Since 1973, The Exorcist and its progeny have scared and inspired half a century of filmgoers.
The Exorcist succeeds, and then some, not just by creating on-screen scares, but by challenging viewers\' deepest personal beliefs--and fears..
Friedkin and Blatty\'s goal was far more ambitious than making a scary movie; they aimed to make people think about the concept of good and evil.
Segaloff also examines as never before the keys to the movie\'s enduring appeal.
Nat Segaloff, biographer of the film\'s director, William Friedkin, draws on original interviews with cast, crew, and participants as well as revelations from personal papers to present an intriguing and surprising new view of the making of movie, and its aftermath.
The Exorcist Legacy reveals the complete story of this cultural phenomenon, from the real-life exorcism in 1949 Maryland that inspired William Peter Blatty\'s bestselling novel on which the movie is based, to its many sequels, prequels, TV series, and homages.
Half a century later, the movie that both inspired and transcends the modern horror genre has lost none of its power to terrify and unsettle.
Some audience members famously fainted or vomited.
Moviegoers braved hours-long lines in winter weather to see it.
Within days it had become legend.
On December 26, 1973, The Exorcist was released.
Written by Nat Segaloff, an original publicist for the movie and the acclaimed biographer of its director, with a foreword from John Russo, author and cowriter of the seminal horror film Night of the Living Dead.
Now, on the 50th anniversary of the original movie release, this is the definitive, fascinating story of the scariest movie ever made and its lasting impact as one of the most shocking, influential, and successful adventures in the history of film.
Since 1973, The Exorcist and its progeny have scared and inspired half a century of filmgoers
