There’s a new Exorcist sequel, The Exorcist: Believer, reaching theatres tomorrow, October 6th – but in his review of the film, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray says it’s abysmal and advises horror fans to “Watch the original instead.” And watching the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) is always good advice to follow. The movie is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a 4K release and a theatrical re-release… and fifty years after it first reached the screen, there are still new things to discover about it. Filmmaker Paul Davis has taken to social media to share a snippet of actress Eileen Dietz’s Pazuzu makeup test, where she’s wearing makeup designed by the legendary Dick Smith. The snippet is less than 30 seconds long, but there’s more to come. Over Halloween, Davis will be releasing a commentary video that includes 10 minutes of unseen outtakes and the full 2 minute makeup test video.
- 10/5/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
William Friedkin’s horror classic The Exorcist turns 50 years old here in 2023, and the film’s raw power is felt as much today as it was all those decades ago. One of the most enduring images of the 1973 masterpiece is the face of the demon Pazuzu, played by Eileen Dietz.
The image flashes on the screen multiple times throughout The Exorcist, turning Dietz into something of a horror icon in her own right. All these years later, rare footage from those Pazuzu makeup tests has surfaced, and it’s been shared by Paul Davis on social media.
Davis, who directed Beware the Moon: Remembering An American Werewolf in London as well as the films The Body and Uncanny Annie (both part of Blumhouse’s anthology series “Into the Dark”), has shared a brief snippet of what he calls the “holy grail of outtakes from The Exorcist,” and he promises that...
The image flashes on the screen multiple times throughout The Exorcist, turning Dietz into something of a horror icon in her own right. All these years later, rare footage from those Pazuzu makeup tests has surfaced, and it’s been shared by Paul Davis on social media.
Davis, who directed Beware the Moon: Remembering An American Werewolf in London as well as the films The Body and Uncanny Annie (both part of Blumhouse’s anthology series “Into the Dark”), has shared a brief snippet of what he calls the “holy grail of outtakes from The Exorcist,” and he promises that...
- 10/4/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Panned by critics and hailed by audiences as one of the greatest horror films ever made, William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" is a classic that always finds its way onto the screens of viewers during Halloween season. The 1973 film, based on the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, centers on mother Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), who is desperate for answers after her seemingly normal daughter, Regan, begins to act strangely after interacting with a Ouija board in their rented home. After an attempt to contact a spirit named "Captain Howdy," Regan's physical, mental, and emotional state begins to decline severely and quickly, and she becomes possessed. Overwhelmed with her daughter's aggressive persona and superhuman strength, Chris enlists the help of two priests to expel the demon from Regan before it kills her.
At the time of its release, "The Exorcist" was considered by many to be the scariest movie in film history.
At the time of its release, "The Exorcist" was considered by many to be the scariest movie in film history.
- 10/3/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Strangeland was one of those random bubblecase VHS horror rentals from the local video store that made you feel like you’d won the lottery. An absolute blind rental that ended up blowing your mind and making you feel like you knew something no-one else was aware of. It had it all. Scares, a kick ass metal soundtrack, the birth of internet horror and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider (who wrote the film as well) coming off the top rope and shocking the hell out of you with one of the scariest villain performances ever.
“Someday we’ll meet, marry and have cyber sex with the man of our dreams online.”
Genevieve Gage (a gothed-up Linda Cardellini) is explaining to her friend the intricacies of early internet AOL style chat rooms. Watching today, it’s a wild reminder of the days when you’d meet someone who “sounded hot” on...
“Someday we’ll meet, marry and have cyber sex with the man of our dreams online.”
Genevieve Gage (a gothed-up Linda Cardellini) is explaining to her friend the intricacies of early internet AOL style chat rooms. Watching today, it’s a wild reminder of the days when you’d meet someone who “sounded hot” on...
- 8/14/2023
- by Mike Holtz
- bloody-disgusting.com
William Friedkin's demonic possession film "The Exorcist," based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, cause a sensation when it was first released in 1973. It took place in Georgetown, Washington DC, an upscale college town, and depicted the life of a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair) as she became increasingly ill and erratic. She began contorting her body at random intervals and screaming obscenities at adults in a deep, unusual voice. No doctors could find out what was wrong with her. Regan's illnesses were marked by some eerie coincidences. She had recently, just for fun, begun having conversations with a spirit named Captain Howdy via an Ouija board. A local church was also vandalized, their Virgin Mary statue given outsized genitalia.
Also, a faraway priest named Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) discovered a strange demonic statue in an archaeological dig in Iraq. As Hamlet might say, time is out of joint.
Also, a faraway priest named Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) discovered a strange demonic statue in an archaeological dig in Iraq. As Hamlet might say, time is out of joint.
- 8/7/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Found-footage horror — that thing you never want to see again, until once every couple years someone finds a fresh angle — meets “The King of Comedy,” of all things, in “Late Night With the Devil.” The third feature from enterprising Aussie siblings Colin and Cameron Cairnes kicks up a notch their flair for bringing novel twists to familiar genre tropes, by positing occult mayhem during a live broadcast of a 1970s network talk show.
The resulting mix of vintage Me Decade showbiz cheese and “Exorcist”-y demonic doings is distinctive, not to mention deftly handled by the brothers as both writers and directors. Well-received at its SXSW premiere, this clever high-concept gambit should raise its makers’ profile, likely inviting some Hollywood offers — which one suspects they’d be open to, given this is their first project set (though not produced) in the U.S. rather than on home turf.
An eight-minute...
