The Exorcist (1973) Reaction | First Time Watching

[@scouseofhorror104]

The thing I love about this film is that nothing happens when you expect it, and EVERYTHING happens when you don't. A rare thing, especially then.

[@jonahpedersen5429]

Great horror movie. I showed this to my daughter a few years ago when she was old enough and she poo pooed it as an old movie that couldn’t possibly scare her. That opinion lasted about 20 minutes.

[@Jen-Mom]

🤣

[@BAFFLED-u4o]

Same with my two kids. I didn't sleep alone for two years after I saw it at 15 on TV.

[@hannahremmel9550]

I’m in my 30’s and like your daughter I thought there’s no way this is scary. I watched it alone, in the dark, and in college. This legit scared me. iThis is the one film (that I’ve seen) that mixes horror, gore and plot perfectly. The director might have been a sadistic son of a bitch, but it made for a damn fine movie.

[@Moviesrockmusicandmore]

The director of this movie was super ahead of his time in the 70s.

[@RachaelWill]

Geez!

[@christinehyde5448]

The demons aim was to get Father Marin because of their past entanglement. Father Karras was also the target because he lost his faith. They used Regan to get the two priests. The priest that comforted Father Karras giving him his last rites as he was dying was a to help him get to not go to hell since it was suicide but I see it as a sacrifice

[@victormarin69yearsago60]

Facts

[@victormarin69yearsago60]

Also There's another way how to get rid of them Take a person to a near river or lake and take a pig to the water. The demon wants to go inside the pig soul So when the man go to the water the demon will drown and died

[@encrypter46]

@@victormarin69yearsago60 The Catholic church teaches that animals do not have souls.

[@MarlonDeNiro]

The reaction to Merrin’s death by the demon in the book and in the movie are drastically different. In the book the demon is really pissed Merrin dies. The demon’s main objective was to have Regan die in front of Merrin to break him as revenge for being exorcised from the little boy in Africa. In the film the demon finds Merrin’s death funny. I suppose he changed his target. In the film the demon improvs on the unexpected turn of events and sets his sights on breaking Karras. Don’t remember the demon taunting Karras as much about his mother’s death and his waverying faith in the novel. Perhaps I’m just misremembering.

[@encrypter46]

@@victormarin69yearsago60 It's interesting how you know that!

[@anthonymunn8633]

To be fair to Max Von Sydow,he was only 44 when this was made.He's covered in a very convincing old-age makeup.

[@andrewcastillo3110]

The great Dick Smith

[@crescentfreshbret]

And the crazy thing is, he wound up looking just like that when he got old!

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

He and the younger priest were actually within one or two years in age.

[@crimdelacrim2468]

@@dr.burtgummerfan439 They were actually 10 years apart. 34 and 44

[@rebeccablanton7682]

@@crescentfreshbret He did do a very realistic job. He was a genius.

[@robertrouse4503]

I saw this Christmas, '73. I had graduated high school the May before. I always thought of it as a psychological drama rather than a horror film. It gets you psychologically.

[@calanor4130]

Perhaps you've got a similar view as William Friedkin and Linda Blair, who both consider "The Exorcist" to be a religious thriller rather than horror.

[@haintedhouse2990]

@@calanor4130 depends on who you talk to - i told a self-proclaimed horror critic that the Exorcist was one of my faves and he dismissed it with "nothing but a series of shocking images" so he was clearly full of shit.

[@leehodge36]

73 was a great year , But i was one year later ! Awesome seventies 👍👍🤩😁😆😜

[@osho1enrique504]

How old are you now sir? How's life back those days? I am really curious and wondering, I want to know

[@autumninthewoods4522]

I first saw this in August 1992, when I was almost 18 years old and about to enter my senior year of high school. I rented it from a video store and watched it when I was alone on a Saturday afternoon. Needless to say, I was completely shocked and disturbed for hours and afraid to be alone. I was gifted with this movie later on and watched it over and over. I had nightmares for months. I saw the theatrical release. You two watched the director's cut, which I now have on DVD, and it's 10x scarier than the original. Now, 50 years later, it's still the scariest movie ever made.

[@holdensagan]

I love watching first timers react to this. The notion that 30 mins in they have no idea what's in store for them is priceless.

[@haintedhouse2990]

always liked the scene where the mom, Ellen Burstyn meets the priest, Jason Miller. both their performances are quite believable when she asks him "and how do you go about getting an exorcism?" the look he gives her...

