Today I'd like to do another of my deep dive, incredibly detailed trivial explorations of famous, usually horror movies. "The Exorcist" is one of my very favorite films of all time, and was very successful in its day, both critically and at the box office. As usual, I recognize that almost nobody will know the answers to all of these--including myself, before I went through and re-watched the movie while taking notes. And clearly there will be many SPOILERS about a nearly 50 year old movie, so be forewarned. Finally, I'm using the 2000, "The Version You've Never Seen" version, which put back several minutes of footage, including the "spider walk" scene and a brief Kinderman--Dyer conversation at the end. I think only Questions #46 and #51 deal with a scene not included in the theatrical cut. I'll ask the questions first, and then include the answers at the end.
Questions:
1) What famous archaeological site, and in what modern country, is Father Merrin working at in the opening of the movie?
2) What is written on the small metal medallion or pendent that Merrin studies in the beginning, which we later see at the conclusion of the movie?
3) What is the name of the movie that Chris MacNeil is working on in Washington D.C.?
4) According to director Burke Dennings, the writer of the movie is, uh, "fornicating" where?
5) What scene, and take, do we see being filmed?
6) What is the date during this filming day?
7) Chris's assistant is Sharon. What is Sharon's last name? (Kinderman mentions it once.)
8) What clay sculpture do we see Regan finish painting?
9) What is the name of the spirit who answers the questions that Regan poses using the Ouija board?
10) We briefly see a magazine cover which has both Regan and Chris on it. What is the magazine?
11) While discussing what to do on Regan's upcoming birthday, Chris suggests more sightseeing. What D.C. area sight does she specifically mention?
12) What is Chris's nickname for Regan?
13) We see Father Karras talking to another priest in a bar, discussing his problems and crisis of faith. Who is this other priest?
14) During her birthday, where is Regan's father staying, and in what city?
15) Chris is awakened with the news that she needs to be on set ASAP. What number scene will they be shooting?
16) How is the statue of Mary in the church desecrated?
17) Regan gets an electrocardiagraph at the doctor's office. What model machine is used?
18) In the patient waiting room, a picture from a famous art museum/gallery is shown. What is this place?
19) What is the name of the doctor that Regan sees first? (We also see this doctor in several other scenes.)
20) What five symptoms of a nervous disorder does this doctor mention Regan shows?
21) What medicine does this doctor first proscribe for Regan?
22) What nickname do Father Karras's relatives refer to him as?
23) At the party, the astronaut mentions the spacecraft he'll be in has how many cubic feet of room?
24) Burke taunts Karl about being a Nazi. What nationality does Karl insist that he is?
25) What is the name of the church where Karras's office is located?
26) What song does Father Dyer lead the partygoers into singing, while he plays the piano?
27) Father Dyer brings over a bottle of liquor to help Karras mourn his mother's passing. What is it?
28) According to Karras's prayer in the church, what was his mother's first name?
29) Regan's first doctor is assisted by a colleague, who even joins him over at the MacNeil house to observe her. Who is this second doctor?
30) What is the second medication that Regan is proscribed?
31) Chris and Regan are temporarily staying in Washington D.C. while Chris shoots the movie. Where is their permanent home?
32) What two actors does Kinderman say Karras resembles?
33) And who does Karras say that Kinderman resembles?
34) What movie does Kinderman tell Karras he has free passes to?
35) What is the name of the hospital/clinic that examines Regan about midway through the film?
36) The doctors there suggest an exorcism for Regan, for power of suggestion reasons rather than believing in a real demon. What is their official diagnosis of her condition?
37) When Kinderman is talking to Chris, he mentions he's seen one of her previous movies 6 times. What is the name of this movie?
38) What three places does Karras mention he was trained at?
39) What is Karras's initial recommendation for treating Regan?
40) What brand of tape recorder does Karras use while listening to recordings of Regan's regular voice?
41) During their second meeting, aside from regular English, Regan speaks 3 different languages. What are they?
42) Where is Merrin when he is contacted to perform the exorcism?
43) What is the name of the cab company that Merrin uses to get to the MacNeil house?
44) What supplies for the exorcism does Merrin ask Karras to bring back from the Residency?
45) What kind of liquor does Chris offer Merrin, which he gladly accepts?
46) What is Regan's middle name?
47) What number chapter is the Rite of Exorcism that Merrin and Karras use?
48) There is graffiti written in red on the building to the left of the famous Hitchcock Steps, visible during some of the views looking down it. What does the graffiti say?
49) There's a gas station at the foot of the Hitchcock Steps. What company is it?
50) What make and model of car are the MacNeils driving in as they leave the house at the end of the movie?
51) Kinderman offers Dyer a free movie pass at the very end of the film. What movie is it?
52) While discussing that Merrin should perform the exorcism, one of the priests mentions Merrin's previous exorcism in Africa, which he thinks happened about how many years ago?
53) A real life convicted murderer acted in "The Exorcist." Who is it, and what part did they play?
54) The writer of the movie, William Peter Blatty, also acted briefly in the movie. What part did he play?
55) Why is practically every character, even the doctors, always smoking?
Answers:
1) Ninevah, in present day Northern Iraq.
2) Soncte Joseph ora pro nobis. Or, in English, "Saint Joseph pray for us."
3) Crash Course.
4) Paris, France.
5) Scene 39, Take 4. Hotel. (Even though it's filmed outside a university building.)
6) Evidently it's on Halloween, October 31st, since the fallen leaves indicate it's autumn, and while walking home Chris passes some kids trick or treating.
7) Spencer.
8) A bird with an orange body, yellowish head feathers, and a striped beak.
9) Captain Howdy. Which is probably the demon's attempt to trick Regan by using a name similar to her father, whose name, Howard, is seen on the magazine mentioned in Question #10.
10) Photoplay. Which was a real magazine, that ceased publication in 1980.
11) The Lee Mansion.
12) Rags.
13) Tom. He's the president of Georgetown University in the movie.
14) The Hotel Excelsior, in Rome, Italy.
15) 61.
16) It was given red nippled, pointy breasts, with some black paint on their bases, a sharp phallus, with red paint (blood) on both the phallus and the statue's hands. In the book Kinderman confirms that the paint and clay are the same that Regan used for her artwork.
17) The Series 2000 Automatic Electrocardiogram.
18) The Galerie Maeght, a modern art facility in Paris, France.
19) According to the nameplate on his desk, it's Harold E. Klein.
20) Hyperactivity, her temper, her bad performance in math, lying, and swearing.
21) The later extremely popular drug Ritalin, 10 mg. per day.
22) Dimmie, evidently a version of his real name, Damien.
23) 210 cubic feet, which the astronaut thinks is quite spacious.
24) Swiss.
25) St. Michaels.
26) "Down on 33rd and 3rd," a 1926 tune created by Ben Ryan.
27) Chivas Regal, a blended Scotch whisky. Dyer says he stole it from the university president.
28) Mary.
29) Dr. Taney.
30) The much more serious Thorazine.
31) Los Angeles, not surprisingly for an actress. Chris mentions that they've sold their old house, but are building a new one.
32) First John Garfield, then later, when he's irritated at Karras, Sal Mineo.
33) Paul Newman.
34) Othello. Although Kinderman jokingly says it stars Debbie Reynolds as Desdemona, and Groucho Marx as Othello.
35) The Barringer Clinic and Foundation.
36) Somnambuliform possession.
37) Angel.
38) Harvard, Bellevue, and Johns Hopkins. Presumably the second one refers to the famous New York City hospital, and not a university.
39) 6 months of observation at the best hospital that Chris can afford.
40) A DuKane Monitor. It also has Radio Learning Laboratories printed on it.
41) Latin, French, and then backwards English. If you're really curious, Regan says, translated, "Spoken miracles." and "I absolve you." in Latin, "Hello!" and "My aunt's pen." in French, and "Give us time. Let her die. I am no one. I am no one. Fear the priest. Fear the priest. Merrin!" in backward English.
42) Woodstock. Not the famous New York town, but a Jesuit seminary in Maryland.
43) The company is Capitol, the phone # is 546-2400, and the car # is 220. I looked it up, and this is still an actual cab company in D.C., and 546-2400, with the 202 area code, is their actual phone number.
44) A cassock, 2 surplices, a purple stole, some holy water, and a copy of The Roman Ritual, the large one.
45) Brandy, in his coffee.
46) Teresa.
47) 11.
48) You can clearly see "PIGS," and then what looks like a "GHT" before this. So probably "FIGHT PIGS," as in an anti-police message.
49) Mobil.
50) It's a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 4.5 (liter engine). Probably a 1972 model.
51) Wuthering Heights, with another joke that it stars Jackie Gleason as Heathcliff and Lucille Ball as Catherine Earnshaw.
52) He says it was 10-12 years before, meaning in the early 1960's. Which is contradicted by both prequel versions, which have it taking place in either 1947 or 1949. Maybe the priest misremembered. Or the filmmakers changed it for their own reasons.
53) It's Paul Bateson, who was convicted of murder in 1979, and was in prison until 2003. He plays the radiological technician, since that was his real job at the time. He's the younger guy with a beard, who has several lines of dialogue with Regan. "Exorcist" director William Friedkin later did the controversial 1980 movie "Cruising," which added some elements from Bateson's real life case. Also, some investigators thought Bateson might have killed more people.
54) He plays a producer that's talking to Burke during the shooting of the film within the film at the beginning. Ironically, he's asking if these scenes are necessary for the film, implying that he doesn't think they are, while in real life Blatty was put off that some scenes he liked were cut from the final theatrical version of "The Exorcist," and were restored for this 2000 version. Some sources claim this character is named Fromme, while others state his character is unnamed.
55) I know, it was the 1970's. But it was still jarring to me on this most recent viewing. I'm surprised that the doctors didn't give Regan cigarettes!
Also, stay tuned--I'll have a writing announcement coming up, probably within the week.
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