The Exorcist (1973)

Cast

Max von Sydow
as Father Merrin
Ellen Burstyn
as Chris MacNeil
Linda Blair
as Regan
Lee J. Cobb
as Lt. William Kinderman

Get more information about The Exorcist (1973) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Horror

8.0 / 10

A visiting actress in Washington, D.C., notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's terminal sickness. And, book-ending the story, a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for a show-down with an old demonic enemy.

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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

Ed F booboo

It took 7 years for this to get on TV, I remember watching it at age 13 terrified Now it would be on blu-ray a month after it was out of theaters - @Saturday, October 13, 2018 12:25 AM

Eduardo Corrochio

Cannot imagine what the network went through to make a film like this "presentable" to the television audience at the time: so much to trim, so much language to cut or dub over. My first experience with this film was viewing it on VHS during college, and what struck me most (besides how disturbing the big scares were) was what a genuinely well-made movie this was. "The Exorcist" impressed the hell outta me. Every aspect is great-- pacing, composition, lighting, acting, sound design. Favorite moment = when the demon says to Father Karras, in that homeless man's Brooklyn voice, "Can you help an old altar boy, Fadduh?" (So creepy!) 😈 - @Monday, July 2, 2018 7:15 PM

seibervideo

Anybody know if this re-aired later in the year, like October through December? I remember seeing it, but at the time it would have been around that time of year. Unless it was on a premium channel like HBO. - @Friday, December 22, 2017 3:16 AM

quazzie1

The only movie that EVER scared me... and it was even THIS version of the flick that got me, the edited-for-TV version. In my defense, I was only 9 and had grown up in a religious household. The subject alone was enough to scare me, but when her head spun..... e-fkn-gad, that had me terrified to go to sleep for weeks hehehe. - @Thursday, September 7, 2017 10:38 AM

Abel Alvarado

WOW!!! I totally remember when this first aired on t.v.!! I was just in the 2nd grade, and it had been announced for weeks leading up to the airing...my mom was not going to let me watch it, but I begged and begged and she said "OK, but you're gonna be scared!" She wouldn't even watch it, she had seen it in theatre in the 70's. We had a big T.V. so a bunch of family came over for a movie night that night. I sat in front of the t.v. laughing and thinking how cool...some of my cousins started crying and freaking out...not me...then her head spun around!!! I jumped up into my uncles lap, totally FREAKED OUT! But I LOVED it and kept watching to the end!! At the end, I was like "That girl needs JESUS! didn't phase me one bit!" YEAH RIGHT!!! I was FREAKED OUT!!! But I knew it would be my FAVORITE horror flick EVER!! Next day at school EVERYONE was talking about it, some kids started crying, it was CRAZY!! When I was a bit older and FINALLY got to see the full unedited version on VHS, WOW, loved it even more!!! Fast forward to now, I'm costume designer for theatre and film and back when I was in design school, for my last design project in college I based it on The Exorcist. The costume deign is GENOUS! Anywho, thanks for the nostalgia, "Do you know what she did?!" HA!! LOVE IT!!! - @Friday, February 26, 2016 9:48 PM

Daniel Gurule

took 7 years to air The Exorcist on regular TV. Wow, I was 5 when this aired - @Tuesday, March 31, 2015 11:55 PM

Daniel Gurule

WEDNESDAY! LOL - @Tuesday, March 31, 2015 11:54 PM

Steve Walles

I remember that CBS used this as counterprogramming to the Winter Olympics on ABC. This was 1980, the year of the Miracle On Ice. I flipped over to this during a commercial break just in time to see Regan turn her head all the way around. For weeks after seeing this I slept with the lights on and the covers completely over me. I also remember CBS showing Exorcist II: The Heretic the very next night. - @Sunday, November 3, 2013 4:49 AM