[@M95-t7c]

15:30 the actress broke her back in that scene, her scream is real. Linda Blair, the girl, also was injured on the bed shaking scene

[@2apocalypse-X]

The name of the Demon that possessed Reagan is name Pazuzu. In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu (Akkadian: pà.zu.zu; also called Fazuzu or Pazuza) was a personification of the West Wind, and held kingship over the lilu wind demons. contrary to what is portrayed in the movie Pazuzu was not a Demon of possession. In the beginning of the movie when Marrin shows the head of the statue to the other person in the office, that person says "Evil against Evil." That's because Pazuzu was considered as both a destructive and dangerous wind, but also as a repellant to other demons, one who would safeguard the home from their influence. In particular he was protective of pregnant women and mothers, whom he could defend from the machinations of the demoness Lamashtu, his rival. He is invoked in ritual, and representations of him were used as defense charms. His role in ritual and magic is documented on inscriptions on the backs of his statues, or in ritual texts. Spells, Incantations, and special artifacts were used to gain the favor and protection of the demon. These artifacts were placed in and around the home, or worn on the person to achieve the desired effect. Large amounts of Pazuzu Heads have been discovered, made from a variety of materials, chiefly Terra-Cotta, but also bronze, iron, gold, glass, and bone. These heads often had holes or loops on top, so they could be worn on necklaces by pregnant women to protect the baby from evil forces. Occasionally the heads would be attached to cylinder seals or worn as brooches as well. Some of these heads have been found in graves.

[@AspieMediaBobby]

Lamashtu was also Pazuzu`s ex-wife in some myths.His father was Hanbi, the king of the Sumerian Underworld and one of many primordial prototypes of Satan along with Samael,Samyaza and Azael(Later Azazel) in Hebrew Mythology,Pan,Hades and Eos in Greek Mythology,Loki and Jormungandr in Norse Mythology,Lilitu/Lilith in Vedic/Hebrew Mythology,Cernunnos in Celtic Mythology,Anubis,Anup,Set or Seth in Egyptian Mythology,Enki and Enlil in Ancient Sumerian/Akkadian Mythology,Tiamat and Angra Mainyu/Ahriman in Zoroastrian/Persian Mythology.Of course, almost all of these were initially multifaceted characters that were ultimately simplified and literally demonized when Christianity got their hands on them!Daemon in Greek whilst now associated with malevolent fallen angels and possessing evil spirits originally simply meant "spirit","ogre" or "lesser god."

[@rachaelhogan7850]

LAMASHTU is in fact pazuzus WIFE

[@phillipdycaico5949]

Thanks for the background.

[@Rediphone21]

“I think I need to lie down after this.” 😩💀🤣

[@larrybell726]

The part of Father Dyer was played by Father William O'Malley S.J. , a Jesuit priest who was originally hired as a technical consultant for the picture. Fr. O'Malley was until 2012 a teacher at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, NY. Also, when the mother was knocked to the floor Ellen Burstyn broke her tail bone, the scream was real.

[@shinacollins9910]

Another fact....the room was built in a freezer. I was amazed.

[@bighuge1060]

That ending between the detective and the priest sets their relationship when its next seen in Exorcist III: Legion. When I saw the re-release in the late 1970s, the inverted spider-walk scene was not there and the ending had the priest looking at the long set of stairs outside the house. If you decide to watch the third movie, you'll see one of the best choreographed almost-one-shot scares in cinema. True story: I was an usher in the late 70s when the movie was rereleased. I ushered the matinee in a quad cinema theatre and was left alone in the locked and deserted theatre to clean up for the evening performances. I dreaded cleaning the dim theatre showing The Exorcist because I expected the projector to turn on by itself to see Regan sitting in her bed, head turned backwards, addressing me directly. I was so happy when another movie replaced it.

[@howrued1500]

That scare is indeed a doozy😱 Cutting edge one might say😬😉

[@staciehill3301]

Fun fact: The rotating head was in the Smithsonian Institute in DC. It had a button that you could push to make it rotate. Well apparently if you push it too much you get in trouble because it scares people... ;)

[@rodvarmo]

Not true. It's not a head it's a full body replica in a smaller size. The figure is currently in the moving image museum in queens, NYC

[@pushpak]

20:29 They built a 'cold room' set where the temp was low enough to see their breath.

[@shainewhite2781]

Nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture but won for Best Sound Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was the first and only Horror film to win Best Picture at the 1974 Golden Globes. It made $440 million dollars against a $13 million dollar budget. If it were released today, it would have made $1.3 billion dollars today. It's said that the movie was cursed as some of the cast and crew got into unexplained accidents before and during filming.

[@matthewcostello3530]

movies like this one and the Godfather had forced theaters to add almost around the clock showings and people stood in line through multiple zip codes

[@dontworrybehappy8080]

The demon voice was an actress/nun that drank and smoked a bunch of cigarettes to get her voice to sound like that. Crazy good movie. If I'm not mistaken, it was originally rated an X for obvious reasons. They toned it down to make it an R. Super good for its time.

[@csmelen]

According to the production team, Regan's bedroom during the exorcism scene was chilled to a -20 degrees fahrenheit using four air conditioners.

[@80Jay71]

The mom was in "Requiem for a dream". Great performance! Max von Sydow was young and they spent a few hours a day to make him old.

[@haintedhouse2990]

agreed. Ellen Burstyn was nominated for best actress for the Exorcist but lost to Glenda Jackson.

[@sanddab]

Seeing this film in a dark movie theater in 1973 was truly traumatizing. Fun fact: Lee J. Cobb, who played the detective, was the doctor in “The Song of Bernadette”, a 1943 American biographical drama film based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Franz Werfel. It stars Jennifer Jones in the title role, which portrays the story of Bernadette Soubirous, who reportedly experienced eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary from February to July 1858 and was later canonized in 1933.

[@oliviacruz6557]

Saw this movie in 1973 at the theaters. It was crazy. Actress Mercedes McCambridge did the voice of the Pazuzu.

[@ozmaile7938]

Every reaction viewer thinks that there no way a 40 year old movie can be this intense and disturbing UNTIL THEY SEE IT ........

[@Jen-Mom]

I know, right?!

[@gregyear201]

Actually the movie will be 50 years old in a few months.

[@Jen-Mom]

Wow....

[@robertkramer2271]

You asked about the special effects in the room. The room was a separate set. Behind the wall st the head of the bed were various pulleys and levers they used to raise & shake the bed. The way they made it so cold was they used several industrial strength air conditioners, which they would leave on all the time. In fact, the filmmakers would wear parkas on the set & the actors had to wear thermal underwear under their costumes. Oscar winner Mercedes Macambridge did the voice of the demon. Apparently she chain smoked & drank whiskey to make her voice sound like that. Dick Smith did the makeup for the film. The fact he didn't win a Oscar for it is a crime. In fact, Jason Miller (Fr. Karras), Ellen Burstyn (Chris McNeil) and Linda Blair (Regan) and the film itself were nominated for oscars but didn't win. Again, a travesty.

[@Joe-hh8gd]

Linda Blairs back was broken during tbe first spasms. Her screams of Make it Stop were real and directed towards the crew.

[@gsparkman]

My understanding was that they built the bedroom set inside a commercial refrigerator. They could only shoot briefly at any given time because the powerful lights used for filming heated up the room so fast that they lost breath fogging effect.

[@robertkramer2271]

@@gsparkman they've described the bedroom set as a giant cocoon. Not only because of the different special effects they had to do but also because of the refrigeration units. Yea, they could only film for brief periods because the lights would raise the temperature on the set.

[@Welsh_Dragon756]

Yeah it's Jason Millers first film. He was an acting teacher before this and had to be convinced to make the movie. He is actually the father of lost boys actor Jason Patrick, something I didn't know until last year as even though I've watched many documentaries on both films it's never mentioned.

[@robertkramer2271]

@@Welsh_Dragon756 apparently they had hired Stacy Keach to play Karras but when Friedkin saw Jason Miller he knew he had to play Karras. Ironically, Keach would end up playing "Killer" Kane in Blatty's film of "The Ninth Configuration".

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Great cinematography and editing touch: When the detective is describing Burke's death and the view cuts to his back when he says his was turned completely around.

[@TheCornishCockney]

Read the story about the filming of this chiller. There were deaths,bizarre accidents,people going insane and ending up in mental institutions. The project was almost abandoned and accused of being cursed. Saw this when released and people WERE running out of the cinema.

[@MikeInMD1961]

I was 11 years old when this film was released, and I still remember all of the hype. For this film to be produced and shown in 1972 was quite bold. I've seen it many times, and 'the Catholic' in me still gets creeped out.

[@boki1693]

I was 13 and my friends older sister had me, her brother and one other dude wait on line for 2 hours for her and her friends in exchange for her getting us in the movie. But we couldn't sit anywhere near them. LOL.

[@karimhicks8376]

I think it's awesome that son & Mother can share this experience! Especially this film, which had been voted the scariest film ever made. It was actually based on a boy, in the 1950s, in Missouri. Keep it up!

[@Jen-Mom]

😊

[@chevken1831]

I'm 54 years old now. When this first came out, I was 6 years old. My step Dad got tickets for himself and my mom where it was playing in New York City. The TV spots were terrifying, and when you saw the cover of William Peter Blatty's novel, you saw a grainy image of a girl looking at you with eyes that looked like coals when they turn orange from the heat. I wasn't allowed to see it until I was 12 when it first premiered in 1980. I had already seen Linda Blair in TV films, so when I sat down to watch this, I couldn't get over how young she was when did this film!

[@Mary-cz8pf]

I live in Missouri. It's a true story. He lived in another state when he 1st was possessed. They moved to Missouri because they had family here. The Exorcist took place in a couple of places. 1st I think was the home, then in the same church I was baptized at, and then a hospital. Took like 2 months to get the demons out. I think this is the scariest movie ever

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

+Karim Hicks I've seen the movie with my mum this year

[@vodriscoll]

I saw this back in the 70's when it first came out. Sell out crowds, people fainting in the theater. Great atmosphere.

[@haintedhouse2990]

i also saw it on it's release. the audience energy and reaction was something I'll never forget.

[@lizmagu3189]

Imagine being 12 years old and doing that acting. She should have won the Oscar that year. I recommend you watch the behind the scenes on the making. You'll see how the bed rose and shook.

[@Jen-Mom]

Ah, we will check it out, thanks!

[@RachaelWill]

Why would they act a small girl for such a difficult role where she has to do obscene scenes

[@gregyear201]

I saw this for the first time in a crowded theater for the rerelease i believe it was 2000. The entire theater crowd erupted in loud screams during the infamous spider walk stairs scene. It was like 5 minutes before everyone calmed down.

[@Jen-Mom]

OMG…that scene!!😳😬

[@DonMachado]

My stepdad pulled me out of 7th grade history to go see this movie with him back in 1977 I think. I returned the favor, taking him to the 2000 re-release. Fun fact, the spider walk scene was not in the original release because the wires holding Linda Blair were visible. It was corrected and included in the 2000 directors cut along with a few other changes.

[@TheAerovons]

@@DonMachado The 2000 version was a dumb cash grab filled with scenes not in the original. They didnt have the spider thing in the original because Friedkin said he wanted to keep the horror in the bedroom. The wire thing is BS …..you can still see wires in the exorcism sequence in fact.

[@DonMachado]

@@TheAerovons Whatever. That wasn't my main point anyway. I enjoyed taking my dad the way he took me over 20 years earlier. A nice memory of my dad to keep now that he's gone.

[@TheAerovons]

@@DonMachado Understood. I was just a fanatic on the film, I was a young film student when it came out, and I probably saw it at the theater 20 times or so. My cousin was also a film fan, and we often saw it together. To this day we'll send a text to each other with some random line from the film ;) .....so when I saw what they did to "appeal to modern audiences" it was awful. None of those scenes were in the original for good reason...;)

[@redswetter]

The proper sequel to this is The Exorcist 3 and well worth watching

[@MyThoughtzAndOpinionz]

I believe the Ouija board is how Regan got possessed.

[@stevenspringer1599]

I saw this in an empty theater save for two smart asses who sat right behind me. When their smart remarks changed to "...oh shit...oh no...oh shit...", it kept me smiling during the scary parts. Along with enjoying the reaction I really appreciate the edit qualities of a clear picture and volume balance that allows co-viewing rather than just hearing the commentary.

[@shannonvanpatten8341]

When Merrin encounters the statue of Pazuzu in the beginning, the dogs begin fighting. At the party just before Reagan becomes possessed the two men begin to fight indicting it's the same demon

[@Bakerlongisland87]

The film still holds up today. Love their reactions and comments. :D

[@marcuskarlsson]

The Demon is Pazuzu, an ancient mesopotamian evil being. The original for that statue is in Louvren in Paris. It is quite small IRL.

[@nathanschumacher3772]

The radiographer is actually in jail or murder. She was first having a Carotid Angiogram and then a Pneumoencephalogram on the Philips Polytome, that's the device that had the x-ray spinning above her. In reality the table would be moving in a seesaw motion at the same time. Otherwise they put you in a chair and spun you upside down and took scans at a dozen different degrees to get different vascular/CSF displacements. Both are dangerous. Both phased out now for modern use of MRI and CT. CT came out a few years after this film was made then MRI came out another 10 years later. Pneumoencephalograms require a 'spinal tap' they remove CSF fluid from your brain and replace with air. This is to make the contrast better on x-ray, as x-ray is very poor at discriminating soft tissue. Yes, she would have been crying and screaming. She would have been in pain for weeks after the procedure.

[@Archipelington]

Merrin has faced this demon before, in the mentioned exorcism that lasted months. So when he finds the demon head figure he knows they’ll meet again soon. Which why he says he has to go as there’s something he must do. And also why the demon knows the name Merrin. The demon gets into Regan through the ouija board, communicating as the ‘friendly’ sounding Captain Howdy. I’ve watched lots of reactions to this film, as it’s probably my fav of all time. And this best I’ve seen 👏

[@Jen-Mom]

Ah, through the Ouija board!

[@bkm2797]

I saw this when it came out and remember standing in the cold winter rain in a line that wrapped around the block. It was the first film that truly scared the living daylights out of me, lol, I was so afraid I would find it sitting on my bed when I came home from work. It was the beginning of the end for me and horror films.

[@AspieMediaBobby]

@@Jen-Mom Actually,people assume that because of the connotations of ouija boards that largely grew directly out of this film but if you pay attention as soon as Merrin digs up the totem of Pazuzu the demon is clearly active on the Earth,just in the background,biding his time!

[@carlosyamara]

Max von Sydow was actually 44 during the filming of the film, they aged him with makeup. Very convincing

[@newworldastrology1102]

Best reaction to the spider walk! Creepy fact: they mixed in audio from actual slaughterhouses for the demon sounds. I’m sure this is partly why people had such visceral reactions in the theaters.

[@williamjones6185]

1. I first saw this with friends when I was 12. Back then nobody paid much attention to what rating system there was. I was aware of the head twisting, vomiting and language so I kind of had an idea what I was in for. What freaked me out the most was the flashing demon. 2. When the doctor is looking at Reagan's skull x-rays and say's there's "nothing in there" I always 🤣 3. The extremely loud banging is for our benefit 4. The spider crawl down the stairs was NOT in the original release. 5. The demon wasn't trying to avoid the exorcism. He was looking forward to it with Father Merrin. 6. Father Merrin and the demon had a previous encounter where he almost killed the father. Merin doesn't acknowledge the receipt of the note and tells Karras there's no need for analysis. 7. The demon doesn't kill Merrin. From the beginning we know he has a heart problem most likely brought on by the previous encounter. 8 Karras doesn't kill the demon. He does manage to draw it out of her and sacrificed himself for her. 9. Karras is confessing and asking for forgiveness of his lack of faith.

[@stewmass3018]

Ok, so skip Exorcist II, most agree it's not worth the run time. But definitely watch Exorcist III, which is a direct follow-up to The Exorcist. Has George C. Scott in one of his last performances, and some of the best dialog and monologues imho. Brad Dourif shines in it.

[@thunderstruck5484]

Exorcist 3 definitely watch such an excellent film agreed

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Brad Dourif shines in everything. Very underappreciated and talented actor.

[@AspieMediaBobby]

"He`s one of those guys who was just 'born old'" He wasn`t,he wore age makeup in this film, he was only 46 at the time.

[@jamzales]

Captain Howdy from the Ouija board was the conduit for the demon.

[@e.s.9080]

Movie is so masterfully made, it is perfection. Still light years ahead of most contemporary horror, psychological , suspense and drama films. Though this "Version" is interesting to see the scenes that were left out in the original theatrical release in 1973, they were not really necessary. This re-release version for the audience in the 2000's was only really a favor to the author of the book, who for years couldn't let director, Friedkin rest because of these additional scenes and the change to the ending shots prior to the ending credits. Again nice, but the original cut is supreme as it leaves the audience to decide whether good won out over evil. This version, like the director reluctantly created, guides the audience to a more gratifying conclusion (for audiences of the 2000's) to put everyone's mind at ease, I guess. Either way, you can never go wrong with this film. I'd like to see your reactions to the sequel, Exorcist 2 The Heretic. I can guarantee you'll have a completely opposite experience. Lol

[@krissiep1317]

“ I've seen the EXORCIST ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT.” - Beetlejuice

[@Jen-Mom]

🤣

[@donniehagy5125]

Glad you all saw this version. I saw the original and read the novel. In the novel, the demon was even more vile. It attacked Father Karras's character, calling him a homosexual.

[@danielharper9596]

The statue shown early in the film and later during the exorcism scene represented Pazuzu. The set used during the exorcism scene was refrigerated; the breath of the actors was not a special effect. The voice of the demon was done by a female actress. Compare Regan in the photo on her mom's bedside (seen when the phone call wakes up Chris) and compare it to Regan's pose as she/Pazuzu watches Karras's failure to revive Merrin. The same type of clay Regan used was also utilized in the desecration at the church. When Merrin receives the summons to the final confrontation with Pazuzu, we see Regan and she is mouthing Merrin's name. One of Regan's figures (and some of her drawings) resemble the Pazuzu statue. Linda Blair and the actress who portrayed the mom were both injured during filming. When Regan said "you're going to die up there" she was addressing an astronaut. The disturbing scene in which Regan undergoes a medical testing procedure was so accurate that it supposedly was shown to students later on. In the movie within a movie, the author of the novel, William Peter Blatty, has a cameo as the producer talking to the director, Burke Dennings. The "Exorcist Stairs" were made some soft of official landmark and are a tourist attraction.

[@jonc7739]

The scene at the end, they actually turned the set into an icehouse by lowering the temperature down to freezing.

[@mindime1499]

Jen (Mom) is my new favorite reactor! She has excellent taste in movies (The Fog as one of her favorite) and is so enjoyable to watch!

[@encrypter46]

I preferred "The Mist" to "The Fog".

