Greatest Film Scenes
and Moments



The Exorcist (1973)

 



Written by Tim Dirks

Title Screen
Movie Title/Year and Scene Descriptions
Screenshots

The Exorcist (1973)

In William Friedkin's blockbuster horror film about demonic possession, there were many scary scenes of possessed twelve year-old Regan MacNeil's (Linda Blair) monstrous appearance with a vicious demon inside of her:

  • the scene at ancient temple ruins in Northern Iraq when elderly Jesuit priest Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) confronted the demonic statue of Pazuzu
  • the film's intense special effects and violent horrors of devil possession, and twelve year-old Regan MacNeill's monstrous appearance
  • her public urination on the rug during a Georgetown party
  • Regan's back-handed slapping of a doctor across the face and knocking him into a door and onto the floor, as her physically-repulsive voice warned: "Keep away! The sow is mine!" She pulled up the front of her nightgown, masturbated by rubbing herself, and in a deep, strange voice, beckoned: "F--k me! F--k me!"
  • the terrifying visit to a hospital where Regan was subjected to a controversial and lengthy excruciatingly-torturous medical examination sequence (and blood-letting) with markedly sexual overtones
  • the notorious self-abusive crucifix-masturbation (or stabbing) scene of Regan's crotch with a bloody crucifix, as she bellowed obscenities in the Devil's voice: "Let Jesus f--k you, let Jesus f--k you! Let him f--k you!" - she spun her head backwards 180 degrees, threatening in a deep malevolent voice as she imitated the British accent of a dead family friend to taunt Chris about his murder: "Do you know what she did? Your c--ting daughter?"
Controversial Self-Abuse with Crucifix Sequence
  • the scene of pea-soup spewing, after Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) entered the bedroom and saw the girl strapped to a padded four-poster bed. Her face was cut, her hair matted, her eyes wild-looking, and she had a plastic tube taped to one nostril. The grotesque girl spoke with a disgusting, low-pitched growl coming straight from hell. As he approached closer, in the grossest scene of the film, Regan lurched forward on the bed and spewed bilious, pea-green soup vomit from her mouth in a single projectile stream directly into his face. The thick green slime stuck to his face and clothing. Bits of vomit and bile acid also dribbled down onto Regan's nightgown
Vomit-Spewing
  • the silhouetted image of the arrival of the elderly Jesuit priest Father Merrin on a dark and foggy night under a lamp-post outside the MacNeill's Georgetown house
  • her demonic tortured and vulgar voice (supplied by veteran character actress Mercedes McCambridge) that screamed foul obscenities and diabolical sounds that emanated from her mouth - growling dogs, squealing pigs, rasping groans, and foul language; raised welts that bubbled up across her abdomen read: "help me."
  • one of the other most objectionable and blasphemous scenes was the sight on the Georgetown University campus of a white marble statue of the Virgin Mary. It had been desecrated with red paint and other materials, and taken on the appearance of a harlot. The defiled statue had long red-tipped breasts, red color on both hands, and an elongated, erect yet sagging penis-shaped clay protuberance also daubed in red.
  • the bedside exorcism ceremony, when Regan shouted insults at Father Karras: ("Your mother sucks c--ks in hell, Karras"), followed by her 360-degree spinning head as she sat up in bed
  • the demise of Father Damien Karras when he dared the devil to enter his body: ("Take me. Come into me. God damn you. Take me. Take me") - and he threw himself through Regan's bedroom window to his death in the street below; he gave his own life to save Regan's spirit and life, with the promise of being reborn; from the bedroom window, Lt. Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb) viewed Karras' bloodied body at the foot of the Prospect Street steps
Father Karras Wrestling with the Demon Inside Regan
"Take me. Come into me. God damn you. Take me. Take me"
  • Father Dyer (William O'Malley) broke through and grabbed Karras' dying hand, beseeching him: "Do you want to make a confession? Are you sorry for having offended God and for all the sins of your past life?" Signaling his assent, Karras unclenched and gripped Dyer's hand; Dyer absolved him of his sins during the administration of last rites


Urination on the Rug

The Hospital Medical Examination Sequence


The Arrival of Father Merrin (Max von Sydow)


Raised Welts: "Help me"

Desecrated Virgin Mary Statue

360 Degree Spinning Head



Karras Hurled to His Death

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