by Fred Topel
“People’s wildest dreams are about to be answered.”
– Linda Blair
The Exorcist is considered the scariest movie of all time. Generations cowered before VHS copies, and new audiences got to see an updated version which retained the infamous upside down spider-walk in 2000. Now on Blu Ray, both versions of the film are re-mastered in high definition, and are packaged with a bonus behind the scenes documentary about the making of the film.
Linda Blair played Regan MacNeil, the teenaged girl possessed by a demon. She famously floated over the bed and her head spun 360 degrees with the help of old school special effects that still look better than any CGI creation. She then returned to the franchise for the critically panned Exorcist II: The Heretic and, in 1990, a spoof of The Exorcist called Repossessed (Leslie “Naked Gun” Nielsen was the comedy priest.)
None of Blair’s subsequent roles ever matched the acclaim or success of The Exorcist however. By her ‘20s, a series of women’s prison movies and B horror films defined her professionally, and drug problems eclipsed her career for a time. The Exorcist keeps coming back to haunt her though, and Blair has participated in several re-release events with a smile.
Now Blair’s focus is on distinctly positive spiritual endeavors – she’s penned a pro-vegan book, and works to promote the wellbeing of animals. She still acts, and, as the latest release shows, The Exorcist still calls. At 51, her lean figure and healthy complexion are a clear endorsement of her lifestyle. A veteran of the press circuit, Blair enthusiastically greets reporters with a plan to promote the good stuff while speaking frankly about the bad.
