The Exorcist's makers were also hit by claims that the film contained subliminal messages.Ī white face which briefly flashed on screen during a dream sequence in the film is one example, but Friedkin later said it was not meant to be fully detected by the audience. Their real screams of pain can be heard in the film. Its controversy prompted one UK priest to claim that unless the film was 'stopped', there was a 'real danger' that there would be a 'whole new crop of' of people suffering from schizophrenia, along with cases of 'genuine possession'.īased on a book of the same name by William Peter Blatty – who adapted it for screen himself – the film was beset by problems during production.Ī fire destroyed most of the set of the MacNeil home, whilst both Blair and Burstyn suffered painful back injuries during filming. It featured scenes including the moment possessed Regan did a 'spider-walk' down the stairs, while another showed her head spin 360 degrees. In the 1973 film, Burstyn's character enlisted the help of two priests – played by Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller – to exorcise a demon, named Pazuzu, from her daughter.ĭirected by William Friedkin, the film is still considered to be one of the scariest of all time. Now, Universal Pictures has announced that it is to launch a new $400million follow-up trilogy from 2023 to mark the 50th anniversary of the horror classic's US release.Īctress Ellen Burstyn, now 88, is set to reprise her role as Chris MacNeil, the mother of the original possessed girl Regan, who was portrayed by Linda Blair. The conservative campaigner Mary Whitehouse also wanted it banned. Throughout Britain, local councils banned showings, whilst priests called for it to be wiped from screens entirely - before it had even been shown in the UK.
Some moviegoers fainted or vomited, while others said they had wanted to leave the cinema but were physically too scared to move. When it was released in the UK in 1974, The Exorcist shocked viewers who were unaccustomed to such intense horror on screen.
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