The Exorcist (1973) (Stephenverse)

The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and produced and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Blatty. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran (in his final film role), Jason Miller and Linda Blair. It is the first installment in The Exorcist film series, and follows the demonic possession of twelve year-old Regan and her mother's attempt to rescue her through an exorcism conducted by two Catholic priests.
The Exorcist was released in 24 theaters in the United States and Canada in late December. Despite initial mixed critical reviews, audiences flocked to it, waiting in long lines during winter weather and many doing so more than once. Some viewers suffered adverse physical reactions, fainting or vomiting to scenes in which the protagonist undergoes a realistic cerebral angiography and later violently masturbates with a crucifix. Heart attacks and miscarriages were reported; a psychiatric journal published a paper on "cinematic neurosis" triggered by the film. Many children were allowed to see the film, leading to charges that the MPAA ratings board had accommodated Warner Brothers by giving the film an R-rating instead of the X-rating they thought it deserved, in order to ensure its commercial success. Several cities attempted to ban it outright or prevent children from attending.
The cultural conversation around the film, which also encompassed its treatment of Catholicism, helped it become the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, one of ten Academy Awards it was nominated for, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound. It was the highest-grossing R-rated horror film (unadjusted for inflation) until the 2017 release of It. The Exorcist has had a significant influence on popular culture and has received critical acclaim, with several publications regarding it as one of the greatest horror films ever made.
==Plot==
Lankester Merrin, a veteran Catholic priest is on an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hatra in Iraq. Alerted by a colleague, he finds a sculpture that resembles Pazuzu, a demon of ancient origins with whose history Merrin is familiar. Soon afterwards, after consuming a small, white pill, Merrin encounters a statue towering over him in the image of Pazuzu, an omen warning him of a looming confrontation.
Meanwhile, in Georgetown, actress Chris MacNeil is living on location with her 12-year-old daughter Regan; she is starring in a film directed by her friend and associate Burke Dennings. During this time, small oddities begin to occur around the house, such as scratching from the attic without a source. After playing with a Ouija board and contacting a supposedly imaginary friend whom she calls Captain Howdy, Regan begins acting strangely, using obscene language, and exhibiting abnormal strength; additionally, there is poltergeist-like activity in the home at night. Chris hosts a party, during which Regan comes downstairs unannounced, tells one of the guests – an astronaut – that he will "die up there" and then urinates on the floor. Later that night, Regan's bed begins to shake and levitate violently. Chris consults a number of physicians, putting Regan through a battery of diagnostic tests, but the doctors find nothing physiologically wrong with her.
One night when Chris is out, Burke Dennings is babysitting a heavily sedated Regan. Chris returns to hear that Dennings has died, having fallen out of the window. Although this is assumed to have been an accident given Burke's history of heavy drinking, his death is investigated by Lieutenant William Kinderman. Kinderman interviews Chris. He also consults psychiatrist Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest struggling with his faith. Karras's crisis of faith is precipitated by the death of his mother, which he blames on himself.
The doctors, believing that Regan's aberrations are mostly psychological in origin, recommend an exorcism be performed. Chris arranges a meeting with Karras who, reluctant to engage spiritually, agrees to at least speak with Regan. As the two come face to face, Karras and Regan test each other's wits, although Karras is skeptical of the idea that anything supernatural is happening. Chris tearfully finds herself at a dead end and confides in Karras that Regan was the one who murdered Dennings, and begs him to find a solution. Over the next couple of days, Karras witnesses Regan speaking backward in different languages she does not know, and scars spelling out "HELP ME" appear on her stomach, convincing him she really is possessed by a demon. He implores the Church to let him perform an exorcism, but, feeling Karras is outmatched, the Church calls on Merrin to perform the exorcism while allowing Karras to assist.
