The 1973 horror drama The Exorcist made people faint, puke, and scared to go back to their homes. People would drive 100 miles to catch the film in the theatre.
Horror is one of the most profitable genres in films. A good spooky movie, which is generally made on a budget less than an action blockbuster, earns 5-10 times more than the production cost. The biggest examples of profitable horror flicks are the Saw, Paranormal Activity and The Conjuring franchises.
However, decades before there was a film, a horror blockbuster that held the record of the highest-grossing R-rated horror film for 44 years. This supernatural horror mystery became such a global phenomenon that it is still regarded as one of the most scariest films of all time. Made on a budget of $11 million, this film grossed $441 million.
The blockbuster film which remained the highest-grossing scariest film for 44 years is...
The Exorcist. The 1973 supernatural horror mystery was directed by Willaim Fredkin, and it was based on William Peter Blatty's bestseller novel of the same name. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. The movie follows the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother's attempt to rescue her through an exorcism.
The impact of The Exorcist on the audience
The Exorcist started with a limited release in only 24 cinemas on December 24, 1973. Soon, word-of-mouth for the film helped the movie to gain huge popularity and buzz among moviegoers. People drove 100 miles to catch a show of the movie. People waited for more than 6 hours in a queue outside theatres to witness the horror phenomenon.
People would faint and puke while watching The Exorcist
In all these years, you haven't come across a film that would actually scare the hell out of the audience. Back then, many members of the audience who watched The Exorcist in the cinema hall would faint, throw up, and even cry loudly after watching the film. Many people walked out of the film in the middle, and they admitted to being scared of going back home. The cultural impact The Exorcist left, inspired documentaries. Few documentaries have the statements of theatre owners discussing the impact of Willaim Fredkin's film. The documentaries also have footage from various screenings, in which audience members are sharing their views about the film.
Check out the reaction of the audience to The Exorcist
It took 44 years for a film to beat the record of The Exorcist. The movie that surpassed the classic horror blockbuster is the cinematic adaptation of Stephen King's bestseller IT. The first instalment of IT (2017) grossed $701 million and became the highest-grossing R-rated horror film (unadjusted for inflation). The Exorcist, released in 1973 to critical (it became the first horror film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar) and commercial success (its gross, adjusted for inflation, is $1.8 billion). The Exorcist continues to remain one of the most influential films, and in 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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