Cursed Films on Shudder discusses the curse surrounding 1973's The Exorcist. Real people died during the making of The Exorcist, and for many years the film was said to be dangerous, even to viewers. The question is, was it all marketing hype, coincidence, or something more?
Cursed Films season 1 explores the legends and myths behind some of the most cursed horror films of all time. It is produced and released on Shudder, a home streaming service dedicated entirely to horror, and has quickly become a very popular series in the horror community. In episode 1, Cursed Films explores the controversy surrounding The Exorcist, a film (based on William Peter Blatty's book by the same name) that some say is itself evil.
The Exorcist was overwhelmed by controversy when it was released in 1973. Rumors surrounded it about disturbing things that had happened on set during filming. There were reports of audiences getting sick and fainting when they went to see it. On-set accidents, a mysterious fire, and even a murder all took place while the film was being made. These things raised questions at the time and some came to believe The Exorcist movie itself was cursed. Even today The Exorcist holds a certain allure and power that may be more than just an urban legend.
Why The Exorcist Is Cursed
Cursed Films goes into detail about the troubling things surrounding The Exorcist. On the set, there were several injuries, including long-term back injuries for both Linda Blair, who played the possessed girl Regan, and Ellen Burstyn, who played Regan's mother. There was also a fire that burned down most of the set, except for Regan's bedroom, which filmmakers thought was very strange. On top of that, a man who played a nurse in the film killed a reporter before The Exorcist was released. He was quick to confess the crime, but couldn't provide police a motive for why he did it.
When The Exorcist was released, it was the highest-grossing film of the time, but audiences reported having physical reactions to it, such as fainting and vomiting. One woman blamed a miscarriage on the film. It was said that anyone could be possessed by the film just by watching it and that it gave evil a path to corrupt human souls. It was protested in some cities and banned in parts of the United Kingdom. Groups waiting in line outside theaters sometimes broke out into violence. None of these rumors, however, prevented the film from finding success. It is because of these incidents and rumors that The Exorcist is one of the most notorious (and perhaps scariest) cursed films of all time.