Monday, October 26, 2009

Alternate Dream Sequence from
The Exorcist
What Might Have Been

The dream sequence from The Exorcist has become legendary: Father Karras trying to make contact with his mother, she turning away and that mask, the death mask that is Pazuzu. Most horror fans know it frame by frame. But what if the original version had made it into the film as seen in this newly discovered rough cut with it's unmatched lighting between the shots of Karras and his mother? Two famous actors were used for the mother and Pazuzu roles but later the shots were scrapped in favor of unknowns. The footage would never die however. A few years later Sidney Pollack would become intrigued with the footage shot of the famous actor as the mother and build a whole film around it, even using this original footage in that film. But what if William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, had left it in? What might have been.

20 comments:

Arbogast said...

Every time I see a chuckwagon, I get chills.

Greg said...

Little miniature ghost chuckwagons disappearing into the kitchen cabinets really did kind of freak me out when I was a kid.

bill r. said...

I just shit myself. Again. You keep making me shit myself.

Greg said...

I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, I keep peeing myself.

Tony Dayoub said...

Bwah-ha-ha-hah!

Greg said...

Tony, stop that evil laugh, you'll make Bill shit his pants again.

Arbogast said...

I'm haunted by the thought that my first post didn't need the comma.

Greg said...

Don't trouble yourself. Sometimes people put in extra commas. It, happens.

Pat said...

Greg,

Thanks for the first good laugh I've had today.

Greg said...

My pleasure Pat. Jackie Coogan always knocks 'em dead.

Marilyn said...

This is so deja vu for me. I can still hear the ringing in my ears, "The power of Christ compels you. The power of Christ COMPELS you." I did it. I bought Bob Dylan: Christmas in the Heart. I know either Pazuzu or Dustin Hoffman was behind it, too.

Pat said...

I can never think of that line ("The power of Christ compels you!") without remembering the SNL spoof with Dan Aykroyd as Merrin and Richard Pryor as Karras. The levitating bed returns to the ground with a loud thud as Aykroyd chants "The power of Christ compels you!" and Pryor screams along: "The bed is on my foot! THE BED IS ON MY FOOT!!!!"

Greg said...

Marilyn, my son bought that too but then he owns everything Dylan has ever recorded. Everything. And he likes it.

Greg said...

Pat, I think of that skit too. I also always think of Richard Pryor's raunchy Exorcist routine that I had on lp back in the seventies. I've got it memorized word for word, beat for beat.

Marilyn said...

No, I didn't buy it. What do I need with a born-again Jew's snarl about Rudolph blowin' in the wind? Me not like Dylan.

Greg said...

I'll tell my son. The sounds of Dylan waft from his room on a regular basis. It can be quite unsettling at times.

Arbogast said...

"Your mother sews socks that smell!"

Greg said...

Laraine Newman scared the crap out of me! And I mean just in general.

Christopher said...

I upchucked a Chuckwagon and shit a Tootsie Roll

Greg said...

I hear that's been going around. Take care of yourself and avoid dog food.