Based on William Peter Blatty’s smash hit novel of the same name, the film is about the demonic possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil and the Catholic priest Damien Karras who tries to save her. Regan is a girl on the cusp of womanhood. Father Karras says he’s lost his faith. Most people remember “The Exorcist” for its (still) shocking depictions of possession — and copious amounts of projectile split pea soup. But our guest Andrew Nelson says it’s also a serious meditation on evil and the place of the Devil in American society. He’s joining us to talk about why “The Exorcist” remains one of the scariest movies of all time.
GUEST –
Andrew Patrick Nelson | Film historian and chief curator at Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Original Airdate: Oct. 13, 2023, rebroadcast on Oct. 29, 2026