The Exorcist is at first glance the story of a mother desperate to save her daughter from evils beyond her reckoning, but in the fifty years since it was first released it had gone on to become a beloved, long-running franchise rife with controversy.

I have never actually seen The Exorcist. Of course I know the movie and how iconic it is, and have heard plenty of the apocryphal stories surrounding its supposed curse, but I am not really into the horror genre and consequently have seen pretty much none of its classics. On the other hand, the impact of horror media on culture is something I have studied before and am still quite interested in – and as such, this book was right up my alley.

The author covers the long story of The Exorcist franchise, including not only the book that spawned it and the many movies and TV shows that followed, but the lives of the two men who have the greatest hand in bringing it to life, and what is believed to be the real case that inspired it. It’s a snappy, often tongue-in-cheek recounting from an author who clearly loves the franchise even as he recognizes many of its pitfalls. The discussion of the book, movies and TV show were also very accessible for someone who’d never consumed any of them due to the many sidebars.

However, while I appreciated the detailed recaps and discussions of where different versions of the story diverged from each other, I did feel that the book fell a little short on detailed analysis. I liked learning about how author William Peter Blatty’s Catholic faith and other personal beliefs underpinned much of The Exorcist (and later works), but wished we learned more about the specific decisions that were made in writing and shooting the films. I went away still unable to pinpoint the reason for The Exorcist‘s enduring impact.

This was a wonderful and complete exploration of The Exorcist and the franchise(s) it birthed. Very in-depth, touching upon all aspects and the legacy it has created over the last 50 years. Even if someone was not a fan, I would highly recommend this title for reading as it was well researched and the interviews were enlightening.

I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley,

Informative book for anyone that is a fan of the Exorcist canon. The movie came out the year I was born so I did miss knowing about some of the movie goer and critic experiences, it was good to learn all the details. Interesting all the relationships between authors/directors/producers/etc and how the Hollywood politics play out and then the different views about what type of genre the movie fell under. Book was laid out in an easy to read, chronological format. Also interesting to learn about how many versions of the movie there is and how ultimately every player had their own version. I never realized there were movies that are considered the trilogies that are not the sequels and how much technology was not available 50 years ago, that we take for granted now. Will be interesting to see how the re-booted version does!

I went in having barely a memory of the first movie. Then mid reading, William Friedkin passed away. A lot happened.
I left this book now wanting to buy every Shout Factory blu-ray and needing a copy of the original book with its sequels.
Nat Segaloff cares about this story and the people that brought it to life. It's a great book for movie fans, "horror" fans and just people who are good at their jobs.

This is a must-read for fans of the films and for horror films in general. The Exorcist Legacy gives us a deep dive into this iconic film starting with the birth of William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel and ending with the future reboot of the franchise. There's careful attention to detail with tons of behind-the-scenes stories and even breaking down the differences between the book and the various iterations of the films. You'll walk away from this book with a new found appreciation of the movie and the series in general.

A charming, often quite funny ("he wasted three weeks deciding whether the possession began on April 1 or 15th") history of The Exorcist - what is it, how it came to be, and the mark it's left on pop culture. Good for fans of Richard Crouse's "Raising Hell" and Mark Kermode's "The Good, The Bad, and the Multiplex."

I cannot believe it has been 50 years since I first watched the Exorcist! The story of the "after" life of the movie is truly fascinating....not as much as the movie still is......but fascinating in it's own right. Well worth your precious reading time!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books as well as the author for this amazing ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It was my pleasure.
#NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #TheExorcistLegacy #NatSegaloff
Author: Nat Segaloff
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: July 25, 2023

This is one of my favorite types of books to read. I’m an ardent fan of horror films and horror books, so a nonfiction horror book about one of the most important modern horror movies is just about as perfect as it gets. This book didn’t disappoint a bit! I had such fun and learned so much about a subject that I truly love.
The movie, “The Exorcist '' was unleashed upon the public in 1973. It’s based on a novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. It achieved iconic status quickly as crowds of people flocked to see it. The stories of viewers fainting or vomiting during the movie only increased its appeal. This book is the captivating, definitive story of the movie and the book as well as the allegedly true story of the exorcism that provided the inspiration for the novel. Nat Segaloff was the perfect person to pen this book. He also wrote a biography on the director, William Friedkin. It seems like a passion project for sure as he was a publicist for the film. I was expecting a comprehensive book about the original movie and the novel that inspired it. I was not expecting the sequels and short-lived tv show to be included in the examination. I had no idea there was so much to say and I loved every minute of it. I really hope that Mr. Segaloff releases more books on horror movies. He really does his homework.
I have nothing negative to say. I can’t recommend this book enough. Please go read it. After you read it, watch the movie and its sequels. Read the original novel or listen to the audiobook. It’s read by the author and it’s one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever heard. Enjoy!

