The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear

Books like this, on a popular culture topic written from a non-academic perspective, are often pretty mediocre, telling us little more than we already know if we've had an interest in the topic. They can be hagiographic (or fannish), error-filled, and comprised of little more than plot summaries and checkout-counter magazine gossip and factoids. While this book does have its (brief, skippable) plot summaries, it has so much more. I've been a fan of the Exorcist movies (and probably like E II and DOMINION more than the author does) since I was a teen, with my interest rising as the 2023 reboot approached. Even with all my prior knowledge, however I've learned a lot in this breezy, detailed, and engaging read, which covers pretty much everything I could imagine wanting to know about the "franchise." (I hate that word). It's not at the top rank of this kind of book: it's not Steven Bachman's THE FINAL CUT, but I can scarcely imagine it being improved upon as a survey of these films and TV shows. Here's hoping that after the new trilogy is complete, the author does a second edition. 9 out of 10.

Nat Segaloff's "The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear" provides an insightful analysis of the collaboration between director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty during the making of the iconic horror film "The Exorcist." The book delves deep into their creative partnership, chronicling their triumphs and the conflicts that arose during the filming and editing. Segaloff draws from his earlier biography of Friedkin, "Hurricane Billy," to offer readers a comprehensive look at the initial movie and the director's interactions with subsequent sequels.The strength of the book lies in its dissection of the relationship between Friedkin and Blatty, spotlighting their initial synergy, the disagreements over editing choices, and their eventual reconciliation. Segaloff brings to light numerous fascinating insights from interviews and sources, making for a captivating read. The inclusion of "sidebars" that juxtapose the book's plot with the film's storyline adds an interesting analytical layer to the narrative.The author's attention to detail is evident in the endnotes, which provide enriching supplementary information for those willing to explore further. However, this strength also reveals a notable weakness: the book disproportionately relies on accounts from Blatty and Friedkin, with limited perspectives from actors and other key figures involved in the production.One of the book's drawbacks is its limited coverage of the "Legacy" aspect. While it excels in dissecting the first film and its creators' dynamics, it falls short in adequately exploring sequels and adaptations. Only a third of the book is dedicated to these components, leaving enthusiasts yearning for a more comprehensive examination of the series' evolution, parodies, and spoofs. The absence of discussion on recent cinematic adaptations, such as "The Pope's Exorcist," raises questions too.The copyediting issues are noticeable and, at times, glaring. For instance, on page 253, under a list of symptoms recognized by the Catholic Church as possession, the text reads "One of these indices include [sic] head-spinning, projectile vomiting..." This phrasing appears to be incorrect; it should likely be "None of these indices..." Another issue can be found in footnote 15 on page 292, which seems to include editorial comments: "CAN'T ADD SIDE COMMENTS TO FOOTNOTES, KEEP MINE,."There are 16 pages of color photos, but the captions accompanying the images lack context until the end of the book. Given the author's professional background and acquaintanceship with the director and author, it is surprising that many images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons instead of the author's own archives.Ultimately, "The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear" offers an engaging exploration of the creative partnership behind "The Exorcist." While the book excels in analyzing the original film, it falls short in providing a comprehensive assessment of the series' legacy and evolution, preventing it from achieving its full potential as a definitive guide to "The Exorcist" series.

Though I've seen all the 'Exorcist' movies, I'm not particularly knowledgeable about them and so this book caught my interest. I'm definitely glad I read it!The bulk of the book is devoted to the first movie, which is not surprising given the cultural impact it had (for better or for worse). What was more interesting to me was the coverage of the other films and the TV series which, since they never matched the original's success, don't have as much focus.Hearing from those involved in the production, and also about the original novel(s) was a great bonus, as was reading about the upcoming 'reboot' trilogy.If anybody has an interest in this franchise, this book is definitely worth a look.

Being a Exorcist aficionado, I've pretty much read every book there is on the film, Exorcist: Studies of the film edited by Danel Olson being a particular standout, but its hard to find and pricy, if your lucky enough to find a copy.I've just finished Exorcist Legacy and thorougly enjoyed it. It's written by a publicist of the original 1973 movie, and he shares many insights in the films production and the impact it had on audiences when released it 1973. He also outlines its production history and the evolution from novel to screen. There also some refreshing chapters on Exorcist II, The Heretic and Exorcist III....a personal favourite. He covers some ground of the original cases that inspired the 1973 movie and offers some factual history of the Roman Ritual. Additionally there is a good chapter on William Friedkin's documntary made with Father Gabriel Amorth.Interestingly he also devotes chapters to the prequels; Dominion & Exorcist, The Beginning, (truly awful), these offered some suprising facts and many anecdotes from the making of these movies. There's also a revealing interview with David Gordon Green while he was beginning production on the The Exorcist, Believer. Midway through the book, there is a small colour section, including some rare photos and stills from the movies.Overall its an insightful edition to any Exorcists' fans library. I've only marked it down one star for the awful cover, what were they thinking!! It's cheap, tacky and does this erudite, well researched book a complete disservice, they'd have better off just having a plain black cover over this one.

I cannot remember being so surprised with the reading of a book; surprised and, I have to add, unexpectedly pleased. I’m not a movie / film buff but I have seen the exorcist film and read the (brilliant) book. When I saw this particular book an Amazon (by N Segaloff) I didn’t really know what to expect but from the preface and forward I was enthralled, entertained & informed about all things relating to the exorcist film. It’s much, much better than I was expecting.It explores the writer of the book, maker of the film, the ‘real’ case of demonic possession, the filming and writing of the novel plus lots, lots more.If you have seen the exorcist then I’m sure you will get as much out of this fascinating book as I did.So, this is a book about a film which is based on a book about a case of possession.Brilliant & highly enjoyable!Buy ‘n’ Enjoy for yourself...!