The Exorcist | Canadian First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Movie Commentary

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I love the difference in expression between Simone and George at scary moments. Simone has the genuine horror look and George has the "OMG that is awesome" look 😂

[@VirgilVonGraban]

You mean that open stare and cleuless look?

[@revjohnlee]

And it was completely reversed when Regan grabbed the doc's crotch. George had the genuine horror and Simone had the "awesome" look.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

@@revjohnlee 😂 that'll do it. Any crotch injuries and every man immediately goes "ooooohhh" and sometimes immediately guards his junk

[@jessicabarter2928]

Had me lauging so much, couldn't get more oposit reactions, absolutely fantastic 🤣🤣🤣 thanks Simone and George 😜

[@parallaxnick637]

George in 10 years: "I've seen the Exorcist about 167 times, and it keeps gettin' funnier every single time I see it!"

[@ManamiMaxted]

I was laughing along with George when Simone reacted to him slowly turning his head (34:30). Her “DON’T” And subsequent pouting was too precious!

[@Muckylittleme]

If only it had spun all the way around, win, win. 😈

[@Daveyboy100880]

Simone just had all the expressions on her face then! Yet another reason to love these two 😁

[@thecockerel86]

@@Muckylittleme 😐 If George had spun his head all the way round, I would have thrown away my phone and run away my house! 🥶

[@noneya3635]

He better have given her a hug after that. But yeah, that was adorable and hilarious at the same time.

[@martinsmartians]

YEARS ago, I watched it with my girlfriend at the time (who was VERY sheltered) and when the movie was done, we sat on her couch in her bedroom in the dark. After a bit of silence, I began quoting lines from the movie doing my best demon voice. It freaked her out. She kept yelling at me "STAAAHP IIIIT!" Worth it.

[@WarewolfThereWolf]

An often overlooked aspect of the story is that Father Karras never actually meets Regan, just the demon possessing her body. His character is heroic and selfless.

[@hellomark1]

Yeah it took me a few watches but the last thing he says to Reagan's mom "Is she going to die?" "...No." like he's made up his mind that he will lay down his life to protect her.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

Heroic and selfless, for sure. And, ironically, though the idea of possession is meant to cause those who witness it to despair and turn away from a God who they feel has abandoned them, seeing the supernatural/demon in action with his own eyes is what restored Karras's faith and allowed him to rejoin the fight he was about to abandon.

[@adi1582]

I think in the book, Chris even points out that father Karras never even met Regan, and how he didn't see how sweet she actually was.

[@Bluesit32]

​@@hellomark1That and him fully embrace his faith.

[@SlugCult718]

He is actually intimately involved with the demon itself. As they met before and he exorcised this particular it in the past and it lasted for months and it nearly killed him. The explanation in the movie is pretty quick and if you blink you will miss it. So yes, he may never have met Regan but his job is like a policeman for Jesus and God.

[@bigredtlc1828]

Linda Blair deserves a lifetime Oscar for her performance in this movie. The trauma she must've experienced and kept all these years. She does an amazing job in this movie. Incredible. When this movie hit the theaters, there were reports of people fainting during the movie and others just leaving as it was too much. Nobody had seen anything like this movie. The staircase sequence was not in the theatrical version but was added to the Director's cut.

[@JeshuaSquirrel]

I think she hurt her back doing those violent sit-ups on the bed. But yeah, she did great. And many directors didn't think she'd be able to carry the movie.

[@bigredtlc1828]

@@JeshuaSquirrel I know Ellen Burstyn got hurt bad in the scene where she was knocked to the floor and director just kept rolling before getting her help. She wasn't happy, if I recall.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

She also semi reprised her possessed character role in the comedy spoof “Repossessed” with Leslie Nielsen.

[@vytallicaq.6881]

She was also great 2 years later, in a TV movie she did with Martin Sheen called "Sweet Hostage". You can see that one here on YT.

[@grunions9648]

Man that staircase sequence... The movie was banned for a long time where I'm from, although I'd seen a grainy copy on VHS. So later when I watched the Director's Cut without realising that scene made me do a poop.

[@BasilOnatopp]

They actually put Max Von Sydow in old age makeup. Can you believe how well they predicted his actual old-age appearance?

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

Dude was in his early 40's when the film was made, 4 years before the first Star Wars movie, and looks like he walked off the set of this and straight onto TFA 40-odd years later.

[@OneThousandHomoDJs]

I love that George immediately thought Max was actually old. Kudos to the makeup guy.

[@stobe187]

So often in movies - even modern ones - they royally fuck up old age makeup effects. Von Sydow's look still holds up today remarkably well..

[@anthonymunn8633]

@Gerald H it's amazing Smith did all these effects/makeup with just one assistant-a young man he mentored called Rick Baker,who of course went on to have a pretty Sterling career of his own.

[@TomVCunningham]

The makeup was so good he had problems getting roles because people thought he was too old.

[@scarletibis3158]

Linda Blair said that it was fascinating to see Max Von Sydow come to work in the morning as a robust 40 year old man, enter the makeup area, and come out an older man. She loved making this film. Btw the pills he was taking were nitroglycerine tablets for a bad heart. My grandmother used to have a little pillbox with nitroglycerine in it for her own condition.

[@dahveed72]

maybe the best "old man" transformation in cinema history. Completely believable and understated.

[@tomyoung9049]

Laughed so hard when George did that slow head turn and Simone looked so mad 🤣 . This is a long standing classic. Even some myths surround it.

[@andrewmccormack4295]

Yes,Simone looked absolutely furious and just about to burst into tears.From what I understand some of this movie is taken from real events.Loved the reaction and looking forward to the next one.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

Yeah George, you bad boy! You guys did a heck of a reaction but that slow turning really cracked me up. Simone was rightly angry. It seemed that you were often amused and she was just constantly terrified. I first saw this movie on network TV in the early 80s when I was in my teens, with my family, and I found it tolerably scary yet interesting. For national TV it was carefully edited/censored with a viewer discretion advisory at the start. Back then, whenever the commercial breaks started and ended, they did an eerie synth music sound that was so befitting that when it got syndicated, the local TV network kept the same pieces for the commercial breaks. I’d be curious to see if it’s been preserved on video. By the way, that coffee mug is HUGE, unless I’m mistaken, that’s supposed to be a soup mug.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@andrewmccormack4295 What real events?

[@bigyeticane]

At the end of the movie, Father Karras was receiving his last rites from his fellow priest just before he dies at the bottom of the stairs. His subtle hand movement acknowledges that he accepts the last rites with as much will as he has left. I thought that was kind of a cool detail.

[@BuccWylde]

But does he die?...😉

[@Apostasy362]

FYI: Burke Dennings - the man the demon killed and pushed out the window - was the British director, the one who was so drunk and calling Karl a Nazi at the party. The man Regan told "You're gonna die up there" was an Apollo astronaut. And when the demon said, "Do you know what she did?" during the head-spinning scene, it was using Burke's voice and his British accent and turn of phrase. Great reaction, both of you.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

It was insinuated in your comment but just to connect the dots for anyone that may have missed it: Regan spins her head around like Burke's was when his body was found at the bottom of the stairs and then she says in his voice and accent, "Do you know what she did?" i.e. "She twisted my head around and murdered me."

[@Zunderfeuer]

Simone hyperventilating into her ginormous barrel of a coffee mug and Goerge just grinning like a mad man. I never get tired seeing this video

[@raydurz]

The demon that possessed Regan was Pazuzu, which was whom the statue represented. If I remember correctly it was also the demon that Father Merrin exorcised before, which is why the demon was so upset when he stepped into the house.

[@VirgilVonGraban]

In reality Pazuzu is actually a protector, a good spirit.. but yeah hollywood

[@pete_lind]

By the sequel , part 2 , that is not worth watching , but Exorcist 3 from 1990 is better , man who played the priest in this , Jason Miller , had brain damage from alcohol use and could not remember long lines , so they had Brad Dourif doin all the long dialogues .

[@thalesanastacio760]

@@VirgilVonGraban Being a protector is different than being good. Plenty of mythical entities are protective if you give them offerings or devotion, without necessarily being benevolent

[@jcarlovitch]

I'm pretty sure demons are always upset, it is a job requirement.

[@cesarvidelac]

@@VirgilVonGraban True. The problem is the jewish tradition that passed to chistianism. Hebrews assimilated babylonian pantheon as demons, regardless they were positive or negative entities. And cathecism and Hollywood of course!

[@derekdecker555]

Good job Simone! Yes, the demons real target was Father Karris. In the book, it explains much more that demons often try to take people of faith because that’s the bigger prize. Also, it very much wanted a rematch with Father Merrin who had cast it out years before.

[@mctown972]

Father Merrin walking towards the house in the middle of a foggy night has to be one of the greatest scenes in cinema history....

[@mournblade1066]

It is truly iconic.

[@blabla48076]

Legendary shot

[@stephenpmurphy591]

It's ominous yet beautiful one of cinemas greatest shots!

[@domenicgalata1470]

Based on the artwork of Rene Magritte, a great Belgian painter who has many stunning pieces.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

Also creepy that as soon as he enters the house, you hear the loud scream of his name: “MERRIN!”.

[@mj_SR22]

Can we get a supercut of just the faces Simone makes? They're amazing and so endearingly sincere. You could even do a supercut of each emotion, haha. The many faces of Simone series! And then one just of George turning pink from laughter would be great too!

[@Captain_McClutch]

I love how Simone is terrified the whole time, and George is laughing/loving all of it. I wouldn't be shocked if he became one of those giant horror movie fans.

[@Ausecko1]

you misspelled "serial killer"

[@waynefallin5966]

Lee J Cobb, who played the detective, was a great actor who had wonderful performances in Death of a Salesman and 12 Angry Men.

[@tsubakesanjuro2134]

34:31 I adore your chemistry together and your ability to playfully push each other's buttons. Happy Halloween!

[@djfabianfontes]

Almost 50 years after being released, "The Exorcist" to this day still remains the measuring stick to which all other horror films are compared. That is legendary.

[@timothymeyer8038]

The movie(book) is loosely based on the true story of Ronald Hunkeler, a 14 year old boy who went through a series of exorcisms in 1949 in St. Louis. The Guardian (and other outlets) put out a news story about him after his death a year ago. The Lutheran church first tried to help him, but then transferred him to the Catholics for help. There are records of these events, including first hand accounts of phenomena like objects flying around or chairs shaking on their own accord, kept at the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, where I graduated from. Also, exorcisms are not uncommon, as implied in the movie. In fact, there is even an official International Association of Exorcists in the Catholic Church. These professional exorcists work closely with doctors and psychiatrists to rule out natural causes before performing the rite of exorcism.

[@mmsizzlak]

Did you see the documentary on it? I think it's still on KZbin... The story is just disturbing all around... But the film itself is perhaps imo one of the best horror films ever made...

[@doreybain]

The diaries the priests kept for the exorcism are available to read online. There's also a short interview with Fr. Halloran, the real life younger priest, online. It was done by the SLU newspaper after Fr. Halloran had retired. I had a friend who attended SLUH in 1972. Fr. Halloran was pointed out to him by another priest. "That's the guy who had his nose broken by a kid possessed by the devil," he said. My friend didn't understand what he was talking about until the movie came out a year later. Almost no one had heard about an exorcism before the movie. Fr. Halloran mentioned his broken nose in a newspaper article. BTW, Fr. Halloran earned two bronze stars while he served in the Vietnam War.

