[whatisit]

While watching the original, every time I can’t help but wonder if Friedkin was tipping his cinematic hat to Hitchcock and James Whale in a couple of scenes. The first is when Regan grabs the hypnotist by the balls and as he falls backwards with that terrified expression, I see a direct reference to “Psycho” when Martin Balsam falls down the stairs.

With regards to James Whale, does anyone out there agree that the scene where you just see Regan’s demonic stare in the darkness as Merrin arrives is also identical to when the bandages are pulled off of the “Bride of Frankenstein.” I think so. Do you agree?

[ManInKhakiExorcist]

Good, good examples — agreed. Also, remember the “Exorcist Steps”, which in the novel is referred to as the Hitchcock Steps… unless I’m wrong. 🙂

Incidentally, Francis Ford Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992) sure seemed to steal/borrow from THE EXORCIST… Watch it once or thrice and you’ll surely recognize visual after visual…! 😐 🙂

M.I.K.E.

[Pagan]

I have never thought about that until now and it actuallt make sense.

[hatter76]

I Love Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I love the Entire Poetry of the Movie, I was Glad Coppola used so Many old fashioned techniques, of course the Make-up Effects Were Very advanced for the Time as well as ground breaking, Just as The Exorcist Make-up’s had been in 73.
Ive been a Practicing(Amateur) Make-up Artist(among other things) for 12 years now, and I must admit both tese films had a maijor influence on me, an to this day, the old age Dracula Make-up and the Merrin Make-up are damn near 100% Beleavable, I can almost always tell when something is Makeup, But Theses Makeups were so Well Done and the Actors Brought the Make-ups to life with their Moving Performances,
I was 9 years old(but not stupid) when Dracula came out, And I knew The Creatue Makeups for Dracula was Make-up, But I Was totally convinced that The old Dracula Was actully A differnt actor, I was 13 when I First Watche The Whole Exorcist Movie and could understand it, And Several months Later I found Out That Max Von Sydow was wareing Make-up, I Just could not beleave it, and Even now I often forget it’s Make-up.

But Now an interesting thought Pops into my head, Coppola Has Learned to embrace alot of the new Film makeing techniques, But he still Remains Pretty much Old-School, I Would be interesting if He was to do an Exorcist Movie, or if He had done the Prequel, Combineing the Creepy supernatural elements of his Dracula film, with The Gritty Realism of the Godfather.
Of course Maybe WB should have offerd him Exorcist 2, it certainly would have been a very differnt film.

How do people feel about this?

[granville1]

Also there were many Exorcist references in Stigmata, starting with Gabriel Burnes’ (sp?) resemblance to Jason Miller, to the brick building with the curtains billowing out of the windows, etc…

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