العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolTHE EXORCIST
: ''This article is about the novel published in 1971. For the article about the film released in 1973, please see The Exorcist (film).''
'''The Exorcist''' is a horror novel written by William Peter Blatty. It is based on a supposedly genuine 1949 exorcism Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit and Catholic school. The exorcism was partially performed in both Cottage City, Maryland [1] and Bel-Nor, Missouri. [2] Several area newspapers reported on a speech a minister gave to an amateur parapsychology society, in which he claimed to have exorcised a demon from a thirteen-year-old boy named Robbie, and that the ordeal lasted a little more than six weeks, ending on April 19, 1949.
An elderly Jesuit priest named Lankester Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and studying ancient relics. Following the discovery of a small statue of the demon Pazuzu and a modern day St.Christopher medal curiously juxtaposed together at the site, a series of omens alerts him to a pending confrontion with a powerful evil, which unknown to the audience at this point, he has battled before in an exorcism in Africa. Meanwhile in Georgetown, a young girl named Regan MacNeil living with her famous actress mother, Chris MacNeil, becomes inexplicably ill. After a gradual series of poltergeist-like disturbances, she undergoes disturbing psychological and physical changes, appearing to become "possessed" by a demonic spirit.
After several unsuccessful psychiatric and medical treatments, Regan's mother turns to a local Jesuit priest. Father Damien Karras, who is currently going through a personal crisis of faith after the loss of his mother, agrees to see Regan as a psychiatrist, but initially resists the notion that it is an actual demonic possesion. After a few meetings with the child, now completely inhabited by a diabolical personality, he turns to the local Bishop for permission to perform an exorcism on the child. After consultation with the Jesuit president of Georgetown, the Bishop appoints the experienced Father Merrin, recently returned to the states, to perform the exorcism and allows the doubt-ridden Karras to assist him. It is interesting to note that the demon supposedly possessing Regan calls himself Pazuzu, an actual ancient Sumerian demigod whose statue Father Merrin encounters at the beginning of the novel.
The lengthy exorcism tests the priests, both physically and spiritually. After the death of father Merrin, the task ultimately restores Father Karras' faith, leading him to give his own life to save Regan's.
The novel was made into a successful Academy Award-winning horror film in 1973, with the screenplay written by Blatty. The film originally contained several key sequences from the novel, which were cut prior to release by director Friedkin over Blatty's protests. The deleted scenes—and some new digital effects—were inserted into the re-release subtitled "The Version You've Never Seen" in 2000.
★ While he was writing the novel, William Peter Blatty was collecting unemployment benefits. [3]
★ William Peter Blatty based the character of Chris MacNeil on his good friend Shirley MacLaine. Prior to the 1973 production, MacLaine attempted to have a movie made of Blatty's novel and interested Lew Grade in backing the project, but the plans fell through. According to one of Blatty's subsequent books describing the making of the film, MacLaine's adopted daughter Sachiko was the subject of curiosity and ostracism after the film's release, as it was at once apparent that Chris was meant to be MacLaine, and Sachiko's classmates and even some teachers assumed that Sachiko had been possessed and had perhaps committed the murders and sexual atrocities described in the book.
★ According to Rev. Father William O'Malley (who played Father Joseph Dyer in the film), the events depicted in the film are approximately 80% true. He claims the big discrepancies between the movie and case it was inspired by were: it was a boy who was possessed, not a girl; the possession did not occur in Georgetown, but just outside DC in Cottage City, MD. In this case, the boy's head did not rotate 180 degrees, though he claims that nearly everything else in the movie actually occurred. The name of the boy who was subject of the "true" exorcism that inspired Blatty's novel was Ronald Hunkeler. After he was "cured" he went on to attend Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC, graduating in 1954. He was later a scientist with NASA. He refuses all interviews regarding his exorcism. At last account, he was rumored to be living in Laurel, MD.
★ Author William Peter Blatty once won $10,000 on the Groucho Marx television show "You Bet Your Life" (1950). When Groucho asked what he planned to do with the money, he said he planned to take some time off to "work on a novel." This was the result.[4]
★ Many years later, Blatty followed the first sequel of the film with a novel, ''Legion''. The movie ''Exorcist III'' was based on this novel and directed by Blatty.
★ The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
★ St. Louis Exorcism Case
★ The Exorcist Fansite
★ Washington Post article and interview with Blatty
'''The Exorcist''' is a horror novel written by William Peter Blatty. It is based on a supposedly genuine 1949 exorcism Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit and Catholic school. The exorcism was partially performed in both Cottage City, Maryland [1] and Bel-Nor, Missouri. [2] Several area newspapers reported on a speech a minister gave to an amateur parapsychology society, in which he claimed to have exorcised a demon from a thirteen-year-old boy named Robbie, and that the ordeal lasted a little more than six weeks, ending on April 19, 1949.
| Contents |
| Plot summary |
| Film adaptation |
| Trivia |
| External links |
Plot summary
An elderly Jesuit priest named Lankester Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and studying ancient relics. Following the discovery of a small statue of the demon Pazuzu and a modern day St.Christopher medal curiously juxtaposed together at the site, a series of omens alerts him to a pending confrontion with a powerful evil, which unknown to the audience at this point, he has battled before in an exorcism in Africa. Meanwhile in Georgetown, a young girl named Regan MacNeil living with her famous actress mother, Chris MacNeil, becomes inexplicably ill. After a gradual series of poltergeist-like disturbances, she undergoes disturbing psychological and physical changes, appearing to become "possessed" by a demonic spirit.
After several unsuccessful psychiatric and medical treatments, Regan's mother turns to a local Jesuit priest. Father Damien Karras, who is currently going through a personal crisis of faith after the loss of his mother, agrees to see Regan as a psychiatrist, but initially resists the notion that it is an actual demonic possesion. After a few meetings with the child, now completely inhabited by a diabolical personality, he turns to the local Bishop for permission to perform an exorcism on the child. After consultation with the Jesuit president of Georgetown, the Bishop appoints the experienced Father Merrin, recently returned to the states, to perform the exorcism and allows the doubt-ridden Karras to assist him. It is interesting to note that the demon supposedly possessing Regan calls himself Pazuzu, an actual ancient Sumerian demigod whose statue Father Merrin encounters at the beginning of the novel.
The lengthy exorcism tests the priests, both physically and spiritually. After the death of father Merrin, the task ultimately restores Father Karras' faith, leading him to give his own life to save Regan's.
Film adaptation
The novel was made into a successful Academy Award-winning horror film in 1973, with the screenplay written by Blatty. The film originally contained several key sequences from the novel, which were cut prior to release by director Friedkin over Blatty's protests. The deleted scenes—and some new digital effects—were inserted into the re-release subtitled "The Version You've Never Seen" in 2000.
Trivia
★ While he was writing the novel, William Peter Blatty was collecting unemployment benefits. [3]
★ William Peter Blatty based the character of Chris MacNeil on his good friend Shirley MacLaine. Prior to the 1973 production, MacLaine attempted to have a movie made of Blatty's novel and interested Lew Grade in backing the project, but the plans fell through. According to one of Blatty's subsequent books describing the making of the film, MacLaine's adopted daughter Sachiko was the subject of curiosity and ostracism after the film's release, as it was at once apparent that Chris was meant to be MacLaine, and Sachiko's classmates and even some teachers assumed that Sachiko had been possessed and had perhaps committed the murders and sexual atrocities described in the book.
★ According to Rev. Father William O'Malley (who played Father Joseph Dyer in the film), the events depicted in the film are approximately 80% true. He claims the big discrepancies between the movie and case it was inspired by were: it was a boy who was possessed, not a girl; the possession did not occur in Georgetown, but just outside DC in Cottage City, MD. In this case, the boy's head did not rotate 180 degrees, though he claims that nearly everything else in the movie actually occurred. The name of the boy who was subject of the "true" exorcism that inspired Blatty's novel was Ronald Hunkeler. After he was "cured" he went on to attend Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC, graduating in 1954. He was later a scientist with NASA. He refuses all interviews regarding his exorcism. At last account, he was rumored to be living in Laurel, MD.
★ Author William Peter Blatty once won $10,000 on the Groucho Marx television show "You Bet Your Life" (1950). When Groucho asked what he planned to do with the money, he said he planned to take some time off to "work on a novel." This was the result.[4]
★ Many years later, Blatty followed the first sequel of the film with a novel, ''Legion''. The movie ''Exorcist III'' was based on this novel and directed by Blatty.
External links
★ The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
★ St. Louis Exorcism Case
★ The Exorcist Fansite
★ Washington Post article and interview with Blatty
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
