The book below isnt worth much because its a collection of short stories...it only mentions the true story. For the real thing, read 'Possessed' by Thomas Allen.
I wondered for a long time,
'Did 'The Exorcist' actually happen?'
'Was it real?'
'Was it based on a true story?'
I just happened to visit Lifeline in Liverpool and chanced upon this book (as naturally as my eyes dart towards any book with the word 'possession' in its title). And couldnt believe my luck that I found the whole story to be inspired by real events. It DID happen.
The best part is the books good. Real good. Not like 'The devil in Angela' by Alex Snobel. Ive yet to read 'Possession' by Peter James, which is most likely fiction based. The most interesting fact that revolves around these true stories is that the victims most always have dabbled in the occult. In both cases the little boy and the woman tried the ouija board many times. In the boys case, it was his own aunt (who was a Spiritualist) who introduced him to it. That sucks!
A tv show was made based on the book:
A made-for-television film entitled Possessed was broadcast on Showtime on October 22, 2000. It claimed to follow the true accounts that inspired Blatty to write The Exorcist. It was directed by Steven E. de Souza and written by de Souza and Michael Lazarou, from the book of the same name by Thomas B. Allen. Main characters were played by Timothy Dalton, Henry Czerny and Christopher Plummer.
Apparently there was a sequel to Blattys book:
" Blatty directed The Ninth Configuration, a post-Vietnam War drama set in a mental institution. Released in 1980, it was based on Blatty's novel of the same name. Though it contrasts sharply with the tone of The Exorcist, Blatty regards Configuration as its true sequel. The lead character is the astronaut from Chris' party, Lt. Cutshaw. "
The Ninth Configuration, (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane
The Ninth Configuration
Theatrical release poster
The first half of the film has the predominant tone and style of a comic farce. In the second half, the film becomes darker as it delves deeper into its central issues of human suffering, sacrifice and faith. The film also frequently blurs the line between the sane and the insane.
Synopsis
Colonel Kane (Stacy Keach), a Marine psychiatrist suffering from nightmares, arrives at a castle in the American Pacific Northwest where shell-shocked and insane soldiers from the Vietnam war are being treated. The castle's staff has been unable to control the patients, many of whom are suspected of faking their illness to get out of combat. The permissive Kane opens himself up to listen to anything the soldiers have to say to him in an effort to heal them, while at the same time suffering from his own demons.William Peter Blatty once referred to The Ninth Configuration as the true sequel to The Exorcist, and has stated that he intended the character of Captain Cutshaw to be the same astronaut whom a sleepwalking Regan in The Exorcist warns, "You're going to die up there." In The Ninth Configuration, Cutshaw mentions a fear of dying in space that is almost certainly a reference to Regan's line in the previous film. However, the characters were played by different actors, and the astronaut in The Exorcist is not given a name onscreen or by the credits.
Although The Ninth Configuration is quite dissimilar to The Exorcist in terms of story and tone, both films feature theological discussions between their respective characters which address questions of faith, the mystery of goodness vs evil, and the existence of God and the Devil. The motif of a saint's medallion as a symbol of faith appears in both The Exorcist and The Ninth Configuration; also of interest is the fact that some dialogue from Blatty's discarded, first-draft screenplay for The Exorcist was re-used in The Ninth Configuration.
From the original Exorcist screenplay:
From the final version of The Ninth Configuration:Chris MacNeil: If you're asking if I believe in the devil, the answer is yes - yeah, that I believe. The devil keeps doing commercials.
Father Dyer: But if all the evil in the world makes you think that there might be a devil - then how do you account for all of the good?
andCaptain Cutshaw: I believe in the Devil alright. And you know why? Because the prick keeps doing commercials!
Colonel Kane: You're convinced that God is dead because there's evil in the world.
Captain Cutshaw: Correct.
Colonel Kane: Then why don't you think He's alive because of the goodness in the world?
'The Exorcist' Movie trivia:
- The bedroom set had to be refrigerated to capture the authentic icy breath of the actors in the exorcizing scenes, the bedroom scenes along with many other scenes were filmed in the basement of Fordham University in New York. The temperature was brought so low that a thin layer of snow fell onto the set one morning. Linda Blair, who was only in a thin nightgown, says to this day she cannot stand being cold.
- The movie's eerie opening sequence was filmed in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border. The people of Sinjar are mostly Kurdish members of the ancient Yezidi sect, which worships a deity often equated with the Devil.[5] The archaeological dig site seen at the beginning of the movie is the actual site of ancient Nineveh in Hatra.
Blattys actually going to re-make 'The Exorcist' into a mini series:
"In November 2009 was announced that William Peter Blatty planned a miniseries of his film"
Urban legends and on-set incidents
Some claim the film was cursed. Blatty has stated on video[7] some strange occurrences. Burstyn indicated some rumors to be true in her 2006 autobiography Lessons in Becoming Myself. The interior sets of the MacNeil residence, except for Regan's bedroom, were destroyed by a studio fire and had to be rebuilt. Friedkin has claimed that a priest was brought in numerous times to bless the set. Other issues include Blair's harness breaking when she is thrashing on the bed, injuring the actress. Burstyn noted she was slightly hurt when Regan throws her across the room. Actor Jack MacGowran (Burke Dennings) died during filming.
