CJG THE HATCHET MAN Movie Dissection — THE EXORCIST, 1973.

Courtesy of WBE.

Welcome back to CJG THE HATCHET MAN — your ultimate dissector of all things eerie, spooky, and occasionally bloody! Is this the scariest movie of all time? Read on.

1973. I was about one years old. The opening of the World Trade Center until it became a beacon of tragedy and terrorism in 2001. The Vietnam War came to an end. Artists as diverse as Cher, Chicago, The Carpenters, Carly Simon (all ‘C’ artists), Three Dog Night, and The Jackson 5 were all over the radio. The first mobile phone was invented. Roe vs. Wade overturned making abortion illegal until… President Richard Nixon was on the clock with the Watergate scandal and yes, disco and rap/hip-hop were all brewing in the underground. SERPICO, THE STING, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, PAPILLON, THE WAY WE WERE and PAPER MOON were all box office winners.

But, on December 26, 1973, a bigger film was released that turned horror into household conversation. Adapted from a successful bestseller that dared to ask a big question — is demonic possession for real, or just mental health gone wrong?

Still image of Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil, the child at the center of the exorcism in the film.

At the time of its release (Christmastime and at the end of the year), this film put horror movies on the map like no other had done in recent years— not counting Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, PSYCHO 1960, of course. As lines were going around the theaters fully unaware of what they were to expect, everything reported came down to fainting, vomiting, heart attacks, paramedics arriving on scene, barf bags, priests on call (okay I made that one up!) — you get it! The visceral nature of the film specially made after 1972, got to many viewers which would make it almost an instant classic without any effort on its part.

The Exorcist — Original Theatrical Trailer

WARNING: Flashing Lights in the Above Trailer! Watch THIS One if You Are Prone to Seizures!

THE EXORCIST — Trailer — (1973) — HQ

We all know the marketing was the stuff of legend as well as the filmmaking itself. The late William Peter Blatty’s bestseller (which I read about 95% by the way) was released in 1971, was already a thought-provoking story about the difference between demonic possession and how mental health has changed its perception since — and yet, it was still a bombastically scary book. On hand to direct the film was William Friedkin, coming off his Oscar-winning action film, 1971’s “THE FRENCH CONNECTION” which in of itself was a gritty, docu-style NYC adrenaline romp. He had never directed a horror film, but was certainly up to the task.

He wasn’t the first choice though. Stanley Kubrick was the first one approached, but balked and said no — then, directed THE SHINING to make amends for not taking the job. Mike Nichols, Peter Bogdanovich, Arthur Penn and John Boorman all passed (but Boorman would helm the critically reviled and financially bankrupt, EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC in 1977). One director got the go-light from Warner Bros. studios and that was Mark Rydell who made THE ROSE, ON GOLDEN POND and FOR THE BOYS, to name a few. Blatty fought hard to get him removed and the job would go to Friedkin in the end — but that was just the tip of the iceberg!

The late Max Von Sydow as the title character, Father Merrin. Still courtesy of WBE.

The casting was equally grueling to find as they needed to match Blatty’s characters in the book. Shirley MacLaine (a friend of Blatty’s) was first pegged to play Chris MacNeil, the harried actress and mother forced to deal with the nightmare that infects her and her daughter, but she refused. The role would go to Ellen Burstyn who would win an Oscar a year later for ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, directed by Martin Scorsese. Jason Miller, a stage actor and also a onetime boxer, got the role of Father Damien Karras; the faith-doubting priest forced to put the technical side of his brain on pause to determine Chris’ daughter’s erratic behavior. Lee J. Cobb would play Lt. Kinderman, the cop in charge of the case, three years before his death. Jack MacGowran who played the drunken director Burke Dennings would die even before the film was released and Kitty Winn as Chris’ assistant Sharon would round out the adult cast. But, who was in line to play the controversial role or 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, the girl who gets demonically possessed? Well…it wasn’t an easy find.

4K Blu Ray release of the film with both 1973 and 2000 film restoration prints.

Unknown photo of actress Linda Blair circa 1972.

The biggest then-unknown in line to play Regan MacNeil was none other than Jamie Lee Curtis, pre-HALLOWEEN, but her famous mother, PSYCHO star Janet Leigh refused to let her audition. A role like this would require a child actor to go through very rigorous movements and be forced to dive into very dark territory.

The role would go to a young child actress and model, Linda Blair of St. Louis, Missouri. Her bright, bubbly personality and cherubic face was exactly what Friedkin wanted and yes, she went in not knowing it was a horror film (or perhaps being told it wasn’t one). At age 14, she was the youngest actor to support a horror film at that time. It would be the role that would make her an icon and also a very polarized figure in entertainment at that time.

The Filmmaking Process — The Devil Was in the Details.

The late William Friedkin and his masterpiece.

Friedkin, whose career took quite a trajectory turn after that was never quite the same after THE EXORCIST, aimed to make a more dramatic film than what the book had sensationalized, although having seen the film and the book and Blatty’s screenplay matches the book verbatim. But the production was plagued with various challenges all throughout.

Eerie Incidents That Were Documented.

During filming, the MacNeil house caught fire which delayed production for six weeks. But, as it were, only one room was untouched and that was the Regan room set where the film’s exorcism was being filmed. I do wonder if Father William O’ Malley who played the piano in an early scene had ever blessed the film. He wasn’t, but they got a priest indeed on call to bless the set.

Cursed or Not Cursed?

Like any film about the supernatural — or demonic possession, there have been talks of eerie incidents surrounding this film, not just with the set burning minus Regan’s room. Sick cast and crew members, actor Jack MacGowran dying before the film’s release as well as 8 other form the production crew, odd missing props, and many priests called in to bless the set. My opinion? Well, either energy is malevolent or not — I can’t say if its real, but I personally will never play with a Ouija board if you ask me.

