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April 23, 2025 5 mins
Did You Know? How The Exorcist Possessed American Culture?
The horror film released in 1973 not only terrified moviegoers but also deeply influenced religion, cinema, and culture in America and beyond? That film was The Exorcist, and its legacy reaches far beyond the screen.
The Exorcist was adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, which itself was inspired by the alleged real-life exorcism of a young boy in Maryland in 1949. Blatty, a devout Catholic, was fascinated by the implications of demonic possession in a modern, skeptical world. He teamed up with director William Friedkin, known for his gritty realism, to bring the story to life. What resulted was a film unlike anything audiences had seen before.
The film follows Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl who becomes possessed by a mysterious and increasingly violent entity. As her behavior spirals out of control—levitating, speaking in tongues, and contorting her body—her desperate mother seeks help from two priests: Father Merrin, a seasoned exorcist, and Father Karras, a Jesuit struggling with his faith. Together, they confront not just a demonic force, but their own personal demons.
From the moment it premiered on December 26, 1973, The Exorcist sent shockwaves through popular culture. People fainted during screenings. Some vomited. Others fled theaters mid-scene. Reports emerged of theatergoers suffering panic attacks, heart palpitations, even miscarriages. In Washington D.C., ambulances were called to the theater. In Los Angeles, a man sued the filmmakers, claiming the film made him pass out and injure himself.
The film earned over $440 million worldwide—a staggering figure for the time—and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever until it was overtaken decades later. But it wasn’t just the box office success that made it legendary. The Exorcist became a cultural litmus test for how Americans viewed fear, evil, and the role of faith in a modern age.
In the early 1970s, America was in the midst of cultural turmoil: the Vietnam War, Watergate, the sexual revolution, and growing distrust in institutions. The Exorcist landed like a bombshell, confronting audiences with the terrifying idea that evil wasn’t just metaphorical—it was real, personal, and could inhabit your child. For many, this deeply resonated.
Religious reactions were mixed. Some clergy praised the film for showing the power of faith and the Catholic Church’s role in combating evil. Others condemned it as blasphemous, grotesque, and dangerous. The Vatican didn’t officially endorse the film, but many Catholic leaders noted that it sparked renewed interest in spiritual warfare and exorcism rites. Following the film’s release, reports of possession and calls for exorcisms spiked around the world. The Catholic Church, once hesitant to discuss exorcism publicly, began reexamining its guidelines and training new exorcists in greater numbers.
The influence of The Exorcist on filmmaking was profound. It legitimized horror as a serious cinematic genre. Before its release, horror was largely dismissed as pulp entertainment. Afterward, it became a space for complex storytelling, moral questions, and mainstream prestige. The film’s groundbreaking use of practical effects—like the 360-degree head spin, levitations, and the pea soup vomit scene—set a new standard for realism in supernatural films.
It also sparked an entire wave of exorcism- and possession-themed films, from The Omen to The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, and beyond. It influenced directors like John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and even modern filmmakers like Ari Aster and James Wan. You can see its DNA in nearly every horror movie involving demons or spiritual warfare.
But the film also left its mark in subtler ways. The idea of demonic possession entered pop culture in a way it never had before. People referenced “going full Exorcist” when discussing extreme behavior. Halloween costumes of Regan became widespread. The creepy piano score, the eerie whispers, the cold breath in the exorcism scene—all became iconic.
The Exorcist was re-released in theaters in 2000 with additional footage, including the infamous “spider walk” scene. Once again, it performed well, drawing both nostalgic fans and curious new viewers. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, cementing its status as a cultural treasure.
Nearly fifty years after its release, The Exorcist still provokes, disturbs, and captivates. It asks unsettling questions: What if evil isn’t just a social construct? What if belief matters more than we think? And what do we lose when we cast faith aside?
So the next time you think horror is all cheap thrills and jump scares, remember The Exorcist. A film that terrified a generation, rekindled religious debates, and redefined what a scary movie could be.
Thanks for listening to Did You Know?.
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Great Molasses Flood of nineteen nineteen Boston's stickiest disaster.
Did you know that one of the most bizarre and
deadly disasters in American history wasn't caused by fire, explosion,
or earthquake, but by molasses. On January fifteenth, nineteen nineteen,
a massive storage tank filled with two point three million

(00:22):
gallons of molasses burst in the north end of Boston,
unleashing a sticky tidal wave that would kill twenty one
people injure over one hundred and fifty and level buildings
in its path. It became known as the Great Molasses Flood.
The tank stood fifty feet tall and ninety feet wide,
built hastily in nineteen fifteen by the Purity Distilling Company,

(00:46):
a subsidiary of United States Industrial Alcohol. The company needed
to store molasses for producing industrial alcohol, which was in
high demand during World War One, but in their rush
to meet production needs, they cut corners. The bank was
poorly constructed, improperly tested, and had been leaking since the
day it was filled. Locals joked that kids would bring

(01:08):
buckets to scoop up the sweet syrup oozing from its seams.
Despite these signs, the company made no serious effort to
reinforce the structure. They painted the tank brown to hide
the leaks, rather than fix them. No engineers were consulted
before or after construction. Complaints were ignored, and so this
ticking time bomb sat in the heart of a bustling neighborhood.

(01:30):
On the morning of January fifteenth, Boston was experiencing an
unseasonably warm spell. Temperatures had shot up over forty degrees
fahrenheit after a cold snap. Some speculate that the warmer
weather caused fermentation inside the tank, increasing internal pressure. Around
twelve thirty PM, with a thunderous roar, the steel container

(01:52):
split open, sending a wave of molasses twenty five feet
high and moving at thirty five miles per hourshing through
the city streets. Imagine a tsunami of syrups sweeping through
the neighborhood. Wooden buildings were ripped from their foundations. The
elevated train line was twisted like a toy. Horses and
wagons were overturned, and people were caught mid step, unable

(02:16):
to escape. Some victims suffocated where they stood, encased in
a rising tide of sticky brown sludge. The firehouse on
Commercial Street was hit directly. Firefighters scrambled to escape as
the building crumbled around them. Nearby residents, shoppers, and dock
workers were swept away. Rescuers and onlookers rushed to help,

(02:37):
but found themselves mired in knee deep molasses, struggling to
move or breathe. The weight of the flood was so
intense it cracked paving stones and bent steel. Clean Up
efforts were monumental. The molasses hardened quickly in the cold
January air, trapping debris and bodies. Hundreds of workers, sailors,
police and volunteers spent weeks clearing them. They used sand,

(03:02):
sawdust in salt water to dissolve the sugar. For months afterward,
the smell of molasses lingered in the streets on the
waterfront and even in the subway. Residents claimed the scent
lasted for decades. The aftermath led to a flood of litigation.
More than one hundred lawsuits were filed against the United

(03:22):
States Industrial Alcohol Company. During the hearings, it was revealed
that the tank steel was too thin, the rivets were flawed,
and proper testing was never performed. The company tried to
shift blame, suggesting anarchists had sabotaged the tank, but there
was no evidence to support this theory. In the end,
they were found liable and paid out around six hundred

(03:44):
and twenty eight thousand dollars in damages, equivalent to more
than ten million dollars to day. This disaster spurred reforms
in engineering standards and building regulations across the United States.
For the first time, companies faced real scrutiny for negligence,
and Boston required professional inspections for major construction. It marked

(04:04):
a turning point in corporate accountability. Today, little remains to
indicate the molasses once drowned part of Boston. The site
is now Langone Park, and a small plaque honors the victims.
But the tail of the Great Molasses Flood lives on,
not just for its shock value, but for what it
reveals about oversight, industrial greed, and the everyday people who

(04:27):
paid the price. It's a sobering reminder that sometimes the
most unexpected things can pose the greatest danger. A simple syrup,
so sweet, so harmless, became the agent of chaos all
because warnings were ignored and corners were cut. So the
next time you pour molasses onto your pancakes, spare a

(04:47):
thought for the people of Boston in nineteen nineteen, because
for them, molasses wasn't just something to sweet and breakfast.
It was a force of destruction. Thanks for listening to
Did You Know Where History's most unusual, unexpected, and unforgettable
stories come to life? Join us next time as we

(05:07):
explore more hidden corners of the past, because sometimes the
truth really is stranger than fiction.
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