[@carladavis1473]

Actually this is NOT true. It's based on a true story that happened in my hometown of Maryland. The little girl was a Actually a little boy. The movie was filmed but to far from my home in Washington DC. This stairs were a famous destination for teenagers and every curious adult after the movie came out. As a teen I had a summer job in Georgetown and we would sometimes go pass those stairs and scare each other half to death. Anyway, yea, that's what is based on. The boys name was Roland Doe

[@barbaralenihan7451]

Roland Doe was an alias. They even used the name Robbie Doe. Ronald Hunkeler was his real name. The whole thing started in Maryland. I think the town is called Cottage City. He went on to have a perfectly normal life. It is said that he worked for NASA.@@carladavis1473

[@Goisol]

"i have dreams of a rose and of falling down a long flight of stairs" ... the Exorcist 3 a direct follow up to this film by the same author and highly underrated

[@salmanedy]

Catatonics are so easy to possess.

[@SirMrHowell]

To answer George's question about the stairs scene, The scene was accomplished with wires and a contortionist. However, when it was originally filmed, it was deemed that the wires were too visible and it might have been too over the top. The scene was missing from the film's original release and was put back in along with the lighter ending with the detective and Father Dyer by William Peter Blatty for its special edition release. The missing scenes were lost for some time until they were rediscovered and restored, the wires were digitally edited out. I hope that you both really enjoyed the film.

[@grokuis]

Another answer is from the director himself, in terms of cinematic narrative: you cannot have too intense narrative elements put together, one of them loses the tension. The death of Burke and the stairs scene. Too much to process.

[@Col_Fragg]

Very little in the extended cut should have been restored to the film. Only the ending scene between the priest and the detective really brings anything to the table. The subliminal images of the demon are pointless as the no one in the movie sees them. It's just to give the audience a jump scare.

[@grokuis]

@@Col_Fragg I agree. Blatty and Friedkin argued about the first cut, but I think Friedkin was right and the extended cut adds pointless elements. The stair scene, I'd prefer the tongue scene deleted, which in the book occurs in the room too. But no more.

[@grokuis]

@@st0n3p0ny Taking Reagan off the room is anti climatic. Even the tongue scene they tried was out of context. All the possession occurs in the room. Including the stairs scene is just for the sake of givin' a shocker, wich works for most people. Not for the story, though. I'm on Friedkin's side: Burke is dead, hey! btw, is that your daughter spider walking the shit down the stairs. Wow! pretty intense life. The decision was correct.

[@grokuis]

@@st0n3p0ny Was she?

[@bradvitz2531]

As a DC native I’m so happy you watched this. You can visit those stairs in Georgetown. I rowed crew in high school. And we would run up and down those stairs all the time. Needless to say, the ‘Exorcist Stairs’ are terrifying for a different reason for generations of rowers.

[@okeefe757]

Max Von Sydows' old age makeup accurately predicted his look as an old man.

[@krautgazer]

I don't think Reagan fully remembers it. For me, the look on her face after seeing the father's clothing is one of instinctual memory, like she FELT something but don't remember it consciously. I don't think it even makes sense story-wise for her to fully remember it and not be traumatized by it and continue to act all bubblingly like nothing happened.

[@rogueozy9394]

There is a sequel so... that's a way to find out (heard its not good tho, it's horrible, utterly horrible and fascinating)

[@davidlambert8879]

for the real follow up there was a 2 season TV show called The Exorcist that starts with Reagan as a grown woman and her family, and it shows alot of what she went through growing up and the effect it had on her and her mom and also some thigns that happened we didn't get to see in the movie @@rogueozy9394

[@alphajava761]

Kinda like the Green Mile? The Warden's wife doesn't know who John is but she knows he's responsible for saving her, she said "I've seen you in my dreams John".

[@weirdcinemashow]

This is the correct reading. From the novel: “Surprised, the young Jesuit leaned over, and with her hands on his shoulders Regan kissed his cheek, and then, dropping her arms, she looked off with a frown of puzzlement, as if she were wondering why she had done so.” She is acting off intuition, something tells her that this collar represents something to her. And no, I don’t think you need to watch Exorcist II: The Heretic. William Peter Blatty turned down writing the script and the new director, John Boorman, didn’t like the original and had no interest in being faithful to the material so he kind of developed his own very weird science fiction movie out of it. The best thing you can say about it is that it has some interesting imagery, but even as a standalone movie, it’s kind of goofy. If it didn’t have the name Exorcist behind it and maybe if it were set in the distant future, or an alternate reality, where all of the futuristic technology actually made sense, it might stand a chance. The Exorcist III however was written and directed by Blatty and is absolutely phenomenal.

[@zmarko]

It's an absolute crime that Linda Blair didn't win an academy award for Best actress (and IMO she was a lead actress, not supporting like what she was nominated for). Her performance in this is downright EPIC.

[@jamesscanlan6240]

I think they probably thought too much of the performance relied on makeup and someone else's voice for the demon. But she was nominated, I think..

[@zmarko]

@@jamesscanlan6240 she was nominated for Best supporting actress (however didnt win), which is a nice honor, but to me she was the central role in the film and should have been treated that way. Her portrayal of Regan was just amazing, especially at her age. Anyway, I still think it was a shame she wasn't nominated for Best Actress. Such a scary movie, and probably the scariest/creepiest role ever (IMO). Watching George and Simone react to it was awesome though. 😀

[@Enrique-Garcia]

There's also the question of how much of the performance was Linda and how much was her double, who did the more physically-demanding parts, like the projectile vomiting or the stabbing between the legs.

[@melissabrecosky6520]

The scenes where she is possessed and in extreme make-up the character was played by a different actress.

[@dnllrnt]

The same reason why Toni Collette didn't get a nomination for Hereditary or Midsommar got 0 recognition. The Academy hates horror movies. Even if they throw movies like this a bone every now and then, they go unnoticed.

[@maisiesummers42]

Probably the best part of this film is that they don't dive right into the exorcism. They actually go through scientific processes to demonstrate that it is beyond known science. I think that's excellent progression. Also, Simone's expression at 34:36 makes me think George got to sleep on the stairs outside that night.

[@maximillianosaben]

Almost 50 years later, and this movie is still scaring the bejesus out of people.

[@neuroticplays]

I always love Simone's weird intros, even though she says she hates herself sometimes, I appreciate them

[@jbo4547]

Yeah shes fucking awesome

[@the_last_centurion]

Simone looked genuinely upset after that head turn. Felt so bad for her.

[@dansegelov305]

Max Von Sydow was about 40 years old in this film with some of the best practical aging makeup ever used. I believe that he initially really struggled for roles after the exorcist, because directors believed he was too old for the roles he was applying to, all because of how well done this transformation was.

[@rollastoney]

It fooled me 100% on another note. I didn’t realize he played the three eyed raven in game of thrones and he passed not long ago. I just assumed because the exorcist was filmed in the 70s and Sydow appeared to be in his 70s in the film, that he had passed a while ago. Force awakens, Robin Hood, shutter island. He was in a TON of things.

[@ricardoarreola8256]

Looks like George spotted him & asked if he was old since the 70s.😊

[@morphman86]

Tubular Bells is such an iconic theme song. I get chills whenever I hear it!

[@CitiesTurnedToDust]

looking into that song, who made it, and how it launched by virgin records and Richard Brandon's success is an interesting rabbit hole to go down

[@darrylpickett1035]

@@CitiesTurnedToDust Agreed. I've followed Mike Oldfield's entire career, launched by that piece's inclusion in this movie.

[@Matrim42]

One thing that almost no one ever gets (to be fair, it’s only a piece of throwaway background dialogue that lets you know, unless you’ve read the book) is that the man Regan says “You’re going to die up there” to is an astronaut.

[@jsapcakrrow]

This movie is 50 years old & still shocking people. It is such a disturbing movie that I can’t imagine they could ever make something like this again. It’s one of those movies that once you see it you can’t unsee it. Happy Halloween 🎃

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

It's a bit silly premise, though.

[@ryanje8147]

this is their best split screen reaction so far. They looked like they were sitting right next to each other.

[@darkhoursofday6250]

They added the last scene to imply that hope still lives and to confirm that the demon didn't win. This film was so well done and artistic, you could write a book on just the symbolism in the first ten minutes.

[@geneweiler5486]

Fun fact: The director used non actors in many of the minor roles. The guy who played the radiologist administrating the dye to Reagan was actually a radiologist at the hospital where the movie was filmed. He was later arrested for murder and convicted. He was thought to be serial killer responsible for more deaths, but it was never proven.

[@deiwi]

LMAO @ George turning his head at the end 😂 I'm dead! I recommend to look up some interviews with Linda Blair, because most of her scenes and dialogue are a huge no-no even today so if you're interested how they filmed it, go for it.

[@uNkLeRaRa4]

I never get tired of watching people react to this movie 🤣

[@briankelley7890]

I personally prefer the pacing to the original cut, but this isn't a bad cut by any means. This is still in my top 5 films of all time. Ellen Burstyn is always a brilliant performer.

[@markdodson6453]

Agree. There's nothing particularly wrong with this cut. But it's unnecessary. (I also agree with Mr. Smith's appraisal. Exactly right.)

[@markdodson6453]

@@stevemccullagh36 I'm glad someone said it about the spiderwalk. What's brilliant about THE EXORCIST is its restraint. That may seem like a strange word to apply to this movie, but nevertheless. Like POLTERGEIST and the underrated contribution of Jobeth Williams to the impact of that film, the power of THE EXORCIST is in its humanity. Without Ellen Burstyn's stunning, emotional performance, without the soul of Jason Miller's Father Damien, it's hard to imagine that THE EXORCIST is the classic that it is. Considering the movie from that angle, the spiderwalk almost seems low rent for THE EXORCIST. Again, it doesn't ruin the movie or anything. But Friedkin got it right the first time.

[@bb21again.67]

I don't like the new ending nor does William Friedkin, it's too cute.

[@bb21again.67]

@@stevemccullagh36 I do call it cute because male bonding after such horrific circumstances don't constitute hope to me,it just seems tacked on.Also somehow the police investigation seems to have been wrapped up too easily,I doubt a homicide detective would accept demonic possession as a motive for two possible murders or suicides.Friedkin said people take from The Exocist what they will,I haven't read the book in a couple of years even still I don't like that ending.

[@bb21again.67]

@@stevemccullagh36 To me the earlier interaction was completely different,not a real invitation but an attempt to soften hostility and re-engage with Karras who he knew he was losing I've just read the books ending again and it's still too cute for me but a lot less so than the movie.Also I don't and didn't when I first saw it want a positive or hopeful ending because I just wanted to savour the emotional intensity of the movie.Friedkin did say that many people have said that they thought the devil won which was one reason why he reinstated it.

[@noneya3635]

"you alright Simone." Stone faced look of total shock, "yeah." 😂

[@cesarvidelac]

Oh, the best part is when you turned your head and Simone yelled NO!! 😸😹 I'll laugh until monday!

[@ArfurFaulkesHake]

The opening song is Mike Oldfields debut album "Tubular Bells". The Excorcist made it well known, and the album went nr. 1 of the UK-Album-Charts for a week, and stayed in the top ten for a year.

[@kenttaylor9238]

Poor Simone. I saw this movie when I was 15 and my sleep walking, sleep talking sister was 12. Traumatized I didn't sleep for 3 days. To this day I've not seen a more disturbing movie. George, from what I understand the stair crab walk was performed by an actual gymnast. Great reaction guys. Love the channel. Keep them coming.

[@lobokurg2786]

Couple of things you guys should know about this film. First, the theme song is Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. This jump started his career and he would go on to travel the globe and make music based on rock, ambient, and folk music from cultures all over the globe. Eventually he would add elements of all that to this original song and do an orchestral size concert with the song growing to a full album length. Really talented guy with great music. Second, watch Exorcist 3. Skip 2. The third film gave us a worthy conclusion to the story decades later that was as good as the original.

[@eliasshaikh2065]

I’ve never seen 3, but 2 was ridiculous.

[@dedo7326]

@@eliasshaikh2065 ridiculous good or bad?

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Tubular Bells is a great album. Obviously it’s not going to be in your party mix, but maybe a jogging playlist.

[@jamesscanlan6240]

I love the pre-CGI effects of movies from the 70's. The practical effects just affect you in a more visceral way. Better for the actors as well; nowadays they'd just pretend to be cold and add in the breath coming from their mouths later. Here, they actually refrigerated the room.

[@kellyi.4353]

Operators were around in the 90's and early 2000's to place collect calls. I placed a couple of collect calls in the 80's.

[@pwmel1]

You mentioned how the movie started in Iraq. The Exorcist was based on a novel written by William Peter Blatty. I met him about twenty-five years ago when he gave a talk at a bookstore and signed books afterward. He told us that he had the idea for the book and rented a house for three months to go and be alone and write the book. But he was blocked for the entire time and couldn't write a single page no matter how hard he tried. So after the three months he went back home and moved on to something else for a while. Then it came to him that the reason he had been unable to write the book was because he was starting it in the wrong place. The story began in Iraq, where the excavated the demon. Once he had figured this out he rented another house and had the book done in less than the three months he had set aside for it. After his presentation and signing, I was lucky enough to have nearly an hour to chat one on one with Blatty. He was a very kind, very interesting, very intelligent man. I'm loving your reaction, as well as all the others I've seen.

[@VirgilVonGraban]

In reality Pazuzu is actually a protector, a good spirit.. but yeah hollywood :D

[@christophergodawski5663]

Did he explain how he ended up with 427 pages of "All work and no play makes Bill a dull boy" at the end of his stay ?

[@tophers3756]

@@VirgilVonGraban Pazuzu wasn't really good. He was pretty wrathful, but he was used as a protector against another spirit who feared him. Sort of like how Greeks would use the likeness of Gorgons to ward off evil.

[@malcolmrowe9003]

@@VirgilVonGraban Given that the film is about a possession from a Catholic perspective, it does not really matter how Pazuzu is viewed within the context of the cultural background he comes from. From a Christian perspective, any spiritual being that is not part of the Trinity or an angel is going to be viewed as either false or demonic. I suspect all the monotheistic religions would have a similar attitude about purported spiritual beings from outside their particular faith. Edit: it does seem a little ironic that a being associated with protecting pregnant women is, here tormenting a young child, although, perhaps that was a deliberate choice. Given that The Exorcist is loosely thought to be inspired by a specific exorcism, is it known what entity was thought to be the possessor in that case?

[@NSnicket]

Regan definitely doesn’t remember. The interaction with the priest at the end is a subconscious memory that priests helped her.

[@stinkbug4321]

"Is she going to die?" "If she spouts out any more of that nasty shit she will."

[@jksgameshelf3378]

This film and "The Omen" a few years later (which I prefer over this one and highly suggest you react to at some point) are two '70's horror films really made for adults that are just great. That whole spider walk down the stairs wasn't in the original theatrical release, and I can kind of see why, but this was such a shocking film at the time and there are a lot of KZbin videos and articles talking about people fainting, etc. Great reaction and George's head turn at the end was too funny.

[@0lyge0]

I love The Omen and prefer it to The Exorcist even though the later is a better made film. Knowing the real story behind the case The Exorcist is based on plus the constant beating you over the head with science and reason being wrong are a bit of a turn off. Plus I never, even as a child, found it at all scary, shocking yes.

[@Kristine_202]

I thought they cut the spider walk scene because it didn't look very good and you could see the wires. They weren't worried about shocking the audience at all. LOL They put it in the remastered version because technology improved and they were able to clean it up and make it look more realistic.

[@mondegreen9709]

@@smiffy68 I agree. The Omen just sucks.

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

The first Omen is excellent!

[@ledoutofshadow8004]

Most local phone switching was automatic, but long distance operators were still a thing in the 70's. This era was the birth of the tranistor, so directory switching was largely mechanical/vacuum tubes. Very big and hot equipment.

[@martin43427]

Definitely look up the Exorcist movie premier 1973 on KZbin where it started to make its rounds in cinemas all over the country. It’s a great and informative video on how much of a cultural phenomenon the film was and how audiences in 1973 were not prepared for the horror they would see. People really were scared, passed out, felt sick, cried-pretty much everyone reacted the way Simone did in 1973. Just incredible to see the evolution of a genre from the 70s to today’s standards.

[@Dularr]

Genius marketing, early showing in very religious neighborhoods.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Yep - can remember seeing this movie when it came out at age 10!! The lines that people stood in just to see this movie and their reactions once inside the theater are what I remember the most from that time.

[@roddo1955]

Marketing and hype

[@Moonless-ih9em]

My father told me that he saw this in a movie theater ( in Finland) and laughed at the many scenes. For his defense, his childhood was BRUTAL and he saw and experienced so much awful stuff that not a single horror movie made him scared.

