Alternate Character Interpretation: One fan theory has it that Burke Dannings was molesting Regan, which set the whole business in motion. What was he doing in her bedroom, anyway? Much of Regan's changes before the overtly supernatural effects could be explained as psychological effects from child sexual abuse as well, and Burke would be the only likely perpetrator under that reading.
Famously, despite the film's overwhelming box office success and being a cultural phenomenon, it was infamously nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and only won for Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay. It's widely thought that many people in the industry, most vocally famed directors George Cukor and Robert Aldrich, and their overt hate towards it saw voters avoiding showing support for it to head off controversy. Indeed, Cukor was reported on the night of the ceremony to have said multiple times "if The Exorcist wins tonight, it'll mean the end of Hollywood".
Linda Blair notably missed out on a Best Supporting Actress win, despite getting a Golden Globe for her performance as Regan. It's also thought that controversy surrounding her stand-in Eileen Deets claiming she had performed all the most powerful scenes in the actress's place, and Mercedes McAmbridge who had dubbed Pazuzu's voice and gone initially uncredited for it, meant that voters questioned the authenticity of the performance.
Common Knowledge: Those who have not seen the movie, and perhaps even those who have, often assume that the title refers to Father Merrin, played by Max von Sydow, and he is often remembered as the film's lead. This is likely due to the iconic image of the film's theatrical poster and home video cover; that of Father Merrin standing outside the MacNeil home. It can be jarring to watch the film and realize how little screen time he has, and that in large part it is Jason Miller's Father Karras who is the male lead, and ultimately, the title character.
Complete Monster: Pazuzu is an ancient demon and the ultimate source of everything wrong across multiple continuities. Seeking revenge against Father Lankester Merrin for stopping its killing sprees in the prequels, in the original film Pazuzu possesses the young girl Regan MacNeil and causes her to go into violent body spasms, as well as having her sexually and violently lash out at others. Intending to stay in her "until she rots and lies stinking in the Earth", Pazuzu causes Merrin to suffer a fatal heart attack, before it takes control of Father Karras in an attempt to kill Regan, as she was of no longer any use. After being defeated by Karras, Pazuzu takes the soul of the executed Gemini Killer and transfers it into Karras's body to get petty revenge, thus setting off the Gemini Killer's further killing spree.
Ensemble Dark Horse: It’s easy to forget how much of the book and film Father Merrin’s absent in given he’s without a doubt one of the most iconic parts of it. Heck, the freakin' title is a reference to him. (It's called The Exorcist, not The Demon after all.) This is due to a combination of being a Cool Old Guy, a worthy adversary to the demon, Blatty's evocative writing in the book, and Max von Sydow’s powerful performance.
Genius Bonus: Early in the movie the doctors think Regan's possession is just due to a problem with her temporal lobe. Temporal Lobe Epilepsy is a real condition that often does cause hyperreligiousity in victims, as well as causing religiously-themed hallucinations and the like during seizures.
Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Apparently, the film's success caused the novel to sell like crazy in the still-Francoist Spain.
All the loving moments with Chris and Regan become depressing when the 2016 series reveals Chris exploited Regan's pain after being blacklisted, resulting with Regan running away, changing her name and cutting ties with Chris. Worse when Chris reunites with Angela/Regan only to die by Pazuzu's hands by the eighth episode.
The efforts of Karras and Merrin to save Regan becomes for naught too when you learn also in the 2016 series that Pazuzu held a 40 year old grudge and took possession of Regan's daughter and then her again. Worse when you take into account Pazuzu finally upper handed Merrin after so long. Thankfully, Pazuzu was subdued once again (partly by Regan herself wrecking his ass), though not without Regan receiving permanent injuries.
The kind radiologist in the hospital scene was played by real radiologist Paul Bateson, who was later imprisoned for murder and suspected of being a Serial Killer. His story was the inspiration for William Friedkin's later film Cruising.
Father William O'Malley, who played Father Dyer and served as a theological advisor for the film, was a theology and drama teacher who was later accused of sexually abusing one of his students.
Ever saw a screamer? If yes, there's a 99% chance demon-possessed Regan jumped in your face at least once.
Or an image of Captain Howdy.
"The power of Christ compels you." Every movie with an exorcism scene will always tend to repeat this line.
Ever wonder why most comedy priest characters have Irish accents? That's how influential Father Merrin was. (Among others, as this dates back to the films of Barry Fitzgerald. Merrin was actually based on Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit. It must have been von Sydow's decision to give him a slight Irish accent.)
Mexicans Love Speedy Gonzales: 'Love' is probably not the right word to use, but the response from the Catholic church was not as negative as one would expect. While some extremists were appalled by the gore and profanity, the reception skewed more towards the positive, since the story showed Father Karras having a crisis of faith and overcoming it to save the day and defeat evil. Some even praised the film as an evangelical text!
Moral Event Horizon: If Pazuzu's possession of Regan wasn't bad enough, when he possesses Karras at the end, he immediately moves forward to KILL Regan since he doesn't need her anymore. Bastard!
The restored spider-walk scene. Most people find it scary, but quite a few find it downright hilarious mostly due to just how over the top it gets. In the book she does not run down a flight of steps that way, nor does she drip blood from her mouth. She just glides silently after Sharon and licks her ankles. If they'd been able to pull that off, it'd have gone down as one of the most chilling moments in film, ever.
Some feel that the possessed Regan's voice has aged badly, since nowadays the voice of a child alone often seems creepier than something inhuman. A good number of the comments to this video are saying that they find Linda Blair's real voice creepier than the dub. However, the voice does have many fans, as Mercedes McCambridge’s vocals really add yet another layer to have taken Regan is by the demon, and her wide vocal range can be truly disturbing.
The pea soup vomit. However, many believe it’s genuinely disturbing and otherworldly.
Ellen Burstyn's overwrought screaming and general overacting whenever she's confronting the demon. Of course for many, the performance is completely justified, as given the incredibly horrifying circumstances, most people would’ve struggled to not act hysterical.
A few during the actual exorcism:
This exchange, which has perfect comedic timing despite not being intentionally funny:
Pazuzu: Stick your cock up her ass, you motherfucking worthless cocksucker! Father Merrin:Be silent!*casually flings holy water in Pazuzu's face* Pazuzu: Aaaugh!
For that matter, "YOUR MOTHER SUCKS COCKS IN HELL!". Seriously Pazuzu, if you wanted to actually look genuinely threatening, maybe you'd want to use a phrase that doesn't sound like a childish joke, and/or use a threatening voice, not a scrawny one that could come out from the mouth of a goblin. This scene's absurdity alone spawned many parodies, most infamously Stinkmeaner's hilarious insults at Grandad in The Boondocks. Pazuzu also uses that voice when he yells "Fuck me! FUCK ME!" not exactly inspiring terror.
"The power of Christ compels you!!" can come off as over-the-top and goofy. It's Truth in Television for exorcisms, though. That line is in the ritual, and priests are told to repeat any words that seem to make the demon uncomfortable.
Many people find the name "Pazuzu" not particularly intimidating, saying it sounds more like a cutesy Pokémon than a terrifying ancient demon. The film wisely doesn’t use the name. Unfortunately, the sequel's insistence on using it was just one of many things that made it hard to take seriously.
Nausea Fuel: Most people were physically ill and fled theaters during the medical scenes, especially the spinal tap. Then there is all the vomiting by the possessed Regan.
Once Original, Now Common: First-time viewers today appreciate the film's quality, but might not be too rattled by it because so many of the things that were new and shocking about it when it came out, the things that led many of the sellout crowds who waited on line for hours to see it even if they threw up and faintednote Or worse...one woman supposedly miscarried during the performance, and a psychiatrist actually wrote a paper about "cinematic neurosis" induced by the film have been so widely imitated and emulated that they don't come across as as the major disturbance that they did in 1974.
Retroactive Recognition: To 90s and 2000s kids who were fans of the S Club 7 TV series, Linda Blair was a memorable presence in the second season as the band's Los Angeles landlady Joni.
The part when Regan's head spins 360 degrees as the rest of her body sits still is probably the most memorable part of the film and is often mimicked in other horror movies/shows/video games.
The moody shot of Father Merrin standing in front of Regan's house (depicted in the film's poster) has also been referenced and parodied a lot in other media.
Song Association: "Tubular Bells" is more often than not recognized as the film's theme song. In reality, director William Friedkin selected the song by pure chance. After scrapping Lalo Schifrin's score for the film, Friedkin discovered the album at Atlantic Records, and after hearing the music, decided it was perfect for the film.
Unintentional Period Piece: The film was made at the very end of the period when the carotid artery was used for angiographies.
The Woobie: Reagan could hardly be a better example: a sweet, innocent girl who is possessed by a demon (which is implied to be a Fate Worse than Death unto itself, given the "help me" scene), who also rapes and otherwise tortures her. It's very, very fortunate she doesn't remember any of it.
The Exorcist (2016 series)
Alas, Poor Scrappy: Jessica does get a sad goodbye when she finally gets the hint that her relationship with Tomas would never work and thus, the two depart.
Anti-Climax Boss: Maria Walters and the Friars are built as an unstoppable cult that would take multiple seasons to beat. By the time Mouse and Bennett visit her for information, Mouse kills the entire cult and she and Bennett put a bullet in her head.
