Cursed Movies: The Exorcist

Unexplained deaths, mysterious fires and on set injuries during the filming of The Exorcist lead many to think that the film was cursed…but what is fact and what is fiction?

Show Notes

Can a film really be cursed? Did summoning the devil on film summon him in person to bring down tragedy after tragedy to those involved? Or was it all just a clever marketing scheme?

References

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Brian Dunning (Dec. 21, 2010), Skeptoid with Brian Dunning (Ep. 237), “Hollywood Myths,” retrieved from: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4237

Brian Dunning (Dec. 28, 2010), Skeptoid with Brian Dunning (Ep. 238), “More Hollywood Myths,” retrieved from: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4238

Editors (Sept. 21, 2021 – last edited), Wikipedia.org, “The Exorcist (Film),” retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_(film)

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Jay Cheel (April 2, 2020), Shudder (Cable TV), Cursed Films Season 1 Episode 1, “The Exorcist,” documentary

Matt Miller (Oct. 25, 2018), Esquire.com, “The Exorcist Murderer – Searching for the truth about the actual murderer in The Exorcist,” retrieved from: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a23724262/paul-bateson-the-exorcist-murderer-true-story/

Sophie Blackman (March 17, 2020), The Daily Star (UK newspaper), “The Exorcist cast now – nine ‘cursed’ deaths, court battles and flu epidemics,” retrieved from: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/exorcist-cast-now-nine-cursed-21707173

Editors (no date), ArkansasOnline.com, “The Markles: Murders on Main,” retrieved from: https://www.arkansasonline.com/murdersonmain/2/

Rhonda Owen (April-May 2003), About You Magazine, “Murder Mystery: A Nightmare on Main Street,” retrieved from: https://www.aymag.com/murder-mystery-a-nightmare-on-main-street/

Dr. Lee Mellor (July 28, 2020), DK Publishing, “Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies (True Crime Uncovered), 1st edition

Joel Drabba-Mann (Oct. 11, 2018), inews.co.uk, “The Exorcist’s deadly ‘curse’ explored, 45 years on,” retrieved from: https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/exorcist-curse-horror-movie-95516

Radhika Chalasani (Dec. 29, 2015), CBSnews.com, “Creepy Tales from Cursed Movies,” retrieved from: https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/creepy-strange-tales-cursed-movies/

Sarah Long (Sept. 23, 2016),” SheKnows.com, “Behind-the-scenes stories from ‘The Exorcist’ are scarier than the actual film,” retrieved from: https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/slideshow/7362/tales-from-inside-the-original-the-exorcist/

Bill Broadway (Nov. 4, 2000), The Fresno Bee (Fresno, CA), “Horror Movie Revives Interest in Exorcism.”

Benjamin Lee (April 26, 2018), The Guardian, “Ellen Burstyn: ‘Women on screen were prostitutes or victims – I wanted to embody a hero’,” retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/apr/26/ellen-burstyn-women-on-screen-were-prostitutes-or-victims-i-wanted-to-embody-a-hero

Glenn Lovell (Aug. 4, 2004), Knight Ridder Newspapers, “Repossessed”.


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