[@donaldduncan7095]

The book is even scarier, I remember reading it in bed at night and I could swear I felt the bed move. 😧 The detective was the inspiration for the T.V. series Columbo.

[@-Knife-]

One of the OJ horror films that still creeps people out almost 50 years later

[@jsapcakrrow]

50 years later this movie is still as shocking & traumatizing as ever. For the breath you could see, they had the room extremely cold. Poor Linda was only in that nightgown, I think she got sick afterwards.

[@chairmanofthebored6860]

Just reread the book for the 4th time and I am still so impressed with how true they kept it. Amazing slow burn and still one of the only movies that legitimately creeps me out, no matter how many times I've seen it.

[@debraleesparks]

We saw this at the movie theater when I was young… the FIRST scary movie I ever saw.. it scared my so much I slept with the light on!! Love Grandma Debbie

[@alexmoreira876]

The make-up in this movie is legendary, honestly. You guys mentioned Max Von Sydow's age, but he was only 40. It's all make-up to make him look like an old man. Amazing.

[@sftrick]

Max von Sydow was young when this movie was made. He's wearing makeup to age him.

[@jamesalexander5623]

Well Ya Made It! .... Saw this on the big screen when it came out! Way Scary!

[@vicabramov8983]

the mom actually broke her tail bone in the scene where she falls after the slap .

[@howrued1500]

The power of fries compel me🤷🏼‍♀️🍟 It is truly fun to not only watch a film reaction w you 2, but to watch the interaction btwn you 2! Wonderful! Part of why the movie is so unsettling is bc Mom takes all of the steps/does all of ‘reasoned’ things a parent would do. It’s amazing how well the film holds up all these yrs later! Growing up, we always heard it was based on an actual case (true), but the child was male (true), and occurred in Europe (false). Only about 2 yrs ago the identity of the young man was revealed. He actually went on to have a very successful career as a NASA engineer, working on the Apollo missions and even the space shuttles! He did however live his life in fear of his identity being revealed- in particular to his colleagues at NASA. It was not; he passed a year prior. I’m so glad for him. He did tell one friend he was very close to he was never possessed, but rather a naughty to mischievous & then to rebellious child. Knowing this now, it’s so intriguing the quiet nod the filmmakers gave the once young man: the Astronaut at the dinner party. Fascinating!!! His name is out there freely to be found on the web; it’s simply by personal choice I choose to not name him🤷🏼‍♀️ An absolutely fantastic film w Ellen Burstyn @ Elizabeth Banks is ‘Lovely Still’!!! Would be great for Nov when “Nov movies” so to speak are hard to round up lol BUT here’s the catch- any synopsis or reviews have huge propensity to be high octane spoilers. So maybe look at number ratings only🤷🏼‍♀️ Or maybe just take a chance😊 It’s a great film. Thank You for another great reaction! Stay safe & love much 💖

[@donniehagy5125]

The "statue" he saw in Reagan's room, was actually a manifestation of the demon Pazuzu (which he encountered in Iraq). However, this is also the demon Father Merrin had fought before in the exorcism that "almost killed him." The temperature in the room was controlled by a refrigeration unit. In the infamous scene in Reagan's bedroom (with her mom), wires were used to pull Ellen Burstyn's character backwards. They pulled her so hard, they injured her back severely and the production had to be shut down for a while!

[@jamesscanlan6240]

Cool that you didn't censor the controversial aspects of the film. Still one of the best horror films of all time

[@myfriendisaac]

10:36 The facial expressions say it all 😱🤣 This film is beautifully directed & *still* shocking every single time I re-watch it!

[@Xcris_crosX]

The silver St Joseph medallion was probably left at the excavation site to bind Pazuzu the demon from rising. When the protection was removed it was freed. The fighting dogs symbolized *Unleash The Hounds Of Hell* or *Release the Dogs of War* the battle will soon begin. When demonized Regan pulled the St Joseph medallion off Karras his protection was also removed. Regan was violently raped with the crucifix. The ending scene is your own interpretation. Paul Bateson appeared as the radiological technologist in the hospital scene. The actor was an actual radiographer who was later convicted of murder and was a suspected serial killer

[@gregyear201]

The ending scene of Karris’s own sacrifice to save a little girl he never really met is one of the most intense emotional scenes ever filmed.

[@MrSJMajer]

Loved your reaction! Although I prefer the original cut released in 1973. The set was refrigerated to create the steam coming out of the actors mouths. The voice of the demon was Academy Award winning actress Mercedes McCambridge who went through hell, pun intended, to create sounds (there are interviews with her discussing the role on You Tube).

