CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I think I like that cast except Courtney Cox as Chris! I would HATE it. They should cast someone who looks like a young Shirley MacLaine.
Hi Kevin,
From Novel to Film was published in 1974. I bought a copy off Ebay. I think you can still find some there.If they make a mini series, please find someone to play Chris’s psychic friend, Mary Jo Perrin and add the witchcraft book subplot.
From Peter Travers book:
*The effect of the novel and film on Shirley & Sachi*
Blatty: I based Chris Macneil…on Shirley MacLaine, who is a friend of mine. I should add that Shirley has never been involved, nor has anyone in her family been involved, in anything like demonic possession. Her daughter has had to suffer a bit because the story has been distorted so often.”
Shirley: The film and Mr. Blatty’s lack of clarification have had a horrendous effect on my daughter Sachi, who some people believe is actually possessed. I’ve already had to take Sachi out of one school because her classmates thought she was possessed by the devil. Naturally, it’s sheer insanity to let a child see this film… It’s quite possible they might never recover from the shock for the rest of their lives. Since the film, numerous people have come up to me and told me they’d pray that my little girl would recover!”
Granny, do you remember watching the Academy Awards of 1974? Do you know anyone who taped it and still has a copy?
And about “The Exorcist screenplay to screen”, is it the same one included on Blatty’s book, From Novel to Film? Or is it a final draft screenplay?
Oh and I would love it if granny could review all the pages of the novel like Bill Johnson. 🙂(I’ll skip lol).
What Friedkin was looking for was an actress who could, through her innocence, make the demonic transitions more credible and the horror more palpable. Friedkin was very straight on what he wasn’t after and confident that what he wanted could be found.
During the four-month casting period in 1972, over five hundred girls, with their mothers and agents in tow, filtered through the casting offices of Warner Bros. The auditions were based upon physical appearance, personality characteristics, and line readings. Twelve girls emerged as potentional “Regans” and were instructed to move further on in the auditions. These girls were ready to meet Billy Friedkin. Linda Blair was one…After the girls read and interpreted these scenes (ouija board, sow is mine), Friedkin went further with six and staged a run-through. He decided to see how Linda would survive under the conditions of the camera and asked Ellen Burstyn to read one of the more difficult scenes with her.Ellen Burstyn laughed as she recounted what transpired, or what failed to transpire:
“Probably the most enlightening thing would be to see the screen test of Linda, and then see the exact scene as it will appear in the film. When Billy said he liked her her test, I was in shock. I mean she was doing elocution lessons and it was just so ‘acted.’ I said to myself, “Oh, no!” But, by the time we were into rehearsals, this kid was terrific. You know, it was just like talking to my own kid – so natural. I said to myself, “Now wait a minute, how did this happen?”How it did happen is part of the Friedkin-Blair mystique.
Although Billy is not one to tell how rabbits are picked from the hat, he did reveal this trick: “I agree with Ellen. Linda wasn’t great, but she was good. But then I shot some footage of Ellen and Linda talking. Neither one was aware of this part of the test. Linda was terrific – very spontaneous -not rehearsed. So, I figured that one of the keys to this girl was to keep her spontaneous. Linda has a tremendous ability to do everything, without having a preconceived point of view. If I tell her what to do, she just does it.”
I can keep on writing it if anyone here wants to read it. Those who don’t have the book, of course. 🙂
I never saw Legion but since the idea comes from granny it would be a wonderful alternate ending.
hammer, I think the farm with horses would be lovely. 🙂 And I’d like to know what Blatty thinks of the six weeks, as well lol. Hey I thought of something else. Maybe Chris didn’t leave the house immediately because she was in love with it. I’m just kidding, he-he. But in the first pages, she thought about buying it and start to live there.
Oh, well, but Regan’s bedroom was the scary part of the house and if no one went there, except on that last day to pack, why is it so unbelievable to keep living there.
