The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear

This encyclopedic overview of the Exorcist franchise by film historian Segaloff (More Fire!) will satisfy even the most obsessive fans. A publicist on the original 1973 film directed by William Friedkin, Segaloff devotes the bulk of the book to that movie, describing the difficulties of designing believable demonic makeup for actor Linda Blair’s possessed character and Max von Sydow’s struggle as a nonbeliever to get into character as a Jesuit priest. Segaloff also delves into the numerous spin-offs, sequels, and prequels; the 1971 William Peter Blatty novel that Friedkin’s film was based on; and the 1949 alleged exorcism in Cottage City, Md., that inspired Blatty, which Segaloff suggests may have just been a case of a troubled 14-year-old boy acting out to avoid school. The surfeit of minutiae and workmanlike accounts of film production will test readers’ patience, as when Segaloff expounds on the set design and contributions of bit players: “Lou DiGiamo was in charge of casting the extras, and he threw a wide net.” Still, the author’s love for the original film buoys this, and his insights into how Blatty’s ruminations on faith and the existence of God animate his book and screenplay shed new light on the story. The result is a competent celebration of a horror classic. (July)