CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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Captain, you are right on target. I also thought that the guy with whited-out eyes was a focal point of things to come. I wonder how many things all of us fans could list as parallels throughout the film?
Jagged, you’re on a roll! Good points … all of them including Karras only seeing the demon. I think Karras knew he was losing the battle and he was the last soldier standing. If we think about what the demon had already done physically to Regan’s body (in the book the massacred vagina is vividly described during the crucifix scene), one more assault by Karras is extremely minor in comparison to him throwing the demon (not Regan) on the floor and beating the shit out of him. Hmmm … puked on squarely in the face; harsh reminders throughout the exorcism about his mother’s death using her image and voice; being hit on the head with double fists that are so hard that he hits the ground; dead old exorcist on the floor; demon taunting him with laughter. I’d beat the shit out of the demon to make him enter me if it means saving Regan. Just some more add ons! 🙂
Gee, Jagged, I keep following your wonderful blog replies tonight. I saw the film several times at the theater when I was a very young kid and I can’t remember laughter about wires or anybody talking about them afterward (not saying that you didn’t hear those comments because I’m certain you did). I was just so overwhelmed with everything, that I didn’t notice the wires … I guess I was too concerned about the, “Oh God, what’s next?!?” Besides hiding my eyes and muffling my ears (fingers over eyes; thumbs in ears), I didn’t notice the small wires. I’m sure WB will be sure to digitally remove the wires on the HD version (it should be easy, so I hope that WB doesn’t cheap out on us die-hard fans).
Jagged, you’re right on the vomit scene. Friedkin was unhappy with Dick Smith’s vomit device and we see Eileen in that contraption for only a split second after the shot of Karras getting hit with the spew.
If I remember correctly, I saw a documentary with chief cinematographer Roizman talking about how the split image was done in production, not post production. I remember this because he talked about it being a “classic” way of shooting double images. And, you’re right, that’s Dietz over top of Blair’s. We see that image overlay in two scenes: when Merrin arrives and right after the head spinning. I wish I could find the excerpt from Roizman (but, then again, he could have been “fantasizing” about his wonderful shots)! 🙂
Yeah, Slam! Right on target. I’m like you and I’ve done more research on this film than I care to admit … that scene does not exist.
Okay, I started a fire with the eyebrows! 🙂 To answer the above blog entries, Regan’s eyebrows do disappear in the hypnosis scene (watch her mouth twisting and the sound of the demon coming out). Dick Smith used a very pale white makeup on her face along with cracked latex on the lips. She is sans eyebrows. This, of course, is prior to the masturbation scene when Regan starts the “gangrenous sores” by ripping through the flesh on her face.
I guess if we examine the makeup for Regan throughout the film, Dick Smith created a process (under Friedkin’s direction) by which she undergoes a form of mitosis that leads to the ultimate makeup in the exorcism scene. For instance, you’ll notice that Regan’s lips are severely cracked and her skin is extremely pale as she’s mouthing words on the hospital bed that’s she strapped down to while at the Barringer Clinic.
I wonder if that change from novel to screen wasn’t a big influence from Friedkin. I guess the culmination of Karras’ own “torment” throughout the exorcism could be viewed as the final straw when he sees Merrin lying dead on the floor and the demon laughing. Maybe the scene was shot to influence our thinking on how Karras erupted without much thinking … a knee-jerk reaction that he held so deeply in many instances. After all, they only showing him jabbing punches into the boxing bag and not the actual fight itself. The fight is the one in the book where he needs to make money from his former career as a boxer to help pay for his mother’s care. It’s right after the conversation at the hospital with his uncle about who’s going to pay his mother’s care.
Another “catch” is the direct full-on view when the levitation begins. It includes all three folks in their standard positions with the camera angle only slightly tilted to the right.
I think I’m bummed out by seeing these. But, of course, we know the wires were used including a small cherry picker (example only) that lowers Regan back on the bed at the … sans wires. I think they did a great job regardless.
Ghetto, I think the first time her eyebrows go missing is during the hypnosis treatment. It’s there to let us know something is amiss in little Regan and that Captain Howdy has taken his presence. And then of course we see the “eyebrowless” wonderment take over from then on in the film. Regan grows them back after the exorcism. As far as the scars, I do see them (very light scars that is) and I agree that we don’t know how long it’s been after the exorcism, so I think Dick Smith did a good job for whatever he was told in terms of the time span.
If I remember correctly, Dick Smith said that he wanted Blair’s face to have a more masculine look by adding the slightly bulging forehead. Worked for me.Just watched the exorcism scene with the levitation. If you have a DVD player that can do a backward selection X2, you’ll really see the wires.
Well, after reading these posts, I have to admit when I saw this film as a kid, I believed what I was seeing was real in terms of how Captain Howdy disfigured Regan’s face during the masturbation scene. I don’t think it’s overboard, because it scared the shit out of me and that’s the face that entered my nightmares after seeing the film. So, hooray for Dick Smith for going this route instead of the one’s he started with. There was a joke on Ace of Cakes on Food Network when one of maestro’s of confections was creating a possessed Regan cake for an avid Exorcist fan’s party. She noted, “I wonder if everyone loses their eyebrows when you’re possessed?” Funny to think about because Regan’s eyebrows did come and go and her forward protruded just a wee bit to make her more demonic in appearance.
columbiancannon … cheers to finding this article! I agree with the writer because the proof is right there in images. HELLO! Subliminals do exist whether we think they do or not, so we should just “slam” the door on any kind of naysayers that always profess to know everything! 😉
I think Justin is pointing out the double-exposed image of Regan/Captain Howdy superimposed on top of one another. Regan (Blair) has the green/yellow cat eyes, while Captain Howdy’s (Dietz) eyes are dark brown. It’s not a mistake and if you listen to how they did the superimposing on the 25th Anniversary FOG, you’ll hear about how they did it back then. I think it was a thick sheet of glass with cellulose being filmed at the same time. I’m sure Justin can fill us in on that one too.