It’s safe to say that The Exorcist (1973) is one of the most recognizable films in existence. Alluded to by countless other pieces of culture, it is also widely considered one of, if not the, scariest film ever made - even the film set was said to be cursed. The book it was based on is routinely rated one of the scariest books ever written. In a true testament to the popularity of THE EXORCIST, legend trippers and the deeply curious have spent decades trying to find the identity of the boy whose exorcism first inspired Blatty to write the book that started it all, along with the house where the exorcisms took place. All of this isn’t even touching upon the ever-growing list of sequels and prequels studios have produced in hopes of catching the initial film’s lightning in a bottle. None have quite reached that acclaim, but all have been the source of endless debate online. What is it about THE EXORCIST that grips us?


Writer, producer, journalist, publicist, and all-around raconteur Nat Segaloff is uniquely positioned to answer this question. He debuted in Hollywood at the tail end of its Golden Age and hasn’t left since. He penned the definitive biography on William Friedkin, the director of THE EXORCIST among many other classic movies, and struck up a long-lasting friendship with William Peter Blatty, who authored the original book and film script to the movie. In THE EXORCIST LEGACY (Kensington, 2023) Segaloff gives us the definitive book on the history of this film franchise that was never intended to have even a single sequel, whilst also examining the books and true stories behind it all.

Segaloff offers synopses of not only the books and films, but also compares the different versions of the films. These analyses often include interviews with the writers and directors themselves, which creates a more intimate understanding of the media and how it came to be. The book includes a more levelheaded consideration of the curse on the set of the original movie, and an understanding of how and why THE EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC ended up being the universally panned film that it was.


In addition, Segaloff also considers the rites of exorcism itself, and why they persist into modern day. He also examines why the story has had the enduring appeal that it has. Why is it that this film, now 50 years old, still provokes such a strong reaction in younger audiences? Why is it that as people age, the film only gets more frightening - even to secular audiences? To learn some of the possible answers, you’ll have to read the book. When you do, a rewatch of the film will reveal things that even long-time fans likely miss. After all, it’s an excellent day for an exorcism, isn’t it?

Raise your hand if you've been personally terrified by The Exorcist.

*slowly raising my hand*

I saw The Exorcist at a very young age and frankly it scared the wits out of me! I was scared for years until I started getting into the behind the scenes of making the movie. After watching several documentaries revealing all the movie magic, I stopped being afraid and appreciate it for a movie that was well ahead of its time.

I am a movie nerd so I was very interested in reading The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff. Nat Segaloff is not only a film critic, tv producer, biographer, and author, he was also one of the original publicists on The Exorcist. He was also very good friends with William Friedkin and even wrote his biography. This makes Nat Segaloff a very reliable and knowledgeable source on the history of The Exorcist.

The entire history of The Exorcist franchise is covered in this book including the tv series as well as the upcoming movie series. The story of the actual case which inspired the movie is included and how William Peter Blatty's and William Friedkin's religious beliefs influenced the writing and making of the film. I liked how Segaloff included a synopsis of every movie and a break down of the differences between different versions of the movies. I was very happy to finally understand the plot of The Exorcist II: The Heretic and why I had been confused with the portrayals of two characters in The Exorcist III. I absolutely loved all of this information!

Additionally, there are full color photos with captions and credits, a colloquy with William Peter Blatty, a bibliography, copious endnotes, and an index for fast reference.

I would recommend this book to fans of The Exorcist, those interested in movie history and criticism/media studies, horror fans, or anyone who wants to know more about the making of The Exorcist. I would definitely use this book as a reference if I were ever writing a thesis or essay on The Exorcist. I highly recommend it!

5 out of 5!

It’s safe to say that The Exorcist (1973) is one of the most recognizable films in existence. Alluded to by countless other pieces of culture, it is also widely considered one of, if not the, scariest film ever made - even the film set was said to be cursed. The book it was based on is routinely rated one of the scariest books ever written. In a true testament to the popularity of THE EXORCIST, legend trippers and the deeply curious have spent decades trying to find the identity of the boy whose exorcism first inspired Blatty to write the book that started it all, along with the house where the exorcisms took place. All of this isn’t even touching upon the ever-growing list of sequels and prequels studios have produced in hopes of catching the initial film’s lightning in a bottle. None have quite reached that acclaim, but all have been the source of endless debate online. What is it about THE EXORCIST that grips us?

