The Exorcist (1973) - FULL REACTION

Li'l Regan, at the dinner party (before squirting the carpet): "You're gonna die up there." 👆 Not the *nicest* thing to say to an astronaut, really. Hahaha

You should watch the third one as well. The second film, the Heretic, is off on a tangent, almost like a nonsensical side quest, but The Exorcist III: Legion, is a proper follow on from the first film, and is just as good 🙂

I've never clicked so fast! 😁 This moie messed me up when I ssaw it the first time. I was 6 and had no business watching this. My mean sisters where behind it. My parents had gone out & told us we could rrent movies. This is what they got. They turned out all the lights in the house so I wouldn't leave living the room, they wouldn't let me sit next to them on the couch. I had a pillow to cover my eyes, but they took it. When a scary part would come on I'd cover my eyes with my hands & they'd be like "It's okay Jamie, scary part is over" & I'd look and it would be Regan owl-necking her head or something awful. I went on to have night terrors for weeks after that. My mom had no freaking clue what was wrong with me. Finally she gave me a Bible & put it under my pillow to "keep bad dreams away" & It WORKED! Power of suggestion, obviously. But it was a trick I used untiI was a teenager. I never had nightmares after that. Flash forward to today, both my sisters are literally scared of everything. They don't watch scary movies, they don't like Halloween pranks or masks, or being jump scared. But karma is real,so guess who goes above & beyond to scare the holy shit out of them every time she gets a chance. Yep, me. 😁 Those bitches will forever pay for making me watch that movie! 😂🎃👿

Sisnerdly

I've got it on DVD, it's a Halloween rewatch must for me! I wanted to wait for Liam's reaction, but I kind of had to watch it when I uploaded my copy to google drive to make sure it had uploaded properly. Not even joking either, I have seen this movie in excess of a hundred times. Always happy to introduce people to this classic. :D

Claire Eyles

I think I was only about 5 when I first saw the scene where she levitates off the bed with her eyes rolled back (they played it on TV one night as part of some Oscars movie mix, or something like that, it was a while ago). I saw that scene and immediately went 'OMG that looks awesome!" I was a horror and fx make up buff from an early age, my poor parents were appalled. I got to see the director's cut when it was first released in cinemas as well (back in the early 2000's I think it was), the footage that was added back in really enhanced the movie I thought. The spider walk scene isn't actually in the original theatrical release, and there's also another version that they filmed but didn't use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pr-I0V0ZOc

Claire Eyles

My first encounter with this movie was when I was 11 years old; I barged into the shed as my sister and her friends were watching it late at night, and all I saw was that spider crawl down the stairs...Scarred for life, mate.

cs

I think a lot of modern horror movie makers could learn a thing or two from these types of well crafted, slow burn movies that you got in the 70s. The Exorcist takes the time to properly introduce the characters, their different arcs, set the story up, actually go through the journey from 'is it medical' to 'demon possession' (heightening the realism to it). These days it's like 'strange noise, spooky stuff, more spooky stuff, insert a gazillion jump scares, hey presto demon!"

Claire Eyles

Yep, it's 5th out of 25 highest grossing horror films of all times. It was also nominated for 9 academy awards, including best picture. It won for best sound and best screenplay adaptation.

Claire Eyles

Horror film reactions are always extremely exciting, thanks for this!

cs

Oh, I would love to see Liam react to Mindhunter...

cs

Thanks for requesting this!!! So excited to watch it!

cs

I was 11 when it came out so not allowed anywhere near it by my parents but it was talked about by pretty much everyone for a long while. It was very controversial at the time and I think still one of the highest grossing horror films of all time. “Horror” in the pre- 'slasher' film meaning.

Bruce Trogdon

Such a perfect movie to watch this time of year. I saw it was on TV the other day and I'm like nope, gonna wait to rewatch it with Liam. Nice to see someone watch such a classic for the first time! :D

Jenn Rose

There's another great documentary on the impact The Exorcist had in 1973. Audiences were traumatized and some people couldn't sit through the whole movie. And yet it was still a massive box office success.

Jarrod Wild

Ooh, the Exorcist! I remember watching this in a film class, and during the intermission when I stepped out to get a snack, the lights flickered for a good 5 minutes and I was SO creeped out by that, even though it was a coincidence!! o_o Anyway, great reaction <3 I love that you were unspoiled. The soundtrack to this is interesting...I read in Wilson Bryan Key's book that they merged the sound of bees into some parts of the soundtrack (because apparently, there's nothing scarier to human ears than the sound of that.) I feel like I've learnt tons just reading the comments/trivia here :P

Okay, just finished watching the reaction, and it was perfect. Loved that you got invested in the film, and were obviously drawn in to what was happening. So happy to have introduced you to not only a good horror movie, but a really well made film as well. Thank you again for reacting to it. :)

Claire Eyles

Liam, I recommend watching "The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist" ...I think you'd find it informative. There's also 2 sequels, which both have a different tone to them. Part 2 was widely panned for, well, reasons, but I still enjoy both movies.

