Posted on 08/12/2004 5:59:12 PM PDT by missyme
Did the Classic Horror Flick Haunt More Than Just the Audience?
When The Exorcist was released late in 1973, it sparked a visceral reaction from the public--literally. There were reports of people vomiting from the fright of a story about a young girl possessed by a demon.
The movie went on to become a massive hit, but few of those who flocked to the film knew about its grueling, nearly yearlong shoot or the tragedies that befell some of the cast and crew. Misfortune also followed the movie's sequels, leading some to wonder: Was there a curse on The Exorcist?
As its prequel, Exorcist: The Beginning, makes its way to theaters, E! delves into the mystery with a new E! True Hollywood Story, premiering Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. We go behind the scenes of the controversial film and reveal just why some believe the movie was cursed.
Whether you buy into curses or not, one thing is indisputable: The filming of The Exorcist was tough on all concerned. From a director who liked to startle his cast to a 12-year-old actress spouting some truly disturbing dialogue to the infamous "pea soup" scene, few escaped the production unscathed.
Subsequent Exorcist films had their share of bad luck as well--although many critics believe that's a result of questionable filmmaking more than any curse. Still, the mystery surrounding the films remains.
Think you can turn heads with your Exorcist knowledge? Then take our devilishly designed quiz, and watch the the Story to find out more about The Exorcist.
A lot of these Urban Legends are delved into over at snopes.com. My favorite is the old story about a young woman in France (or England) who checks into a hotel with her Mother. After falling il, the young lady is taken to the hospital and given some medicine that makes her sleep for a day or so. When she awakens, she returns to the hotel only to find that her mother has disappeared, and no record of her mother exists on the register, and no one will affirm that she was traveling with her mother. The young lady is confined to an institution for the rest of her life, screaming questions about her mother.
I may not have all the details right, but that's the jist of it.
Well done. :)
Right on. The book is as terrifying as the movie. Especially since there were no special effects back then.
That's "Black Aggie" - another bizarre haunted Maryland urban legend/folklore tale.
OKay ..I see...Thanks for the Clarification....
YOu know the original Psycho was pretty scarry too, all the re-makes never did it justice....
You're right. I stand corrected.
LOL
OH MY!
So did you call her name?
Captain Howdy told me.
The tse-tse fly was a cinematic device to symbolize the Devil. Lame, IMO.
That terrible, illogical argument that you have to experience something (see, read, watch, snort, shoot, etc.) in order to have an intelligent opinion about it.
It's nonsense.
Anyway, I said it looks bad based on the previews. Like everyone else in the world, you usually make a decision after seeing previews -- a decision to see or not see. Based on the previews, it looks awful.
The Haunting of Hill House is a VERY scary movie made in the '60's (after a book written by Shirley Jackson). It will scare the wool out of your socks.
I remember seeing Hill House when I was a kid. It scared the living daylights out of me. I didn't help me at all when later on in life I saw a real ghost.
Have you seen "Possessed" with Timothy Dalton? It's based on the true story of the possession portrayed in "The Exorcist."
When I read stuff like this, I'm always tempted to see what I can find out (probably why I'm getting a doctorate in information science). Anyway, I can't tell from this whether he's nuts or not (really, who among us isn't certifiable on occasion?), but apparently he's been productive over the years.
http://www.mikeoldfield-tubularbells.com/
The Tsete(sp?) Fly scene was to remind us of Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies.
You too?
Mine was my Grandpa who reassured me he was in a better place after I spent a week crying my eyes out about his passing.
The story about a kid dying of fright spending the night in the arms of a scary statue in a cemetery (as part of a dare) seems pretty widespread. The babysitter receiving threatening calls from a psycho frequently dies. Or the lover's lane couple stalked by a serial killer with a hook. Someone frequently dies of fright or in some bizarre way in these tales. The Halloween and Friday the 13th films make use of these legendary motifs.
The new Exorcist movie is the prequel to the first one. It tells the story of Father Marin, as a young priest and his involvement in an exorcism (in Africa?). Wasn't his background and expertise in exorcism explained in the first movie?
Good point.
He loves it when people don't believe in him, so when they get scared and see the horror that his evil can produce, he doesn't like that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.