[@russellh.3150]

That mega sized mug tho. Love the channel! "It's a bowl. It's like Campbell's cup-o-ccino."

[@Uncle_T]

One of the all-time classics! I love this movie, uneasiness, jump scares, existential horror and all, the acting by everyone is flawless and Linda Blair is absolutely phenomenal. I love th initial slow burn where everything seems, almost, normal and the movie taking its time to set a mood and baseline of safe, comforting every-day life before it gets "interesting".

[@parallaxnick637]

This movie made exorcisms popular again. These days the Vatican has a full on Exorcism department.

[@RussVerbofsky]

Dick Smith did the makeup. He also did the makeup for the Godfather. His techniques were groundbreaking.

[@clarbri]

Also did the effects/makeup for Taxi Driver (and is a real hoot to listen to on the Making Of feature)

[@spinynorman887]

I almost pissed myself laughing when George got Simone with the neck twist! EPIC!

[@AndyBestHP]

Not only a great horror movie but an all-time great film. The characters and settings seem so real and detailed and the control of tone and tension is masterful.

[@Scallycowell]

“What happens to the demon of the vessel dies?” Exorcist III: “Hello chat”

[@politicalmoderate190]

I really enjoyed Exorcist 3 which deals more directly with the Detective, Father Karras's Priest friend, and it features easily the best monologue I've ever seen from Brad Dourif.

[@footofjuniper8212]

Yes! Definitely check out part 3, and the TV show.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Brad Dourif is one of my favorite actors. Terribly underappreciated.

[@BuccWylde]

You do realize that's father Karras sitting in that cell right?

[@politicalmoderate190]

@@BuccWylde spoilers, dude.

[@BuccWylde]

@@politicalmoderate190 lol. It's literally revealed at the very beginning of the film...if they ever watch it, they'll know immediately.

[@Czar_Salad]

I used to have to run up and down those stairs for a workout during high school. "Do X sets of stairs" was a frequent assignment lol.

[@morphman86]

Jumpscares started around 1942, with a horror film called Cat People. The editor, Mark Robson, took it upon himself to edit an eerie scene with lots of building suspension, just to end it with a loud bus entering the frame. With this, he had created a whole new technique for startling viewers. Originally, this was set up to build tension. It wasn't until around the turn of the millennium that films started using it as a shortcut. Instead of using it to build suspense, they used it instead of any actual horror. Putting the viewer on the edge of the seat, not because of some imagined horror, but out of fear for the adrenaline push.

[@garybassin1651]

One of the first jump scares in a movie that is well known is the 1925 version of "The Phantom of the Opera". There are probably earlier ones as the horror genre goes as far back as George Melies around the turn of the last century.

[@morphman86]

@@garybassin1651 It would be an unbelievable feat if Phantom of the Opera had the first jumpscare, considering it is a silent film.

[@garybassin1651]

@@morphman86 Nonetheless, at that time, when the phantom's mask is ripped away and his horrid face revealed, the audience reacted with a jump scare as it was something they were unprepared for. That's sort of the definition of a jump scare. The first movie my father saw as a young boy was the original "King Kong" in the early 1930s. He remembered not only people jumping out of their seats but women fainting and ushers running up and down the aisles with smelling salts.

[@benjaminaguayo7687]

Great reaction, I remember when this movie was first shown in Mexico there were ambulances on call by the teathers ready to assist people whom react badly to the scenes. After a few days the admittance was limited and strong warnings given to those brave enough to watch it.

[@ceruleanblu3184]

There’s an interview out there where the producer says he wanted an “everything’s okay” end to the story, so the director relented and added that lighter ending for the director’s cut. It also sets up events in The Exorcist III.

[@aidanfarnan4683]

"What.... DONT!" George is so funny when he's trolling.

[@tonymarshall3978]

Crazy fact is that the theme tune to THE EXORCIST is hugely famous in Britian and in the history of music. It came out at the height of the "Progressive (Prog) Rock" era where UK music graduates went to rock instead of classical music and this 50 minute album with a single song with no lyrics became a must have album. It is also just highly influential on atmospheric music to this day

[@SMark-xj9ey]

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and it was technically one song split into two tracks (Pt. 1 & 2). Link to pt. 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJe6e6SBft2sfcU

[@juanforrester2283]

Absolutely,7/8 not a common signature,love all kinds of stuff,music is awesome,cheers!

[@larrycable1827]

The music you are referring to is called Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. The album came out a few months before this movie. One of the most famous movie themes in history

[@0lyge0]

Tubular Bells is actually 2 songs one for each side of the album and it varies wildly in the musical style but it's seriously epic. Mike Oldfield has made a series of Tubular Bells albums and I'd recommend them all.

[@daviddixon9991]

Mike Oldfield was only **18** when he recorded Tubular Bells.

[@Mechanismo77]

the music/theme is called ''tubular bells'' by Mike Oldfield , it is a iconic album ..... yes the film is based on a true story ... loved Simones reation to George's head turn !! awesome video guys :)

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

Supposedly a "true" story....🙄

[@SirMrHowell]

@1:17 to answer your question, while there were variations of surprise scares in movies, The jumpscare as you know it was first popularized back in 1942 in Val Lewton's film Cat People. The building of tension and release through surprise scares was a Hallmark of many of the horror films he produced in that period for RKO films. Great to see your reaction to The Exorcist!

[@shakawhenthewallsfell8570]

That upside down crab walk down the stairs... One of the most iconic scenes in movies ever. The crucifucking is up there too.

[@richieb7692]

To get the effect of being able to see everyone's breath. They actually set up the bedroom set inside an industrial freezer. Everyone had extra thermal layers on under their clothes, and even then couldn't film for long before they became too cold. The low temps also affected the cameras and microphones.

