The Exorcist director William Friedkin dies aged 87

One of the most influential movie directors has passed away at the age of 87 years old.

Born 29 August 1935 in Chicago, Illinois, William Friedkin has directed some of Hollywood’s most beloved movies such as The French Connection, Rules of Engagement, and Cruising starring Al Pacino.

Check out The Exorcist 4K trailer below!

However, perhaps his crown jewel would be the iconic horror movie of 1973, none other than The Exorcist. To say that The Exorcist is one of the most controversial movies of all time would be an understatement. Not content with being heavily edited for theatrical release in some regions of the world,The Exorcist was outright banned in others.

The Exorcist is said to be loosely based on real events and tells the story of a young girl named Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), who is possessed by the devil and it’s down to local priest Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), to exercise that demon and save the girl as well as her family from eternal damnation.

Even now, the themes and content of The Exorcist would certainly give modern horror movies of today a run for its money. In 1973, reports were rampant of cinema-goers fainting and vomiting, and in some cases, having heart attacks. Not to mention the desecration of religious symbolism including a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary to name but two. Oh, and we can’t forget about its unnerving soundtrack from Jack Nitzche that still brings shivers to many spines today.

Sometimes the term ‘cinema history’ can be overdone, but there’s no better way to label The Exorcist, a story that would inspire countless horror movies for generations to come, and we owe a large part of that to William Friedkin.

GAMINGbible sends our condolences to the family, friends and fans of William Friedkin. Thank you for the nightmares.