The Exorcist is my choice for the best horror movie of all time. Some may say Rosemary’s Baby or The Shining or Night of the Living Dead, but as a good Catholic boy, nothing has ever gotten under my skin the way William Friedkin’s original did. But, with great success comes the desire for Hollywood to make a hit into a franchise, but Friedkin was not a franchise director. He famously turned down French Connection II, but the studio, perhaps noticing how the second French Connection turned out decently, decided to go ahead and turn it into a franchise. Still, the results, with one notable exception were a disaster. So without any further adieu, here’s our list of Exorcist movies ranked – from worst to best.
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one...
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one...
- 5/29/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In December of 1973, two movies that would change the face of horror and the ways it dealt with religion and spirituality were released. One was an instant hit, immediately changing the landscape of the genre forever. The other was severely cut by executives who simply did not understand it and unceremoniously slapped into the B-picture slot on double bills with Don’t Look Now, where it seemed to die a quick death. Over time, it grew from an underground cult discovery to a genre-defining masterpiece. The former is, of course, William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist, which remains a terrifying and inimitable masterpiece. The latter is Robin Hardy and Anthony Schaffer’s The Wicker Man, a truly remarkable film that became a flashpoint for an emerging subgenre—Folk Horror. Though both films deal in religion, The Exorcist and The Wicker Man could not be more divided in their approach to the subject.
- 5/9/2024
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Between The Nun II, Sister Death, Consecration, the upcoming The First Omen, and the newly released Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney, it’s safe to say that nuns are having a moment in horror. So often, fear thrives in the unlit nooks of the unknown, and for many of us, that includes those who dedicate themselves to religious orders. Shrouded in intrigue and literal fabric, the combo of unwavering religious devotion and rejection of various worldly pleasures makes nuns ripe for genre exploration. While nuns are certainly trending, this is by no means the first time horror has blessed us with terrifying tales featuring such religious women.
In Häxan (1922), possessed nuns mingle with witches as director Benjamin Christensen explores the connection between mental health and mass hysteria. With movies like Alucarda (1975), Ms. 45 (1981), and St. Agatha (2018), the subgenre of nunsploitation comes into play to further explore themes of religious and sexual oppression.
In Häxan (1922), possessed nuns mingle with witches as director Benjamin Christensen explores the connection between mental health and mass hysteria. With movies like Alucarda (1975), Ms. 45 (1981), and St. Agatha (2018), the subgenre of nunsploitation comes into play to further explore themes of religious and sexual oppression.
- 3/22/2024
- by Rachel Reeves
- bloody-disgusting.com
David Gordon Green, the filmmaker behind Universal’s Halloween trilogy and The Exorcist: Believer, is leaving horror behind to direct a family drama starring Ben Stiller about a man connecting with his unruly nephews after a tragic accident claims their parents’ lives. The feature-length project is a hard left turn at Albuquerque for Green, who’s spent most of his recent filmmaker career bringing Halloween’s Michael Myers and William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist back to the horror fold. Is Green leaving horror for good, or is Nutcrackers a breath of fresh air before he returns to the bloody and brutal genre?
On Wednesday, Rivulet Films, Rough House Pictures, and Red Hour Films announced that Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker, and Toby Huss have joined Ben Stiller in the film based on a script by Leland Douglas.
Nutcrackers follows the work-obsessed Mike (Ben Stiller), who must reluctantly travel to...
On Wednesday, Rivulet Films, Rough House Pictures, and Red Hour Films announced that Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker, and Toby Huss have joined Ben Stiller in the film based on a script by Leland Douglas.
Nutcrackers follows the work-obsessed Mike (Ben Stiller), who must reluctantly travel to...
- 1/31/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Some horror properties naturally lend themselves to incessant sequels, while others seem to will themselves into existence through sheer will, as if they’re the result of a demonic possession. William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, while over 50 years old, is still considered to be one of the scariest movies of all-time. Various Exorcist sequels and even a two-season television series have materialized over time. However, none of these projects generated the same level of skepticism that accompanied Blumhouse’s announcement that they’d be producing not just a legacy sequel to Friedkin’s original film, but an entire trilogy, directed by David Gordon Green. Green had just pulled off a similar spectacle with his Halloween legacy sequel trilogy, yet Michael Myers’ slasher antics are much more conducive to this formula than repeated returns to The Exorcist’s MacNeils.
2023’s The Exorcist: Believer chronicles two girls who disappear in the woods and return,...
2023’s The Exorcist: Believer chronicles two girls who disappear in the woods and return,...
- 1/17/2024
- by Daniel Kurland
- bloody-disgusting.com
Director William Friedkin and producer/screenwriter William Peter Blatty enjoyed having fun with Warner Bros. executives during the production of “The Exorcist.” The Oscar-winning horror masterpiece celebrates its 50th anniversary Dec. 26 “We always put them on,” Friedkin told me in a 2018 L.A. Times interview “They were always concerned that we were both crazy and would eventually implode the movie. So, we staged blowups in front of them, where it looked like we were fiercely arguing over the most minute, meaningless details.”
“The Exorcist” was shot in Iraq, New York City and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. But Warners wanted the film to be made at the studio in Burbank and to “shoot day for night, so we didn’t get into night shooting,” said Friedkin, who died this past August at 87.”I I said ‘no’ to everything, I said things like ‘Why shoot day for night? Why don’t we...
“The Exorcist” was shot in Iraq, New York City and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. But Warners wanted the film to be made at the studio in Burbank and to “shoot day for night, so we didn’t get into night shooting,” said Friedkin, who died this past August at 87.”I I said ‘no’ to everything, I said things like ‘Why shoot day for night? Why don’t we...
- 12/26/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Every year brings new Christmas movies with their often plentiful and phony Christmas cheer. In fact, most of the recent ones released on streaming—such as 2023’s less-than-esteemed bunch—seem designed expressly for their disposability. They’re content as sincere as polyester Christmas roping strung around the company’s copier in the back. You’re meant to watch them with one eye on the phone, and no Christmas Spirit in your heart.
But there was a time, dear reader, when a Christmas movie could be a truly magical thing: an emotional and cathartic experience shared with strangers in a darkened theater that would make you believe in the true meaning of Yuletide as if you were Ebenezer Scrooge on the glorious Christmas morning following the visit of three ghosts. And then some… some Christmas movies made you feel more like Scrooge the night before. Alone. In the dark. Staring at...
But there was a time, dear reader, when a Christmas movie could be a truly magical thing: an emotional and cathartic experience shared with strangers in a darkened theater that would make you believe in the true meaning of Yuletide as if you were Ebenezer Scrooge on the glorious Christmas morning following the visit of three ghosts. And then some… some Christmas movies made you feel more like Scrooge the night before. Alone. In the dark. Staring at...
- 12/21/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Following the success of their Halloween trilogy, writer/director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse re-teamed to tackle another esteemed horror property: The Exorcist.
The Exorcist: Believer possesses home video with an audio commentary by David Gordon Green, co-writer Peter Sattler, special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson, and executive producer Ryan Turek, among other extras.
Here are 15 things I learned from The Exorcist: Believer commentary…
1. The film’s opening soundscape is inspired by a meditation app.
The film’s opening logos are accompanied by droning sounds inspired by calming music on a meditation app that Green uses.
“I am a fan of the mid-afternoon meditation shutdown, and I listen to a little app that’s full of singing bells and chimes and little brain cleansers, so I thought nothing better for our brainwaves than to open our movie with some of the same.”
‘Brainwaves’ was also the code name adopted for the production.
The Exorcist: Believer possesses home video with an audio commentary by David Gordon Green, co-writer Peter Sattler, special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson, and executive producer Ryan Turek, among other extras.
Here are 15 things I learned from The Exorcist: Believer commentary…
1. The film’s opening soundscape is inspired by a meditation app.
The film’s opening logos are accompanied by droning sounds inspired by calming music on a meditation app that Green uses.
“I am a fan of the mid-afternoon meditation shutdown, and I listen to a little app that’s full of singing bells and chimes and little brain cleansers, so I thought nothing better for our brainwaves than to open our movie with some of the same.”
‘Brainwaves’ was also the code name adopted for the production.
- 12/20/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Uncover the bloody and beating heart of film history with The Exorcist Untold – an electrifying new documentary that delves into the legacy and influence of this groundbreaking, revolutionary and revered masterpiece.
On the 50th anniversary of one of the most legendary and influential horrors of all time, Robin Bextor (Oppenheimer: The Real Story) sheds fascinating new light in The Exorcist Untold. The documentary is set for its home entertainment bow this December, arriving on DVD and digital on 11th December 2023, courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.
The Exorcist is a cultural phenomenon that changed the face of cinema, paving the way for numerous films that followed in its terrifying footsteps. It continues to haunt and captivate audiences and its legacy can still be seen across the cinematic sphere today, 50 years on.
By exploring the motivations of the creators, the genesis of this pivotal film and the historical and cultural contexts...
On the 50th anniversary of one of the most legendary and influential horrors of all time, Robin Bextor (Oppenheimer: The Real Story) sheds fascinating new light in The Exorcist Untold. The documentary is set for its home entertainment bow this December, arriving on DVD and digital on 11th December 2023, courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.
The Exorcist is a cultural phenomenon that changed the face of cinema, paving the way for numerous films that followed in its terrifying footsteps. It continues to haunt and captivate audiences and its legacy can still be seen across the cinematic sphere today, 50 years on.
By exploring the motivations of the creators, the genesis of this pivotal film and the historical and cultural contexts...
- 12/6/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
The episode of The Test of Time covering Exorcist II: The Heretic was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Here at Test of Time, the whole idea of the show is to look at a classic, either objectively through critical praise, box office revenue, or even things like reputation or cult classic status. The three of us, writer Andrew, narrator Niki, and editor Mike like to discuss what we think about whatever the movie is and have fun with it. Shouldn’t this be able to work in reverse though? What about a movie that is seen as bad? Shouldn’t it be looked at through a different lens via time and what we know now? Maybe a bad movie stays a bad movie but what if a reappraisal alters the opinion?...
Here at Test of Time, the whole idea of the show is to look at a classic, either objectively through critical praise, box office revenue, or even things like reputation or cult classic status. The three of us, writer Andrew, narrator Niki, and editor Mike like to discuss what we think about whatever the movie is and have fun with it. Shouldn’t this be able to work in reverse though? What about a movie that is seen as bad? Shouldn’t it be looked at through a different lens via time and what we know now? Maybe a bad movie stays a bad movie but what if a reappraisal alters the opinion?...
- 11/28/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Genres films are often overlooked by academy voters and none more so than horror. Horror films have been a cornerstone of cinema since the inception of the format with George Méliès‘ “Le Manoir du Diable” often considered the first horror movie. Since then, we’ve had hundreds of important horror movies including “Nosferatu,” “Psycho,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” and “The Shining.” These have all influenced not only the horror genre but the film industry at large in one way or another. Yet, we’ve only had six films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in Academy Awards history. Let’s take a look at them.
The first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture was William Friedkin‘s “The Exorcist,” which follows Max von Sydow‘s priest trying to rid a 12-year-old girl of the entity possessing her. The film made a big, bloody splash at the 1974 Academy Awards,...
The first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture was William Friedkin‘s “The Exorcist,” which follows Max von Sydow‘s priest trying to rid a 12-year-old girl of the entity possessing her. The film made a big, bloody splash at the 1974 Academy Awards,...
- 11/19/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Peacock announced on Friday that The Exorcist: Believer, the first in a new trilogy of films based on the 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist, will debut exclusively on the platform on December 1, there joining titles like The Black Phone and Five Nights at Freddy’s, among many others.
Hailing from Universal and Blumhouse, Believer introducers viewers to Victor Fielding, who, since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, has raised their daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.
Oscar winner...
Hailing from Universal and Blumhouse, Believer introducers viewers to Victor Fielding, who, since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, has raised their daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.
Oscar winner...
- 11/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a 4K release and a theatrical re-release… and fifty years after it first reached the screen, there are still new things to discover about it. In early October, filmmaker Paul Davis took to social media to share a snippet of actress Eileen Dietz’s Pazuzu makeup test, where she was shown wearing makeup designed by the legendary Dick Smith. Davis promised he would be releasing a commentary video including10 minutes of unseen outtakes and the full 2 minute makeup test video on Halloween – but when Halloween arrived, he delivered more than promised, revealing 35 minutes of rare outtake footage! You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following...
Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following...
- 11/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Now that David Gordon Green has sent another horror franchise to hell with The Exorcist: Believer, the time is right this Halloween for Awfully Good Movies to tackle one of the most awfully good sequels ever made… Exorcist II: The Heretic!
While the late William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty were hellbent against any follow-ups to their seminal horror classic, the suits at Warner Bros. felt otherwise and rolled camera on a follow-up four years later from another prestige filmmaker, John Boorman, despite Boorman passing on the first film and calling it a “repulsive” tale about “child abuse”. So instead, Linda Blair returns as Regan MacNeil one last time to fight the satanic demon nipping at her heels once more, thanks to a mind synchronization device that is just the tip of this sequel’s deeply insane iceberg.
Whether it’s a visibly drunk Richard Burton as the new priest...
While the late William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty were hellbent against any follow-ups to their seminal horror classic, the suits at Warner Bros. felt otherwise and rolled camera on a follow-up four years later from another prestige filmmaker, John Boorman, despite Boorman passing on the first film and calling it a “repulsive” tale about “child abuse”. So instead, Linda Blair returns as Regan MacNeil one last time to fight the satanic demon nipping at her heels once more, thanks to a mind synchronization device that is just the tip of this sequel’s deeply insane iceberg.
