidi sect, which reveres Melek Taus. Outsiders often equate Melek Taus with the Devil,[20] though this benevolent being has little in common with the Islamic and Christian Satan.[21] The archaeological dig site seen at the film's beginning is the actual site of ancient Hatra in Nineveh Province.
The "Exorcist stairs" are concrete stairs located in Georgetown at the corner of Prospect St NW and 36th St NW, leading down to M Street NW. The stairs were padded with 1/2"-thick rubber to film the death of the character Father Karras. Because the house from which Karras falls is set back slightly from the stairs, the film crew constructed an extension with a false front to the house in order to film the scene.[22] The stuntman tumbled down the stairs twice. Georgetown University students charged people around $5 each to watch the stunt from the rooftops.[23]
The MacNeil residence interiors were filmed at CECO Studios in Manhattan. The bedroom set had to be refrigerated to capture the authentic icy breath of the actors in the exorcising scenes, while the bedroom scenes along with many other scenes were filmed in the basement of Fordham University in New York. The temperature was brought so low that a thin layer of snow fell onto the set one morning. Blair, who was only in a thin nightgown, says to this day she cannot stand being cold.[24] Exteriors of the MacNeill house were filmed at 36th and Prospect in Washington, using a family home and a false wall to convey the home's thrust toward the steps. In fact, both then and now, a garden sits atop the embankment between the steps and the home.
The scenes involving Regan's medical tests were filmed at New York University Medical Center and were performed by actual medical staff which normally carry out the procedures shown.[25] In the film Regan first undergoes an electroencephalography (EEG), then an early type of cerebral angiography and finally a pneumoencephalography, the latter two being painful diagnostic tests that have since been replaced by far less invasive neuroimaging studies using modern CT or MRI scanners. As was the common practice at the time, the angiography was performed by the nowadays obsolete method of direct puncture of the carotid artery in the neck. This resulted in blood squirting that caused some movie viewers to faint. The follow-on procedure, pneumoencephalography, though routinely performed from the 1920s through the 70s, was very taxing on patients and sometimes required months of recuperation. In the film Regan is shown to be in great distress while undergoing it, as actual patients often were. In the prior scene, Chris MacNeil experiences a breakdown when the doctors suggest it be attempted as the other tests Regan underwent failed to detect a brain lesion they are certain would be found.
The interior of Karras' room at Georgetown was a meticulous reconstruction of Theology professor Father Thomas M. King, S.J.'s "corridor Jesuit" room in New North Hall. Fr. King's room was photographed by production staff after a visit by Blatty, a Georgetown graduate, and Friedkin. Upon returning to New York, every element of King's room, including posters and books, was recreated for the set, including a poster of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., a paleontologist on whom the character of Fr. Merrin was loosely based. Georgetown was paid $1,000 per day of filming, which included both exteriors, such as Burstyn's first scene, shot on the steps of the Flemish Romanesque Healy Hall, and interiors, such as the defilement of the statue of the Virgin Mary in Dahlgren Chapel, or the Archbishop's office, which is actually the office of the president of the university. One scene was filmed in The Tombs, a student hangout across from the steps that was founded by a Blatty classmate. The motion picture St. Elmo's Fire includes scenes filmed at The Tombs.
Special effects[edit]
The Exorcist contained a number of special effects, engineered by makeup artist Dick Smith. In one scene from the film, Max von Sydow is actually wearing more makeup than the possessed girl (Linda Blair). This was because director Friedkin wanted some very detailed facial close-ups. When this film was made, von Sydow was 44, though he was made up to look 74.[26] Alan McKenzie stated in his book Hollywood Tricks of the Trade that the fact "that audiences didn't realize von Sydow was wearing makeup at all is a tribute to the skills of veteran makeup artist Dick Smith."
Alternative and uncut versions[edit]
Several versions of The Exorcist have been released: the 1979 theatrical re-issue was reconverted to 70mm, with its 1.75:1 ratio[27] cropped to 2.20:1 to use all the available screen width that 70mm offers. This was also the first time the sound was remixed to six-channel Dolby Stereo sound. Almost all video versions feature this soundtrack.
In both the TV-PG and TV-14 rated network versions, the image of the obscenely defiled statue of the Virgin Mary stays intact. It stays on screen several seconds longer for the TV-14 version. On original TV airings, the shot was replaced with one where the statue's face is smashed in but without other defilement.
The DVD released for the 25th Anniversary retains the original theatrical ending, and includes the extended ending with Dyer and Kinderman as a special feature (as opposed the "Version You've Never Seen" ending, which features Dyer and Kinderman but omits the Casablanca reference). The Special Edition DVD also includes a 75-minute documentary titled The Fear of God on the making of The Exorcist (although PAL releases feature an edited, 52 minute version). The documentary includes screen tests and additional deleted scenes. The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology (box set) was released in October 2006. This DVD collection includes the original theatrical release version The Exorcist; the extended version, The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen; the sequel with Linda Blair, Exorcist II: The Heretic; the supposed end of the trilogy, The Exorcist III; and two different prequels: Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. Morgan Creek, current owner of the franchise, is now negotiating a cable television mini-series of Blatty's novel, which is the basis for the original film.
The spider-walk scene[edit]
Contortionist Linda R. Hager performed the infamous spider-walk scene on April 11, 1973. Director Friedkin deleted this scene just prior to the December 26, 1973 premiere because it was technically ineffective due to the visible wires suspending Hager in a backward-arched position as she descends the stairs. According to Friedkin, "I cut it when the film was first released because this was one of those effects that did not work as well as others, and I was only able to save it for the re-release with the help of computer graphic imagery."[28] Additionally, Friedkin considered that the spider-walk scene appeared too early in the film's plot and removed it despite screenplay writer William Peter Blatty's request that the scene remain. In the book, the spider-walk is very quiet, and consists of Regan following Sharon around and occasionally licking her ankle.
In 1998, Warner re-released the digitally remastered DVD of The Exorcist: 25th Anniversary Special Edition. The DVD includes the BBC documentary, The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist,[29] highlighting the never-before-seen original non-bloody variant of the spider-walk scene.
To appease the screenwriter and some fans of The Exorcist, Friedkin worked with CGI artists to digitally remove the wires holding Hager. The director reinstated the bloody variant of the spider-walk scene for the 2000 theatrically re-released version of The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen.
In October 2010, Warner released The Exorcist (Extended Director's Cut & Original Theatrical Edition) on Blu-ray, including the behind-the-scenes filming of the spider-walk scene.
Sequels and related films[edit]
After the film's success, rip-off films and The Exorcist franchise sequels appeared. John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic was released in 1977, and revisited Regan four years after her initial ordeal. The plot dealt with an investigation into the legitimacy of Merrin's exorcism of Regan in the first film. In flashback sequences, we see Regan giving Merrin his fatal heart attack, as well as scenes from the exorcism of a young boy named Kokumo in Africa many years earlier. The film was so sharply criticized that director John Boorman reedited the film for a secondary release immediately after its premiere. Both versions have now been released on video; the cut version on VHS and the original uncut version now on DVD.
The Exorcist III appeared in 1990, written and directed by Blatty himself from his own 1983 novel Legion. Jumping past the events of Exorcist II, this book and film presented a continuation of Karras' story. Following the precedent set in The Ninth Configuration, Blatty turned a supporting character from the first film—in this case, Kinderman—into the chief protagonist. Though the characters of Karras and Kinderman were acquainted during the murder investigation in The Exorcist and Kinderman expressed fondness for Karras, in Exorcist III Blatty has Kinderman remembering Karras as his "best friend". Jason Miller reprised his Academy Award-nominated role in The Exorcist for this film.
A prequel film attracted attention and controversy even before its release in 2004; it went through a number of directorial and script changes, such that two versions were ultimately released. John Frankenheimer was originally hired as director for the project, but withdrew before filming started due to health concerns. He died a month later. Paul Schrader replaced him. Upon completion the studio rejected Schrader's version as being too slow. Renny Harlin was then hired as director. Harlin reused some of Schrader's footage but shot mostly new material to create a more conventional horror film. Harlin's new version Exorcist: The Beginning was released, but was not well received. Nine months later Schrader's original version, retitled Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was given a small theatrical release. It received better, but still mostly negative, critical responses. Both films were made available on DVD. Like Exorcist II: The Heretic, both films made significant changes from the original storyline. The plot of these films centered on an exorcism that Father Merrin had performed as a young priest in Africa, many years prior to the events in The Exorcist. This exorcism was first referenced in The Exorcist, and in the first sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic, flashback scenes were shown of Merrin exorcising the demon Pazuzu from an African boy named Kokumo. Although the plot for both prequels Beginning and Dominion centered around Merrin's exorcism in Africa, they both took a significant departure from the original storyline, making no effort to be faithful to original details. For example: the African boy, though he appeared in the film was not named Kokomu, and eventually discovered not to actually be the possessed character.
In November 2009, it was announced that Blatty planned to direct a mini-series of The Exorcist.[30][31]
A made-for-television film, Possessed (based on the book of the same name by Thomas B. Allen), was broadcast on Showtime on October 22, 2000, directed by Steven E. de Souza and written by de Souza and Michael Lazarou. The film claimed to follow the true accounts that inspired Blatty to write The Exorcist and starred Timothy Dalton, Henry Czerny, and Christopher Plummer.
Blatty directed The Ninth Configuration, a post-Vietnam War drama set in a mental institution. Released in 1980, it was based on Blatty's novel of the same name. Though it contrasts sharply with the tone of The Exorcist, Blatty regards Configuration as its true sequel[citation needed]. The lead character is the astronaut from Chris' party, Lt. Cutshaw.
Other films[edit]
The success of The Exorcist inspired a string of possession-related films worldwide. The first was Beyond the Door, a 1974 Italian film with Juliet Mills as a woman possessed by the devil. It appeared in the U.S. one year later. Also in 1974, a Turkish film, Şeytan (Turkish for Satan; the original film was also shown with the same name), is an almost scene-for-scene remake of the original. The same year in Germany, the exorcism-themed film Magdalena, vom Teufel besessen was released. In 1976, Britain released The Devil Within Her (also called I Don't Want to Be Born) with Joan Collins as an exotic dancer who gives birth to a demon-possessed child.
