Latest news with #TheExorcist
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This horror thriller, which was released 45 years ago, will send chills down your spine, director was advised not to make this film, has IMDb rating of 6.9, movie is…, lead actors were…
In the world of Indian cinema, some films seem to carry an eerie aura, not just on screen but even behind the scenes. One such horror movie, made over four decades ago, was surrounded by strange warnings and inexplicable events. However, the makers decided to move forward, ignoring the superstitions, only to experience several bizarre incidents during production. Which film is this? The film we are talking about is 'Gehraayi,' a horror thriller that was released in 1980 and is considered one of the earliest Bollywood movies to delve into the theme of black magic. Directed by renowned horror masters, Shyam and Tulsi Ramsay, the film was heavily inspired by Western horror cinema, especially The Exorcist, and adapted those terrifying elements to an Indian setting. It revolved around a young girl who becomes possessed after dabbling with supernatural forces, and her family's desperate attempts to save her. What was the storyline? The cast of Gehraayi included Anant Nag, Deepak Parashar, Padmini Kolhapure, Kapila, Indrani Mukherjee, Shyam Ramsay and Late Amrish Puri in a cameo role. What set the film apart was its explicit depiction of tantric rituals, demonic possession, and spiritual conflict—rare in mainstream Indian films of that era. Interestingly, after the film's release, stories surfaced about how cast and crew members encountered mysterious accidents and unexplained problems during the shoot, further fueling the fear around the project. When makers were warned by Tantriks During a chat with Bollywood Crypt, director Aruna Raje said, 'While writing the story, she met tantriks and sorcerers. She said, one important thing is that we should not do these things ourselves, that is because we do not know the result. Everyone warned us not to make this film. Incidents will happen to you. We were not superstitious, so we thought we were only making a film; we made the film, but things went wrong.' Aruna further told, 'A few years after making Gehraayi, she got divorced from her husband and her daughter died of cancer at the age of 9. Not only this, but soon after the release, the audience started complaining to her that strange and scary things were happening to them. For this, they used to ask for phone numbers from her and each one of them who was involved in this project. How did Gehraayi open the doors for other notable films? Despite all this, Gehraayi made its mark. Though not a commercial blockbuster, it went on to become a cult classic among horror fans and received rating of 6.9 on IMDb. It opened the doors for more Bollywood films to explore the darker realms of mysticism and superstition. Later movies like Raat, Tumbbad, 13B: Fear Has A New Address, and most recently Shaitaan also tackled themes involving the supernatural and black magic, but Gehraayi remains one of the first to venture into that realm, and with a chilling legacy attached.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Oscar-nominated horror movie star of 'cursed' blockbuster looks unrecognizable on rare outing
A horror movie icon who shot to fame in a 'cursed' blockbuster which threw her personal life into turmoil was seen on a rare public outing this week. The Oscar nominated star's debut leading role, saw her become a worldwide star but hit with death threats and sensationally accused of promoting Satanic beliefs. Her later career would be blighted by box office flops as she was 'typecast' as a distressed teen. She was famously arrested for drug possession aged 18, and also posed nude on the cover of Playboy five years later. In recent years she has pivoted from acting to a focus on her animal rescue - although did reprise her most iconic role in the film's 2023 sequel. So can you guess who she is? It's The Exorcist star Linda Blair! The actress, now 66, starred as possessed Regan MacNeil in the iconic 1973 film aged just 14. Blair cut a low-key figure in a black tee, straw hat and high waisted trousers as she wheeled her suitcase at LAX. The original movie debuted in December 1973, following Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) as she enlists the help of two priests (Max Von Sydow and William O'Malley) to exorcise a demon from her daughter Regan. William Friedkin (The French Connection) directed the original, with The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty writing the screenplay adaptation based on his book. Fans who flocked to the sensational film, were shocked at scenes that showed Blair's character involved in terrible violence and profanity. In one gruesome moment Regan is shown masturbating with a crucifix. Other scenes show the character's head-spinning and vomiting over a priest, who was trying to expel the demon from Regan's body. The Exorcist was controversial and subsequently banned or restricted in some countries - and it was even claimed the film was 'cursed' after a mysterious set fire and mishaps during production. Friedkin himself said: 'We were plagued by strange and sinister things from the beginning, it is simply the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.' The film is still considered to be one of the scariest movies of all time, earning $441 million at the box office and earning 10 Oscar nominations, making history as the first horror movie ever to earn a Best Picture nomination. The role earned Blair a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. At the time of the film's release, rumors spread Blair had been killed off during its making. There were other stories that the young star had survived the film, but had come away psychologically damaged after acting out the demonic possession. Blair later reprised her role as Regan in the Exorcist sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977 - which was a critical and commercial failure. That same year aged 18 she was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony in the alleged sale and purchase of cocaine. She pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of conspiracy to possess cocaine, in exchange for three years' probation. Blair fractured her spine while thrashing around on a mechanical bed for the film - with the injury developing into scoliosis. Blair would never reach the heights of her The Exorcist performance again. In 1974 she starred as a runaway teenager suffering sexual abuse in controversial TV film Born Innocent. That same year aged 15 she dated Australian singer Rick Springfield, who was 25 at the time. Establishing herself as a Scream Queen, she starred in horror films including Stranger in Our House in 1978, Hell Night in 1981 and and Grotesque in 1988. She was nominated for five Razzie Awards between 1980-1985. On a trip to Australia in 2013, Linda Blair admitted to the Daily Telegraph that the films producers had deliberately spread rumors about her and the movie to stir up controversy. 'There was all this negativity about what I had been through, so I began this world press tour,' she explained. 'I went out to England and Australia and all over the world to talk about the film and to show that I was fine.' In 1982 in an attempt to break free of her horror movie roots, she posed nude for Playboy. In 1996 she made a cameo in Scream and appeared on Broadway the following year in Grease. In 2006, she guest-starred on Supernatural, playing the part of Detective Diana Ballard. In 2010, she appeared as herself on the cable series Pit Boss and Jury Duty. Before The Exorcist: Believer, her last screen role was in ghost drama Landfill in 2021. She reprised her Regan role again in 2023's The Exorcist: Believer.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
MOVIE REVIEW: We suffer frightening familiarity with horror 'The Ritual'
No emotional connection to cast and nothing on screen we haven't seen before in the possession-themed genre. Young (Dan Stevens' Father Joseph Steiger) and old (Al Pacino's Father Theophilus Riesinger) priests team up to save a possessed young girl (Abigail Cowen's Emma Schmidt) - so far, so The Exorcist. If only The Ritual was half as gripping, scary and engaging as that horror classic. Inexperienced director David Midell's film is set in 1928 but truthfully I kept forgetting this as there is so little separating it from dozens of other possession-themed outings. The main selling point of The Ritual for me was seeing Pacino make a mainstream comeback. Sadly, he looks and sounds worn out and bored - if you want to see what the legendary actor can really do in a religious horror flick check out his barnstorming turn in The Devil's Advocate instead. Midell co-wrote the script with Enrico Natale and it claims to be based on true events - 'one of the most documented possession cases in American history'. So little is done, though, to make you care about any of the characters and there is absolutely nothing here that we haven't seen on screen before. The most impressive thing about Midell's movie is that he attracted Pacino and Stevens to star in it. Stevens, in fairness, is the cast standout, with Father Steiger, having just suffered a personal tragedy, being conflicted with saving Emma and the drastic measures being taken to do so. As with any possession-afflicted victim on screen, Cowen's body is shaken and twisted from pillar to post but, as her plight is so familiar, the emotional connection just isn't there. Ashley Greene's ( Sister Rose) only purpose seems to be suffering physical abuse at the hands of Emma and all Patrick Fabian's ( Bishop Edwards) presence does is evoke memories of his role in the vastly superior The Last Exorcism. I really tried to give The Ritual the benefit of the doubt but as a horror fan who has been down this road so many times, I actually felt frustrated and fed up sitting through it. If you're new to the possession film world maybe give it a go; otherwise grab that holy water and crucifix to keep it at bay. ● Pop me an email at and I will pass on any movie or TV show recommendations you have to your fellow readers. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Extra.ie
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Reddit users spot 'ghost' hiding in hiker's 'creepy' photo
A photo taken by a group of hikers has spooked social media users after they spotted a 'ghost' hiding in the selfie. The image was shared on Reddit by a user named CursedEmoji, who said a friend had sent them the photo from a recent trip to Chile. At first glance, the picture shows six friends – four women and two men – posing during a hike through the forest. Can you spot the 'ghost'? Pic: Reddit @cursedemoji However, on closer inspection, a shadowy, unsettling face seems to be lurking in between the two girls on the left. After being posted online, the selfie quickly sparked reactions from users who found it disturbing. One person wrote: 'Oof. That definitely made my heart jump when I finally found it.' Another commented: 'I thought it was about the top of a head behind the guy on the right. Oh yeah, I saw the witch too!' A third added: 'It was a completely normal picture before zooming in. It's a creepy picture with a very clear ghost face..' Others chimed in with theories and jokes, with one saying: 'Looks like someone's grandma is travelling with them,' and another admitting: 'Nah that actually scared me a bit.' However, not everyone was convinced. Some users speculated that the image might have been digitally altered or the result of a glitch. One user noted: 'Creepy! Seems a little too good to be true, though.' Another commented: 'That's absolutely Reagan from The Exorcist photoshopped in, things like this sadly dampen paranormal photography.' A third wrote: 'Looks photoshopped to me, just too obvious. I saw it pretty quickly.' Yet another suggested: 'Looks like a digital error of some kind. Face looks similar to the dude on the left.' Can you spot the 'ghost' in the photo and, if so, do you believe that it's real?
Winnipeg Free Press
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Deadly flashbacks
In Peter Swanson's latest novel Kill Your Darlings, We learn pretty early on that Wendy intends to kill her husband Thom. Why, of course, takes somewhat longer for us to find out. It's not just that Thom gets drunk out of his mind almost every night, or that he's a cad who somehow gets many younger women to share a bed, he being a self-important literature professor still dreaming of writing the great American novel. Jason Grow photo Peter Swanson's latest mystery is told in reverse, from the present back into the past through a series of flashbacks. Wendy herself is a published poet, putting her one up on Thom. There's always the possibility, of course, that Thom gets so drunk that he spills the beans about — no, not happening, not going to tell you here. Did we mention they're filthy rich, or that it was Wendy who brought the money to their marriage, thanks to her first husband Bryce? Her late first husband Bryce. We're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, but fear not, we'll soon be getting behind ourselves. Far behind. Lots of books rely on flashbacks, but what the Massachusetts-based Swanson has done in his 11th murder mystery is tell his story in reverse; he starts with the present, when birthday-sharing Wendy and Thom are turning 50, and follows them back through key and deviously scandalous times, jumping back several years in succeeding chapters, all the way to meeting on a school bus in Grade 8 on a class trip to Washington. If you're familiar with The Exorcist, it will be helpful in following the plot. The term 'fiendishly clever' is often applied to Swanson's novels, and indeed he is devilish in his plotting. His best book is Eight Perfect Murders, in which the FBI is befuddled by a serial killer and turns to the owner of an independent bookstore who's blogged about eight classic real-life mystery novels in which the killer gets away with it. Characters in murder mysteries always harbour secrets, but what Wendy and Thom have are Big Secrets, which bond them more tightly than any marriage vows. Thom used to have a loathsome boss, an arrogant department head who made Thom's life miserable, and who hit on Wendy — an older chap who swam many mornings by himself in an old quarry. He drowned one morning… terrible tragedy. Wendy's former in-laws believe she killed her first husband for his money, which they insist should be their money. Wendy keeps thinking they're having her followed — could that just be her imagination? She and Bryce had a pre-nup that left her penniless if they divorced, but every penny was hers if he died while they were married. Had Wendy really married Bryce for his money? Kill Your Darlings Wendy and Thom don't flaunt their money, though they did buy a nifty house in New England, and Wendy lifted her widowed mom out of poverty and into her own little house. Wendy's dad? An abusive drunken waste of oxygen who managed to drown in his bath one night. Poor Bryce. He had a fancy swimming pool with a really deep end, even if he couldn't swim. What he had every night before bed was a fat cigar and the last of a series of daily stiff drinks, while standing out by his swimming pool. Obviously drunk when he fell into the pool and couldn't get out? Bad luck that Wendy was away at a conference? Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Early on, Wendy reminisced about having met Thom in junior high. When they met again later in life, it was initially magic… and when was that? Well, the official version was that they bumped into each other by chance, after Bryce was dead and buried. Yeah, sure, your book club is saying. Kill Your Darlings isn't the easiest book to follow. Flashbacks intermittently filling in the story before returning to the present are one thing, telling the entire story in reverse can be quite challenging. And in this case well worth it. It can be a nasty world inside Peter Swanson's head. Go there if you dare. Retired Free Press reporter Nick Martin is grateful to the librarian who explained to him that the author's telling the story in reverse didn't mean starting to read the last page first and going backwards in the book to page one.