Whether it’s a visibly drunk Richard Burton as the new priest...
- 10/31/2023
- by Jesse Shade
- JoBlo.com
Spoiler alert: this ranking of every movie in the "Exorcist" series concludes with the first film, William Friedkin's 1973 masterpiece about demonic possession and the battle between good and evil, in the top position. Sorry. There was no other way. And it wasn't even close. When the /Film horror braintrust determined the order, it was a runaway. Not a contest. 50 years after it shocked audiences around the world in its initial release, the film remains a triumph of not just horror cinema, but cinema in general. Hundreds of movies have chased it. Very few have even come close to matching it. It's one of the best movies ever made.
But the rest of the series? That's where the debate gets interesting. "The Exorcist" was followed by two divisive initial sequels, both of which have developed a following over the decades. And then there were the two (!) prequels, each of which...
But the rest of the series? That's where the debate gets interesting. "The Exorcist" was followed by two divisive initial sequels, both of which have developed a following over the decades. And then there were the two (!) prequels, each of which...
- 10/29/2023
- by SlashFilm Staff
- Slash Film
Despite multiple red herrings, clues, and characters like Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) blaming Pazuzu for the dual possessions haunting The Exorcist: Believer, the entity responsible is actually a very different demonic figure from Mesopotamian lore: Lamashtu.
While the demon can be barely glimpsed in a quick flash on screen, makeup effects co-designers Chris Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke give a closer look at their stellar work via Instagram.
The Exorcist: Believer, now available on Digital, frequently makes callbacks and ties to the original film by writer William Peter Blatty and director William Friedkin. Moreover, it frequently alludes to Pazuzu as the one behind the mysterious disappearance, reappearance, and subsequent possessions of young girls Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O’Neill). It seems reasonable that the demon first encountered by Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) might be back thanks to frequent references and calls for “Mother” and a seemingly intimate familiarity with Chris MacNeil.
While the demon can be barely glimpsed in a quick flash on screen, makeup effects co-designers Chris Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke give a closer look at their stellar work via Instagram.
The Exorcist: Believer, now available on Digital, frequently makes callbacks and ties to the original film by writer William Peter Blatty and director William Friedkin. Moreover, it frequently alludes to Pazuzu as the one behind the mysterious disappearance, reappearance, and subsequent possessions of young girls Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O’Neill). It seems reasonable that the demon first encountered by Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) might be back thanks to frequent references and calls for “Mother” and a seemingly intimate familiarity with Chris MacNeil.
- 10/25/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
“The Exorcist” is, rightfully, heralded as one of the greatest, scariest films of all time. And in the 50 years since its 1973 release, filmmakers have tried, repeatedly, to recapture the magic that made the original film so special, to mixed results.
The latest attempt is “The Exorcist: Believer,” from director David Gordon Green, which returns Ellen Burstyn to the franchise for the first time since 1973 and focuses on a new phenomenon – synchronized possession. It’s meant to be the first of a new trilogy of films. And its release (it’ll be on PVOD on October 24) is enough to have us look back at the entire franchise thus far. Which films are scary good and which are ones that you’d rather spider-walk down the stairs to get away from? Read on to find out.
Warner Bros.
7. “Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist” (2005)
How troubled was the “Exorcist” prequel movie? So troubled...
The latest attempt is “The Exorcist: Believer,” from director David Gordon Green, which returns Ellen Burstyn to the franchise for the first time since 1973 and focuses on a new phenomenon – synchronized possession. It’s meant to be the first of a new trilogy of films. And its release (it’ll be on PVOD on October 24) is enough to have us look back at the entire franchise thus far. Which films are scary good and which are ones that you’d rather spider-walk down the stairs to get away from? Read on to find out.
Warner Bros.
7. “Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist” (2005)
How troubled was the “Exorcist” prequel movie? So troubled...
- 10/21/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
‘The Exorcist: Believer’ – How the New Movie Takes a Modern Approach to a Theological Horror Classic
Warning: The following contains major spoilers for The Exorcist and The Exorcist: Believer.
Before William Friedkin’s The Exorcist shook movie theaters across the country, a novel of the same name took the literary world by storm. William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist follows single mother and actress Chris MacNeil who watches in horror as her twelve-year-old daughter Regan becomes possessed by a demon called Pazuzu. After an extensive search for a medical diagnosis, Chris turns to Father Karras, a local priest caught up in his own crisis of faith. The final act sees an elder priest named Father Merrin join Karras in a dangerous exorcism that will cost both men their lives.
Blatty produced and penned the script to Friedkin’s controversial film, earning a Best Picture nomination and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Though the cinematic version is rigorously faithful to the source material, Friedkin and...
Before William Friedkin’s The Exorcist shook movie theaters across the country, a novel of the same name took the literary world by storm. William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist follows single mother and actress Chris MacNeil who watches in horror as her twelve-year-old daughter Regan becomes possessed by a demon called Pazuzu. After an extensive search for a medical diagnosis, Chris turns to Father Karras, a local priest caught up in his own crisis of faith. The final act sees an elder priest named Father Merrin join Karras in a dangerous exorcism that will cost both men their lives.
Blatty produced and penned the script to Friedkin’s controversial film, earning a Best Picture nomination and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Though the cinematic version is rigorously faithful to the source material, Friedkin and...
- 10/18/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
Warning: The following contains major spoilers for The Exorcist (1971) and The Exorcist: Believer (2023).
On lists ranking the scariest movies of all time, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist invariably falls at or near the top. Faithfully adapted from the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, the 1973 film stunned audiences with its brutal vulgarity involving then fourteen-year-old actress Linda Blair. The story follows Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), a mother and movie star who will stop at nothing to protect her daughter Regan (Blair) from a demon called Pazuzu. Coming to her aid, Fathers Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Karras (Jason Miller) perform a dangerous exorcism and lose their lives to the unholy force. In spite (or perhaps because) of the film’s notorious reputation, The Exorcist was a massive hit with box office lines stretching around the block and waves of traumatized moviegoers streaming out after the final credits. Few films since have...
On lists ranking the scariest movies of all time, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist invariably falls at or near the top. Faithfully adapted from the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, the 1973 film stunned audiences with its brutal vulgarity involving then fourteen-year-old actress Linda Blair. The story follows Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), a mother and movie star who will stop at nothing to protect her daughter Regan (Blair) from a demon called Pazuzu. Coming to her aid, Fathers Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Karras (Jason Miller) perform a dangerous exorcism and lose their lives to the unholy force. In spite (or perhaps because) of the film’s notorious reputation, The Exorcist was a massive hit with box office lines stretching around the block and waves of traumatized moviegoers streaming out after the final credits. Few films since have...
- 10/17/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
People have come around on "The Exorcist III" in a pretty big way. For a while, it was just the hardest of the hardcore horror nerds stepping up to defend the sequel, much like they did with the wild curveball that was "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch." Both of those movies have been reevaluated and carry substantial fanbases at this point, but it was a long struggle.
"Exorcist III" is a particularly fascinating movie because there were a lot of power struggles during the making of the movie that resulted in different cuts, alternate endings, and a near-takeover by the studio in the wake of lukewarm test screening reviews. This struggle started at the very beginning when the original book's author (and the first film's screenwriter) William Peter Blatty insisted on not only writing, but directing the second sequel.
According to Steve Jaffe, an associate producer on "Exorcist III" and Blatty's former press agent,...
"Exorcist III" is a particularly fascinating movie because there were a lot of power struggles during the making of the movie that resulted in different cuts, alternate endings, and a near-takeover by the studio in the wake of lukewarm test screening reviews. This struggle started at the very beginning when the original book's author (and the first film's screenwriter) William Peter Blatty insisted on not only writing, but directing the second sequel.
According to Steve Jaffe, an associate producer on "Exorcist III" and Blatty's former press agent,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
The Exorcist: Believer is now playing in theaters. The first part in a proposed trilogy from Halloween director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse promised to be a direct follow-up to the original 1973 masterpiece, ignoring every single sequel that came before. That’s right, The Exorcist had numerous sequels, the last of which was released almost 20 years ago.
Most of them are… not good. And none of them have come even close to William Friedkin’s original classic. But that’s okay. Because the reality is, nothing ever will.
Let’s rank every single follow-up film (plus the TV series) from worst to best…
6. Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist (2005)
Is it a controversial take to say that I find the “true” version of the official Exorcist sequel to be an absolute bore? For those not in the loop, Morgan Creek Productions began developing a prequel film that would tell the...
Most of them are… not good. And none of them have come even close to William Friedkin’s original classic. But that’s okay. Because the reality is, nothing ever will.
Let’s rank every single follow-up film (plus the TV series) from worst to best…
6. Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist (2005)
Is it a controversial take to say that I find the “true” version of the official Exorcist sequel to be an absolute bore? For those not in the loop, Morgan Creek Productions began developing a prequel film that would tell the...
- 10/11/2023
- by Reyna Cervantes
- bloody-disgusting.com
From left: Lili Taylor in The Conjuring (New Line Cinema), Vivien Leigh in Psycho (Universal), Drew Barrymore in Scream (Dimension)Graphic: The A.V. Club
The only thing scarier than the horror movies Hollywood makes are the real-life stories that inspire them. For decades, horror films have thrived by using the...
The only thing scarier than the horror movies Hollywood makes are the real-life stories that inspire them. For decades, horror films have thrived by using the...
- 10/9/2023
- by Phil Pirrello
- avclub.com
Despite the amount of horror movies released in September, October seemed like a better time for the genre to get a bump with the latest attempt to revive a horror classic. That wasn’t really the case. Read on for the weekend box office report.
There were indeed some hopes that the David Gordon Green-directed “The Exorcist: Believer” would be the good start for a new trilogy based on the William Friedkin-directed 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel, a major theatrical blockbuster at the time that became a horror classic. Green even brought back Ellen Burstyn from the original movie, joining Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles, as a continuation of Friedkin’s film.
Despite anticipation for another solid “requel” ala Green’s 2018 “Halloween,” “Believer” was universally panned by critics with an awful 23% on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release into 3,663 theaters by Universal. It...
There were indeed some hopes that the David Gordon Green-directed “The Exorcist: Believer” would be the good start for a new trilogy based on the William Friedkin-directed 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel, a major theatrical blockbuster at the time that became a horror classic. Green even brought back Ellen Burstyn from the original movie, joining Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd and Jennifer Nettles, as a continuation of Friedkin’s film.
Despite anticipation for another solid “requel” ala Green’s 2018 “Halloween,” “Believer” was universally panned by critics with an awful 23% on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release into 3,663 theaters by Universal. It...
- 10/8/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
The Exorcist: Believer had no trouble delivering a first-place finish at the weekend box office with an estimated $27.2 million from 3,663 theaters. While a respectable opening in this climate, the R-rated film came in below expectations domestically as it tries to revive the franchise after Universal reportedly paid a hefty $400 million for rights.
Overseas, the pic started off with $17.9 million from its first 52 markets for a global start of $45.1 million.
The David Gordon Green-directed horror pic hits theaters exactly 50 years after the first Exorcist opened and made cinema history, grossing nearly $450 million at the global box office before adjusting for inflation. Directed by William Friedkin, the film was based on the book by William Peter Blatty and starred Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn.
The Believer recently had to move up its release by one week after Taylor Swift announced that her new concert film, The Eras Tour, will open across the globe on Oct.
Overseas, the pic started off with $17.9 million from its first 52 markets for a global start of $45.1 million.
The David Gordon Green-directed horror pic hits theaters exactly 50 years after the first Exorcist opened and made cinema history, grossing nearly $450 million at the global box office before adjusting for inflation. Directed by William Friedkin, the film was based on the book by William Peter Blatty and starred Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn.
The Believer recently had to move up its release by one week after Taylor Swift announced that her new concert film, The Eras Tour, will open across the globe on Oct.
- 10/8/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This post contains spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."
Ever since Father Merrin and Father Karras entered Regan MacNeil's bedroom to perform an exorcism at the conclusion of 1973's "The Exorcist," the endings to each entry within the "Exorcist" franchise have been a point of controversy and contention. In the first film's instance, the priests losing their lives during the exorcism made a lot of audience members and critics confused as to the message of the movie, with writer William Peter Blatty observing that "at that point in the movie, most of the audience is a little out of it." Blatty would run into other ending issues while making "Exorcist III" in 1990, where he was forced to reshoot and add an exorcism sequence into a film that was never intended to have one. As for what's going on during the hectic finales of "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "Exorcist: The Beginning," and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...
Ever since Father Merrin and Father Karras entered Regan MacNeil's bedroom to perform an exorcism at the conclusion of 1973's "The Exorcist," the endings to each entry within the "Exorcist" franchise have been a point of controversy and contention. In the first film's instance, the priests losing their lives during the exorcism made a lot of audience members and critics confused as to the message of the movie, with writer William Peter Blatty observing that "at that point in the movie, most of the audience is a little out of it." Blatty would run into other ending issues while making "Exorcist III" in 1990, where he was forced to reshoot and add an exorcism sequence into a film that was never intended to have one. As for what's going on during the hectic finales of "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "Exorcist: The Beginning," and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...
- 10/7/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
On December 26, 1973, horror fans endured long lines for the theatrical premiere of The Exorcist – a film that’s now considered by many to be the scariest movie ever made. Directed by William Friedkin and based on the bestselling novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist broke box office records in its first week of release. Theater employees reported that moviegoers were passing out, becoming ill, and heading for the exits before the credits rolled because the subject matter was so disturbing and intense.
The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...
The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...
- 10/6/2023
- by Kevin Finnerty
- Showbiz Junkies
This post contains spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."
If it wasn't for William Friedkin's masterpiece, "The Exorcist," modern horror as we know it today simply wouldn't exist. There are a handful of properties that horror fans view as sacred, and "The Exorcist" is certainly one of them. Then again, John Carpenter's "Halloween" exists on a similar pedestal, and director David Gordon Green not only created a legacyquel trilogy but managed to bring back final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to connect it to the first film. Now, Green is returning to the world of "The Exorcist," disregarding the canon of sequels and the prequel with "The Exorcist: Believer." The tale sees two young friends, Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O'Neill), simultaneously possessed by demonic forces. Their families are of different backgrounds and faiths, but must now work together to try and save their girls. Single dad...
If it wasn't for William Friedkin's masterpiece, "The Exorcist," modern horror as we know it today simply wouldn't exist. There are a handful of properties that horror fans view as sacred, and "The Exorcist" is certainly one of them. Then again, John Carpenter's "Halloween" exists on a similar pedestal, and director David Gordon Green not only created a legacyquel trilogy but managed to bring back final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to connect it to the first film. Now, Green is returning to the world of "The Exorcist," disregarding the canon of sequels and the prequel with "The Exorcist: Believer." The tale sees two young friends, Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia O'Neill), simultaneously possessed by demonic forces. Their families are of different backgrounds and faiths, but must now work together to try and save their girls. Single dad...
- 10/6/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
This article contains The Exorcist: Believer spoilers.
For nearly 20 years, author and screenwriter William Peter Blatty hated the ending of The Exorcist (1973) so much that he could barely speak with its director, William Friedkin. This would have likely struck many as odd considering the film faithfully adapted Blatty’s novel of the same name, and Blatty’s contribution to the work as screenwriter won him an Oscar. But the theatrical ending of that film was made so downbeat by its director—with Father Dyer (William O’Malley) looking at the staircase which stole the life of his best friend Father Karras (Jason Miller)—that many interpreted it as Dyer and the film were thinking none of this was worth it. For years afterward, Blatty was horrified when he encountered moviegoers who told him the Devil won.
Eventually, the director and screenwriter reconciled when the more upbeat and life-affirming final scene...
For nearly 20 years, author and screenwriter William Peter Blatty hated the ending of The Exorcist (1973) so much that he could barely speak with its director, William Friedkin. This would have likely struck many as odd considering the film faithfully adapted Blatty’s novel of the same name, and Blatty’s contribution to the work as screenwriter won him an Oscar. But the theatrical ending of that film was made so downbeat by its director—with Father Dyer (William O’Malley) looking at the staircase which stole the life of his best friend Father Karras (Jason Miller)—that many interpreted it as Dyer and the film were thinking none of this was worth it. For years afterward, Blatty was horrified when he encountered moviegoers who told him the Devil won.
Eventually, the director and screenwriter reconciled when the more upbeat and life-affirming final scene...
- 10/6/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Even after moving up a week to escape the all-consuming drawing power of Taylor Swift, “The Exorcist: Believer” is thus far holding its own as the key new wide release this weekend. The $30 million-budgeted legacy sequel to the late William Friedkin’s 50-year-old Oscar-nominated blockbuster earned $2.85 million in Thursday preview showings. Barring massive frontloading or unexpected legs, that positions the film for a domestic debut weekend between $25 million and $30 million.
While the film itself cost a reasonable (if high for Blumhouse) $30 million, the overall package deal to nab the rights to the IP went for $400 million. That deal, made in the summer of 2021, seemed to be a byproduct of Netflix throwing around money like it was tissue paper.
Comcast was arguably making a show of saying that it too would spend and spend big on potentially big-deal IP. Recall that Netflix had just spent $450 million on acquiring and producing the...
While the film itself cost a reasonable (if high for Blumhouse) $30 million, the overall package deal to nab the rights to the IP went for $400 million. That deal, made in the summer of 2021, seemed to be a byproduct of Netflix throwing around money like it was tissue paper.
Comcast was arguably making a show of saying that it too would spend and spend big on potentially big-deal IP. Recall that Netflix had just spent $450 million on acquiring and producing the...
- 10/6/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Could anyone have foreseen the legitimately fascinating trajectory of David Gordon Green's career as a director? After helming gritty, dramatic fare like "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls" as a newbie filmmaker, Green suddenly pivoted hard in the opposite direction, tackling the genre-blending stoner flicks "Pineapple Express" and "Your Highness." He would only branch out further from there, trying his hand at everything from uplifting true-story films ("Stronger") to grounded crime dramas ("Joe"), darkly satirical TV series, and even heavily-fictionalized, anachronism-infested biographical series with big Millennial energy ("Dickinson").
Green has since continued this trend of swerving from one type of storytelling to a radically different one with "The Exorcist: Believer" (read /Film's review), a legacy sequel to William Friedkin's Og "Exorcist" and the follow-up to Green's divisive "Halloween" trilogy. While they may both reside in the horror genre, the gonzo slasher universe of the "Halloween" franchise is...
Green has since continued this trend of swerving from one type of storytelling to a radically different one with "The Exorcist: Believer" (read /Film's review), a legacy sequel to William Friedkin's Og "Exorcist" and the follow-up to Green's divisive "Halloween" trilogy. While they may both reside in the horror genre, the gonzo slasher universe of the "Halloween" franchise is...
- 10/6/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
A handful of the faithful and the pious might have been able to tell you what an exorcist was, or what they did, before the early 1970s. After William Friedkin’s blockbuster adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s bestselling horror novel hit screens in 1973, however, the term instantly became part of the cultural lexicon. Suddenly, everyone knew about priests who supposedly specialized in dealing with demonic possessions; there were reports that churches were getting dozens of calls from congregation members requesting (or claiming to need) the ancient ritual after the movie became a sensation.
- 10/6/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
This post contains spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."
50 years ago, the incomparable William Friedkin's adaptation of William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" caused a media frenzy. Protests took place outside theaters, people were reported to be throwing up and passing out in their seats, and stories of the film's "cursed set" only added to the film's allure. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Film and Broadcasting (Usccb-ofb) officially and publicly condemned the film as being unsuitable for a wide audience, and Warner Bros. Studios used stories of religious outrage to keep the media machine running. However, according to Amy Chambers' "Somewhere Between Science and Superstition: Religious Outrage, Horrific Science, and 'The Exorcist' (1973)," in reality, "reviews produced for the office by priests and lay Catholics and correspondence between the Vatican and the Usccb-ofb show that the church at least notionally interpreted it as a positive...
