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Happy Easter (Early!) Sof and Everyone,
I think the book and novel get better each time you put the clues together. Again, Blatty is a brilliant writer; Friedkin is a brilliant director. Often, however, I wonder how the film version of The Exorcist would look if it wasn’t for Friedkin’s guidance. In essence, we really have two versions of the story. The banter between Blatty and Friedkin in the FOG displays that truth nicely.
AllBGirl, when I was leaving the film back in the 1970s, I had many questions about how things may have connected. I went to this film several times and enjoyed its release on both VHS and the LP-sized LaserDisc. In your reference to how Regan could find the time to do the nefarious deeds at Dalgren Chapel? I point to one of the many demons (recalling the holy water scene when Karras returns to “Regan†for any sign of possession and the voices that cry out in a deadly crescendo) or Pazuzu. One or all inhabited Regan’s body periodically in the beginning.
Father Bowdern
Father Bowdern Happy Easter to you. I have a question for you off the record. Is it possible that demons can cause physical illness in the body? I am a Catholic though not practicing but have been baptized by Father Ignatius in Columbus,Georgia in 1960,confirmed in 1969 at Blessed Sacrament in St.Louis. I knew the priests who performed the exorcism of the 14 year old boy in St.Louis Father Halloran being the last one who died in 2005. My Mom and I even drove by the house where the possession took place in the Bel-Nor District in St.Louis in 2005 when the house went up for sale. The previous owner simply disappeared and an investor eventually ended up buying the house and putting it on the market. There was a lengthy article in the St.Louis Post Dispatch about the house and the exorcism that took place that I should have kept. The investor didn’t really want the history of the house to be disclosed to the public because he was afraid nobody would buy the house if they knew it was the site of an exorcism. Of course old nosey me just had to see what the house looked like and I must say the house is in a beautiful suburb of tree-lined streets in St.Louis built in the 1940’s and is a two story brick house. I started to buy it in move in it myself. Of course I would probably have to sleep with a baseball bat next to the bed and a vial of holy water to keep Pazuzu out of the room.
AllBahianGirl said:
Father Bowdern Happy Easter to you. I have a question for you off the record. Is it possible that demons can cause physical illness in the body?
Happy Belated Easter to you! 🙂
My answer to your question is akin to the response you would hear Father Karras say in the film about psychological disorders versus possession and exorcisms. For instance, for some individuals it is easier, and perhaps more plausible, to blame someone or something for an physiological and/or psychological disorder (some that even led individuals to murder).
Going back, look at Ronald DeFeo of The Amityville Horror scheme. Both DeFeo and then the Lutz’s scammed individuals for one thing … money. DeFeo killed all six of his immediate family members for the insurance money. He claimed everything from a mob hit to demonic voices in his head which led to his family’s demise. The Lutz’s, on the other hand, were just two ordinary individuals that couldn’t afford the life they just bought on credit. With the knowledge of the DeFeo murders, the two dreamed up the paranormal activities of the house in 1975 … only two years after the release of The Exorcist.
And, finally, the case of Anneliese Michel. Truly, a very sad case of religion overriding medical attention. Anneliese did not die from demons; she died at the hands of ignorance of the individuals around her. Again, there is much speculation that Anneliese had seen the film The Exorcist and carried out a full imitation until the day she died of starvation and exhaustion. If you haven’t heard of this case, here is a video link to it. The Possession of Emily Rose is loosely based on this case. However, that film failed to make the same impact as The Exorcist.
All of these references are sad as they blame religion for these nefarious acts and actions. If we erased any religion from the human psyche in which possession or a guiding force of evil occurs, the next best bet is to blame the parents for their upbringing. In other words, our personalities and actions are a composite of the overall experiences and events that surround us during the formidable years. If you’re not convinced, look at Dr. Ted Kaczynski, Geoffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy.
Peace,
Father Bowdern
Father Bowdern I did witness a case of possession in 1994 at the Catholic Church. The person possessed was nowhere near as dramatic as the changes that the demon wrought in Regan but the person did display some characteristics of demonic possession that Regan did. I bury the memories in my subconscious cause I still can’t believe what I saw although there were other witnesses in the church who saw the same thing that I did. To this day I still try to shove the memories out of my mind although my rational mind tells me that demons don’t exist.
AllBGirl,
In what manner did you witness this possession? Was this during a sermon? What do you believe brought about the presence of a demonic possession? Very intriguing.
Father Bowdern
AllBGirl,
In what manner did you witness this possession? Was this during a sermon? What do you believe brought about the presence of a demonic possession? Very intriguing.
Father Bowdern
I witnessed a possession during a prayer meeting at the church. The person was okay but started cutting up when the priest pulled up in the church parking lot and started getting louder and louder as the priest entered. The rest of us didn’t know what was going on but the priest did. He exorcised that demon from the possessed person but people who are possessed do have quick movements and can scale church pews like it’s nobody’s business. I guess I kind of suppressed that memory because I was never quite sure whether demons actually exist or not. The memory of the exorcism is something I try to put out of my mind cause I’m still can’t believe I witnessed it. It was too weird for words.
“I remember when Chris was stating that the servant Willie told her that she heard Regan in the kitchen in the wee morning hours and Chris was feeling glad because that meant that Regan was getting her appetite back. I think Regan was either on her way to or coming back from a church desecration. What are your thoughts on that?”
The first time Regan desecrated the church was a week before Chris’ dinner party. She could’ve easily sneak out of the house through the basement door – I added a new ending for Chapter 3 on this, actually, years ago –
And , that morning- when she went down to the kitchen awfully early, it was to see the witchcraft book on the table. She, then, brought it upstairs to her bedroom. Remember how Chapter 2 of ‘The Edge’ ends?‘The following morning, the book about devil worship had vanished from the table.
No one noticed.’Sof,
You amaze me with your superior “mental index” of this book. If we ever get a mini-series, I’m voting for you as “Script Supervisor.”
Father Bowdern
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