Good Reads Challenge Book Review: The Exorcist Legacy, 50 Years of Fear
Hello out there, it’s a beautiful day to have a beautiful day!
“God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.”
– William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist
Happy weekend people! I hope you’re doing well, taking care of your body as well as your mind, drinking plenty of water, and checking in with friends and family. Please be careful if you live in wildfire-affected areas and stay indoors.
I’m still movin’ and grovin’ on my books, but I do like to express that the reason why I’m getting through so many so quickly is because of Libby (check out books from your local library), and Audible (you can do so much with a subscription). I finished this book last month, and per usual, I’m behind on my reviews …and so it goes.
Today I’m reviewing The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Natt Segaloff. For a more in-depth review, check out my podcast on Spotify. [Part 1, Part 2]
The Review
Title | The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear
Author | Matt Segaloff
Pages | 304
Published | Coming July 25!
Genre | Horror, History, Film
GR Rating | 3.88
Purchase | Amazon
Synopsis
Since 1973, The Exorcist and its progeny have scared and inspired half a century of filmgoers. Now, on the 50th anniversary of the original movie’s release, this is the definitive, fascinating story of the scariest movie ever made and its lasting impact as one of the most shocking, influential, and successful adventures in the history of film. Written by Nat Segaloff, an original publicist for the movie and the acclaimed biographer of its director, with a foreword from John Russo, author and co-writer of the seminal horror film Night of the Living Dead.
My Rating & Review (3.75)
I want to thank Net Galley for allowing me to read the book ahead of its initial release.
This book is about the beginnings of The Exorcist, how the story and screenplay came to fruition, the Directors’ complicated relationship with the writer, actors on actors, and a complete synopsis of the entire franchise broken down by each movie, including the TV series and upcoming movie trilogy in which Ellen Burstyn reprising her role as Chris MacNeil.
After 50 years, filmgoers are still fascinated by The Exorcist and why it remains one of the scariest, most critically acclaimed, and most disturbing films on record.
from The Exorcist
“The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us; but he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. His attack is psychological, Damien. And powerful.”
Living in DC, I’ve passed that house more times than I can count, and we’ve taken those ‘Hitchcock” stairs. There was excitement as that was the very place where everything went down. By my 20s, I still was not brave enough to watch this film.
The Exorcist is a story about faith and what ends a mother would go to for her daughter. The main underpinnings of this film are about a Priest losing his faith and, even in that turmoil, how these men of God would sacrifice themselves to help a stranger.
from The Exorcist
“As far as God goes, I _am_ a nonbeliever. Still am. But when it comes to a devil—well, that’s something else.”
The book also mentions that it wasn’t a rumor about the strange occurrences and that the film was absolutely cursed.
For The Exorcist (1974), we learn about deaths among the film crew, family members, and different people associated with the movie, the set burning down, and the Pazuzu statue getting lost in route to Iraq and ending up in Hong Kong 3 weeks later, delaying the actual production for two months, to name a few.
We learn about the tension on the set of The Exorcist and the director’s “anything-for-the-film” ethos, as the director was known to fire guns on the set.
from The Exorcist
“For I think belief in God is not a matter of reason at all; I think it finally is a matter of love.”
This makes me want to go back and watch this movie and all its counterparts in its entirety now that I’ve read this book, I understand some of the underpinnings and how it was made and how they achieved the effects that make us cringe. This book is rich with facts and interesting backstories behind books and films, and why it’s such a cult classic today.
I am a fan of horror movies, but The Exorcist is more than that. It’s a deep dive into what scares you, and it tests what we believe. Thanks again to NetGalley for providing the great read, and I HIGHLY recommend this book.
If you ever decide to sit down and watch the franchise, those movies are:
The Exorcist, 1973
The Exorcist II: The Heretic, 1977
The Exorcist III, 1990
Exorcist: The Beginning, 2004
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, 2005
The Exorcist, 2023 [October 2023]
My Good Reads Progress
I’m still reading Paperbacks from Hell for my podcast, but because I’m taking notes, it’s going slower, so I’m at 59% (as of today). I’m also listening to Legion by William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist. This book, although called Legion, is The Exorcist III in the movie franchise.
What books are you reading this summer? Share them in the comments. Thanks so much for visiting the blog today. Don’t forget to follow and subscribe, as I really appreciate the support. — Peace