50 years ago, the incomparable William Friedkin's adaptation of William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" caused a media frenzy. Protests took place outside theaters, people were reported to be throwing up and passing out in their seats, and stories of the film's "cursed set" only added to the film's allure. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Film and Broadcasting (Usccb-ofb) officially and publicly condemned the film as being unsuitable for a wide audience, and Warner Bros. Studios used stories of religious outrage to keep the media machine running. However, according to Amy Chambers' "Somewhere Between Science and Superstition: Religious Outrage, Horrific Science, and 'The Exorcist' (1973)," in reality, "reviews produced for the office by priests and lay Catholics and correspondence between the Vatican and the Usccb-ofb show that the church at least notionally interpreted it as a positive...
- 10/6/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
This article contains mild spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."
In William Friedkin's 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist," the film opens not on the possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, but on Catholic priest and archaeologist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), who is on a dig in Northern Iraq. He comes across a medallion of Saint Joseph, as well as an idol representing the demon Pazuzu. Fans of the film "The Exorcist II: The Heretic" will know that this is representative of the demon that will later possess Regan. According to Babylonian and Assyrian myth, Pazuzu is a wind demon, and his presence in the opening indicates that Merrin has dealt with Pazuzu before.
But with this desert setting, this scene also implies that there's something foreign — other, about this statue and medallion. Almost as if the intrusion of artifacts from the Middle East is truly responsible for...
In William Friedkin's 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist," the film opens not on the possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, but on Catholic priest and archaeologist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), who is on a dig in Northern Iraq. He comes across a medallion of Saint Joseph, as well as an idol representing the demon Pazuzu. Fans of the film "The Exorcist II: The Heretic" will know that this is representative of the demon that will later possess Regan. According to Babylonian and Assyrian myth, Pazuzu is a wind demon, and his presence in the opening indicates that Merrin has dealt with Pazuzu before.
But with this desert setting, this scene also implies that there's something foreign — other, about this statue and medallion. Almost as if the intrusion of artifacts from the Middle East is truly responsible for...
- 10/6/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
This post contains major spoilers for "The Exorcist: Believer."
William Friedkin, the immortal director of the original 1973 "The Exorcist," who passed away earlier this year, was fond of saying that his film of William Peter Blatty's novel was all about the "mystery of faith." Faith, especially the religious kind, is a continually hot topic given humanity's ever-increasing body of knowledge about the world and each other. "The Exorcist" is a brilliantly ambiguous film, almost because it has to be; where Friedkin and Blatty sought to prove the existence of Good (if not God) via a grounded, brutal portrayal of the possession of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) by the demon Pazuzu and her subsequent exorcism by two Catholic priests, many audiences found themselves terrified by the potential existence of such diabolical Evil.
Point being, it's a lot easier and simpler to believe in the existence of Evil than that of Good.
William Friedkin, the immortal director of the original 1973 "The Exorcist," who passed away earlier this year, was fond of saying that his film of William Peter Blatty's novel was all about the "mystery of faith." Faith, especially the religious kind, is a continually hot topic given humanity's ever-increasing body of knowledge about the world and each other. "The Exorcist" is a brilliantly ambiguous film, almost because it has to be; where Friedkin and Blatty sought to prove the existence of Good (if not God) via a grounded, brutal portrayal of the possession of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) by the demon Pazuzu and her subsequent exorcism by two Catholic priests, many audiences found themselves terrified by the potential existence of such diabolical Evil.
Point being, it's a lot easier and simpler to believe in the existence of Evil than that of Good.
- 10/5/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
There’s a new Exorcist sequel, The Exorcist: Believer, reaching theatres tomorrow, October 6th – but in his review of the film, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray says it’s abysmal and advises horror fans to “Watch the original instead.” And watching the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) is always good advice to follow. The movie is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a 4K release and a theatrical re-release… and fifty years after it first reached the screen, there are still new things to discover about it. Filmmaker Paul Davis has taken to social media to share a snippet of actress Eileen Dietz’s Pazuzu makeup test, where she’s wearing makeup designed by the legendary Dick Smith. The snippet is less than 30 seconds long, but there’s more to come. Over Halloween, Davis will be releasing a commentary video that includes 10 minutes of unseen outtakes and the full 2 minute makeup test video.
- 10/5/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
How does a director live up to the memory of a classic? It’s a challenge to which David Gordon Green previously rose with his trilogy of sequels to John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” and now, with Blumhouse‘s “The Exorcist: Believer,” he takes on continuing what many believe to be the greatest horror movie ever made. According to Green, the goal is never to compete with the original but to work in its tradition and move the story into a new era.
“I’ve studied ‘The Exorcist‘ for many years,” Green told IndieWire. “There’s no way that a sequel, reboot, or remake can ever be as profound and shocking as when that subject matter and execution was unleashed on the culture in 1973. But we can continue the story of characters we love and meet them in a contemporary world where the effects of the events in Georgetown 50 years ago...
“I’ve studied ‘The Exorcist‘ for many years,” Green told IndieWire. “There’s no way that a sequel, reboot, or remake can ever be as profound and shocking as when that subject matter and execution was unleashed on the culture in 1973. But we can continue the story of characters we love and meet them in a contemporary world where the effects of the events in Georgetown 50 years ago...
- 10/5/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Lidya Jewett and Olivia O’Neill in ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ (Photo Credit: Universal Pictures)
Everything that sprouts from the soil of The Exorcist pales in comparison, with only Jeremy Slater’s The Exorcist series (canceled far too soon after just two seasons) living up to the standards of William Peter Blatty’s book and William Friedkin’s film adaptation. With the bar set incredibly high, the odds were against The Exorcist: Believer from the start. And, unfortunately, not even the much-ballyhooed return of Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil can cast out the dreaded sequel demons.
The film kicks off with a flashback that only fills in minor story elements (since this is only part one of a planned trilogy). 13 years ago, married photographers Victor and Sorenne were visiting Haiti when a devastating earthquake struck the city. Victor escaped unharmed, but Sorenne was gravely injured. She survived just long enough to give birth to their daughter,...
Everything that sprouts from the soil of The Exorcist pales in comparison, with only Jeremy Slater’s The Exorcist series (canceled far too soon after just two seasons) living up to the standards of William Peter Blatty’s book and William Friedkin’s film adaptation. With the bar set incredibly high, the odds were against The Exorcist: Believer from the start. And, unfortunately, not even the much-ballyhooed return of Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil can cast out the dreaded sequel demons.
The film kicks off with a flashback that only fills in minor story elements (since this is only part one of a planned trilogy). 13 years ago, married photographers Victor and Sorenne were visiting Haiti when a devastating earthquake struck the city. Victor escaped unharmed, but Sorenne was gravely injured. She survived just long enough to give birth to their daughter,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
David Gordon Green was hoping “The Exorcist” director William Friedkin would live to see “The Exorcist: Believer.”
Friedkin, who died in August 2023 at age 87, helmed the original “Exorcist” film in 1973, which earned Best Picture and Best Director Oscar nominations. Green is directing a new “Exorcist” trilogy for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures; the first installment, “The Exorcist: Believer,” marks original actress Ellen Burstyn’s return to the franchise 50 years later. (It’s also received terrible reviews.)
Green told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts’ A.Frame that while he “never communicated” with Friedkin, he was “curious” what the legendary filmmaker would think of “Believer.”
“I would’ve loved that,” Green said of watching the film with Friedkin. “I was looking forward to showing him the film because I never communicated with him. My understanding was that he didn’t want involvement in the film production, but he would give us his thoughts after the movie.
Friedkin, who died in August 2023 at age 87, helmed the original “Exorcist” film in 1973, which earned Best Picture and Best Director Oscar nominations. Green is directing a new “Exorcist” trilogy for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures; the first installment, “The Exorcist: Believer,” marks original actress Ellen Burstyn’s return to the franchise 50 years later. (It’s also received terrible reviews.)
Green told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts’ A.Frame that while he “never communicated” with Friedkin, he was “curious” what the legendary filmmaker would think of “Believer.”
“I would’ve loved that,” Green said of watching the film with Friedkin. “I was looking forward to showing him the film because I never communicated with him. My understanding was that he didn’t want involvement in the film production, but he would give us his thoughts after the movie.
- 10/5/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
As a basic film property, The Exorcist admittedly makes better sense for David Gordon Green than Halloween ever did. With its acute palette defined by shadings of naturalism and characters whose inner lives are in constant torment, William Friedkin’s original 1973 masterpiece sprang from a more ephemeral, existential place of dread than even the best of slasher franchises. Yes, John Carpenter made a masterpiece too, but by the time Green got there, Michael Myers was the dope who got smacked around by Busta Rhymes.
Of course The Exorcist has its own share of terrible sequels (plus an underrated entry helmed by the Oscar-winning William Peter Blatty). Yet those cash-grabs’ mediocrity was so glaring when compared to the classic that they were forgotten as quickly as they were released. And therein lies the opportunity, as well as the immense risk, in The Exorcist: Believer. Fifty years later, all that sticks in...
Of course The Exorcist has its own share of terrible sequels (plus an underrated entry helmed by the Oscar-winning William Peter Blatty). Yet those cash-grabs’ mediocrity was so glaring when compared to the classic that they were forgotten as quickly as they were released. And therein lies the opportunity, as well as the immense risk, in The Exorcist: Believer. Fifty years later, all that sticks in...
- 10/5/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
There are three types of Exorcist sequel: the instantly forgettable, the memorably awful and The Exorcist III. The latest installment, directed by David Gordon Green and co-produced by Blumhouse, is not as miserably generic as the naughties prequel (either version – there’s two), but nor is it the interesting misfire of William Peter Blatty’s 1990 threequel (either version – there’s two). And thankfully it’s not the car crash of Exorcist II: The Heretic. It has elements of all of those in both its strengths and weaknesses, however, and ultimately suffers the same central issue they all do: it’s standing in the shadow of a masterpiece, and it can’t stop pointing at it.
Having had reasonable success sequalising Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis, Green has been given the keys to one of the horror cinema’s unholy grails: a trilogy marking 50 years of the late Bill Friedkin’s The Exorcist.
Having had reasonable success sequalising Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis, Green has been given the keys to one of the horror cinema’s unholy grails: a trilogy marking 50 years of the late Bill Friedkin’s The Exorcist.
- 10/5/2023
- by Marc Burrows
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Exorcist rocked the world 50 years ago and horror has never been the same since. It shocked audiences with its unflinching portrayals of disturbing medical examinations, levels of profanity that shot right past those considered “acceptable” for Hollywood studio films, and a scene in which a twelve-year-old girl masturbates with a crucifix. It was decried by some and lauded by others. Evangelist Billy Graham famously said, “the Devil is in every frame” and urged Christians not to see the film and thereby expose themselves to such evil. The Catholic Church was mixed, condemning the film’s profanity and violence, but individuals within the church also praised its depiction of the power of good over evil. Roger Ebert loved it. Pauline Kael hated it. What matters, though, is people saw it, and they saw it in droves, making it the biggest box-office smash of the year. In 1973 and 74 it famously induced fainting,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
You might think it would be difficult, after fifty years, to introduce something new to a motion picture series as long and as storied as “The Exorcist.” Ever since William Friedkin’s trailblazing original horror drama — as frightening as it was insightful about the fragile relevance of religion in an increasingly secular world — filmmakers as varied as John Boorman, William Peter Blatty, Renny Harlin and Paul Schrader have been stretching the concept of demonic possession as far as it they could take it. Their films have been, not always at the same time, fiercely intelligent, deeply strange, hypnotically inept, genuinely terrifying, profoundly embarrassing, and/or uncomfortably insightful.
David Gordon Green’s “The Exorcist: Believer” has now entered the conversation, and to its credit — sort of — it does have one thing we’ve never seen in these movies before: mediocrity, and lots of it. The new film is competently dramatized and occasionally quite startling,...
David Gordon Green’s “The Exorcist: Believer” has now entered the conversation, and to its credit — sort of — it does have one thing we’ve never seen in these movies before: mediocrity, and lots of it. The new film is competently dramatized and occasionally quite startling,...
- 10/4/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
There’s been a shocking amount of horror movies released in August and September. Now that it’s October, it’s going to seem far more appropriate, with the month starting off with a doozie. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
Way back in 1973, William Peter Blatty‘s 1971 novel, “The Exorcist,” was adapted into a movie by the late William Friedkin, becoming a huge theatrical phenomenon that is still thought of as one of the scariest horror movies ever made. It introduced many Americans to the idea of possession and exorcism, making household names of Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, both who received Oscar nominations. The movie received 10 bids total, winning for Blatty’s screenplay and the sound.
Fifty years later and filmmaker David Gordon Green has followed his mostly successful “Halloween” sequel trilogy with “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of three movies in the works. The...
Way back in 1973, William Peter Blatty‘s 1971 novel, “The Exorcist,” was adapted into a movie by the late William Friedkin, becoming a huge theatrical phenomenon that is still thought of as one of the scariest horror movies ever made. It introduced many Americans to the idea of possession and exorcism, making household names of Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, both who received Oscar nominations. The movie received 10 bids total, winning for Blatty’s screenplay and the sound.
Fifty years later and filmmaker David Gordon Green has followed his mostly successful “Halloween” sequel trilogy with “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of three movies in the works. The...
- 10/4/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Fifty years ago, writer William Peter Blatty and director William Friedkin changed the face of possession horror with the seminal feature The Exorcist, which inspired sequels and prequels that never quite reached the same box office highs of the original, along with a short-lived TV series. Director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse, fresh off the recent Halloween trilogy, reteam for a new chapter, The Exorcist: Believer, once again eschewing all canon beyond the original film. Introduced as the first in a new trilogy, Believer attempts to comment on religion in a modern world. However, its thinly sketched narrative and reliance on nostalgia works against it.
