East London Film Club 051 / The Exorcist

The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. The story follows the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother's attempt to rescue her through an exorcism by two Catholic priests. Blatty, who also produced, and Friedkin, his choice as director, had difficulty casting the film. Their choice of relative unknowns Burstyn, Blair, and Miller, instead of major stars, drew opposition from Warner Bros. Pictures executives. Principal photography was also difficult, taking place in both hot deserts and refrigerated sets. Many cast and crew were injured, some died, and unusual accidents delayed shooting. Production took twice as long as scheduled and cost almost three times the initial budget; the many mishaps have led to a belief that the film was cursed. The Exorcist was released in 24 theaters in the United States on December 26, 1973. Reviews were mixed, but audiences waited in long lines during cold weather; the sold-out shows were even more profitable for Warner, since they had booked it into those theaters under four wall distribution rental agreements, the first time a major studio had done that. Some viewers suffered adverse physical reactions, fainting or vomiting to shocking scenes such as a realistic cerebral angiography. Many children were allowed to see it, leading to charges that the MPAA ratings board had accommodated Warner by giving the film an R rating instead of the X rating to ensure the troubled production its commercial success. Several cities attempted to ban it outright or prevent children from attending. The cultural conversation around the film helped it become the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as nine others. Blatty won Best Adapted Screenplay, while the sound engineers took Best Sound. It has had several sequels and was the highest-grossing R-rated horror film (unadjusted for inflation) until It. The Exorcist had a significant influence on pop culture and several publications regard it as one of the greatest horror films ever made.

The East London Film Club is like a book club for films. Make sure you watch the film before you attend and then come and join in with the conversation. Please note we will not be showing the film at the meeting.

We will be meeting in the Function Room upstairs in the Star of the East.

...

To join the East London Film Club WhatsApp Group please click here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/J2to1MBd4Ct7kQTFFVnyML (in order to stop spam bots this will take you to a Waiting Room. Once in please write your name and we will join you to the main chat).

Meetup charges subscription fees. If you would like to make a donation please click here: https://paypal.me/philosophycollective