Episode #205 | 10.28.24
The Exorcist: Demonic Possession, Mass Hysteria, and NYC’s Unsolved Murders
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In this episode
William Friedkin's film terrified audiences upon its release in 1973. They fainted, vomited, and went into hysterics in the theaters. Some overwhelmed viewers left early, only to return the next day, buying another ticket to see if they could make it to the end. But the story behind is just as compelling as the story on the screen. The film's production was marred by tragedy and the unpredictable behavior of its volatile director. The novel the film was based on became a best seller largely by happenstance. And the events that inspired the novel were so horrific and shameful that one man would spend his entire life trying to keep them a secret.
Sources
The Truth Behind the Hidden Demon in ‘The Exorcist’ (Vanity Fair
The Haunting Real Story That Inspired ‘The Exorcist’ (Vanity Fair)
Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip (Washington Post)
Boy whose case inspired The Exorcist is named by US magazine (The Guardian)
Inside The Harrowing Exorcism Of Roland Doe, The True Story Behind 'The Exorcist' (All That’s Interesting)
Archivists reveal the truth behind Exorcist myth (The University News)
Paul Bateson Was In One Of The Most Horrifying Scenes Of 'The Exorcist' Before Becoming A Murderer (All That’s Interesting)
QUEER CRIME: The Legend of the Serial Killer Who Was in 'The Exorcist' (IN Magazine)
Searching For the Truth About Paul Bateson, the Actual Murderer in The Exorcist (Esquire)
The history of New York's legendary Mafia-owned leather bar The Mineshaft (GCN)
What Demonic Possession Is Really Like From a Vatican-Trained Exorcist (Business Insider)
Exorcism (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
The Exorcist: Untold (2023, dir. Robin Bextor)
William Friedkin: ‘The Exorcist’ (It Happened in Hollywood podcast)
Credits
Hosted by Jake Brennan.
Written by Zeth Lundy
Copy edited by James Sullivan.
Scored and mixed by Matt Beaudoin.
Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker.
DISGRACELAND theme song, “Crenshaw Space Boogie,” written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava, and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak