In their latest issue, Canadian publication Rue Morgu Magazine have featured interviews with author William Peter Blatty and cinematographer Owen Roizman as they revisit their experiences on The Exorcist. The article has been superbly written by John W. Bowen and has kindly been scanned and shared via Blatty-dedicated website The Ninth Configuration, run by captainhowdy.com partner member Ryan. The article is available for download below or on TNC.
In the article, Blatty discusses everything from his experiences writing his best-selling novel The Exorcist, to its sequel, Legion, and going on to direct its film adaptation (Exorcist III: Legion, still widely considered the best Exorcist sequel made to date). He also talks about his experiences working with renowned actor George C Scott, The Exorcist on Blu-ray and his latest novel Dimiter.
Owen Roizman rehashes many of his recent interviews as a result of promoting The Exorcist on blu-ray, which this article also does a great job of promoting. Interestingly, Owen goes on record admitting he always believed The Exorcist to be a horror film, despite director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair and Blatty himself all stating otherwise over the years. Everything from ‘theological thriller’ to ‘supernatural detective story’ has been used to describe the classic film, yet it remains in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest grossing horror film of all time. Those other descriptions might count, but I absolutely believe The Exorcist should always be considered a horror film.
John W. Bowen has done a wonderful job here, the article is a great read and definitely a keeper if you can get your hands on it (issue #105). Thanks again to Ryan of TNC for providing it.
Download the PDF here:
Article: Rue Morgue Magazine, 2010– William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman revisit The Exorcist (PDF, 1.5mb)