Similarly, a blaxploitation film was released in 1974 titled Abby. While the films Şeytan and Magdalena, vom Teufel besessen were protected from prosecution by the laws of their countries of origin, Abby‍ '​s producers (filming in Louisiana) were sued by Warner. The film was pulled from theaters, but not before making $4 million at the box office.
A parody, Repossessed, was released the same year as The Exorcist III, with Blair lampooning the role she had played in the original.
The prologue for Scary Movie 2 was a short parody of several scenes from the original.
Other references[edit]
A meta-reference to the film was made in an episode of Supernatural titled "The Usual Suspects". On the show, demons possessing humans is a common plot element; demons in the series are human souls corrupted by their time in Hell, lacking physical bodies of their own to interact with Earth. Linda Blair appeared in "The Usual Suspects" as a police detective, with protagonist Dean Winchester finding her character familiar and expressing a strange desire for pea soup at the episode's conclusion.
In Angel: Earthly Possessions, a spin-off comic story based on the TV series Angel, protagonist Angel finds himself dealing with a priest who performs exorcisms, but comes to realize that the priest is summoning the demons for him to exorcise in the first place. He also makes a note of The Exorcist film, noting that the vision it created of possession actually made things easier for possession demons by making it harder for humans to know what to expect from a possession.
In the paranormal TV show "Ghost Adventures" visited the Exorcist House for their 100th episode of the series. In the episode, Zak, Nick, and Aaron visit the house to see that an exorcism occurred there in the early 1900s. The episode has been announced as one of the scariest lockdown since Bobby Mackeys.
In 2014 British Author Saurav Dutt released a book entitled "Pazuzu Unbound" which is a book set in contemporary times dealing with the demon Pazuzu but which does not deal with the original characters in the film and novel on which the book is inspired.
Home media[edit]
A limited edition box set was released in 1998; it was limited to 50,000 copies, with available copies circulating around the Internet. There are two versions; a special edition VHS and a special edition DVD. The only difference between the two copies is the recording format.
DVD featuresThe original film with restored film and digitally remastered audio, with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio.
An introduction by director Friedkin
The 1998 BBC documentary The Fear of God: The Making of "The Exorcist"
2 audio commentaries
Interviews with the director and writer
Theatrical trailers and TV spots
Box featuresA commemorative 52-page tribute book, covering highlights of the film's preparation, production, and release; features previously unreleased historical data and archival photographs
Limited edition soundtrack CD of the film's score, including the original (unused) soundtrack ("Tubular Bells" and "Night of the Electric Insects" omitted)
8 lobby card reprints
Exclusive senitype film frame (magnification included)
Blu-ray
In an interview with DVD Review, Friedkin mentioned that he was scheduled to begin work on The Exorcist Blu-ray on December 2, 2008.[32] This edition features a new restoration, including both the 1973 theatrical version and the 2000 "Version You've Never Seen".[33] It was released on October 5, 2010.[34][35] A 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray will be released on October 8, 2013. The release will contain both cuts of the film and many of the previously released bonus features in addition to two featurettes that revolve around author William Peter Blatty.[36]
Reception[edit]
Upon its December 26, 1973, release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, "ranging from 'classic' to 'claptrap'."[37] Stanley Kauffmann, in The New Republic, wrote, "This is the scariest film I've seen in years—the only scary film I've seen in years ... If you want to be shaken—and I found out, while the picture was going, that that's what I wanted—then The Exorcist will scare the… (shit) out of you."[38] Variety noted that it was "an expert telling of a supernatural horror story ... The climactic sequences assault the senses and the intellect with pure cinematic terror."[39] In Castle of Frankenstein, Joe Dante called it "an amazing film, and one destined to become at the very least a horror classic. Director Friedkin's film will be profoundly disturbing to all audiences, especially the more sensitive and those who tend to 'live' the movies they see ... Suffice it to say, there has never been anything like this on the screen before."[40] Roger Ebert gave the film a 4-out-of-4 star review, praising the actors (particularly Burstyn) and the convincing special effects but at the end of the review wrote, "I am not sure exactly what reasons people will have for seeing this movie; surely enjoyment won’t be one, because what we get here aren’t the delicious chills of a Vincent Price thriller, but raw and painful experience. Are people so numb they need movies of this intensity in order to feel anything at all?"[41]
The reviews were not all positive, however. Vincent Canby, writing in The New York Times, dismissed The Exorcist as "a chunk of elegant occultist claptrap ... a practically impossible film to sit through ... It establishes a new low for grotesque special effects ..."[42] Andrew Sarris complained that "Friedkin's biggest weakness is his inability to provide enough visual information about his characters ... whole passages of the movie's exposition were one long buzz of small talk and name droppings ... The Exorcist succeeds on one level as an effectively excruciating entertainment, but on another, deeper level it is a thoroughly evil film."[43] Writing in Rolling Stone, Jon Landau felt the film was "nothing more than a religious porn film, the gaudiest piece of shlock this side of Cecil B. DeMille (minus that gentleman's wit and ability to tell a story)  ... "[44]
Over the years, The Exorcist‍ '​s critical reputation has grown considerably. The film currently has an 88% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website, based on 57 reviews the website collected.[45] Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel placed it in the top five films released that year.[46] BBC film critic Mark Kermode believes the film to be the best film ever made saying "There's a theory that great films give back to you whatever it is you bring to them. It's absolutely true with The Exorcist - it reflects the anxieties of the audience. Some people think it's an outright horror-fest but I don't. It was written by a devout Catholic who hoped it would make people think positively about the existence of God. William Peter Blatty, who wrote the book, thought that if there are demons then there are also angels and life after death. He couldn't see why people thought it was scary. I've seen it about 200 times and every time I see something I haven't seen before." However, the film has its detractors as well, including Kim Newman who has criticized it for messy plot construction, conventionality and overblown pretentiousness, among other perceived defects. Writer James Baldwin provides an extended negative critique in his book length essay The Devil Finds Work.[citation needed] Director Martin Scorsese placed The Exorcist on his list of the 11 scariest horror films of all time.[47] In 2008, the film was selected by Empire Magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies Ever Made.[48] It was also placed on a similar list of 1000 films by The New York Times.[49]
Box office[edit]
The film earned $66.3 million in distributors' domestic (US/CAN) rentals during its theatrical release in 1974, becoming the second most popular film of that year (trailing The Sting).[50] After several reissues, the film eventually grossed $232,671,011 in North America,[51] which if adjusted for inflation, would be the ninth highest-grossing film of all time and the top-grossing R-rated film of all time.[52] To date, it has a total gross of $441,071,011 worldwide.[51]
U.K. reception[edit]
Following a successful re-release in cinemas in 1998, the film was submitted for home video release for the first time in February 1999 [53] and was passed uncut with an 18 certificate, signifying a relaxation of the censorship rules with relation to home video in the UK. The film was shown on terrestrial television in the U.K. for the first time in 2001, on Channel 4.[54]
Audience reception[edit]
Roger Ebert, while praising the film, believed the special effects to be so unusually graphic he wrote, "That it received an R rating and not the X is stupefying."[55]
Theaters provided "Exorcist barf bags".[56]
Alleged subliminal imagery[edit]
The Exorcist was also at the center of controversy due to its alleged use of subliminal imagery. Wilson Bryan Key wrote a whole chapter on the film in his book Media Sexploitation alleging multiple uses of subliminal and semi-subliminal imagery and sound effects. Key observed the use of the Pazuzu face (in which Key mistakenly assumed it was Jason Miller made up in a death mask makeup) and claimed that the safety padding on the bedposts were shaped to cast phallic shadows on the wall and that a skull face is superimposed into one of Father Merrin's breath clouds. Key also wrote much about the sound design, identifying the use of pig squeals, for instance, and elaborating on his opinion of the subliminal intent of it all. A detailed article in the July/August 1991 issue of Video Watchdog examined the phenomenon, providing still frames identifying several uses of subliminal "flashing" throughout the film.[57] In an interview from the same issue, Friedkin explained, "I saw subliminal cuts in a number of films before I ever put them in The Exorcist, and I thought it was a very effective storytelling device... The subliminal editing in The Exorcist was done for dramatic effect—to create, achieve, and sustain a kind of dreamlike state."[58] However, these quick, scary flashes have been labeled "[not] truly subliminal".[59] and "quasi-" or "semi-subliminal".[60] True subliminal imagery must be, by definition, below the threshold of awareness.[61][62][63][64] In an interview in a 1999 book about the film, The Exorcist author Blatty addressed the controversy by explaining that, "There are no subliminal images. If you can see it, it's not subliminal."[65]
Awards and honors[edit]
Academy Awards[edit]
The Exorcist was nominated for ten Academy Awards in 1973, winning two. It is the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture.[66] At the 46th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, the film won two statuettes (highlighted in bold).[67]
The film was nominated for:
Academy Award for Best Picture – William Peter Blatty and Noel Marshall
Academy Award for Best Actress – Ellen Burstyn
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – Jason Miller
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Linda Blair
Academy Award for Best Director – William Friedkin
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay – William Peter Blatty
Academy Award for Best Cinematography – Owen Roizman
Academy Award for Best Film Editing – Norman Gay
Academy Award for Best Production Design – Bill Malley and Jerry Wunderlich
Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing – Robert Knudson, Chris Newman
Golden Globe Awards[edit]
The Exorcist was nominated for seven total Golden Globes in 1973. At the 31st Golden Globes ceremony that year, the film won four awards.
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globe Award for Best Director – William Friedkin
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture – Linda Blair
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay – William Peter Blatty
The film was nominated for
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama – Ellen Burstyn
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture – Max von Sydow
Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress – Linda Blair
Library of Congress[edit]
2010 National Film Registry
American Film Institute Lists[edit]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – Nominated[68]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – #3
AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains: Regan MacNeil – #9 Villain
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes: "What an excellent day for an exorcism." – Nominated[69]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – Nominated[70]
See also[edit]

