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‘The Exorcist’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

October 29, 2020 · The Exorcist (1973) · Horror · 1:32:57

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 29:51Agrees about Burke's fate, noting he went from babysitter to victim
Sean Fennessey▶ 29:30Questions about the movie's ending and whether the family resolution is the real point, plus noting the protagonist was a murderer who killed Burke and threw the director out the window

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 31:00Multiple scenes: Reagan peeing at the party after telling astronaut 'you're going to die up there', Reagan's first devil voice outburst with profanity, the crucifix/head 180 scene, mom meeting the priest, and the entire exorcism final 20 minutes
Chris Ryan▶ 37:52The scene when the mom meets the priest - called it 'an incredible scene' and 'just an amazing scene'
Sean Fennessey▶ 36:05Discussed the Iraq opening 10 minutes extensively as important but noted 'It's not most rewatchable, but it's just a great table setter'

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 47:52Father Karras's motifs of ascension (rising up, walking upstairs/uphill) and the dirty language/devil insults that create unintentional comedy
Chris Ryan▶ 48:40The sound design - ambient noises mixed high to create discomfort, like the dog fight sounds and industrial test machine sounds
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:20The casting of Jason Miller as Father Karras - choosing a playwright over famous actors was perfect

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 52:36Toyota released a Toyota Pazuzu in 1975 to capitalize on the movie but it totally bombed and didn't sell at all
Chris Ryan▶ 53:41William Friedkin's motivational tools on set: Ellen Burstyn hurt her tailbone in armoire scene, Linda Blair injured being thrown around bed by contraption, shot gun near Jason Miller to make him nervous, punched the priest actor (Father Dyer) before last rites scene

What's Aged the Worst

Chris Ryan▶ 54:13Burke as a party guest - the type of guy who shows up to get drunk and start fights

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 54:43Marlon Brando — Lists multiple casting what-ifs: Marlon Brando for Marin (vetoed by Friedkin), Jack Nicholson and Paul Newman wanted Karras role, Stacy Keach was hired then replaced by Jason Miller, Audrey Hepburn approached for the mom role but wanted to film in Rome, Anne Bancroft got pregnant, Jane Fonda called it 'capitalist ripoff bullshit'
Sean Fennessey▶ 55:29Stacy Keach — Contributes details about Stacy Keach's other notable films - Long Riders and Fat City

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 57:42Barton Heyman — Barton Heyman (Dr. Klein) - chose him because he also played Dr. Riskin in Cruisin' and was Friedkin's go-to doctor

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:21William Friedkin — William Friedkin - yes, Jason Miller - yes (Pulitzer, Tony Award, and Oscar nomination in 8 months), Linda Blair - yes, Georgetown - no (1984-85 championship better), Ellen Burstyn - mixed (could be Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore), Split Pea Soup - yes, Pazuzu - yes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:32Made jokes about Max Von Sydow's parties after Seventh Seal, joked about Ellen Burstyn in Draft Day, agreed with various picks but didn't make definitive statements
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:10:29William Friedkin — William Friedkin - indisputably yes, Max Von Sydow - no (The Seventh Seal was bigger), Ellen Burstyn - yes (this is much bigger than Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore)

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:01Your mother sucks cocks in hell

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:55William Friedkin — Friedkin
Chris Ryan▶ 1:26:56William Friedkin — Friedkin (was tempted by Miller but chose Friedkin)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:27:00William Friedkin — Argues against Friedkin, saying the movie set the bar too high and hurt his career trajectory compared to contemporaries like Scorsese, Lucas, and Spielberg

Movies Referenced (40)

Jaws (1975)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 8:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Graffiti (1973)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 9:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 9:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blue Chips (1994)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chinatown (1974)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The French Connection (1971)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 6:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Sting (1973)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 25:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Annie Hall (1977)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fat City (1972)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 55:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

William Friedkin

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for To Live and Die in L.A., The French Connection, The Exorcist▶ 2:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Nichols

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Graduate▶ 56:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Roy Hill

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Slap Shot▶ 25:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ingmar Bergman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Seventh Seal▶ 25:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Arthur Penn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bonnie and Clyde▶ 56:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joel Schumacher

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Phantom of the Opera, 8MM▶ 1:05:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Houston

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 55:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Rydell

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Long Goodbye▶ 56:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Mulligan

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for To Kill a Mockingbird▶ 1:04:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stanley Kubrick

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 56:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (48)

Linda Blair

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Exorcist▶ 2:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Miller

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Exorcist, Rudy▶ 8:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Max von Sydow

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Flash Gordon, The Seventh Seal▶ 8:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ellen Burstyn

8 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Requiem for a Dream, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, The Exorcist▶ 8:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marlon Brando

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, On the Waterfront▶ 25:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alex Karras

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Blazing Saddles▶ 29:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rick James

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Blue Streak▶ 1:06:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Nicholson

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 25:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jane Fonda

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Coming Home▶ 55:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Pryor

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Silver Streak▶ 18:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stacy Keach

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Bourne Legacy▶ 54:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Touch & Go

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Summer Catch▶ 25:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

William Peter Blatty

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Exorcist▶ 12:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Schrader

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 52:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Lucas

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, THX 1138, American Graffiti▶ 26:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Kermode

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 13:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