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

Georgetown is in Washington DC. The Exorcist theme song is actually Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. Mike Oldfield wasn't happy that it would forever be associated with The Exorcist. Although it certainly brought him a lot of attention.

[@lethaldose2000]

Hey Simone and George, I think the reason, "The Exorcist " resonate so deeply after all these years is the fact that it is one of the first reality based horror flicks that was created. Before that horror movies were about vampires and Werewolves and they were pretty over the top, so you could detach yourself from these events actually taking place. Not so with "The Exorcist" I will never touch an Olugii board in life and don't even try to bring one in the room. I will run the other way for sure. With the Exorcist you fell that you this could definitely happen to you or a love one. And you would be powerless to fight back. Lengenary for sure.

[@LadyIarConnacht]

I don't know if our fear of attics and basements came from movies, but our instant reaction to the sight of a Ouija board surely did.

[@jonasfermefors]

That made me laugh.. so vampires are less "real" than demon possessions? I think the Exorcist is very well made, but rather slow and dull.. but then I'm not a Christian. Ouija boards were created as a toy and then con artists started claiming they could use them to talk to the dead.. just a scam.

[@nigeldepledge3790]

IIUC, Mattel still owns the IP for the Ouija board.

[@jamesbednar8625]

I can remember when Ouija Boards were actually advertised on TV in very late 1960s-very early 1970s as a great "toy" to play with. Yep - my mother decided to buy one for whatever reason and I also WILL NOT touch/go near one, even though it is "supposed" to be just a "toy". It may be a "toy" but... just in case.

[@jonasfermefors]

@@jamesbednar8625 Haha.. well I've played with one and it did nothing worthwhile. I don't believe in anything supernatural though and neither did the people I tried it with.

[@BudhagRizzo]

Burke Dennings was drunk director guy. It's why, when Regan's head spins around, she speaks in Dennings' voice, "You know what she did?" It's the demon saying she (actually the demon) killed him by twisting his head around and throwing him out the window. Father Merrin and the demon (Pazuzu) know each other from past battles. That's why he gets that sick look when they discover the idols in Iraq. It's Pazuzu announcing his return. It's also why you hear Pazuzu mention Merrin's name on the tape recording and screams his name when Merrin enters the house. Max Von Sydow was 43 when he did this movie. The make up job was well done, but it was his acting that made it so convincing he was a sickly old man in his 70s. There are a couple of documentaries of the making of this movie. They explore the turmoils everyone went through to produce it. Quite frankly, you couldn't get away with some of the things done (such as the angiogram procedure done on Linda Blair, which was real.)

[@matthewchambers-sinclair8772]

Can't be overstated how much this film affected people on release. I remember adults talking about it and wondering what could cause them to be so affected. In 1980, I finally found out and it didn't disappoint. Funny that George mentioned Se7en because these were the 2 movies that made me feel soul-sick on seeing them.

[@rneelymedia9152]

Two things- You’re watching director’s cut which added a few scenes (spider walk, opening two shots, doctor checkup scene, and the conversation at end). Original ending had the father look down the stairs and then fade to black. Secondly, ‘Yvan Eht Nioj’ is join the navy backwards (from the Simpsons episode ‘New Kids on the Blecch’)

[@stephenshull6799]

My older sister saw this in the theater when it came out. She said it was so disturbing, that people were actually walking out before it was over. I felt the book focused more on the clinical side of the story.

[@hellomark1]

There's videos on KZbin of the crowds and interviewing people waiting in line to see it, just coming out from having seen it... it's pretty crazy.

[@calanor4130]

I agree, it did focus more on the medical procedures and it was also made more clear that the doctors didn't really dismiss psychiatry, they just wanted to be sure that there wasn't a physical explanation. I wish that the film had made some contexts a little bit clearer, but overall it's unusually true to the original work. I do prefer the theatrical cut, though.

[@michaelwardle7633]

Max’s old age makeup in this film is one of the best ever in film.

[@Macdelaven]

I was 14 when this came out and we managed to sneak into the theater to see this movie. We couldn't leave until the lights came up at the end. The music, Tubular Bells was a pop hit which, if you didn't see the movie, you might think it's just a cute little song. This movie is referenced often in pop culture.

[@craigplatel813]

The entire album was one song called tubular bells.

[@BigZ482]

When George scared Simone at the end was great. The look on her face made me feel bad for laughing. Lol Both of you, keep up the great work, I love your channel.

[@sky__net9797]

Max was only 42 years old at the time of filming, one of the best actors ever

[@Col_Fragg]

FYI: The man that Regan told "You're gonna die up there" was a famous astronaut (at least in the film) who was one of the celebrity guests at the mother's party. "Up there" is a reference to outer space and his upcoming space flight. This is spelled out in the novel. In the film, it's not immediately obvious.

[@christopherkaylor2940]

The nurse's assistant helping during the Cat-scan was really a murderer in real life, one of the many trivia details about this movie

[@dzekadzenan6977]

paul bateson, killer and suspected serial killer. friedkin was preparing to direct cruising, when he learned what bateson did, so he visited him in jail. in the end, cruising is almost like a biopic of batesons life, very strange

[@aaronbenson2767]

Poor Simone. I totally sympathize with how horrified and freaked out she was; especially with the infamous “spider walk “ scene. That scene wasn’t actually included in the original theatrical run, but was added back for the 2000 rerelease in theaters. I saw the movie for the first time then and was effectively disturbed for several days.

[@anitaneal1779]

Years

[@Nimo-the-Red]

Love the Nightwish nod from George, they use a lot of movie scores in their music, and the exorcist theme is pretty amazing so it wouldnt surprise me. Not sure which song it might be though, flipping through Once, but it hasnt come up yet. Unless you mean Nemo which has some of the same progression, but isnt directly sampled like some of their others.