[@zulby09]

This is a true story. My mom and my 2 elder sisters used to bring my brother and I to watch The Exorcist when I was only 5 years old in first year of kindergarten. Most of the time I felt a bit bored and bothered my mom for snacks/drink or just to gain her attention. Only 3 scenes made me stop and watch: the opening desert archaeology scene with the red blood movie title; the crucifix masturbation scene; the final exorcism scene. My sisters were annoyed and complained to mom that I don’t know how to watch a movie in a cinema. Almost 2 decades later, I gained respect for this vintage classic as a young adult who is also a movie buff. So when it was playing on tv for its 25th anniversary close to midnight, I recorded it on vhs tape but since there were commercial ads the original duration is inflated. I let the tape continue recording the show In Living Color after the Exorcist ended until the tape ran out. One fine day, my parents were out sleeping over at my sister’s house leaving me all alone at home at night. I am not insane enough to watch The Exorcist in such situation but I needed to reel the tape fast forward in order to access and watch In Living Color. I remember of fast forwarding only about 2 hours and 7 minutes then press play on the remote control. Imagine my horror and shock when the scene that exploded on tv at cranked up volume was that of Regan roaring and sticking her tongue at the 2 priests. That completely freaked me out; I turned off the tv and turned on all the lights that night while sleeping. It’s ok if I watched it from start to finish but not smack right in the middle of a scene from this movie.

[@kevinscott1547]

That statue is a depiction of the demon Pazuzu, king of the evil spirits of the air.

[@jcs1025]

Van Sydow was heavily aged via makeup.

[@andysilvamoreira641]

I love how people really believed Max Von Sydow was an old man in this movie. Great make-up work, man.

[@jamzales]

Some of the extreme language was not in the original theatrical release. Which it didn't need to be as this was one of the most bone chilling graphic horror film of the 1970's.. This is like a directors cut/special edition. There are 2 more films after this. Despite what the majority claim about them being bad I would watch them as they are key parts to the whole reason of things.

[@zex7689]

That one scene is still kinda shocking now.

[@Illiyuwn]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but the voice of the demon was an actress named Mercedes McCambridge. The flash face of the spooky demon was Eileen Dietz.

[@lakephillip]

You watched the 2000 re-release they digitally enhanced, and brought back the spider sequence which was not in the original. Also the cop and the priest don't meet at the end in the original. I went opening weekend in 1973 I was 17 yo, and had nightmares for weeks.....

[@fday1964]

A short doc on KZbin to check out is The Cultural Impact of The Exorcist. Has footage of people leaving the auditorium upset, shaking, some faint....

[@TTM9691]

This is one of the very best reactions to this movie that has many reaction videos! This and Shree Nation's come to mind as the best. With you guys you really do double your reaction pleasure: I watched each scary part twice! To get both of your reactions! Hope that doesn't mess with your algorithms! Yes, they turned that room into a meat locker to get the breath. There is an AMAZING short 20 minute documentary you can see on you tube that was made in 1974: "The Exorcist: A Cultural Impact". Go watch that and check out all the footage of people fainting and trembling and the ushers with the smelling salts, the whole bit. Amazing to see.

[@n0tk0sher]

The little demon head with the hook on top is Pazuzu. Mesopotamian mothers sometimes hung them near sleeping infants. One of his rivals, Lamashtu, preyed on mothers and babies. But having Pazuzu around kept her away. He was an evil spirit, but she was apparently more evil. Or so I read years ago.

[@calanor4130]

Yes, to me it makes far more sense that Pazuzu actually _isn't_ the antagonist of the book/film. Why would he beat up Chris if he was protective of mothers? Now, Lamashtu on the other hand...

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Jamie Lee Curtis was considered for the role of Regan, but her mother (actress Janet Leigh) objected to the content and language. Others considered included Brooke Shields and Eve Plumb (Jan Brady of The Brady Bunch).

[@danielbritton8588]

Back when this came out, "Drive ins' were the venues & they had a Priest in the snack bar during the show just in case one needed one.

[@Cbcw76]

Critics - uh, "criticizers" - of the tale blamed "use of the Ouija Board" as the "unholy act" that had the mother and daughter "asking for it" (the demon to take over). That was actress Mercedes McCambridge doing the voice of the demon. This wasn't first stated in the publicity, but within a month or so - and the film ran in theaters for a good year (or BAAAAD, depending on our take). Mercedes wasn't able to spawn much more than TV interviews afterwards, though.

[@moodforever]

Her coming down the stairs like that still gives me chills .. scariest scene ever

[@rafaelrosario5331]

King of the inserts continues to rule! Jen is a trooper for this and the thing!

[@Jen-Mom]

😳😳

[@rafaelrosario5331]

For all Bruce Willis fans ...Striking Distance ...a hidden gem now free with ads on YT.

[@gmunden1]

The part 3 sequel "Exorcist III: Legion " is just as frightening and better than part 2.