The ritual begins as a battle of wills with Regan performing a series of horrific and vulgar acts. They attempt to exorcise the demon, but the spirit digs in, claiming to be the Devil himself. The spirit relentlessly toys with the priest and zeroes in on Karras, sensing his guilt from the passing of his mother. Karras weakens after the demon impersonates his late mother, and is excused by Merrin who continues the exorcism alone. Once he has gathered his strength, Karras re-enters the room and discovers Merrin dead of a heart attack. After he fails to revive Merrin, the enraged Karras grabs a laughing Regan and wrestles her to the ground. At Karras's invitation, the demon leaves Regan's body and takes hold of Karras. In a final moment of strength and self-sacrifice, Karras throws himself out the window before he can harm Regan, falling to his death down a set of stone steps and defeating the demon at last. Father Dyer, a friend of Karras, happens upon the scene and administers the last rites to Karras.
A few days later, Regan, now back to her normal self, prepares to leave for Los Angeles with her mother. Although Regan has no apparent recollection of her possession, she is moved by the sight of Dyer's clerical collar to kiss him on the cheek. As the car pulls away, Chris tells the driver to stop, and she gives Father Dyer a medallion that belonged to Karras. Chris gives Karras' medallion to Dyer, Dyer places it back in her hand and suggests that she keep it. After she and Regan drive away, Dyer pauses at the top of the stone steps before walking away and coming across Kinderman, who narrowly missed Chris and Regan's departure; Kinderman and Dyer begin to develop a friendship.
==Casts==
* Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
* Jason Miller as Father/Dr. Damien Karras, S.J.
* Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
* Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin
* Lee J. Cobb as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman
* Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer
* Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings
* Father William O'Malley as Father Joseph Dyer
* Father Thomas Bermingham as Tom, President of Georgetown University
* Peter Masterson as Dr. Barringer
* Robert Symonds as Dr. Taney
* Barton Heyman as Dr. Samuel Klein
* Rudolf Schündler as Karl, house servant
* Arthur Storch as the psychiatrist
* Vasiliki Maliaros as Karras' Mother
* Titos Vandis as Karras' Uncle
* Dick Callinan as Captain Billy Cutshaw
* William Peter Blatty as Producer Fromme
* Mercedes McCambridge as the voice of Pazuzu
* Eileen Dietz as the face of Pazuzu (uncredited)
==Reception==
Upon its December 26, 1973, release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, "ranging from 'classic' to 'claptrap'" Audience reaction was strong, however, with many viewers waiting in long lines in cold temperatures to see it again and again. Despite its mixed reviews and the controversies over its content and viewer reaction, The Exorcist was a runaway hit. In New York City, where its initial run was limited to a few theaters, patrons endured cold as severe as 6 °F (−14 °C) sometimes with rain and sleet, waiting for hours in long lines during what is normally a slow time of year for the movies to buy tickets, many not for the first time. The crowds gathered outside theaters, sometimes rioted, and police were called in to quell disturbances in not only New York but Kansas City.
Since its release, The Exorcist's critical reputation has grown considerably. According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 84 reviews, with an average rating of 8.30/10. The site's critics consensus states: "The Exorcist rides its supernatural theme to magical effect, with remarkable special effects and an eerie atmosphere, resulting in one of the scariest films of all time". At Metacritic, which assigns and normalizes scores of critic reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel placed it in the top five films released that year. 
In the magazine publication Castle of Frankenstein, Joe Dante called it "an amazing film, and one destined to become at the very least a horror classic. Director Friedkin's film will be profoundly disturbing to all audiences, especially the more sensitive and those who tend to 'live' the movies they see. ...Suffice it to say, there has never been anything like this on the screen before". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a complete 4 star review, praising the actors (particularly Burstyn) and the convincing special effects, but at the end of the review wrote, "I am not sure exactly what reasons people will have for seeing this movie; surely enjoyment won't be one, because what we get here aren't the delicious chills of a Vincent Price thriller, but raw and painful experience. Are people so numb they need movies of this intensity in order to feel anything at all?" Ebert, while praising the film, believed the special effects to be unusually graphic. He wrote, "That it received an R rating and not the X is stupefying".
==Differences from the real-life release==
*The film lasts 132 minutes long, the spider-walk scene was not deleted from the movie, also, the extended ending was used.
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