The Exorcist: Studies in the Horror Film

by Danel Olson (Editor)

Perhaps the most notorious big-budget horror film ever made, our new anthology of essays on The Exorcist includes four hundred pages of insightful criticism, including interviews with William Peter Blatty (on the making of The Exorcist), William Friedkin, Jason Miller, and Dick Smith. The essays cover the film, the sequels, and the two different prequels, with a new interview with Paul Schrader. Loaded with color and black and white stills,behind-the-scenes photographs, and an exhaustive bibliography, this is the ultimate guide to one of cinema's most enduring movies.

Genres: Film

516 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers all the 'official' EXORCIST films, including both versions of DOMINION - unfortunately, Blatty's original cut of EXORCIST 3/LEGION wasn't released at the time (now on the Scream Factory disc), so it only deals with the theatrical version.
Worth reading - if you can find a copy. OOP and small press release, so it'll cost ya to add it to your personal library.

[Lucy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Exorcist:Studies in the Horror Film, published by Centipede Press and edited by Danel Olson, is an amazing collection of 25 essays and interviews packed with details on the making of The Exorcist and in-depth analysis of one of the highest grossing movies in the history of film. When it premiered in the winter of 1973, the world of film-making had never seen anything like this movie; people fainted and became physically ill at some of the demon-possessed child Regan's obscene antics. What went into the making of such a wildly successful and controversial movie and what was the experience like for those behind and in front of the cameras?

What appealed to me most about this book, I think, were the essays examining The Exorcist in light of gender roles and stereotypes of the time and of the primal fears aroused by the sight of a child under the spell by the demonic. I found Barbara Creed's essay "Woman as Abject Monster" particularly thought-provoking.

Danel Olson has done a superb job in putting together a volume that has to be a must-read for horror fans, students of film history, and anyone who still remembers the tingle of terror they experienced the first time they saw The Exorcist.

[John Kestner · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to choose my favorite horror film, I would pick The Exorcist. It wasn't just a novel and a film, it became a phenomenon and the bar for all serious films in the horror and supernatural genre. This study of the film through articles, essays, and interviews with those responsible made for interesting reading, especially the section about the intrepid writer who tracked the sources for the original article that inspired William Peter Blatty. I even found the additional sections about the awful sequels enlightening (those movies are still bad--I just now know why!).

[Rick Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A massive and extensive look at this film with numerous essays that any fan will love!