Main Actresses Injured During Production.

As many cinephiles know (horror and otherwise), both actresses Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair with faulty(?) harness wiring that caused permanent injury to both of them. The telling scene is now infamous “Crucifix Scene” where Burstyn was pulled forcefully back by the harness and hit her back — hard! The pain clearly registers on her face, and we feel it and for her. Another scene that caused injury was the Pazuzu intro scene with Linda Blair bouncing and flailing hard on the bed and just like with Burstyn, the pain registers on her face as do the tears. Honestly, as talented as Friedkin probably was — this was my least favorite fact known about the making of this film. As we are learning in the 2020s, filmmaking is a hard craft as it is, it should still be a safe environment for all cast and crew regardless of the subject matter and yes, I’m aware that in 1970s cinema — especially regarding anything supernatural, all bets can sometimes be off, but word was Friedkin was a key specific reaction filmmaker who would endanger cast members to get a specific reaction out of them. Thank God we have technicians and choreographer and doubles and stunt people to safely take the brunt of said abuse. My respect for him dimmed after this, but let’s face it, after THE FRENCH CONNECTION, this, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., JADE (a very good bad movie with David Caruso) and BUG, Friedkin could still impress as a filmmaker.

Oh, it wasn’t just women or girls that got injured. actor and real-life priest, Father William O’Malley, who also played a piano-playing priest in a scene, was literally slapped in the face to do his Father Karras last rites scene! Oooo-kay, may Friedkin be forgiven by St. Peter if he was interrogated before entering the Pearly Gates!

The End Result — A Classic Horror Film for the Ages!

Mike Oldfield — Tubular Bells ✔ (The Exorcist Soundtrack)

The pandemonium as we all know, was legendary — and profitable. Fainting, vomit bags, hysteria, born-agains, you name it, even serious theological discussions and a host of horror movie clones including THE CONJURING, THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, POSSESSION 2012, THE DEVIL INSIDE and a host of others and yes, it spawned a bad sequel: EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (a tap-dancing Linda Blair; James Earl Jones vs. locusts), a good one, THE EXORCIST III (aka LEGION, directed by writer William Peter Blatty himself — his only film directing credit, and had basketball player, Patrick Ewing, Italian model, Fabio, play angels and an iconic jump scare), two ham-fisted prequels directed respectively by Paul Schrader and Renny Harlin. A brief FOX TV show with Geena Davis in the cast. Even Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions attempted a new 2020s reboot with EXORCIST: BELIEVER, which failed to yield two more films and yes, we are now anticipating a 2027(?) reboot/remake starring Scarlett Johanssen as the lead.

This film earned 10 Academy Award Nominations and won for Blatty’s adapted screenplay and for sound design. It legitimately put horror films on the map, though it would take years for horror films to return to the Academy Award pantheon, the 1990s would find Kathy Bates winning Best Actress for Rob Reiner’s MISERY and Jonathan Demme’s (RIP) adaptation of Thomas Harris’ THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS sweeping the Oscars and awards season.

Music is also the key in its success and its unease. Friedkin had commissioned MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE composer, Lalo Schifrin to create a score for the film, but was fired due to not living up to his expectations. But after finding UK prog-rocker, Mike Oldfield’s 1972 opus: “Tubular Bells” — it’s lilting/haunting piano/keyboard opening would be used as the film’s unsanctioned theme ever since. Don’t feel bad for Schifrin though. His dumped theme would become THE AMITYVILLE HORROR theme in 1979.

MERCEDES McCAMBRIDGE. Still from 12 Angry Men. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Renown radio, stage and television actress Mercedes McCambridge would get fame and a bit of notoriety for her deep, gravelly voice work playing Pazuzu in Linda Blair’s demonic state — but did not get any credit for it. She would fight the studio, Friedkin and Blatty to get her name included in the credits. A wealth of whiskey and cigarette smoking would make the snarly, guttural voice we would hear in the film — so, bravo.

What I Took Away from It.

Well, here’s a brief, but true eerie story after a second attempt to watch this film. It was in 1990, VHS, at a friend’s house, and long before it would get a 2000 re-up by Friedkin, Blatty and WB studios with additional scenes including the now-iconic-and-in-the-book “spider walk” scene. My second attempt was an effort to really understand the themes of the film as it related to faith and even why the film was considered the scariest film ever. I found out the hard way. The temperature in my room seemed off, I didn’t feel like I was myself at all and my alarm clock began rotating counterclockwise.

A vector of Pazuzu I made in college.

Did I experience a “heebie-jeebie” moment? Maybe. I do believe dark energy exists as well as good energy, however, having been raised in an evangelical church — I do think there’s a strong blur as to what is considered real, fake, good and evil. I guess being raised that way might’ve blurred the line between what I experienced and what scientifically happened to me. As an atheist, I’m glad that I was able to distinctly watch the film with an even more open mind understanding how practical effects, editing, makeup and cameras and lights work. So, THE EXORCIST is still one of the most terrifying film ever made and one of three that legitimately scared me. The first was Brian De Palma’s adaptation of CARRIE from 1976. The third? Here’s a hint — it’s actually a 2020s film, by a first-time director!

A 1974 Movie Theater in Montreal Canada.

Main Poster Art for the 1973 Film Release.

Find out in August!

NEXT FILM DISSECTION! When Shish Kebabs, Giallo and SCREAM collide! “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME” 1981! A 45-year retrospective! GUILTY PLEASURES COUNT!

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.