THE EXORCIST (1973) w/ Talk by Troy Taylor, author of ‘The Devil Came to St. Louis’ about the local real-life story that inspired the film
October 25 : 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Join us for a very special night exploring the notorious 1949 St. Louis exorcism that inspired William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist and the blockbuster film adaptation that shocked and terrified a nation. Troy Taylor, author of The Devil Came to St. Louis, a history of the local case, will introduce the film with a talk on the real-life local story. Then we’ll watch William Friedkin’s immortal shocker, and after the film, Troy will give some details about the film’s “curse,” including the deaths that happened on the set and the serial killer who was in the film.
DOORS: 6 pm
TALK: 6:30 pm
FILM: 7 pm
Plus a bonus mini-talk on the deaths surrounding the film production immediately after the film!
Adapted by William Peter Blatty from his controversial bestseller, this shocking 1973 thriller set an intense and often-copied milestone for screen terror with its unflinching depiction of a young girl (Linda Blair) who is possessed by an evil spirit. Jason Miller and Max von Sydow play the priests who risk their sanity and their lives to administer the rites of demonic exorcism, and Ellen Burstyn plays Blair’s mother, who can only stand by in horror as her daughter’s body is wracked by satanic disfiguration. One of the most horrifying movies ever made, The Exorcist had audiences fainting in the aisles and puking in the lobbies upon its original release. It’s lost none of its power to shock in the intervening half century.
Troy will also be selling and signing copies of The Devil Came to St. Louis in the lobby!
NOTE: This event is not available with the Club Arkadin pass.
ABOUT THE DEVIL CAME TO ST. LOUIS
The 1949 exorcism that took place in St. Louis, Missouri, has become one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history. But is the story so mysterious because of the events that occurred — or because so much of the story has been kept secret over the years? After the events in the story concluded, it was decided that further investigation of the case was “counterproductive”, and details were buried. The identity of the allegedly possessed boy was hidden to protect his identity. If not for a series of coincidences, the story would have never likely been revealed at all and would never have inspired books, films, documentaries, and more.
ABOUT TROY TAYLOR
Troy Taylor is the author of more than 150 books on history, hauntings, true crime, the unexplained, and the supernatural in America. He is the founder of American Hauntings Ink, which offers books, events, and ghost tours, and is the owner of the American Oddities Museum in Alton, Illinois. He is also the writer and co-host of the American Hauntings Podcast. He has appeared in numerous television shows and documentaries, and his book about the St. Louis Exorcism of 1949 is currently under option to be turned into a film by a major production company.
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