The Exorcist is considered one of the best horror films of all time and is one of the most important films in all of cinema. The film, directed by William Friedkin and starring Linda Blair, continues to make an impact on the screen despite its release more than four decades ago and has undoubtedly become a classic that never goes out of style.
But it was not always the success that surrounded this film; for a long time, it was said that it was ‘cursed’ due to certain paranormal events that would have happened on the film set.
Paranormal Events on the Set of The Exorcist
It is said that ‘playing’ with evil forces can indeed bring several consequences, or maybe they are just mere coincidences or legends that have haunted the movie. Although many of the statements of the production team ensure that they suffered very complicated moments that even followed them after finishing the film … and a scary dog.
A Fire
In the beginning, they had to delay the shooting of the film due to a fire that burned all the set decorations. The director of the film, William Friedkin, blamed it on a winged animal, perhaps a pigeon, that had entered the light circuit box. One of the effects that caused the most fear on the set was that the entire place was unusable, except for the room that Regan, the character played by Linda Blair, would occupy.
Real Screams During the Possession Scenes
According to various reports of the time, Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn (her mother in the film) suffered terrible back injuries while filming some stunts, when their characters had to jerk or be thrown across the room. One of these scenes was when Regan throws her mother towards the floor; in that instant, Ellen’s spine was so damaged that the screams are real at that moment due to the pain the fall caused her.
Unorthodox Methods
William Friedkin resorted to unconventional methods to get everything just right, including the performances of his cast. For example, the director gave a surprise slap to the actor Father O’Malley, to get the expression he wanted for the camera.
Another anecdote is that the director reportedly shot with a real gun right behind Jason Miller to get an expression of dread from Father Karras. And for special effects, Friedkin used the sounds of pigs squealing in the slaughterhouse for the scene in which the demon leaves the body of the protagonist.
Real Deaths Outside the Set
One of the events that made The Exorcist that much scarier is that there were deaths both on and off-screen. Actors Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros lost their lives while the film was still in post-production and when audiences learned that their characters also die in the story, the film became much scarier.
It is known that seven other members also died before the film was released and, according to some statements, the causes of death were never clear. At that time also died Linda’s grandfather, Max Von Sydow’s brother, and, in addition, the family tragedy experienced by Mercedes McCambridge, who played the voice of the demon Pazuzu.
Some Chilling Coincidences
Coincidences? According to some reports from those years, there were some satanic references in the film’s premiere. The film took place at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York.
On the opening night in Rome, the cinema was very close to some 16th-century churches with gigantic crosses; during the screening a torrential storm started and, just before it began, a chilling noise was heard outside the cinema. At the end of the movie, people realized that, due to the thunder, one of the crosses of the church had broken in two.
Terrible Premieres
When The Exorcist began to be shown, many moviegoers fainted, vomited, and suffered panic attacks. One woman sued the studio because she left the screening so terrified that she lost her balance and broke her jaw.
In 1975, the theatrical version of the play premiered in London. The actress Mary Ure who played the possessed girl went home after the premiere. The next day she was found dead in the bathtub at home.
Coincidences, punishments, or legends?
This story was written in Spanish by Kate Nateras in Cultura Colectiva