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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
William Peter Blatty (written for the screen by)
William Peter Blatty (novel)
Release Date:
26 December 1973 (USA) more
Tagline:
Something beyond comprehension is happening to a little girl on this street, in this house. A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is The Exorcist. more
Plot:
When a teenager is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 14 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(160 articles)
William Friedkin Directing William Peter Blatty's Exorcist Remake?
(From FirstShowing.net. 15 November 2009, 3:09 PM, PST)
William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin Team for Another The Exorcist?
(From MovieWeb. 14 November 2009, 8:35 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Review of The Exorcist. more (863 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Ellen Burstyn | ... | Chris MacNeil | |
| Max von Sydow | ... | Father Merrin | |
| Lee J. Cobb | ... | Lt. Kinderman | |
| Kitty Winn | ... | Sharon | |
| Jack MacGowran | ... | Burke Dennings | |
| Jason Miller | ... | Father Karras | |
| Linda Blair | ... | Regan | |
| Reverend William O'Malley | ... | Father Dyer (as Reverend William O'Malley S.J.) | |
| Barton Heyman | ... | Dr. Klein | |
| Peter Masterson | ... | Dr. Barringer - Clinic Director (as Pete Masterson) | |
| Rudolf Schündler | ... | Karl | |
| Gina Petrushka | ... | Willi | |
| Robert Symonds | ... | Dr. Taney | |
| Arthur Storch | ... | Psychiatrist | |
| Reverend Thomas Bermingham | ... | Tom - President of University (as Reverend Thomas Bermingham S.J.) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Exorcist 2000 (Australia) (cable TV title)
The Exorcist: The Version You Haven't Seen Yet (USA) (recut version)
The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen (USA) (promotional title)
William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist (USA) (reissue title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong language and disturbing images. (edited version in 2000)
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
122 min | 132 min (director's cut)
Country:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (1979 re-release) | DTS-ES (director's cut) | Dolby Digital EX (director's cut) | Mono (original release) | SDDS (director's cut)
Certification:
Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1998) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:R (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:(Banned) | UK:(Banned) (original rating) | Italy:VM14 (director's cut) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Brazil:14 | Singapore:(Banned) (original rating) | Singapore:R(A) (re-rating) (cut) | Canada:14A (re-rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:18 (original rating) | Canada:R (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2000 re-release) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) (2000 re-release) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (2000 re-release) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (also 2000 version) | Chile:14 (re-rating) (2000) | Chile:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 (director's cut) | France:-16 (original rating) | Germany:16 (bw) (2001 re-release) | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:18 | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 | Italy:VM14 (re-release) | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 (director's cut) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 (2000) | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 (video rating) (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (re-rating) (1990) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18 (bw)
Filming Locations:
3600 Prospect Avenue, Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA more
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Director William Friedkin eventually asked technical advisor Reverend Thomas Bermingham to exorcise the set. He refused, saying an exorcism might increase anxiety. Rev. Bermingham wound up visiting the set and gave a blessing and talk to reassure the cast and crew. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Merrin and Karres enter Regans room to start the exorcism, Merrin opens a small black case and produces a crucifix which he kisses then puts on the bedside table. After the priests take a break from the exorcism, Merrin re-enters the room and takes the crucifix out of the case again. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Boy:
[in Iraqi language] They've found something... small pieces.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "Courage the Cowardly Dog: The Demon in the Mattress/Freaky Fred (#1.4)" (1999) more
Soundtrack:
Study No. 2 more
FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?Who desecrated the statue of the Virgin Mary?
Is Regan possessed by Satan or a lesser demon?
more
more (863 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Exorcist (1973) moreRecommendations
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| The Omen | Semum | Rosemary's Baby | Exorcist: The Beginning | Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist |
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For as long as I can recall, I've always possessed (no pun intended) an innate feeling that there exists outside the realm of our established dogma things that defy conventional logic. When I was in the sixth grade, I read the book, "The Exorcist," which scared me senseless. The idea that the Devil could infiltrate the delicate core of one's being called a soul absolutely terrified me at such a young age. After seeing the movie, I was speechless. Have been ever since. William Friedkin's transformation of the book to the movie was superb, in my opinion. (Not all adaptations are.) Dick Smith's special effects, in contrast to today's make-up advancements in the film industry, are still able to stand the test of time. The acting was splendid, from Lee J. Cobb & Jason Miller, to Ellen Burstyn and Max von Sydow's limited appearance in the piece. Friedkin's slice-of-life direction enhances the essence of the fear-factor in an oddly subtle fashion, as though the viewer were actually alongside the characters in the film. Lending to the creepiness of the film is the fact that there exists a minimal musical score (Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" does accompany two nuns strolling gingerly down a Georgetown street in autumn, their robes billowing slightly in the wind). The palpability of what happens to a young Linda Blair has astounded me for over three decades. Having been so taken with the notion that inhuman entities DO stalk the earth and have never existed in human form, I've written a couple of novels on the subject matter, myself. I liken the new version that had been released a few years ago to the last nail in the proverbial coffin of effectiveness, making this one of the best horror-genre films of all time. Simply put: I've never seen any film that remotely comes close to what this movie has done to me (in terms of frightening me senseless). Linda Blair's cute Regan MacNeil is utterly transformed into a beast which is flat-out disturbing to behold. The movie has moved me ever since I had seen it at age fourteen, and I suspect will always. Put simply, at age forty-three I still have a difficult time watching it on my own. Great job, Mr. Friedkin and crew!