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Podcast: DISGRACELAND
Episode: The Exorcist: Demonic Possession, Mass Hysteria, and NYC’s Unsolved Murders
Description: William Friedkin's film The Exorcist terrified audiences upon its release in 1973. They fainted, vomited, and went into hysterics in the theaters. Some overwhelmed viewers left early, only to return the next day, buying another ticket to see if they could make it to the end. But the story behind The Exorcist is just as compelling as the story on the screen. The film's production was marred by tragedy and the unpredictable behavior of its volatile director. The novel the film was based on became a best seller largely by happenstance. And the events that inspired the novel were so horr...