Travis Ford

I can verify w/ certainty that the film aired on February 12th, 1980. The Winter Olympics (from Lake Placid NY) began on ABC that night and its clear (to me at least) that CBS wanted to counter that by airing a big hit movie. I wish I was alive that night. Haha - @Friday, July 19, 2013 5:24 PM

robatsea2009

I think it was February 5th, 1980 but perhaps someone else can verify that for certainty. - @Friday, February 15, 2013 6:19 AM

alex drieaz

any idea of the month and day in 1980 when this film debuted on television in North America? many thanks, al in new jersey - @Friday, February 15, 2013 2:49 AM

robatsea2009

Unfortunately no - @Saturday, May 26, 2012 9:23 PM

Mike Rogers

Do you have the actual movie as broadcast on CBS, I have been searching high and low for the TV version of The Exorcist with it's redubbed lijes to cover the profanity and suc. - @Saturday, May 26, 2012 6:42 PM

K Frank

I remember watching The Exorcist for the first time on TV. It just might have been this broadcast. After years of reading about the film and my two older brothers telling me about it, I finally had the chance to see it, It scared the crap out of me - lol! - @Friday, October 7, 2011 6:52 PM

MMAFighter38

@Mikeymcguy i was in the living room watching some of it on HBO. She had no idea what i was watching and neither did I. I, of course, had never even heard of this movie at the time. Again, the language used in this movie was so vile for it's time, people were throwing up and passing out in the theater when it was released in Dec. 73. The girl who played Violet in WILLY WONKA and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY was originally cast to play Regan ,but her parents wouldn't allow her to use such language. - @Sunday, August 21, 2011 2:32 PM

Mikeymcguy

@msmithstud Describe where you were when you watched "The Exorcist" on HBO when you were 5 years old. Whose television? From your description of your mother's reaction to your question, she didn't allow you to watch it. If she did, and still reacted that way, then she must have been in a major mind fog. Thank you, though, for not writing, "I was 2 years old when I watched The Exorcist and it didn't scare me." I hate those bullshit, non-sense phrases. I see them all the damn time. Lies. - @Sunday, August 21, 2011 11:03 AM

MMAFighter38

you can only imagine how much editing was done in order to broadcast this on CBS. This was the first time i heard the f word while watching this on HBO back in the early 80's when i was 5 . Out of curiosity, I asked my mom what ''fuck me'' meant. Her jaw dropped. lol - @Sunday, February 27, 2011 2:16 AM

lukafafrenz

"...do you know what she did?..." - @Monday, September 20, 2010 9:10 PM

Jumpstreet Beatz

@vinylrecord68 I'm with you on that one, and I'm only 24 years old! I would love to go back in time to the 70's and 80's because this decade is just stale. They sure don't make TV presentations like this anymore! - @Sunday, September 19, 2010 12:42 AM

robatsea2009

@tapthatt2012 Absolutely. That was my first occasion viewing the film, and I'd love to have a copy of the broadcast. - @Thursday, August 5, 2010 8:58 PM

tapthatt2012

now that brodacast would be great to have on tape today!! ; ) - @Thursday, August 5, 2010 2:03 PM

Drew Nachreiner

@HGbunny don't watch it its gross - @Friday, May 7, 2010 9:47 PM

greeniem

ON MY FUCKING B DAY ! - @Monday, May 3, 2010 9:50 PM

Hollywoodsteve

Did they air "Exorcist II The Heretic" during prime time? I recall only seeing it on the CBS Late Night Movie but it may have been a re-broadcast and I thought that was a weekend but I could be mistaken. - @Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8:16 AM

HGbunny

Wow, I remember seeing this airing! I was 12 yrs old & it was such a huge deal that it was on TV, and NOT EVEN CABLE! I've never seen the uncencored version. - @Sunday, January 3, 2010 9:49 PM

sharpasaneraser

@Mikeymcguy gotcha! thanks for the correction. - @Friday, December 25, 2009 9:42 AM

Mikeymcguy

"The Exorcist" aired on Tuesday night and "Exorcist II: The Heretic" aired Wednesday night. - @Friday, December 25, 2009 7:05 AM

sharpasaneraser

"plan now to stay home tuesday!"...classic i think it ran for 2 consecutive nights. - @Wednesday, December 23, 2009 11:47 PM

Hollywoodsteve

Blast from the past! Thanks for uploading. - @Saturday, December 5, 2009 1:07 AM