If you thought that the original theatrical release of “The Exorcist” was scary, then
you haven’t seen anything yet.
Lets dig into this horrifying sequence that was unreleased for years.
Few films have the lasting notoriety of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist."
This 1973 tale of terror traumatized audiences when it released in theaters, with reports
of people fainting in the aisles.
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, it followed
the harrowing story of a young girl named Regan who becomes possessed by an unholy force.
Her mother calls upon the Catholic church to exorcise her daughter, and the priests
they send undergo true horror trying to release poor Regan from the demon's clutches.
"I think the point is to make us despair."
There are many shocking scenes in "The Exorcist," including Regan levitating several feet off
of her bed, a scene in which her head spins 180 degrees, and the infamous pea soup vomit
scene, but perhaps the most shocking of all never made it into the theatrical cut.
27 years later, for a theatrical re-release in 2000, audiences finally got a chance to
see one of the most infamous deleted scenes of all time: Regan's staircase spider-walk.
In the original theatrical cut of "The Exorcist," the signs of Regan's possession begin more
gradually before eventually ramping up to her more otherworldly antics.
Friedkin decided to remove the footage of Regan walking backwards on her hands and feet
down the stairs from this version because it ratcheted the terror up too quickly, and
the special effects at the time felt hokey.
Friedkin was especially annoyed with the wires that helped Blair's stunt double do the awkward,
creepy walk, so the scene hit the cutting room floor.
The original footage recreates one of the freakiest moments in Blatty's novel, with
Regan creepy-crawling her way down the stairs, flicking her tongue out like some kind of
lizard, and then chasing after one of her mother's friends.
While some of the spider-walk itself does look a little hokey, the feral nature of Blair's
performance and the terrified screams of her target make it a whole lot scarier.
In 2000, Friedkin's director's cut of "The Exorcist" was re-released in theaters.
Famously billed as the "Version You've Never Seen," the new cut added previously deleted
scenes, including the infamous spider-walk moment.
Horror fans flocked to theaters to see the long-discussed, rarely seen deleted scene.
In this version, Friedkin reworked the sequence, removing the tongue-flicking and making blood
cascade out of Regan's open mouth.
It's grisly stuff, and it's especially shocking compared to the original footage.
It happens right after Regan's mother discovers the tragic death of a family friend, who fell
down a stairwell on a nearby street and broke his neck.
Overwhelmed with fear for her daughter — who appears to be medically healthy but cannot
control the demon inside of her — and sadness for the dead man, she is at the brink of breaking.
Enter Regan, crawling unnaturally down the stairs, reminding everyone that she's not
healthy at all.
Even before the spider walk, "The Exorcist" was recognized as one of the most impactful
films of the 20th century.
It has been referenced in everything from "Saturday Night Live" to "X-Men: The Last
Stand" to "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me."
"The power of Christ compels you!
The power of Christ compels you!"
It also went on to spawn several sequels and prequels, including "Exorcist II: The Heretic,"
"The Exorcist III," "Exorcist: The Beginning," and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist."
There was even an "Exorcist" television series starring Geena Davis and Ben Daniels that
ran on Fox for two seasons, ending in 2017.
In 2010, the Library of Congress selected "The Exorcist" to be preserved in the National
Film Registry, citing it as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
The film also holds its place in history as one of the most "cursed" horror films ever
made.
There were multiple deaths and disasters on set, including injuries to stars Linda Blair
and Ellen Burstyn.
A massive fire destroyed most of the film's sets, causing massive delays and budget spikes,
though Regan's bedroom somehow survived.
That was just weird enough to make the filmmakers call an actual Jesuit priest to bless the
set before filming could resume.
Decades after its release, "The Exorcist" is still a powerful and striking story about
the nature of evil.
The spider-walk sequence is only a tiny part of the film itself, but it's integral to the
overall legend of this extraordinary film.
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