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These "Exorcist" moments will keep you up at night. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most TERRIFYING scenes in the “Exorcist” franchise.
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00:00 "And I ain't a devil. Now kindly undo these straps."
00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most
00:07 terrifying scenes in the Exorcist franchise.
00:10 "He is inside with us! He will never get away!"
00:15 Number 10. The power of Christ compels you. The Exorcist.
00:21 "I command you, by the judge of the living and the dead, to depart from the servant of God."
00:29 It's a scene that's been referenced and parodied countless times.
00:33 The power of this scene has compelled us to watch it again and again.
00:37 But it remains incredibly haunting. The sight of Regan levitating off the bed is one of the
00:41 most famous visuals from the original movie. There are also several smaller details that
00:46 give the scene its chilling effect. "It's the power of Christ that compels you.
00:52 The power of Christ compels you!" For example, a slash appears across
00:58 Regan's leg when Father Merrin sprays it with holy water. And the actor's breath is visible
01:03 in the air thanks to director William Friedkin having cooled the set to minus 20 Fahrenheit.
01:08 As Regan breaks free of her bonds and claws at the air,
01:11 even Merrin falls silent, speechless in the presence of such great evil.
01:24 Number 9. The voice recordings. The Exorcist.
01:27 When we think of The Exorcist, we often think first of the exorcism sequences.
01:38 But the movie is filled with other creepy moments, and this is undoubtedly one of them.
01:44 In this scene, Karras and a language specialist listen to an audio recording of the demon speaking.
01:49 "It's a language, all right. It's English."
01:51 "What do you mean English?"
01:54 "It's English in reverse. Listen."
01:56 The sound is incredibly unnerving, especially when we learn that it's actually speaking in English,
02:02 just in reverse. This is yet another great detail that adds a layer of unearthly surrealism to
02:08 the possession. And just when we're sufficiently creeped out, the world's loudest phone begins
02:13 to ring, giving us the jump scare of our lives.
02:16 "The phone is ringing."
02:20 Number 8. Thrashing About. The Exorcist.
02:23 While all the medical professionals in the film are at a loss as to what's going on with Regan,
02:29 Dr. Klein gets an up-close-and-personal view of her possession. And it ain't too pretty.
02:34 Dr. Klein is rushed over to the McNeil house to address Regan's latest episode,
02:38 only to walk in on her violently thrashing about in her bed against her own will.
02:43 "It's burning! It's burning!"
02:46 "Do something, doctor! Please help her!"
02:48 "Please, mother!"
02:50 Linda Blair's fear is palpable in this scene, as the actor was actually injured due to improperly
02:56 fixed safety equipment. But Regan's fears become everyone else's when she backhands
03:01 the doctor and shows off her new vocal chops.
03:03 "All right, let's see what you can do."
03:11 "Keep away! The shower's mine!"
03:13 From there, Regan makes some pretty horrendous gestures,
03:17 at which point Chris can only despair at what her daughter has become.
03:21 Number 7. The Bed Shaking. The Exorcist.
03:35 "You really don't want me to play, huh?"
03:37 "No, I do. Captain Howdy said no."
03:40 "Captain who?"
03:42 "Captain Howdy."
03:43 A child's bedroom is supposed to be a safe space, and that's what makes the demon's activities in
03:48 Regan's room so scary. The first signs of Regan's possession could be dismissed as psychological.
03:54 At a party, she urinates on the floor and tells a guest that he's going to die.
03:58 "Oh my god, honey. Honey, what's the matter? I'm sorry, she's been sick. She didn't know
04:04 what she was saying. Excuse me."
04:07 But when a troubled Chris puts her to bed, the bed begins violently shaking by itself.
04:12 The Exorcist is masterfully paced, and this is the troubling visual that kicks off far
04:17 more troubling stages of possession. It's a boundary of sorts, ending the calm first
04:22 act and serving as a dire portent for things to come.
04:33 Number 6. The Patient on the Ceiling. The Exorcist 3.
04:37 "I'm a traveling man. One who moves. Old friends. One who moves."
04:43 While most of the attention deservedly goes to the original Exorcist,
04:47 the third is also a surprisingly decent horror flick with its own cache of solid sequences.
04:52 In this one, Lieutenant William F. Kinderman quietly surveys the patients in a mental health
04:57 unit.
04:57 "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you crazy? What on earth is the matter with you?"
05:02 The tension builds throughout the scene, especially when someone spies on the cop
05:06 through a darkened room. But then comes the really creepy moment, an elderly woman crawling
05:12 on all fours across the ceiling. It's a horrifying visual. Not only is the concept creepy, but the
05:18 woman moves with a supernatural speed that's more akin to a spider. It's a great visual effect,
05:24 accompanied by a haunting score.
05:27 Number 5. Regan at the Hospital. The Exorcist.
05:31 "I'll roll your fist. Arm up. Very good. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
05:36 After realizing that her daughter is unwell, Chris becomes desperate and takes Regan to the
05:42 hospital. And it's here where some of the film's most important scenes come into play.
05:46 "I'm a traveling man. One who moves. Old friends. One who moves."
05:50 After realizing that her daughter is unwell, Chris becomes desperate and takes Regan to the hospital.
05:54 And it's here where some of the film's most iconic scares take place.
05:58 One sees Regan lying on a bed and opening her eyes in fear before a brief glimpse of the demon
06:03 Pazuzu flashes across the screen. The face comes out of nowhere, and it's enough to chill the blood.
06:18 But perhaps the most infamous sequence is Regan's angiography.
06:21 The scene has been praised for its realism, but criticized for being too disturbing,
06:26 especially as it involves a young girl. Author and screenwriter William Peter Blatty has
06:31 reportedly never watched it, and according to him, it was this scene that upset theatergoers the most.
06:37 "Okay, you're gonna feel some pressure here. Now don't move."
06:41 [Gasps]
06:48 Number 4. Carus's Dream - The Exorcist
06:51 "I need out, I'm unfit. I think I've lost my faith, Tom."
06:59 As the movie's title suggests, The Exorcist is first and foremost the story of Father Damien
07:05 Carus, following his crisis of faith and character development in the face of evil.
07:10 It's established early that Carus has lost his spirituality,
07:13 and this is made worse by the death of his mother.
07:15 In a surreal dream sequence, Carus dreams about her emerging from a subway station.
07:26 She mouths some indistinct words before descending back down.
07:30 The atmosphere is wickedly foreboding, especially thanks to its sound design.
07:35 It is an eerily accurate representation of a nightmare.
07:38 "You're gonna steal my shoes now?"
07:40 "No. I tell fortunes by reading the creases. Now shut up and go to sleep."
07:45 Number 3. The Jump Scare - The Exorcist 3
07:48 When William Friedkin left The Exorcist 3 during pre-production,
07:52 author William Peter Blatty got his own chance to direct,
07:55 and gave us one of the best jump scares in horror history.
07:58 In a long take that lulls viewers into a false sense of security,
08:02 a nurse goes about her business in a hallway.
08:04 [Screams]
08:06 "Can't I get any sleep? What the hell do you want?"
08:09 The camera placement, drawn-out pacing, and lack of sound contribute to a sleepy atmosphere.
08:14 But that's when Blatty hits you with a terrifying noise
08:17 and the sight of a figure wielding shears behind the nurse.
08:19 It still gets us, even when we know it's coming.
08:31 Number 2. The Spider Walk - The Exorcist
08:35 "He must have been drunk. He fell down from the top of the steps right outside.
08:38 By the time he hit M Street, he broke his neck."
08:41 It's crazy to think that The Spider Walk was cut from the theatrical version.
08:45 For years, fans debated whether it even existed.
08:48 Film critic Mark Kermode found the deleted footage in the Warner Bros. archives,
08:52 and it was restored for the director's cut, released in 2000.
08:56 It has since become one of the movie's most famous scenes, and for good reason.
09:03 The Spider Walk was performed by stuntwoman Anne Miles, who crawls down the stairs on all fours,
09:09 and backwards no less. As if that visual wasn't scary enough,
09:13 Reagan then screeches and reveals a mouthful of blood.
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09:31 Number 1. The Crucifix - The Exorcist
09:36 "Uh, I'll come back when she's feeling better."
09:40 If there's one scene The Exorcist is known for, it's the infamous crucifix sequence.
09:45 Hearing her daughter's desperate cries, Chris runs up to Reagan's room,
09:49 only to find her performing an unspeakable act with a crucifix.
09:53 She rushes to stop Reagan, but the possessed girl slaps her down to the floor.
09:57 As if that wasn't disturbing enough, Reagan turns her head around to face backwards,
10:06 accompanied by a sickening crunching noise. The scene's power to shock endures to this day,
10:11 so we can only imagine how powerful it was back in 1973.
10:15 It is an iconic, horrific, and absolutely terrifying sequence.
10:20 Which of these scenes terrified you the most? Let us know in the comments below.
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10:44 Thanks for watching!
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