[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

Personally, as a Christian (but not a Catholic) I very much believe in possession and the ritual of exorcism. In regards to whether the story Blatty was influenced by was the real thing, as has been mentioned above, there is some compelling evidence for and against it being ‘real’ or not. More so, I would say, ‘for’ but it’s all a matter of perspective. What we can be sure of, is that Blatty thought enough of it to be real.

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
(editor of the forthcoming ‘American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty’)

[Benocles_Czar]

Ryan,

Very cool and much appreciated. I love that photo…
🙂

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
(editor of the forthcoming ‘American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty’)

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

I ordered this book long ago and after several e-mails to the publishing house, received the same reply “It’s coming”.

My REAL concern, is whether this was the book Blatty cited in his interview with Winter in FACES OF FEAR, where he mentions working on a novel larger than both The Exorcist and Legion. I don’t think it was, but would like to know for sure…

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
(editor of the forthcoming ‘American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty’)

[Benocles_Czar]

Mike,

I’d love to see such a graphic novel and am surprised it’s never been done. If Mignola did it, I’d cry tears of joy…
😛

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
(editor of the forthcoming ‘American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty’)

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

Just wanted to let you know the book is going very well. Just a few essays are due now. Might even have room for one or two, so if you are interested and are a fast writer (or something unpublished) contact me at khraftstar@yahoo.com

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
(editor of the forthcoming ‘American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty’)

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

Love, just love Bloch’s Psycho. The movie and the novel, both being classics. Bloch’s Psycho 2 and 3 (entitled Psycho House) are not great, but unusually Pscho 2 the movie (written by another) is very good. Psycho 3 the movie is not great, while Psycho 4 the movie, while an interesting idea, doesn’t really enhance the saga. So in saying all this, both Bloch and Hollywood should have stopped with the first…
😛

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj
(editor of the forthcoming ‘American Exorcist: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty’)

[Benocles_Czar]

Lamont,

There was a novelization of “In the Beginning”, but not sure about “Dominion”…

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

Though this might be slightly verging off the topic, to answer Jenny’s query, I can shed some light on the “Legion” issue (mostly because I discuss it in my essay for my forthcoming book on Blatty’s works).

Anyway, in Luke 8:27–33 (from the Bible), there is a story of great interest, of Jesus confronting a possessed man, who has seemingly been able to control the unholy host that resides in his body. The instantaneous fear shown by the demon is remarkable . As it is written:

“When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon to solitary places. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion”, he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned”.

I make note of the above passage, as it is this very passage, which not only planted the seed for the Exorcist sequel Legion, but it is also echoed of by Blatty in The Exorcist:

“’Who is “we”?’ Karras probed with alert, quick interest.
‘We are quite a little group in the piglet,’ it said, nodding” [E 207]

Hope that is of some interst. More on this in my essay…
🙂

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Jaygon,

You are absolutely correct. Pazazu possessed Regan because she played with the Ouija board…

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

Thank you all for your kind words… things are getting back on track and your thoughts and prayers helped a great deal.
🙂

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

Also, let us remember back to the final scene in THE NINTH CONFIGURATION. The cross mysteriously appeared in the back of the car, an indication that there was an afterlife. So if it wasn’t Regan, or any human hand for that matter, it could’ve been an angel…

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Friends,

I am confused at this posting in that I gather you are discussing the adaptations, rather than the text. E3 is clearly the sequel to E; if you get the chance, read The Exorcist and follow it up with Legion (which E3 is loosely based on).

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Captain!

As in Legion (E3) is not a deep story?

Cheers
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Pazrags,

I agree. I’d love there to be a third book. Though in saying that, Legion is such a great sequel because it is so different (and in some ways, not heavily dependent on) The Exorcist. A third book would have to be unique and continue the themes of the past two books, as opposed to the characters.

To satisfy your cravings, have you read “Elsewhere” (from 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense, ed. by Al Sarrantonio, 1999)? Worth a read…

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Benocles_Czar]

Greg,

It’s a novella by Blatty (a great one at that), about a haunted house and such. Well worth hunting down. In fact, the whole anthology is great… but I bought it because of Blatty…

Cheers & God Bless
Benjamin Szumskyj

[Author]

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