[@NotoriousPumpa]

The melody from the movie is actually the opening of the Tubular bells album by Mike Oldfield, but it certainly is Exorcist music to many. The movie helped album sales thanks to its inclusion

[@robg1151]

George is most likely thinking of the start of Story Time by Nightwish, they are very similar.

[@ypey1]

I would say the start of Nightwish - Sleeping Sun ?!

[@robertpearson8798]

Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. Still considered one of the top Prog albums of all time.

[@robg1151]

@@ypey1 yeah I can see that as well.

[@beesnort3163]

Ok when you turned your head!😂😂😂😂that’s the greatest thing I have ever seen!😂😂😂😂😂DONT! Fantastic reaction!

[@zmarko]

This is gonna be good. Can't wait to see how Simone and George react to this.

[@boyce919]

Oh you guys are great.. when George slowly turned his head was hilarious..

[@simonoleary9264]

The Theme tune at the beginning is actually the opening of the Classic Prog album "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield. The album was also released in 1973, but it's presence in The Exorcist helped to make it a HUGE success. It was also the first album released by the brand new company "Virgin Records" and went a long way towards making them a huge success too. Back in the 70's & 80's, if you liked Prog you had Tubular Bells, so it's not unreasonable to conclude that it was a small influence on Nightwish.

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

Oldfield was not thrilled that it became synonymous with the Exorcist.

[@simonoleary9264]

@@ericsierra-franco7802 He wasn't thrilled about becoming suddenly famous either, he suffered a breakdown over the stress of it. Although creating Tubular Bells almost did that to him too.

[@shred6]

My older cousin was 14 when this debuted in theaters and, being the rebel that she was, snuck out and got into the movie. She ended up throwing up in her seat and her parents were called to pick her up. Respect to Cheryl! Seriously do searching on the Exorcist phenomena when it was released - it's like Star Wars but with barf bags.

[@kazumajay]

The reason why that ending was added because the writer wanted it. It was in the book(for that's what I heard). The writer didn't want the audience to think the Devil won. So in the re release they added the spider walk, the staircase talk and the ending.

[@EricAntonsen-uz2tq]

Omg, DUDE! The look on her faces when you turned your head! And then the following emotions! Wow! Brutal!

[@newworldastrology1102]

You may be even more horrified to know they mixed sounds from actual slaughterhouses into the devil sounds. Perhaps this is why peoples reactions were so visceral in theaters. Great reaction specially to the spider-walk and the head turn scenes!

[@existenceisrelative]

I remember exactly how she felt at the end of this movie. That just _"whaaaat?"_ sensation it leaves you with.

[@hellomark1]

"Welp, guess I'm not sleeping for a couple of days."

[@coreyhendricks9490]

This movie ranked at #3 in the 100 scariest movie moments on Bravo, cool reaction as always Simone & George, you both take care and have a great weekend

[@finkelmana]

I lived in Virginia and drove into DC for work. You can see the stairs from the film as you cross over the Key Bridge.

[@Hapsard]

I knew this girl in college who could do the demon voice perfectly ... Camping, pitch black, she would do it and would freak everyone out. You should read some accounts of actual exorcisms. They are freaky

[@bobbabai]

"Actual" I wonder what the "actual" part is.

[@Hapsard]

As far as George wondering if they still perform exorcisms ... I think yes. In 2005 there was a Romanian nun who was believed possessed and also died during the exorcism. Not just Christian faiths either. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism ... all have rites that deal with demons or spirits that are attacking or possessing humans. Not saying this means possession occurs, but just that a lot of people fear that it does.

[@bobbabai]

@@Hapsard I'm actually wondering whether there were actually demons or something else possessing people and how anyone knows this. I get that there is a ceremony that might last a while that's performed in the presence of people who are acting weird, but there's a huge step between that and demonstrating there are actual demons directing people's behavior.

[@Hapsard]

@@bobbabai weird things happening with the comments... I posted one that had two examples of exorcisms that I don't see anymore. Anneliese Michel from the 70's, and Robbie Mannheim from the 40s (which was the story that inspired Batty to write the Exorcist). In the first case, maybe mental illness, if you discount the stories of what others experienced as hype. In the second case thre is a diary of one of the priests where he claims things happening which would be hard to attribute to anything natural. He could be lying. No idea, but crazy reading in both cases. The parents and priest of the girl from the 70's were put on trial for her death ... Guilty of negligent homicide.

[@bobbabai]

@@Hapsard people claiming they are exorcisms doesn't mean they were exorcisms.

[@rockergandalf]

Another unsung hero in the making of this film is Mercedes McCambridge as the voice of Pazuzu. Her brilliantly haunting and disturbing performance was another main reason why this film stands the test of time. I believe she actually chain smoked in preparation for doing the voice.

[@briankelley7890]

Also, the line "You're gonna die up there," was directed at a guest who was an astronaut set to launch soon. Makes it pretty creepy.

[@Billinois78]

Linda Blair played Regan again as a teen in The Exorcist II, and played parodies of Regan in 2 movies: "Repossessed" - Linda Blair reprises her role as Regan, grown up. Leslie Nielsen plays Father Mayii. "The Heckling" - a 9 minute short parody from a year earlier.

[@shainewhite2781]

Nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture but won for Best Adapted Screenplay Best Sound Editing It made $470 million dollars ($1.3 Billion Dollars today) against a $13 million dollar budget. It's said to be cursed as some of the cast and crew got into unexplained accidents before and during filming.

[@mattdamon9326]

One of the nurses or doctors was a serial killer as well I believe.

[@BirdBrain0815]

The melody was actually from Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells