"The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear" by Nat Segaloff is a comprehensive nonfiction film retrospective book that delves into the fascinating history and enduring impact of one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. As a fan of The Exorcist, horror, and film studies, I was thrilled to get my hands on an advanced copy of this book, and it did not disappoint.

Nat Segaloff, an original publicist for the movie and a renowned biographer of its director, William Friedkin, presents a wealth of information and insights that shed new light on the making of The Exorcist and its subsequent legacy. From the real-life exorcism that inspired the novel to the various sequels, prequels, TV series, and homages, Segaloff covers it all. He skillfully weaves together original interviews with cast, crew, and other participants, along with revelations from personal papers, to provide readers with a captivating behind-the-scenes look.

One of the highlights of this book is the exploration of the movie's enduring appeal. Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty aimed to create more than just a terrifying experience; they wanted to delve into profound themes of good and evil. Segaloff successfully demonstrates how The Exorcist goes beyond mere scares, challenging viewers' personal beliefs and fears. I found these insights thought-provoking and a testament to the film's profound impact on the horror genre.

Additionally, the book offers a treasure trove of previously unknown information about the original film. It uncovers intriguing details about the production process, including the techniques used for the groundbreaking special effects. As someone who has always been fascinated by the technical aspects of filmmaking, I found these revelations captivating.

While the content of "The Exorcist Legacy" is undeniably impressive, I did find the book somewhat disjointed and unorganized in its presentation. The narrative occasionally jumps between different aspects of the film's legacy without a clear structure, which can make it a bit challenging to follow at times. However, the strength of the information and insights presented more than make up for this minor flaw.

I particularly appreciated the inclusion of sidebars throughout the book, providing helpful reminders and summaries of the various media discussed. This feature ensures that readers can easily grasp the significance of each piece of The Exorcist's expansive universe, even if they are not intimately familiar with every sequel, prequel, or TV series.

In conclusion, "The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear" is a must-read for fans of The Exorcist and horror enthusiasts alike. Nat Segaloff's deep knowledge of the subject matter and his personal connection to the film shine through in the wealth of information he presents. Despite some organizational shortcomings, the book offers a captivating journey through the history, impact, and enduring terror of this iconic film. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a comprehensive and enlightening exploration of The Exorcist's lasting legacy.

Note: "The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear" is scheduled for release in July of 2023, and I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quite good if you're into film history and horror, which I am. Maybe a little too niche if you're not into either of the two.

I was incredibly excited to get this advanced copy. I love The Exorcist, horror and film studies. This book had some really cool new (to me) information about the original film. I loved the themes from the original films that were discussed as well as how they did all the special effects. I think the sidebars were incredibly helpful reminders on what happened in each piece of media that they were discussing.

I do think that this book felt a bit disjointed and unorganized, but the information was really great. I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of The Exorcist and horror fans.


Look for this book in July of 2023!
I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Just in time for the next Exorcist movie to come out! This book's description of the socio-political elements during the time of the original Exorcist's production and release was intriguing and introduced things to me that I did not previously know. I absolutely loved the interviews.

This was the first horror film that my mother saw, and it absolutely terrified her. When I got interested in watching horror movies, she said this one should be the first. Since then, it has been nothing but horror on this end.

First, I want to say, I love the horror movie genre. I have seen numerous horror movies, but this one. This movie scared me so bad LOL. I have never seen this movie in it's entirety. But, the movie still captures me and when I was given the opportunity to read this book, I was excited. I have to say, this is a well written book about all the Exorcist movies. I really enjoyed the way it presented. The interviews with the principal players were an added bonus. This book is an awesome treat for anyone that wants to dig a bit deeper on the Exorcism Legacy. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Receiving it in this manner had no bearing on my review.

"There was not point in barring me. But they didn't want me around. Billy showed me the first cut; it was a masterwork. Really, a classic film" Then, he added slyly (in the 1988 interview), "Which I Don't think the version we've all seen is."

The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff

Quick Summary
This book gives us a detailed and complete story of the movie that shocked its viewers. Based off of Blattys novel, we get a rundown of the novel, the production, the sequels.

Final Thoughts
Having read the book multiple times as well as seen the movie. I was so excited to read this, considering they were both released before my time. The author goes into detail with parts of interviews and stories from the production of the movie. Throughly enjoyed learning how the movie was made without the technology of today.

yes yes and yes. This is exactly what I have been wanting. Thank you so much for this arc. I am so grateful.

