[wpaudio url=”http://www.thedimensionzone.com/paranormal/xmp3Player-mini/The_Exorcist_Tubular_Bells.mp3″ text=”The Theme from the Exorcist – Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield” dl=”0″]

The Exorcist, filmed in 1973, is still considered to be one of the most terrifying – and most probably at the top anyone’s list – movies ever made! Millions of people stood in ques for hours to see the film when it was first released in the movie theaters around the world. The film has since had an overwhelming effect on a popular culture that is described by many to be the scariest horror movie of all time. It is also one of the highest grossing movies of all time, earning $441 million worldwide (in today’s value, it would rank as the highest grossing picture of all time). Most went to the cinema house in their community not really knowing what to expect, others traveled in specially chartered buses to see it. For others it was banned in their communities for either being too horrifyingly scary, or for religious reasons. Possibly for good reason, because many movie-goers left the movie house in total shock… at many theaters, paramedics were on call to treat people who fainted during the movie, went into hysterics or suffered strokes and heart attacks while watching the film. Not to mention the countless thousands who fainted during the movie. In fact, the film affected audiences so strongly in the United States that The Exorcist wasn’t even available in the UK, until 1990, and only after passing the British Board of Film Censorship (BBFC) with an 18 rating (R rating in the USA). The Exorcist tells the story of a girl who becomes possessed by a demon, controlling the girl’s behavior as it takes control of her soul. Unlike other items on this list, excessive violence is not a contributing factor to it having such a banned status. The Exorcist is a psychological thriller and uses a clever plot and even subliminal messaging that terrifies its audiences.

About the Film

The Exorcist is a 1973 horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book was inspired by the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a  and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests. The film features Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow,Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. The film is one of a cycle of “demonic child” films produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen. The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. The film earned ten Academy Award nominations—winning two (Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay), and losing Best Picture to The Sting. It became one of the highest earning movies of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide. The film has had a significant influence on popular culture. It was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly and Movies.com and by viewers of AMC in 2006, and was #3 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry.