The Exorcist
A Jesuit priest, Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow), leading an archeological dig in Iraq unearths a small statue of the Assyrian demon Pazuzu alongside a modern Roman Catholic medallion of St. Joseph.
Shortly after, in Georgetown, VA, 12-year-old Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) undergoes a series of behavioral changes that doctors initially shrug off as the beginning of puberty. As Regan becomes more and more violent, the doctors run tests but find nothing physically wrong with her. As time goes by, however, it becomes evident that something has taken over Regan's body (with the initial demonic contact being made via Ouija Board). An exorcism is performed as a last-ditch effort to save her from eternal damnation.
Based on a true exorcism performed in Maryland and filled with some of the best special effects (that Roger Ebert said should have earned the film an 'X' rating) and subliminal imagery—this is a film from which nightmares are born.