Portal icon Horror fiction portal
The Possession of Joel Delaney
References[edit]


 This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (November 2011)
1.^ Jump up to: a b "The Exorcist - Box Office Data, DVD and Blu-ray Sales, Movie News, Cast and Crew Information". The Numbers. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
2.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist (1973)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
3.Jump up ^ Cinema of the occult: new age, satanism, Wicca, and spiritualism in film. Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp. December 31, 2008. ISBN 978-0-934223-95-9. Retrieved April 4, 2010. "Blatty's novel was loosely based on an actual exorcism, and the producers of Possessed claim the film is closer to the "real" story."
4.Jump up ^ Dimension Desconocida. Ediciones Robinbook. April 2009. ISBN 978-84-9917-001-5. Retrieved April 4, 2010. "La inspiración del exorcista La historia de Robbie Mannheim es un caso típico de posesión, y es la que dio vida a la película El Exorcista."
5.Jump up ^ Layton, Julia (2005-09-08). "Science.howstuffworks.com". Science.howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
6.Jump up ^ "Allmovie.com". Allmovie.com. 2005-09-09. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
7.Jump up ^ Ascher, Rebecca (1999-07-23). "Entertainment Weekly, "The 25 Scariest Movies of All Time"". Ew.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
8.Jump up ^ "Movies.com, "Get Repossessed With the Exorcist Movies"". Movies.com. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
9.Jump up ^ "Time Out London, "The 100 best horror films"". TimeOut. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
10.Jump up ^ "AMC Poll: The Exorcist Scariest Movie". Multichannel News. October 23, 2006. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
11.Jump up ^ "'Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks". Retrieved December 28, 2010.
12.Jump up ^ Barnes, Mike (December 28, 2010). "'Empire Strikes Back,' 'Airplane!' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ [1] Strangemag
14.Jump up ^ [2] The Diane Rehm Show
15.Jump up ^ Emery, Robert J. (2000). The directors: in their own words 2. TV Books. p. 258. ISBN 1575001292.
16.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist actress Mercedes McCambridge dies at 85". USA Today. March 17, 2004. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
17.Jump up ^ Konow, David (2012). "It's only a movie". Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films. Macmillan. p. 153. ISBN 9781250013590.
18.Jump up ^ "Henze: Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings" by Brett Allen-Bayes, Limelight, 9 January 2014
19.Jump up ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2002). "The Exorcist (1973)". Horror Films of the 1970s. McFarland. p. 263. ISBN 9780786491568.
20.Jump up ^ TNR.com[dead link]
21.Jump up ^ "Scholarisland.org". Scholarisland.org. 1963-12-20. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
22.Jump up ^ Truitt, Brian (October 7, 2013). "'Exorcist' creators haunt Georgetown thirty years later.". Retrieved June 24, 2014.
23.Jump up ^ "Excorcist Steps in Washington, DC". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
24.Jump up ^ "Friedkin's – The Exorcist". Thefleshfarm.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
25.Jump up ^ "Former Exorcist Movie Star, Dr. X, Tells All". Stanford University School of Medicine. 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
26.Jump up ^ Alan McKenzie, Hollywood Tricks of The Trade, p.122
27.Jump up ^ [3][dead link]
28.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist". USA Today. 2015-02-08.
29.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist 25th Anniversary Special Edition". Timewarner.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
30.Jump up ^ "'The Exorcist' Miniseries Reteams Original Writer/Director?".
31.Jump up ^ "Cemetery Dance #62: The William Peter Blatty special issue shipping now!". Cemeterydance.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
32.Jump up ^ "Blu-ray.com". Blu-ray.com. October 20, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
33.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist Announced on Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
34.Jump up ^ "Full Blu-ray Details to Make Your Head Spin – The Exorcist". DreadCentral.
35.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist releasing on Blu-ray in October 2010". Morehorror.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
36.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
37.Jump up ^ Travers, Peter and Rieff, Stephanie. The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, Pg. 149, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
38.Jump up ^ Kauffmann, Stanley. New Republic review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 152–154, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
39.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist". Variety. January 1, 1973. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
40.Jump up ^ Dante, Joe. Castle of Frankenstein, Vol 6, No. 2 (Whole Issue #22), pgs. 32–33. Review of The Exorcist
41.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger. "The Exorcist Movie Review & Film Summary (1973)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
42.Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent. The New York Times review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 150–152, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
43.Jump up ^ Sarris, Andrew. The Village Voice review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 154–158, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
44.Jump up ^ Landau, Jon. Rolling Stone review reprinted in The Story Behind 'The Exorcist‍ '​, written by Peter Travers and Stephanie Rieff, pgs. 158–162, Signet Books, 1974. ISBN 978-0-451-06207-9
45.Jump up ^ "The Exorcist" (1973)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
46.Jump up ^ "The Official Site of Gene Siskel". Cmgww.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
47.Jump up ^ Scorsese, Martin (October 28, 2009). "11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
48.Jump up ^ "Empireonline.com". Empireonline.com. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
49.Jump up ^ "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. April 29, 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
50.Jump up ^ Gebert, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards (listings of 'Box Office (Domestic Rentals)' for 1974, taken from Variety magazine), pg. 314, St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1996. ISBN 0-668-05308-9. "Rentals" refers to the distributor/studio's share of the box office gross, which, according to Gebert, is normally roughly half of the money generated by ticket sales.
51.^ Jump up to: a b "The Exorcist". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
52.Jump up ^ "All Time Box Office Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
53.Jump up ^ "Original BBFC.co.uk entry". Bbfc.co.uk. 1999-02-25. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
54.Jump up ^ "TV premiere for The Exorcist". BBC News. March 4, 2001. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
55.Jump up ^ Blog, Chaz's. ":: rogerebert.com :: Reviews :: The Exorcist (xhtml)". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
56.Jump up ^ "Screen shockers | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
57.Jump up ^ Lucas, Tim and Kermode, Mark. Video Watchdog Magazine, issue No. 6 (July/August 1991), pgs. 20–31, "The Exorcist: From the Subliminal to the Ridiculous"
58.Jump up ^ Friedkin, William. Interviewed in Video Watchdog Magazine, issue No. 6 (July/August 1991), pg. 23, "The Exorcist: From the Subliminal to the Ridiculous"
59.Jump up ^ "Dark Romance – Book of Days – The 'subliminal' demon of The Exorcist". darkromance.com. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
60.Jump up ^ "Films that flicker: the origins of subliminal advertising myths and practices.". subliminalworld.org. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
61.Jump up ^ "subliminal - Definitions from Dictionary.com".
62.Jump up ^ "Subliminal Messages" (PDF).
63.Jump up ^ "Subliminal Perception".
64.Jump up ^ "Subliminal Advertising".)
65.Jump up ^ McCabe, Bob (1999). The Exorcist. London: Omnibus. p. 138. ISBN 0-7119-7509-4.
66.Jump up ^ "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
67.Jump up ^ "NY Times: The Exorcist". NY Times. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
68.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
69.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
70.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Ballot" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-02.
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Exorcist (film).
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Official website
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The Exorcist at Rotten Tomatoes
The Exorcist at Metacritic
The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
Jason Miller Remembers The Exorcist