Everything you always wanted to know about ‘The Exorcist’…and more.
Timed to the 50th anniversary of the film - and the launch of a new trilogy of ‘Exorcist’ films - the book gives us an insider’s view of the property from William Peter Blatty writing the original novel (and screenplay) through the sequels, the various alternates cuts of the original and the upcoming trilogy.
Segaloff’s connection to the film began with his work as a Boston movie chain publicist overseeing the last-minute Christmas Day 1973 press screening (the day before the official opening). The author would go on to write a biography of the director William Friedkin - ‘Hurricane Billy’ - which introduced him to Blatty and other people connected with the film.
Fans of the film will be delighted by this deep dive into one of the most successful horror films of all time.

I was too young (12) to see "The Exorcist" when it was first released although I desperately wanted to and I vividly remember the news stories about people standing in line to see it and their reactions to the film. I finally got to see it about 6 years later. Since then, I've seen it numerous times and it remains one of my favorite films. This book provides a fascinating look at the making of the movie, the aftermath and its impact. Numerous tidbits abound and lovers of the film will surely find the book fascinating. It also covers the numerous sequels and TV adaptations. The book is sometimes repetitive and gets a bit heavy-handed in the final chapters when it delves into religious aspects but aside from that, a terrific read.

I love a good book and this ticked all the boxes. If you want a deep dive into all things ‘Exorcist’ this book is it. Informative on every level from the stars of the movies all the way through to each individual movie and the Exorcist tv series. Interviews with cast, crew and writers make up this little gem. Loved it.

This was such a great in sight Into the exorcist world. I love books like these that go into the back story and the cultural phenomenon of something! I want more!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the copy of The Exorcist Legacy by Nat Segaloff. After I started reading this book I realized it had been so long since I had seen the movie that I didn’t really remember much about it, so I found it online and watched it. I’m glad I did, because it gave me some much needed context.
I loved many of the insights in this book, even though many of them were repeated a couple of times. It was fascinating to learn how they pulled off some of the ‘tricks’ without today’s CGI and other innovations. This book was well-researched, but I wish it had been organized better. Having a synopsis of each movie, as well as the rewrites was a bit much after the movie and rewrite had already been discussed.
If you are an Exorcist fan, especially if you have seen the other movies in the franchise, you will be excited to know there is a new entry to the franchise coming out. You will also love this deep dive into the original film's meaning.

I'm a huge fan of The Exorcist so this was an interesting read. Some parts are very technical (they get into the nitty gritty of camera lenses and speeds at one point!) But it was interesting to know how they made the original 1973 film effects- the harnesses, the actual bedframe on a platform that moved, the specially built sound stages etc.
Between the stories of infighting, the infamous Exorcist Curse, the sequels, prequels & the upcoming re-boot, it's a very well researched book that will certainly appeal to hardcore Exorcist fans. It's definitely made me want to re-read the book and watch the film again!

I remember the first time I saw The Exorcist. I was way too young to be watching it but my grandpa was watching me and he let his little princess do whatever she wished. This little princess wanted to watch The Exorcist. I remember being very scared, confused about some parts and loving it.

It is in my top ten favorite movies of all time. I’ve also read the book and can vividly remember where I was when I read certain parts.

I even got to meet Linda Blair several years back at a horror convention! It was amazing! She is so sweet and cute and I love that she is associated with something scary.

I love books like this that give an insider look at our favorite things. So much behind the scenes information. As soon as I saw the title and description for this book I hit the request button so fast!

I really enjoyed finding out more about how the movie(s) came to be. I highly recommend it if you enjoy horror films and The Exorcist. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read. I have written this review voluntarily.

This book is perfect for any fan of the classic horror movie, The Exorcist. I thought it offered some great insight and behind the scenes stories that fans would love. I would have loved to see photos but it was an enjoyable read.

I got this arc on Friday and immediately jumped into it! The movie the Exorcists is iconic, and I have always been super interested in the way it impacted society. It was something we had never seen before. I really can't believe the movie is turning 50 years old this year. I am young but I never thought of this being made so long ago. I have watched many documentaries and shows about the movie and this book really was just as good as watching a documentary. There are firsthand accounts, information I have never heard before, and so much more. I have never watched the sequels or anything to the movie, but I have heard good and bad things about them. The author did manage to throw in tons of new information about these that I have never heard of before. It's sparked my interest in possibly watching them in the future! Overall, a great book for fans of the Exorcists franchise or even the Horror genre in general. this movie set up much of the horror we watch today which is beyond awesome.

Fantastic and highly readable, full of engaging stories about the film series. A must read for horror cinema fans.

I already knew a decent amount of the history of this series but it was still very interesting to read about it and see how much has been done in the amount of time it has been around.

I was an obsessive teenage horror fan who grew up in the UK during the eighties and by this time The Exorcist had near mythical status due to the fact that it was almost impossible to watch. After being briefly being available in the early days of home video it was withdrawn and shoe-horned into the Video Nasty censorship campaign that made classics such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Driller Killer unavailable for many years. Considering the number of Oscars it was nominated for and money it made, along with Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, it was undoubtedly the most famous, written about, and discussed film the general public could not watch unless they had a pirate copy on VHS (where I finally saw it).

Nat Segaloff’s The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear takes a very deep dive into this culturally significant and iconic horror film (the director and writer of the novel both argue both argue it is not horror) which also covers all the sequels and recent television spin-off. This is very specialised stuff which is aimed at horror film fans and those who have a general interest in franchise development.

About 50% of the 304 pages deal with the original film and the second half the lesser successful sequels. I enjoyed the fact that Segaloff spent plenty of time looking at the franchise as a whole, especially considering most of it is considered a failure, but still makes lots of fascinating observations into the lengths the studio went into keeping the series going. I found having action director Renny Harlin reshoot 90% of art house director Paul Schrader’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist as Exorcist: the Beginning particylarly fascinating. Schrader later watches Harlin’s film with Exorcist author William Peter Blatty on the cinema, with the former laughing at the film and the latter screaming, both because it was so rubbish! The book is loaded with amusing anecdotes but subject knowledge is required to appreciate many of them, particularly regarding what the book calls ‘The Two Bills’.

Even for a deep dive into The Exorcist mythology there is probably too much information for casual readers and the multiple synopsises of the sequels were unnecessary and came across as padding. I lost track of the alternative versions available particularly of the lesser films, how DVD versions differed and what exactly was the true director’s cut? The book points out that director William Friedkin had extensive creative control when making The Exorcist and the original theatre release was probably the true ‘director’s cut’ no matter how many versions have appeared since.

The most interesting parts of the books were those which involved William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin, who both had long successful careers beyond The Exorcist but neither truly escaped its shadow. They clashed here and there, but generally were on the same page. After the success of The French Connection Blatty was very happy Friedkin was chosen as director and the book spends a lot of time on how the film was made, working with underage Linda Blair and how some of the now infamous self-mutilation, spider-walk, and pea soup scenes were filmed. There was even a deep dive into which extra/Blair body double actually did the spider walk. The book also backtracks into the real-life exorcism case which supposedly influenced Blatty’s novel and author Nat Segaloff was perfectly placed to write this book as he had previously authored Hurricane Billy: The Stormy Life and Films of William Friedkin which covers some of the same territory and has an impressive list of books about a wide range of directors and others involved in film.

Although the book does not mention The Exorcist’s historical UK censorship problems it does feature distinguished critic Mark Kermode who has written about the film extensively and has reportedly seen it over 200 times. Another critic who I have always loved for his brilliant work on the magazine Video Watchdog, Tim Lucas, also makes welcome contributions.

To long term fans much of the discussions about the film itself will be very familiar, such as what exactly happened in the end regarding the demon jumping into the priest. However, the discussion is always lively and it was interesting to understand why a horror film from this period being given such a significant budget. Interestingly, and I had never given this much thought, until Godfather 2 came along, it was exceptionally rare for sequels to outdo the original in both financial return and quality, so Exorcist 2 was filmed had very low expectations from the start and had a much smaller than the original. This would never happen these days and so there was no surprise it was a flop.

Blatty and Friedkin original goal was far more ambitious than making a scary movie; they aimed to make people “think about the concept of good and evil” and Nat Segaloff leaves no stone uncovered in his digging into one of the most famous horror films of all time. A lot of books have been written about this fascinating film, there are even books on John Boorman’s misguided Exorcist 2: The Heretic, and as the original passes its fiftieth year anniversary it will be interesting to see if younger film goers are as interested in the new trilogy of films, the first of which is slated for a release later this year.

It was a shock when I realized The Exorcist was turning 50 years old this year. I still vividly remember my first viewing of the film in the theater, and being blown away by the experience. I’ve also seen the various not so good sequels, and enjoyed the TV series.

The Exorcist Legacy is a great book when it deals with the original film. There’s such a wealth of information but it’s presented very well. I very much appreciated the brief biographies of both Friedkin and Blatty, and chuckled over the description of their first meeting. The book unfortunately then bogs down in its discussions of the four followup films, with too much attention being paid to synopses of the various versions of each film. While there are readers out there who would enjoy these sections, they were just too burdensome for me to read. Things picked up with the discussion about the new trilogy (first film due October 2023), and then reviewed the religious evidence as to whether Satan exists.

3.5 stars rounded up to four.

My thanks, to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the book.