The resulting mix of vintage Me Decade showbiz cheese and “Exorcist”-y demonic doings is distinctive, not to mention deftly handled by the brothers as both writers and directors. Well-received at its SXSW premiere, this clever high-concept gambit should raise its makers’ profile, likely inviting some Hollywood offers — which one suspects they’d be open to, given this is their first project set (though not produced) in the U.S. rather than on home turf.
An eight-minute...
- 3/23/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
In May 2020, a former NASA engineer named Ronald Edwin Hunkeler passed away at the age of 85. During his time with the space agency, he had patented heat shields that helped put people on the moon in 1969, but he lived in constant fear that his other claim to fame would be unearthed. For during his teenage years, he was the boy who inspired "The Exorcist."
Although the case has been subject to great scrutiny and skepticism since it was reported in 1949, the "Roland Doe" exorcism remains one of the most famous possession cases, largely thanks to its relation to William Friedkin's blockbuster movie. Hunkeler, who was given pseudonyms to protect his identity, was 13 years old when the disturbances began. First, there were strange noises and moving objects. Then he started displaying increasingly unusual behavior, talking in a guttural voice unlike his own, speaking Latin phrases, and showing extreme discomfort when presented with sacred objects.
Although the case has been subject to great scrutiny and skepticism since it was reported in 1949, the "Roland Doe" exorcism remains one of the most famous possession cases, largely thanks to its relation to William Friedkin's blockbuster movie. Hunkeler, who was given pseudonyms to protect his identity, was 13 years old when the disturbances began. First, there were strange noises and moving objects. Then he started displaying increasingly unusual behavior, talking in a guttural voice unlike his own, speaking Latin phrases, and showing extreme discomfort when presented with sacred objects.
- 1/8/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
When the news dropped about Warner Bros. deciding to shelve "Batgirl," "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt," and potentially other projects being produced for HBO Max, it struck a lot of us as a fairly unprecedented move. For "Batgirl" in particular, the size of the budget (a reported 90 million) and its connection to a popular franchise make it an even more startling that this decision has happened. The implications of using productions that artists spend years working on as mere tax loophole fodder sets a fairly depressing precedent for how studios can operate in the future.
However, this is not the first time a nearly completed film has been shelved by a studio. It's not even the first one shelved by Warner Bros. since the turn of the 21st Century. In fact, one shelved production also happened to connect to a very well-known franchise, and next year, we will see a new entry...
However, this is not the first time a nearly completed film has been shelved by a studio. It's not even the first one shelved by Warner Bros. since the turn of the 21st Century. In fact, one shelved production also happened to connect to a very well-known franchise, and next year, we will see a new entry...
- 8/31/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
It was back in 1998 that rock legend Dee Snider wrote and starred in the horror movie Strangeland, which has become something of a cult hit here in the horror world. Snider played villain Captain Howdy in the John Pieplow-directed horror movie, a sadist specializing in body modification rituals who lures his teenage victims through […]
The post Dee Snider Directing a New Horror Movie This Year! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post Dee Snider Directing a New Horror Movie This Year! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 5/9/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Eileen Dietz best known for her iconic role as the face of the demon in The Exorcist (aka Captain Howdy) and has worked with iconic directors including William Friedkin, Rob Zombie, Jamie Fox, and Tony Perkins. Check out the trailer for her next film, 100 Acres of Hell, embedded at the top of the article! […]
The post Trailer: Terror Dwells within 100 Acres Of Hell Starring Eileen Dietz appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Trailer: Terror Dwells within 100 Acres Of Hell Starring Eileen Dietz appeared first on Dread Central.
- 11/14/2019
- by Josh Millican
- DreadCentral.com
Captain Howdy would be excited for this dark thriller… Kevin Chicken’s dark thriller Perfect Skin is set to have its World Premiere at next month’s London FrightFest, which takes place from Aug 23 – Aug 27, 2018. The film stars Richard Brake (Three From Hell, Game Of Thrones), Natalia Kostrzewa (The Cured), and Jo Woodcock (Dorian Grey) in a story that delves into the […]...
- 6/29/2018
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
William Friedkin’s film of William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist is an expert telling of a supernatural horror story. The well cast film makes credible in powerful laymen’s terms the rare phenomenon of diabolic possession.
Blatty’s story is based on a 1949 incident of documented possession, atop which came Friedkin’s own investigations. The joint effort is cohesive and compelling, gripping both the senses and the intellect.
A compendium of production delays, some of puzzling origin (shooting alone occupied more than 10 months [of the 16-month period]), and rush to completion upped final costs to $8 million-$10 million.
Jesuit priest Max von Sydow is the leader of an archeological expedition. After unearthing some pagan hex symbol, several near fatal accidents occur. Thence to Georgetown, Maryland.
Ellen Burstyn, a divorced film actress, is on location with daughter Linda Blair, the latter becoming aware of some apparent inner spiritual friend whom she calls ‘Captain Howdy...
Blatty’s story is based on a 1949 incident of documented possession, atop which came Friedkin’s own investigations. The joint effort is cohesive and compelling, gripping both the senses and the intellect.
A compendium of production delays, some of puzzling origin (shooting alone occupied more than 10 months [of the 16-month period]), and rush to completion upped final costs to $8 million-$10 million.
Jesuit priest Max von Sydow is the leader of an archeological expedition. After unearthing some pagan hex symbol, several near fatal accidents occur. Thence to Georgetown, Maryland.
Ellen Burstyn, a divorced film actress, is on location with daughter Linda Blair, the latter becoming aware of some apparent inner spiritual friend whom she calls ‘Captain Howdy...
- 12/31/1972
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
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