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Requiem (2006 film)

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 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011)
‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

Requiem
Requiemposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Hans-Christian Schmid
Produced by
Hans-Christian Schmid
Written by
Bernd Lange
Starring
Sandra Hüller
Burghart Klaußner
Imogen Kogge
Anna Blomeier
Nicholas Reinke
Jens Harzer
Walter Schmidinger
Cinematography
Bogumil Godfrejów
Edited by
Bernd Schlegel
 Hansjörg Weißbrich

Release dates
 2 March 2006

Running time
 93 minutes
Country
Germany
Language
German
Requiem is a 2006 German drama film directed by Hans-Christian Schmid. It stars Sandra Hüller as a woman with epilepsy, Michaela Klingler, believed by members of her church and herself to be possessed. The film steers clear of special effects or dramatic music and instead presents documentary-style filmmaking, which focuses on Michaela's struggle to lead a normal life, trapped in a limbo which could either represent demonic possession or mental illness, focusing on the latter.
The film offers a medical condition (epilepsy) as the center of the affliction as opposed to demonic possession for the real-life events of Anneliese Michel, a German woman who was believed to have been possessed by six or more demons. These events also served as the basis of Scott Derrickson's 2005 film The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
External links[edit]
Requiem at the Internet Movie Database



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Categories: German-language films
2000s drama films
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Films directed by Hans-Christian Schmid
Films set in the 1970s
German drama films
German films
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Requiem (2006 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search



 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011)
‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

Requiem
Requiemposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Hans-Christian Schmid
Produced by
Hans-Christian Schmid
Written by
Bernd Lange
Starring
Sandra Hüller
Burghart Klaußner
Imogen Kogge
Anna Blomeier
Nicholas Reinke
Jens Harzer
Walter Schmidinger
Cinematography
Bogumil Godfrejów
Edited by
Bernd Schlegel
 Hansjörg Weißbrich

Release dates
 2 March 2006

Running time
 93 minutes
Country
Germany
Language
German
Requiem is a 2006 German drama film directed by Hans-Christian Schmid. It stars Sandra Hüller as a woman with epilepsy, Michaela Klingler, believed by members of her church and herself to be possessed. The film steers clear of special effects or dramatic music and instead presents documentary-style filmmaking, which focuses on Michaela's struggle to lead a normal life, trapped in a limbo which could either represent demonic possession or mental illness, focusing on the latter.
The film offers a medical condition (epilepsy) as the center of the affliction as opposed to demonic possession for the real-life events of Anneliese Michel, a German woman who was believed to have been possessed by six or more demons. These events also served as the basis of Scott Derrickson's 2005 film The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
External links[edit]
Requiem at the Internet Movie Database



Stub icon This 2000s drama film–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




Stub icon This article related to a German film of the 2000s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




  


Categories: German-language films
2000s drama films
2006 films
Films about exorcism
Films directed by Hans-Christian Schmid
Films set in the 1970s
German drama films
German films
2000s drama film stubs
2000s German film stubs






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The Exorcism of Emily Rose

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Exorcism of Emily Rose
no
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Scott Derrickson
Produced by
Tom Rosenberg
Gary Lucchesi
Paul Harris Boardman
 Tripp Vinson
Beau Flynn
Written by
Scott Derrickson
Paul Harris Boardman
Starring
Laura Linney
Tom Wilkinson
Campbell Scott
Colm Feore
Jennifer Carpenter
Mary Beth Hurt
Henry Czerny
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Music by
Christopher Young
Cinematography
Tom Stern
Edited by
Jeff Betancourt

