A 50-year retrospective on ‘The Exorcist,’ plus what’s a Skelly?

We’ve done a Halloween special each year for the past five years. And each year, and for no particular reason, we’ve spent a chunk of the show covering a classic horror movie celebrating, specifically, its 40th anniversary.

I’m a little sad to say that this year we’re breaking the tradition, partly because 1983 was a strikingly barren year for horror movies (notwithstanding, uh, Cujo, I guess? Psycho II?). And partly because, well, one of the greatest horror movies ever made happens to be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

So. This hour, our take on William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece, The Exorcist. And a look at filmmaker David Gordon Green’s turn away from indie dramas and Hollywood comedies and toward horror legacy requels. His latest is The Exorcist: Believer.

Plus: There sure are a lot of those crazy 12-foot skeleton things showing up on people’s lawns, aren’t there? We investigate the Skelly sensation.

GUESTS:

• Aislinn Clarke: A screenwriter and director and a lecturer in film studies at Queen’s University Belfast
• Bill Curry: Playing the part of Bill Curry playing the part of Standing Concerned Man
• Jesse Hassenger: Associate editor of Paste Movies and co-host of the New Flesh horror movie podcast
• Rachel Kurzius: A reporter for The Home You Own at The Washington Post

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Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

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