Thirteen years after losing his wife in a Haitian earthquake, Victor Fielding has raised his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) solo in a Georgia suburb. Angela’s quiet curiosity about her mother prompts an excursion into the woods with friend Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) one day after school,...
Thirteen years after losing his wife in a Haitian earthquake, Victor Fielding has raised his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) solo in a Georgia suburb. Angela’s quiet curiosity about her mother prompts an excursion into the woods with friend Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) one day after school,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
In the long history of horror films since the dawn of cinema, it would be hard to imagine any of them quite having the particular impact of 1973’s The Exorcist, which became the first horror film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar along with nine other nominations including Best Actress for Ellen Burstyn. It eventually won two Academy Awards: for William Peter Blatty’s screenplay based on his 1971 novel, and for the bone-chilling sound work. When I saw it as a young kid in its original incarnation at the National Theatre in Westwood (now no longer existing), there were lines like you have never seen wrapping completely around the block. Warner Bros even put a nurse on duty in the lobby for those who passed out — no mere gimmick because it actually happened.
Nothing I have seen since in the genre has matched that one for me, but...
Nothing I have seen since in the genre has matched that one for me, but...
- 10/4/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
We’ve seen what director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse Productions could do with the Halloween franchise, three times over. Now we’re going to see what they can do with the Exorcist franchise when The Exorcist: Believer reaches theatres this Friday, October 6th. This movie is meant to be the start of a new trilogy of Exorcist sequels, and Universal Pictures and Peacock forked over an amount somewhere in the range of $400 million to acquire the rights to distribute this trilogy… so they’re probably very glad to hear that the film is tracking to have a franchise record-breaking opening weekend.
Deadline reports that The Exorcist: Believer, which will be playing on 3600 screens, is expected to have a domestic opening weekend in the 30 to 36 million range. Currently, the R-rated reboot/sequel is trending demo-wise like The Nun 2, which saw a $32.6M opening, meaning it’s great with the 18-34 demographic,...
Deadline reports that The Exorcist: Believer, which will be playing on 3600 screens, is expected to have a domestic opening weekend in the 30 to 36 million range. Currently, the R-rated reboot/sequel is trending demo-wise like The Nun 2, which saw a $32.6M opening, meaning it’s great with the 18-34 demographic,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
“Exorcism is a ritual. Every culture, every religion, they all use different methods… and it’s going to take all of them.” These are the words of Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil, who’s come a long way since we last saw her in 1973’s The Exorcist. But then she saw the face of the Devil in that film, and 50 years later she now seems intent on offering a different kind of grace in David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer. In the biggest horror movie of the Halloween season, Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, and even an African root doctor, will come together to face evil.
It’s a far more inclusive and diverse vision of good than the narrow definition provided in the original Exorcist, a film where Jesuit priests resemble knights of the Holy Order, out to battle Satan to the death. Yet for writer-director Green, it was his...
It’s a far more inclusive and diverse vision of good than the narrow definition provided in the original Exorcist, a film where Jesuit priests resemble knights of the Holy Order, out to battle Satan to the death. Yet for writer-director Green, it was his...
- 10/4/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Exactly 50 years ago this fall, the most terrifying horror film in history landed on screens, shocking audiences around the world. Now, on Friday, October 6, a new chapter begins. From Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, who shattered the status quo with their resurrection of the Halloween franchise, comes The Exorcist: Believer.
The original Exorcist film can be looked at as rite of passage film for fans of the horror genre. In fact, when it was first released, many parents actually forbade their children from going to see the film. Film producer Jason Blum revealed that he was about twelve years old when he first saw the film, while director David Gordon Green tells us, “I was fifteen when I saw it and was watching the film in public library while wearing large headphones. Why you ask? Because my parents wouldn’t let me see it!” Blum adds, “The quickest way...
The original Exorcist film can be looked at as rite of passage film for fans of the horror genre. In fact, when it was first released, many parents actually forbade their children from going to see the film. Film producer Jason Blum revealed that he was about twelve years old when he first saw the film, while director David Gordon Green tells us, “I was fifteen when I saw it and was watching the film in public library while wearing large headphones. Why you ask? Because my parents wouldn’t let me see it!” Blum adds, “The quickest way...
- 10/4/2023
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
Panned by critics and hailed by audiences as one of the greatest horror films ever made, William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" is a classic that always finds its way onto the screens of viewers during Halloween season. The 1973 film, based on the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, centers on mother Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), who is desperate for answers after her seemingly normal daughter, Regan, begins to act strangely after interacting with a Ouija board in their rented home. After an attempt to contact a spirit named "Captain Howdy," Regan's physical, mental, and emotional state begins to decline severely and quickly, and she becomes possessed. Overwhelmed with her daughter's aggressive persona and superhuman strength, Chris enlists the help of two priests to expel the demon from Regan before it kills her.
At the time of its release, "The Exorcist" was considered by many to be the scariest movie in film history.
At the time of its release, "The Exorcist" was considered by many to be the scariest movie in film history.
- 10/3/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Universal/Blumhouse/Morgan Creek’s The Exorcist: Believer will continue horror’s head-spinning roll at the autumn box office with a $30M-$36M domestic start at 3,600 locations.
Currently, the R-rated reboot/sequel is trending demo-wise like The Nun 2, which saw a $32.6M opening, meaning it’s great with the 18-34 demographic, Hispanic and Latino audiences as well as older guys. Nun 2 skewed a tad more female at 52%, and it’s expected that this David Gordon Green-directed Exorcist installment will be around an even split as well. Universal will have Imax and Plf screens with previews starting Thursday at 5 p.m. We hear production cost of The Exorcist: Believer is $30M before P&a.
Related: Who Are The Ultimate Final Girls in Horror Gallery: From ‘Laurie Strode’, to ‘Sidney Prescott’ & ‘Dorothy Gale’
In the midst of an actors strike where talent can’t promote, branded horror has posted...
Currently, the R-rated reboot/sequel is trending demo-wise like The Nun 2, which saw a $32.6M opening, meaning it’s great with the 18-34 demographic, Hispanic and Latino audiences as well as older guys. Nun 2 skewed a tad more female at 52%, and it’s expected that this David Gordon Green-directed Exorcist installment will be around an even split as well. Universal will have Imax and Plf screens with previews starting Thursday at 5 p.m. We hear production cost of The Exorcist: Believer is $30M before P&a.
Related: Who Are The Ultimate Final Girls in Horror Gallery: From ‘Laurie Strode’, to ‘Sidney Prescott’ & ‘Dorothy Gale’
In the midst of an actors strike where talent can’t promote, branded horror has posted...
- 10/3/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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