Production
 company

Lakeshore Entertainment
 Firm Films

Distributed by
Screen Gems

Release dates

September 9, 2005


Running time
 119 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$19.3 million
Box office
$144.2 million
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (marketed as The Exorcism of Emily Rose-Bognot in some Asian countries) is a 2005 American courtroom drama horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson. The film is loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic who acts as defense counsel (Linney) representing a parish priest (Wilkinson), accused by the state of negligent homicide after he performed an exorcism. The film, which largely takes place in a courtroom, depicts the events leading up to and including the exorcism through flashbacks.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Lawyer Erin Bruner defends a priest, Father Richard Moore, charged with negligent homicide for his spiritual oversight over a girl named Emily Rose, which included a failed exorcism and which supposedly led to her death.
Cast[edit]
##Laura Linney as Erin Christine Bruner
##Tom Wilkinson as Father Richard Moore
##Campbell Scott as Ethan Thomas
##Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose
##Colm Feore as Karl Gunderson
##Joshua Close as Jason
##Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Mueller
##Duncan Fraser as Dr. Cartwright
##J. R. Bourne as Ray
##Mary Beth Hurt as Judge Brewster
##Henry Czerny as Dr. Briggs
##Shohreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Sadira Adani
Production[edit]
The screenplay was written by director Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman; in honor of the contributions of Boardman and other collaborators on the film, Derrickson chose to forgo the traditional "film by" credit. According to Derrickson's DVD commentary, he chose Boardman as his co-writer because Derrickson sees himself as a believer and Boardman as a skeptic, and believed the pairing would provide the screenplay with two different perspectives, thus providing the film some ambiguity as to whether it supports a religious/supernatural interpretation of the events depicted, or a more secular/medical interpretation.
The character of Emily Rose was inspired by the story of Anneliese Michel, a young German Catholic woman who died in 1976 after unsuccessful attempts to perform an exorcism upon her with psychotropic drugs. The court accepted the version according to which she was epileptic, refusing to accept the idea of supernatural involvement in this case. Two priests involved in the exorcism, as well as her parents, were found guilty of manslaughter resulting from negligence and received prison time (which was suspended), generating controversy. Michel's grave has become a place of pilgrimage for many Catholics who believe she atoned for wayward priests and sinful youth, and honor her as an unofficial saint.[1] The film is based on Felicitas Goodman's book The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel.[citation needed]
German director Hans-Christian Schmid launched his own treatment of Michel's story, Requiem, around the same time in late 2006.
Reception[edit]
As of April 2012, The Exorcism of Emily Rose had made $144,216,468 worldwide.[2] In 2006, the Chicago Film Critics Association listed the film in their Top 100 Scariest Films Ever Made at #86.[3] Jennifer Carpenter, whose "demonic" bodily contortions were often achieved without the aid of visual effects, won "Best Frightened Performance" at the MTV Movie Awards in 2006;[4] however, according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, critical reception to the film was overall mixed.[5] As emphasized by Roger Ebert, who described The Exorcism of Emily Rose as "intriguing and perplexing", the film "asks a secular institution, the court, to decide a question that hinges on matters the court cannot have an opinion on".[6] Ebert noted that "the screenplay is intelligent and open to occasional refreshing wit".[6] Paul Arendt from BBC outlined that "the flashback story... is high-octane schlock that occasionally works your nerves, thanks to a committed performance from Jennifer Carpenter".[7]
The general consensus between 150 critics was that "[the film] mixes compelling courtroom drama with generally gore-free scares in a ho-hum take on demonic cinema." It holds a 45% 'rotten' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 150 reviews. On Metacritic, it has an overall score of 46 out of 100, based on 32 reviews.[8]
See also[edit]
##List of ghost films
##Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes
##Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers
##Possessed
##Exorcism of Roland Doe
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ What in God's Name?!
2.Jump up ^ The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
3.Jump up ^ http://www.filmspotting.net/top100.htm
4.Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1358539/awards
5.Jump up ^ http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/exorcism_of_emily_rose/
6.^ Jump up to: a b Roger Ebert. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
7.Jump up ^ Paul Arendt. "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)". BBC. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
8.Jump up ^ http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/exorcismofemilyrose
External links[edit]
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at the Internet Movie Database
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Box Office Mojo
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Rotten Tomatoes
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Metacritic
##Comparison of the true story and the film at Chasing the Frog
##Q&A on the film with screenwriters Scott Derickson and Paul Harris Boardman
##Sony Pictures - The Exorcism of Emily Rose


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The Exorcism of Emily Rose

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

‹ The template Infobox film is being considered for merging. ›

The Exorcism of Emily Rose
no
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Scott Derrickson
Produced by
Tom Rosenberg
Gary Lucchesi
Paul Harris Boardman
 Tripp Vinson
Beau Flynn
Written by
Scott Derrickson
Paul Harris Boardman
Starring
Laura Linney
Tom Wilkinson
Campbell Scott
Colm Feore
Jennifer Carpenter
Mary Beth Hurt
Henry Czerny
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Music by
Christopher Young
Cinematography
Tom Stern
Edited by
Jeff Betancourt

Production
 company

Lakeshore Entertainment
 Firm Films

Distributed by
Screen Gems

Release dates

September 9, 2005


Running time
 119 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$19.3 million
Box office
$144.2 million
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (marketed as The Exorcism of Emily Rose-Bognot in some Asian countries) is a 2005 American courtroom drama horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson. The film is loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic who acts as defense counsel (Linney) representing a parish priest (Wilkinson), accused by the state of negligent homicide after he performed an exorcism. The film, which largely takes place in a courtroom, depicts the events leading up to and including the exorcism through flashbacks.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Lawyer Erin Bruner defends a priest, Father Richard Moore, charged with negligent homicide for his spiritual oversight over a girl named Emily Rose, which included a failed exorcism and which supposedly led to her death.
Cast[edit]
##Laura Linney as Erin Christine Bruner
##Tom Wilkinson as Father Richard Moore
##Campbell Scott as Ethan Thomas
##Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose
##Colm Feore as Karl Gunderson
##Joshua Close as Jason
##Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Mueller
##Duncan Fraser as Dr. Cartwright
##J. R. Bourne as Ray
##Mary Beth Hurt as Judge Brewster
##Henry Czerny as Dr. Briggs
##Shohreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Sadira Adani
Production[edit]
The screenplay was written by director Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman; in honor of the contributions of Boardman and other collaborators on the film, Derrickson chose to forgo the traditional "film by" credit. According to Derrickson's DVD commentary, he chose Boardman as his co-writer because Derrickson sees himself as a believer and Boardman as a skeptic, and believed the pairing would provide the screenplay with two different perspectives, thus providing the film some ambiguity as to whether it supports a religious/supernatural interpretation of the events depicted, or a more secular/medical interpretation.
The character of Emily Rose was inspired by the story of Anneliese Michel, a young German Catholic woman who died in 1976 after unsuccessful attempts to perform an exorcism upon her with psychotropic drugs. The court accepted the version according to which she was epileptic, refusing to accept the idea of supernatural involvement in this case. Two priests involved in the exorcism, as well as her parents, were found guilty of manslaughter resulting from negligence and received prison time (which was suspended), generating controversy. Michel's grave has become a place of pilgrimage for many Catholics who believe she atoned for wayward priests and sinful youth, and honor her as an unofficial saint.[1] The film is based on Felicitas Goodman's book The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel.[citation needed]
German director Hans-Christian Schmid launched his own treatment of Michel's story, Requiem, around the same time in late 2006.
Reception[edit]
As of April 2012, The Exorcism of Emily Rose had made $144,216,468 worldwide.[2] In 2006, the Chicago Film Critics Association listed the film in their Top 100 Scariest Films Ever Made at #86.[3] Jennifer Carpenter, whose "demonic" bodily contortions were often achieved without the aid of visual effects, won "Best Frightened Performance" at the MTV Movie Awards in 2006;[4] however, according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, critical reception to the film was overall mixed.[5] As emphasized by Roger Ebert, who described The Exorcism of Emily Rose as "intriguing and perplexing", the film "asks a secular institution, the court, to decide a question that hinges on matters the court cannot have an opinion on".[6] Ebert noted that "the screenplay is intelligent and open to occasional refreshing wit".[6] Paul Arendt from BBC outlined that "the flashback story... is high-octane schlock that occasionally works your nerves, thanks to a committed performance from Jennifer Carpenter".[7]
The general consensus between 150 critics was that "[the film] mixes compelling courtroom drama with generally gore-free scares in a ho-hum take on demonic cinema." It holds a 45% 'rotten' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 150 reviews. On Metacritic, it has an overall score of 46 out of 100, based on 32 reviews.[8]
See also[edit]
##List of ghost films
##Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes
##Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers
##Possessed
##Exorcism of Roland Doe
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ What in God's Name?!
2.Jump up ^ The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
3.Jump up ^ http://www.filmspotting.net/top100.htm
4.Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1358539/awards
5.Jump up ^ http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/exorcism_of_emily_rose/
6.^ Jump up to: a b Roger Ebert. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
7.Jump up ^ Paul Arendt. "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)". BBC. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
8.Jump up ^ http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/exorcismofemilyrose
External links[edit]
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at the Internet Movie Database
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Box Office Mojo
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Rotten Tomatoes
##The Exorcism of Emily Rose at Metacritic
##Comparison of the true story and the film at Chasing the Frog
##Q&A on the film with screenwriters Scott Derickson and Paul Harris Boardman
##Sony Pictures - The Exorcism of Emily Rose


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Films directed by Scott Derrickson











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Saturn Award for Best Horror Film












































  


Categories: 2005 films
English-language films
2005 horror films
2000s crime drama films
2000s crime thriller films
American crime drama films
American crime thriller films
American horror films
German-language films
Greek-language films
Hebrew-language films
Latin-language films
Aramaic-language films
Films directed by Scott Derrickson
Courtroom films
Films about exorcism
Films about Roman Catholicism
Films based on actual events
Films shot in Vancouver
Legal films
Lakeshore Entertainment films
Screen Gems films
Films produced by Beau Flynn








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