Nice surprise to see with All Hallows Eve right around the corner!

Jarrod Wild

Oh look, me with more random trivia (LOL). The semi jump scare moment with the sudden phone ringing while Karras (played by Jason Miller) is listening to the tape of Regan, the director actually fired a gun near Miller's head to make sure he was startled properly. Jason Miller was pissed at that, later stating that (paraphrased) as an actor he was quite capable of giving a performance without the need to resort to tricks like that.

Claire Eyles

The voice of the demon as well was done by one person, Mercedes McCambridge. Apart from roughening her voice with a lot of cigarettes, whiskey and raw eggs (so the story goes), she also had the ability to speak in polyphonic tones.

Claire Eyles

I was enthusiastic when I got the email alerting me to this and watched it pretty much straight away! I see others have already pointed out several things so I won’t bother. (That’s much too vulgar a display of power.) I will say this is a fine bit of ‘70s filmmaking (so, before I was born.) The realism and the setting of the stage is so very good here. I buy all of these people. This is a movie I’ve already seen more than once but I was glad to see it this time to see your response. ... This may be out of place, but I don’t know when else to ask: have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz (1939)? Just wondering.

Koz

This was a really nice surprise! Well timed release for me to watch in the middle of the night in Australia. X) I think it's really cool that you managed to be completely unspoiled until now.

Raq Miller

All of the effects in this movie were done practically as well, eg the bed shaking, bed floating, Regan levitating when possessed, things flying around the room just before the crucifix scene, all done with mechanical devices, wires and industrial fans. The effect of Regan being flung and thrown up and down on the bed was also done mechanically. Linda Blair, who played Regan, was injured during the scene because the brace she was wearing, that was meant to protect her from the mechanical pump under the bed (with a metal plate that 'pushed' her into the air) slipped out of place. She's only partly acting in that scene, because when the character is screaming 'make it stop, it hurts' etc etc, that was actually Linda Blair herself trying to alert the crew to the fact that something had gone wrong without completely breaking character. Ellen Burstyn was injured during the crucifix scene as well. When Regan knocks Chris off her feet and she flies across the room, Ellen Burstyn was on a stunt line for that scene and the guy in charge of the line pulled way too hard and ended up quite badly injuring her back when she hit the ground/wall (her screaming in pain is another 'not acting' moment in the movie).

Claire Eyles

ohhh watching right now 💃💃💃💃

So I have a feeling the comments on this is mostly just gonna be me posting random bits of trivia. :D The scene in the bar where Father Karras is talking to the other Priest and saying "I've lost my faith, Tom', Tom is played by a Jesuit Priest by the name of 'Father Thomas Berminghan'. Damien Karras' friend, Father Dyer, is also played by an actual Jesuit Priest, 'Father William 'O' Malley' (who Friedkin, the director, quite literally slapped across the face at one point during filming in order to get a better performance from him).

Claire Eyles

If anyone watches the Mindhunter series as well, in Season 2 there is an episode where they interview the murderer Patrick Bateson - the blond haired guy with the trimmed beard in the angiogram scene of The Exorcist just happens to be the real life Patrick Bateson. They used actual medical staff to film that scene & at the time Bateson was working as a radiography assistant. William Friedkin later made the 1980 film 'Cruising', with Al Pacino, which was based on Bateson & the crimes he was suspected of (besides the murder he was jailed for).

Claire Eyles

Random Trivia: Max Von Sydow was 43 when he played the role of Father Merrin. Dick Smith aged him up to a man in his 70s with some rather masterful practical make up effects. If you compare the old age makeup in the film to shots of an older Max Von Sydow now, it's kinda uncanny how much he did age in a very similar way.

Claire Eyles

It's one of my all time favourite movies as well, of any genre, not just horror. That's why I requested it (also because intelligent, character and plot driven horror which I thought might be a nice introduction for a horror newbie). :)

Claire Eyles

LOL, the 'song' at the opening is the Islamic call to prayer. The opening scene was actually filmed in Iraq (back when you could film there) on an actual archaelogical dig site. The only stipulation from the Iraqi government (from memory of numerous documentaries I've seen over the years) for being allowed to film there was that no Americans could be part of the crew (so they used mostly British crew) & Dick Smith (the make up legend) had to give them his recipe for fake blood.

Claire Eyles

OMG YES! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! *happy dance* Okay, going to watch the reaction now (pre-emptive hugs and celebratory bottles of wine for your reacting to a horror movie). :)

Claire Eyles

Oh wow, this is one of my top 3 favourite movies... *nervously presses play*