Writer, producer, journalist, publicist, and all-around raconteur Nat Segaloff is uniquely positioned to answer this question. He debuted in Hollywood at the tail end of its Golden Age and hasn’t left since. He penned the definitive biography on William Friedkin, the director of THE EXORCIST among many other classic movies, and struck up a long-lasting friendship with William Peter Blatty, who authored the original book and film script to the movie. In THE EXORCIST LEGACY (Kensington, 2023) Segaloff gives us the definitive book on the history of this film franchise that was never intended to have even a single sequel, whilst also examining the books and true stories behind it all.

Segaloff offers synopses of not only the books and films, but also compares the different versions of the films. These analyses often include interviews with the writers and directors themselves, which creates a more intimate understanding of the media and how it came to be. The book includes a more levelheaded consideration of the curse on the set of the original movie, and an understanding of how and why THE EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC ended up being the universally panned film that it was.

In addition, Segaloff also considers the rites of exorcism itself, and why they persist into modern day. He also examines why the story has had the enduring appeal that it has. Why is it that this film, now 50 years old, still provokes such a strong reaction in younger audiences? Why is it that as people age, the film only gets more frightening - even to secular audiences? To learn some of the possible answers, you’ll have to read the book. When you do, a rewatch of the film will reveal things that even long-time fans likely miss. After all, it’s an excellent day for an exorcism, isn’t it?

My thanks to Kensington Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear’ by Nat Segaloff.

In it Segaloff presents an in-depth look at the history of this film, its influence, and sequels.

I had initially read ‘The Exorcist’ novel before seeing the film and like many I was concerned by the reports of the audiences’ extreme reactions. Yet when I did see it, I remember being impressed and have subsequently viewed it a number of times over the years.

The author is a writer and producer as well as a film historian. In 1973 he had been a publicity director for a Boston theater chain where the film was shown during its original run. In 1990 he wrote a biography of its director, William Friedkin.

Segaloff draws on a wealth of material, including interviews with the original cast and crew, to present the story of how William Peter Blatty originally came to write the novel and his campaign to get it filmed as he envisioned it.

It’s a fascinating story that stresses that Blatty and Friedkin were not interested in making a scary movie; instead they aimed to make people “think about the concept of good and evil.”

Nat Segaloff presents synopses, designated as sidebars, for both Exorcist novels as well as the original film and its sequels. These were very useful to jog my memory and to better appreciate the changes made from page to screen.

I was especially interested in how the special effects were created for the film. There was no CGI in the 1970s and Friedkin believed that the possession would only look real if it was really happening, using earthly tricks to create the supernatural effects. My eye is never fooled by CGI, it just doesn’t quite look real, whereas the effects in ‘The Exorcist’ had been very convincing.

I was shocked to read that Segaloff’s sources had told him that ‘The Exorcist’ had won the vote for Best Visual Effects but rather than give it the award, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences had dropped the category that year.

Clearly having a horror film winning prestigious awards ruffled some feathers. Still, the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It only won two for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound. Yet it has proved a classic with a lasting cultural impact.

Overall, I found ‘The Exorcist Legacy’ a thorough history of this iconic film.

As someone that knew about the Exorcist for a long time before ever watching on of the movies this is great for people that want to learn more about the franchise. It’s a great behind the scenes of the movies and tv show as well as the book. So it me it was fascinating to see the comparisons and information on the pre-production of the first movie. I think this book is good for those that want to explore more of the Exorcist franchise. Good for movie buffs especially in the horror genre.

If you’re a fan of The Exorcist books, films, or TV show, this is the book for you! Inside, you will find a lot of interesting information about its entire legacy beginning with the inspiration for the book. I have actually never read the book, but I’ve seen the movies as well as the TV show and loved them. There was some very interesting information throughout the book. I knew some of it, but I definitely didn’t know all of it! I never did see the rerelease of the first movie that is, essentially, the writer’s cut. However, the scenes that were added back into the film are explained in detail along with the general comments made about them. I can see why the cuts had been made at the time of its original release, though I understand why the author wasn’t exactly happy about those cuts.

I was a big fan of the TV show back when it was on, so it was particularly interesting to read a little about what went on behind the scenes, especially because I hadn’t learned about it before. It was interesting and it is a little sad to think about how it would’ve done if it was a show picked up by a streaming network over cable TV. The first season, in particular, was spectacular. Season two was pretty good up until a certain point before it just suddenly dove straight down a hill. However, overall, the show was very good and I never would’ve guessed how rushed they felt getting the first season going.

All in all, this is a very interesting read. I think that if you are a huge fan who knows a lot about The Exorcist Legacy, there may not be much new information for you to learn while reading this. However, I think most fans will find it an enjoyable and interesting read!

