History's scariest movie returns to wide screen in Lubbock

Decades after seeing director William Friedkins The Exorcist, Lubbock resident Polly Fowler DeWitt has been unable to erase her initial memory of the horror film.

Responding via Facebook, she said, I so remember seeing The Exorcist for the first time at the drive-in with a date when I was in high school. It scared me so bad, I spent most of the movie sitting on the floor of his car, with my hands over my eyes.

Dorotik (screen name) concluded on the playBill blog at lubbockonline.com: Even the poster scares me to this day. There are movies that have come close ... but The Exorcist is still the greatest horror movie of all time.

The film centers on the initially innocent Regan (played by Linda Blair), a 12-year-old daughter of a Hollywood actress (Ellen Burstyn), an atheist, filming a movie near Georgetown.

Modern science, viewed as frightening, cannot find any proof of a suspected lesion on the girls temporal lobe. But Regans behavior becomes increasingly aggressive.

Her mother finally approaches the church and requests an exorcism be performed on her daughter because she is convinced that Regan is possessed by a demon.

Officials in Rome deem an exorcism can be overseen by veteran priest Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) and younger priest Father Karras (Jason Miller), unaware the latter is questioning his faith after the death of his mother.

Other stars are Mercedes McCambridge, supplying the voice of the demon, and Eileen Dietz providing the demons face, viewed in scenes called subliminal by detractors. However, if one can see an image, it is not, by definition of the word, subliminal.

Friedkin says such visual flashes were used for dramatic effect.

Lee J. Cobb accepted the part of investigating detective Lt. Kinderman only after John Wayne, Friedkins first choice, turned down the role because he was battling cancer.

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History's scariest movie returns to wide screen in Lubbock