I Thought I Knew The Exorcist: These 5 Creepy Facts Proved Me Wrong

The long-awaited direct sequel to 1973’s The Exorcist has dropped in theatres across the U.S. this weekend. Set 50 years after the original, The Exorcist: Believer, much like Halloween (2018) before it, pretends all previous sequels in the franchise don’t exist and even had Ellen Burstyn reprising her part as Chris MacNeil. 

While critics are panning the new film as we speak, the original is still regarded as the most terrifying supernatural horror film ever. It was so scary that soon after its original premiere, the late William Friedkin’s’ The Exorcist was at the center of so many controversies that people were queuing outside movie theatres to watch it. 

Here are five facts you didn’t know about The Exorcist, ranging from bizarre to downright creepy. 

It Was Denounced by the Catholic Church

Somewhat. When making the movie, the director William Friedkin consulted with medical doctors and Catholic priests to ensure the final edit matched reality as much as possible. 

After the film came out, certain church representatives weren’t keen on the sacrilegious use of religious artifacts. There were also concerns over the film possibly encouraging Satanism. 

Audience Members Fell Sick With Fright

Part of what made The Exorcist so popular was the ongoing reports about audience members having interesting reactions to watching the film. During a sneak preview, several people allegedly walked out because they were feeling faint. 

Reports of people having seizures, fainting, and vomiting in theatres were common. Instead of scaring off moviegoers, these rumors only added to the hype. 

Banned in the United Kingdom

Despite the commonly held misconception, The Exorcist was allowed to premiere in cinemas in the U.K. and did very well at the Box Office. It was many years later, in 1988 to be precise, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) decided to remove all VHS tapes from the shelves.

Oddly enough, the controversial film was still playing in theatres across the country. By the time the director’s cut came out, all restrictions on owning the classic had been lifted. 

The Set May Have Been Cursed

While it’s impossible to say for sure whether the set for a movie about a demon possessing an innocent girl was cursed, some strange things did happen during filming.  

Not only did the house they filmed burn down during production, but two cast members had unexpected family tragedies within days of starting work on the film. Actress Ellen Burstyn hurt and permanently injured her back and actor Jack MacGowran tragically passed away before the movie’s release. However, Friedkin always denied any supernatural connection to these strange events. 

Hidden and Subliminal Messages

Friedkin admitted to adding several hard-to-stop subliminal images and sounds in the movie to unsettle its audience, per EW. He included sounds of bees (allegedly supposed to spook people), industrial noises, and the now-infamous near-impossible-to-spot fraction of a second frame of the creepy “white face.”