Season 1: The demon known as the Salesman—later revealed to be Pazuzu—possesses Casey Rance and torments her with horrific nightmares. The Salesman also engineered the car accident that killed her sister's girlfriend. He destabilizes Father Thomas Ortega and Father Marcus Kane and successfully frames Marcus for the abduction of Casey before killing two paramedics. The Salesman forces Regan, whom he molested when she was twelve, to give up herself to him threatening the life of her daughter and then kills her mother Chris by snapping her neck; encourages the Friars of Ascensions to pursue their plan of murdering the Pope; slaughters a convent, gleefully tortures Regan's husband and daughters; and inflicts Father Thomas with an illusion designed to goad him into suicide. Realizing that Angela survived the supposed "integration", the Salesman attempts to breaks her down by letting her hear the screams of her loved ones. In his last moments, the demon tries to kill Regan by snapping her spine.
Season 2: The Big Bad is a particularly vicious demon haunting Nachburn Island who targets families and coerces parents into murdering their own children over the centuries. After approaching his latest victim, foster guardian Andrew Kim, as a little girl named Grace then under the appearance of his deceased wife, the demon attempts to drop a blind boy into a well and compel a teenager to strangle his foster sister. Taking possession of Andy, he forces his host to relive the suicide of his wife and mind rapes him with horrific visions. He then stabs a woman to death, put exorcist Thomas in a trance and slaughters a couple of farmers. After abducting the four teenagers and social services representative Rose Cooper, the demon plots to execute them all one by one, starting by drowning Rose in the well.
Fan Nickname: "Regangela" has been thrown around for Angela Rance.
Hollywood Homely: Incredibly, Casey is supposed to be the less attractive sister. Both young women are gorgeous.
Ho Yay: The relationship between Father Marcus and Father Tomas could be read this way. They immediately fall into a kind of domesticity ("we're out of eggs") and invade each other's personal space, metaphorically and literally. Also, Marcus's demeanor can seem downright flirtatious at times.
Iron Woobie: Father Marcus. While he's a prime example of Good Is Not Nice, the fact he lived a very horrible childhood, abandoned Mouse due to feeling he wasn't a good enough exorcist to save her, lost a child in Mexico City he tried to exorcise, and then struggles with his own faith and fears of losing Tomas can do a lot on a guy.
Nausea Fuel: The things that happen to a body that's possessed all qualify.
Honorable mention goes to the impossibly long, live centipede Casey pulls out of her throat in Chapter 2.
Casey's "favorite omelette" from her dream in Chapter 4.
"Just as I was getting ahead."
What was left of all the various murder victims.
Casey's 'relationship with "The Salesman/ Captain Howdy/Pazzuzu". Especially after he integrates with her mother. Shudder.
The Scrappy: Jessica isn't very liked by fans due to the fact she's considered a derailment of the plot with Tomas, along with the fact she accidentally causes her (now ex) husband to figure out she has been having sex with a priest, resulting with him reporting Tomas for adultery. Which makes it hypocritical considering he was committing adultery The annoying aspect of Jessica is that she seems okay with the fact Tomas broke his celibate rule and doesn't even show regret for it, seemingly only caring about how she should be happy.
The series went into this when Episode 5 revealed Angela Rance is Regan MacNeil and Chris MacNeil has come back to find her, and it goes on from there from Bennett and Chris being killed in Episode 8, Episode Nine leading to the deaths of most allies (Mother Bernadette and her covenant, Cherry and Lester Rego), Pazuzu revealing he's merged with Angela/Regan, the Friars are close to executing their plan, and it's implied Father Simon will try to have Marcus become possessed with them as well!. And this is just one half of the finale.
Season 2 as well with stuff like Grace being an hallucination, the Introduction to Mouse, and the ending with Bennett becoming integrated with a demon.
Season 1 wise, dear God almost everyone but that goes to Casey. Being the youngest of the Rance family and being overshadowed by her dancer sister, it seems to be the case why she made her first deal with The Salesman/Pazuzu, but upon realizing what he's doing to her and her loved ones, she can't stop him and he forces her to watch as he murders three people in an ambulance after the first failed exorcism. Considering what Angela/Regan had to endure after what she endured 40 years ago, it seems Casey will go down that path as well, especially with those who flat out accuse her of murdering those people when she wasn't in control.
Henry as well, considering he suffered an accident that left him with a brain injury that knocks him out sporadically, endures Casey's possession and learns Angela's secret, it's no surprise he's this with his daughter.
Season 2 has Andrew "Andy" Kim, a young man trying to raise five foster kids but struggling with the death of his wife via suicide, an event that destroyed so badly that the demon of the island manipulated him into thinking he had another daughter.
Special mention goes to Harper: A young girl whose mother gaslight her into thinking she was possessed, and even when she was out of danger, she witnessed Andy not only kill her mother who wanted her back, but see him descent into possession.
is a real condition that often does cause hyperreligiousity in victims, as well as causing religiously-themed hallucinations and the like during seizures.