Posted on 01/13/2017 10:15:24 AM PST by Cecily
William Peter Blatty, an author whose novel “The Exorcist” and his later screenplay for the 1973 film about a demonic possession became a phenomenon and stirred fierce public debate about the occult, died Jan. 12 at a hospital near his home in Bethesda, Md. He was 89.
The cause was a form of multiple myeloma, said his wife, Julie Witbrodt Blatty.
Mr. Blatty was a junior at Georgetown University when, in 1949, he became mesmerized by a Washington Post story detailing the alleged exorcism by a Jesuit priest of a 14-year-old boy from Mount Rainier, Md. who was believed to be possessed by a demon.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
IIRC, Father Malachi Martin was the basis for the priest in the movie.
Father Malachi Martin was always spellbounding when he was interviewed by Art Bell way back when on Coast-to-Coast
I had as a pastor, the first priest that failed at Hunkeler’s first series of exorcisms.
William Friedkin’s commentary track on one version of the movie is very interesting (his commentary on another version is more rote).
Haven’t seen it but found it on Amazon Video...will watch this weekend.
Should I be careful not to say your screen name three times?
Me too!
Yes. ;)
It'd be great to have that played whenever a Dem appeared in on TV or in public.
Yeah I seen a few years ago and it wasn’t the same, I guess because there are so many movies that have come out since then that are so much more messed up that I got desensitized to that. Alien was another my parents took me to which freaked me out ha ha...They always seemed to bring me to these horror movies. Death race 2000 was another, that was around 1975 with Sylvester Stallone before Rocky fame and David Carridine. I remember feeling let down because he wasn’t acting like Kwai Chang Caine LOL!
89? Old age......like my mother who decided to have an operation at 87 to replace a hardened heart valve. She survived the operation but died months later because her body was 87 and could not properly heal. Old age.....it’s the killer.
I watched this movie again a few years ago and was struck by the fact that the Priests were all depicted as good, honest, decent, human, fallible, and courageous men. Willing to give their corporeal lives for the soul of a child. Much better than I thought it was going to be. I guess I’ve been slowly frog-boiled in the pot for so long that I hadn’t noticed it until I saw a movie where Priests were shown as they were back before Hollyweird turned dirtbag on us.
Apparently he also did some uncredited screenplay work on The Omega Man, another one of my favorite movies.
I remember seeing it when it came out, in Georgetown. Walked past the steps on the way to the car. Sure seemed scary at the time.
So sorry to hear of Mr. Blatty’s passing. The Exorcist, both in novel and movie form, is spooky, but for my money the scariest in the series is Legion (Exorcist III). Mr. Blatty wrote the novel (which is just OK) and also directed the movie version, which is dynamite and REALLY scary. The hospital hallway scene will lift you off your chair. Some studio interference mars the final act just a bit, but it’s still superior entertainment. Brrrrr.
Different Mountain..............
What you did there............I SEE IT.........
Exorcist for later.
RIP Mr. Blatty
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