[@autumninthewoods4522]

That movie is utter crap.

[@123ago]

Max Von Sydow was in his early 40s when he did this movie. What you see is the work of make up artist Dick Smith that aged him. His work was very accurate. When Max Von Sydow really did get old, he looked pretty much like you see in this movie.

[@polarbianarchy3333]

What a pleasure to watch the Exorist. with you.. Thank you

[@Phil-ro9gi]

To answer the question how did they get the room so cold for the breathe They filmed inside a freezer Back in the days when CGI wasn't as prominent I think it's far more affective and beats CGI everytime

[@joshuayeager3686]

I had the pleasure to see this in the theater when it was released for its 25th or 30th anniversary (I don’t remember which). I had already seen it a few years before since I was in my early 20’s when I watched it in the theater and it was pretty amazing then. But I have to confess that my best friend and I started laughing when the priests started saying “the power of Christ compels you” only cause it’s been a punchline in so many things.

[@jennyhill7190]

The set for this movie was said to be cursed because when Ellen was pushed back into the wall she hurt her back. There’s other things that happened too but I forgot what exactly and I don’t wanna get anything wrong but there is a video here on KZbin talking about it.

[@BlueShadow777]

Three years after its release, my cousin and I (both of us under-age) sneaked into the cinema at the age of 16 in 1975 to see this movie. Afterwards, I was going back alone to an empty and dark house as my parents and sisters were out. I was terrified. I’ve seen it something like 30+ times since (and I have the Blu-Ray special edition) and I consider it the most scary movie I’ve seen. For me, the most horrific and terrifying part was the desecration of the statue of the Virgin Mary. This symbolised a portent, an omen of things to come. Just one point, why - in a well edited ‘reaction’ video - do you (and others) feel the need to interrupt the flow with those annoying and inane inserts from other movies? Nevertheless, I’ll subscribe 👍🏻

[@sanddab]

I agree with you about inserting clips from other movies. It’s not cute or funny in the slightest.

[@HenryOG1]

Yeah it's a scary movie, but do you know why it's so over the top?

[@sanddab]

@@HenryOG1 I think that's a relative thing. In this context, it worked for me because it serves the story well. But in another movie I may not care for it.

[@xyz8655]

Demon's voice was by Mercedes MacCambridge.

[@noelseira6259]

Great reaction. I watched this for the first time when I was 11. It was a mistake.

[@Jen-Mom]

😬

[@NeelTheSphynx]

The old age makeup for Max Von Sydow is considered among the greatest old age makeups ever put to film. It was done with the technique created by the makeup artist Dick Smith.

[@donnastupka7507]

Loved your reaction! You were properly shocked! 😬❤

[@Jen-Mom]

OMG,yes we were!

[@E.F.-777-1]

A suggestion for spooky season. Exorcist 2 wasn't very relevant, or very good in my opinion, but PLEASE watch THE EXORCIST 3 from 1990. It documents the relationship of Lt. Kinderman and Father Dyer that started at the end of part 1 after it had progressed into a friendship, and even includes the original Father Damien Karras. It's an amazing movie!

[@encrypter46]

I definitely agree.

[@Joe-hh8gd]

A shame Lee J Cobb couldn't return as Kindeman for EXORCIST 3. George C Scott was fine but nowhere near as low key.

[@rodolforodriguez6230]

You got the Best reaction, l ever seen........awesome ...this is real terror.

[@jillwanlin9558]

Hi Nick and Jen. First of all I love your mother/son relationship. For me this is definitely the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. When the movie the The Passion of Christ came out I had to rent it because of all the hype and oddly I rented this movie as well. I watched it alone in daylight and it still scared the hell out of me. Then I watched The Passion of Christ and bawled my head off through that one. 😂🤣what an emotional roller coaster I put myself through. Really enjoyed your reaction. Thanks so much! 🙏

[@Jen-Mom]

Thank you!

[@MidnytBliss2011]

awesome movie reaction. For me it was disturbing rather than scary. movie reaction request: To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar (Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo)

[@joshuayeager3686]

OMG, yes please.

[@jamesalexander5623]

In Drag !!!

[@Jen-Mom]

I saw that years ago and LOVED it! Nick hasn’t seen it though.

[@ValyTraveler]

When they had the re-release anniversary of, The Exorcist - I was living in New Orleans and caught the late show. It was freaky the spider walk down the stairs was newly perfected scene (it was cut remastered to not see the wires and board), it was not part of the original that I saw. And yes, it was a dark fall night when the film ended and I had to ride my bike home...

[@geraldgore2247]

Check out part 3. George C Scott plays the detective. Really good.

[@matthewcostello3530]

the "face" was in the orig but was too few frames per sec to see with the yes, but the mind saw it, they then decided subliminal were illegal and they had to add more frames for video