Ep. 237: How The Exorcist Possessed Pop Culture

As we kickoff the Halloween season, I thought it would be fun to explore what many believe is the scariest movie of all time:  ‘The Exorcist’.  Allegedly based on a true story, This movie chronicles how one girl is slowly possessed by a rogue demon, and what it takes for two Catholic priests to exorcise it.  Believe it or not, this movie changed pop culture in many ways.  The story implies that a Ouija board is responsible for acting as a gateway for the possession, triggering a backlash on this toy that continues to this day.  It can also be cited as the origin of the ‘Satanic Panic’ that gripped the U.S. through the 1980’s.  It also changed the way movies were made, as it used a realistic shooting style that we still see in modern movie making.  I discuss all of this with Nat Segaloff, who just wrote the book: ‘The Exorcist Legacy’.  If you listen closely, you will even agree that during our discussion, Nat himself sounds possessed at times!  It’s a wild ride. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Ouija Boards Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Adam Nedeff Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Exorcisms Nat Segaloff on Social Media Facebook Purchase “The Exorcist Legacy” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube