A Cold Day In Hell: William Friedkin Directing Max Von Sydow On The Set Of THE EXORCIST
Atmospheric beyond belief, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist continues to terrify audiences decades after its initial release. Friedkin’s 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty‘s novel has been copied over the years, but never bettered. The use of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells helped make this a huge hit and an iconic piece of horror cinema.
Movies In Focus first caught The Exorcist when it was re-released in UK cinemas in 1998 (at that point it wasn’t available to view at home). I wasn’t particularly taken by it at the time, but over the years I’ve grown to appreciate Friedkin’s film and I now see it was one of the all-time great films.
The Exorcist grossed nearly $233 million at the US box office and more than $441 million globally.
This image shows William Friedkin directing the late Max Von Sydow on the film’s bedroom (it was refrigerated to capture the breath of the actors during the exorcism scenes).