The book revolves around a reporter trying to track down the real person upon which the movie The Exorcist was based, and discovers that there was more to the story. During the investigation, different tales are told by “witnesses” from their perspective that lead the reporter to the real-life inspiration.
Interestingly, the studio plans to ignore the actual newspaper articles that exist in relation to the case.
Parallel Imagery
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the Iraq opening, a young boy runs across the diggings to get a message to Father Merrin. The camera peers through his legs as he speaks, foreshadowing the gruesome crucifix masturbation scene that comes later. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In Iraq, Father Merrin finds the small amulet in his diggings and senses evil, much like Lieutenant Kinderman does when he finds one of Regan’s clay creations at the bottom of the Washington steps, where two deaths occur. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This one is pretty self explanatory. In the Iraq opening again, a steel worker removes his hat and gazes over to Father Merrin, revealing a blank, white eye. Of course, Regan’s eyes will later resemble this in her demonic state. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ever noticed that Regan’s creation kind of looks like the Pazuzu statue from the Iraq scenes? Pazuzu is the demon that possess young Regan, using the name Captain Howdy. Regan’s ‘art’ can also be associated with the desecration of the Mary statue in the church. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the Iraq opening, Father Merrin is examining some findings when the clock behind him stops. This same clock appears (for a second) during Father Karras’ dream after his mother dies. The two characters don’t meet until the end part of the film, but the image of the stopped clock brings them fatefully together for the viewers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This is one of my favorites. Chris is woken early in the morning to start shooting and rolls over to find Regan has snuck into bed with her. While Chris is on the phone, we clearly see a picture frame on her bedside dresser with a photo of Regan inside. Later, during the hypnotism, Chris stands in front of the photograph (which is blurred out in the background) and she is unknowingly holding the same pose. This same pose is also freakishly close to the pose Regan is sitting in after killing Father Merrin near the end of the film. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
During Father Karras’ dream, we see a shot of his mother against a pitch black background, almost exactly like the Captain Howdy subliminals that occur during the film. This is a little freaky as later on, during the exorcism, Captain Howdy/Pazuzu will use Karras’ dead mother against him in a bid to break his faith."Subliminal Images"Alleged subliminal imageryThe Exorcist was also at the center of controversy due to its alleged use of subliminal imagery. A detailed article in the July / August 1991 issue of Video Watchdog examined the phenomenon, providing still frames identifying several usages of subliminal "flashing" throughout the film.[30] In an interview from the same issue, Friedkin explained, "I saw subliminal cuts in a number of films before I ever put them in The Exorcist, and I thought it was a very effective storytelling device... The subliminal editing in The Exorcist was done for dramatic effect — to create, achieve, and sustain a kind of dreamlike state."[31] However, these quick, scary flashes have been labeled "[not] truly subliminal"[32] and "quasi-" or "semi-subliminal"[33]. True subliminal imagery must be, by definition, below the threshold of awareness.[34][35][36][37] In an interview in a 1999 book about the movie, The Exorcist author William Blatty addressed the controversy by explaining that, "There are no subliminal images. If you can see it, it's not subliminal."[38]As fans of the film know, The Exorcist is littered with many clever subliminal images that assist in telling the compelling story. Many different people have different opinions of these subliminal moments and they were definitely a point of controversy when the film was released in 1973. Here, I have listed all the subliminal images I have found in the latest version of The Exorcist. The DVD time is relevant to The Version You’ve Never Seen edition.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.
Product Description
If you think ghosts are only responsible for hauntings, think again. The Demonologist reveals the grave religious process behind supernatural events and how it can happen to you. Over twenty years in print, here is the original uncut version of this classic text. Illustrated with photographs of phenomena in progress, every sentence in the book is true. Used as a text in seminaries and classrooms, this is one book you canÂ’t put down.
About the Author
For over five decades Ed and Loraine Warren have been considered America?s foremost experts on demonology and exorcism. With over 3,000 investigations to their credit, they reveal what actually breaks the peace in haunted houses. Expertly written by Gerald Daniel Brittle, a nonfiction writer with advanced degrees in literature and psychology specializing in mystical theology.
Product Description
The Devil Is Alive and Well
In The Dark Sacrament, coauthors David M. Kiely and Christina McKenna faithfully recount ten contemporary cases of demon possession, haunted houses, and exorcisms, and profile the work of two living, active exorcists. The authors serve as trustworthy guides on this suspense-filled journey into the bizarre, offering concrete advice on how to avoid falling prey to the dark side.
In The Dark Sacrament, coauthors David M. Kiely and Christina McKenna faithfully recount ten contemporary cases of demon possession, haunted houses, and exorcisms, and profile the work of two living, active exorcists. The authors serve as trustworthy guides on this suspense-filled journey into the bizarre, offering concrete advice on how to avoid falling prey to the dark side.
About the Author
David M. Kiely's long career as a freelance writer has included biographies, short stories, crime novels, mysteries, and several works of nonfiction. When his spouse and coauthor, Christina McKenna, was eleven, a paranormal "visitor" tormented her home for six weeks. Only through the intervention of an exorcist could the spirit be expelled. The authors live in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland.3.
