A visiting actress in Washington, D.C., notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's terminal sickness. And, book-ending the story, a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for a show-down with an old demonic enemy.Written by
Andrew Harmon <aharmon@erols.com>
The bedroom set had to be refrigerated to capture the authentic icy breath of the actors in the exorcising scenes. Linda Blair, who was only in a flimsy nightgown, says to this day she cannot stand being cold. See more »
Goofs
When Father Karras visits his mother at her house, he removes his collar and places it edge-wise on the shelf. In the next shot, the collar is lying down at a different angle. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Boy:
[in Arabic]
They've found something... small pieces.
See more »
Crazy Credits
There are no opening credits after the title. Although it is commonplace now, it was unheard of in 1973. See more »
Alternate Versions
The scene where the Demonic entity leaves Father Karras was originally done by filming Jason Miller in possession makeup, then stopping the camera and shooting him again with the makeup removed. This creates a noticeable jump in Father Karras' position as he is unpossessed. The 25'th anniversary video releases of "The Exorcist" smooth over the jumpy transition with a subtle computer morph effect. This updated effect was not featured in the prints used for the 75th Anniversary Warner Brothers film festivals. See more »
I recently revisited this film on Blu-ray after some 45 years. It still rates as one of my favourite horror films, one of my top ten films and a masterpiece of film making. Beautiful photography, great locations, sets, special effects and acting.
It still stands up as a great film today
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I recently revisited this film on Blu-ray after some 45 years. It still rates as one of my favourite horror films, one of my top ten films and a masterpiece of film making. Beautiful photography, great locations, sets, special effects and acting. It still stands up as a great film today