The Exorcist
With one of the most haunting and recognizable themes, "The Exorcist" is the last Movie Monday I chose to cap off the Halloween season. Read on for more about the iconic film's music, sound effects and some all around fun facts!
1. Based on a true story
"William Peter Blatty’s novel is based on the real-life 1949 exorcism of a young boy, known by the pseudonym Roland Doe. The story became national news, and caught the interest of Blatty, who was a student at Georgetown University at the time (hence the change in location)."
2. Pig squeals were a key part of The Exorcist's sound design.
"Much of Regan’s moaning and grunting were created by remixing pig squeals. When the demon is finally exorcised from her body, the sound you hear is a group of pigs being led to slaughter."
3. The voice of the demon was provided by Academy Award winning actress Mercedes McCambridge
The raspy voice can be credited to McCambridge drinking whisky, chain smoking cigarettes and even eating raw eggs. Director William Friedkin originally wanted to leave her uncredited thinking it would be fun for the audience to think the voice was from actress Linda Blair, but McCambridge was able to get her name on the credits with legal action.
4. It was the first horror film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar
The Exorcist received ten Oscar nominations in total, including Best Director for Friedkin and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Ellen Burstyn, and went on to win two Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.
5. There's more than just 'Tubular Bells' to talk about
Writer Laura Wynne's piece on the music of "The Exorcist" goes into detail about songs other than just the titular theme: "The opening Iraq section, sound designed by Jean-Louis Decarme, is the segment of the film that resonates with me hardest. Layering recordings of the anthropological dig, the Muslim call to prayer, dogs fighting, ambient noise, classical music, and sound effects to an invocation of a place that was alien to most of its viewers at the time, before Iraq and the Islamic world were codified as evil by decades of American media."