“The Exorcist” is one of my favorite films, in terms of genuine, superb filmmaking. It’s a film I will always make time to watch if it’s on television, and I make a point of watching it every October (along with other creepy classics). I’m one of those people who don’t consider it a horror film, but more of a supernatural thriller…and a fabulous one at that. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this book, even though this book ended up being nothing like I thought it would be. Somehow, even though I expected this book to be completely different than it ended up being, it still ended up being a treat for a very different reason, and Nat Segaloff (a name even I know, as he’s been around for ages as an entertainment reporter and film historian) is to thank for that.

I went into this book thinking it would be partially about the making of the original film, complete with plentiful interviews and anecdotes from the cast and crew, and partially about the reception of the film and the lasting legacy it’s left on Hollywood and on both horror films and various film makers as well. Instead, this entire book is one long love (and other emotions) letter to not only the original Exorcist film but to the original William Peter Blatty novel, the movie, all the different cuts of the original movie, the three sequels, the short-lived television series, and talks about the upcoming three-movie sequel set (the first movie in this set is slated to premiere this October as of this review).

Segaloff worked as a publicist on the original Exorcist film, so he was there, right at the beginning, and that’s how he begins the book. From there, this book is as immaculately researched as possible, given that William Peter Blatty passed away in 2017 and couldn’t tell his side of the story for every other side of the story told in this book. Segaloff could only work off any existing printed or recorded (audio or visual) material that Blatty had left behind before he passed (or remarks made to other people that could be considered hearsay).

I absolutely loved all the ins and outs of the movie making processes and stories of how the Hollywood machine grinds away, which is what a good amount of this book is about: fights over script length, casting, production costs, etc. The stories about the unconventional, weird, and on/off again friendship between Blatty and Freidkin were also interesting. The part of the book I disliked the most were how Segaloff insisted on inserting long synopses of the book, the movie, every version of the movie released, every sequel, etc. I ended up skimming those because I didn’t care. I’ve seen “The Exorcist” enough times I don’t need a synopsis. However, I can see the value in including them for people who haven’t read the book, seen the sequels, or just don’t remember as much as I do.

The book as a whole is an excellent book on the history of a groundbreaking film that shocked America and changed the horror movie landscape forever. A great read if you’re into the history of horror films.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: History/Nonfiction

This is a partial review. The full review will publish August 18, 2023, at https://www.litstack.com/the-exorcist-legacy-50-years-of-fear/

Nat Segaloff's "The Exorcist Legacy" is a great read and the best bet for coming to understand the making of the movie "The Exorcist" and some of the work that went into making it a great movie. The documentary/repertorial style Segaloff uses is also employed in Blatty’s novel as well. Flat no-nonsense reportorial style lends a “you are there” feeling. It’s full of facts that come at you quickly and is well worth two reads to get a good grasp of the facts about all the Exorcist movies.

You’ll love this book if you are a fan of the movie and the original novel, and if you like to read about behind-the-scenes machinations of great movies. There’s no doubt The Exorcist is one of the great movies, an examination of faith found through despair and evil, and it holds up very well. Segaloff’s book is a splendid companion to the movie and the original novel, and deserves a place on your bookshelf.

I just finished The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff and here are my thoughts.


It’s been 50 years since the movie has been released and it is still one of the scariest movies of all times. 1973 was the year and it has had us gripped ever since.


It is a cult classic and Nat Segaloff has an interesting viewpoint of the rationale as to why it became a long time classic. It is still the benchmark for horror movies for sure.


The book that the movie is based on was written about a real life exorcism that happened in 1949. That book scared me as much as the movie did and is still one of my favorite horror books of all time.


This book is full of interviews and some really interesting information regarding the movie.


It was nice to read about how they managed to pull off so many of the special FX in a time before CGI. It got a bit repetitive but all in all, a solid non fiction read.


3.5 stars.


Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for my gifted copy

https://setthetape.com/2023/07/25/the-exorcist-legacy-50-years-of-fear/
Review available on Set The Tape

A must read if you are a fan of The Exorcist movies, books or tv series! If you haven't seen all the movies, tv series or read the books, the author does a fantastic job summarizing all of them so you will still be able to follow the story regarding the making of. (I personally haven't read the books of seen two of the sequels but had no issues following along) I loved how detailed this book was and appreciated the author's great lengths of sourcing bits of interviews to tie it all together. This book is also the perfect read for the upcoming trilogy that comes out with the first installment in Oct 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book!

I loved this book! As a horror enthusiast and a fan of 'The Exorcist' it was lots of fun and interesting to read about how the movie came to be and the story and people behind it. I would highly reccomend this to anyone who enjoys horror films. 10/10 highly recommend! Special Thank You to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to release in exchange for an honest review.