CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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Wilson Bryan Key was an author doing books in the 1970's about subliminal techniques in advertising.
I read his books in the 1980's and in “Media Sexploitation” he had a whole chapter on The Exorcist.
Key was the first one I ever read who talked about the Captain Howdy flash (he mistakingly thought that it was Jason Miller made up to look like a death mask, instead of Eileen Deitz) and the use of bees and pig sounds in the soundtrack.
Key could be a bit crackpotty and conspiritorial so he hinted at more neferious aims behind the subliminal stuff in The Exorcist than just aiming to make it scarier.
He also said he spotted another skull like death mask superimposed into one of Father Merrin's breath clouds when he sat at the foot of Regan's bed.
Back in the 80's when I was playing The Exorcist off my old RCA Selectavision CED disc, I thought for sure I spotted the place where they put the skull face in the breath.
But these days I can't see it or can only sort of see it. I'm betting that the lower resolution of the day and my imagination made me see the skull in the cloud.
That's true. It is called Pareidolia and only warrants attention from that particular viewer's perception.
Father Bowdern
If I remember rightly he claimed that there was a skull above Karras' shoulder during his reading of the mass in church and a brace of faces etc. during the ritual at the end. He did however claim that the faces in the breath were lated excised from all prints thereby never having to prove his theory in the video age.
You look long enough at smoke, clouds and frozen breath you can see almost anything you want in them.
As for the skull over Karras' shoulder, it can be seen if you look hard enough, it is however just shadows.
You look long enough at smoke, clouds and frozen breath you can see almost anything you want in them.
That's very true if you're smoking weed!Â
Father Bowdern
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