source

The writer of The Exorcist, has died at age 89. He just celebrated his birthday on January 7.
______________

He is survived by his wife, Julie Alicia Witbrodt.

The writer won the Oscar in 1973 for his screenplay, based on his own book that was published in 1971 which told the story of a child possessed by a demon.

And thanks to the film’s success, the possessed child’s image has become iconic among horror fans.

People know the name, and know what he did. That doesn't make him a celebrity, but there are awards on his shelf, and when you hear the name, you immediately know who he is. It might be better to say "famous" or "well known".

I don't know who Graham Taylor is, honestly. Besides, it's not a battle to die first. WPB was the first I'd heard of this year.

TrivialPursuit said:

EmmaMcG said:

Graham Taylor is very famous in the football world for being a former England manager. He was also known for managing the likes of Aston Villa and Watford. But yeah, this thread isn't about him. Hopefully 2017 won't be as bad as 2016 in terms of people dying who's work we admire.

Well, that's why. In the U.S., people are rather detached from English football, so anyone in it that's not a huge name (like Beckham, etc) is simply unknown. No doubt was probably a household name in the U.K. and Europe.

is there gonna be a pool for the next ten to go???

i'm feelin kinda lucky....

KingBAD said:

is there gonna be a pool for the next ten to go???

i'm feelin kinda lucky....

I got one of the Rockefeller's in mine.

I remember my friend and I reading his novel The Exorcist before the movie came out with Linda Blair's head turning backwards, etc. LOL The novel was creepy enough to scare us long past bed time... I guess it took less to scare people back then...

RIP I loved The Exorcist and yup the book is scarier than the film

purplethunder3121 said:

I remember my friend and I reading his novel The Exorcist before the movie came out with Linda Blair's head turning backwards, etc. LOL The novel was creepy enough to scare us long past bed time... I guess it took less to scare people back then...

I don't think it was less to scare people. It's just that the mindset, and society was different. When it was theaters, people went running out of the theaters, scared out of their minds. The idea of it had frightened me so much as a child, I never saw it. It wasn't until The Version You've Never Seen came out on DVD that I decided...if I'm going to watch it, it might as well be this version. It had some extra scenes, including the one with the backwards spider walk down the stairs.

I think movies like The Exorcist set a new standard in horror films and dramas. In reality, there wasn't a lot of gore or blood in that movie. A bit here or there, but it was the idea of the devil inside a little girl, torturing her body and soul, holding her hostage - it was cerebral; an attack on a still-very-Christian America. Filmmakers have since resorted to gore, violence, blood, and worse to get a reaction. Movies like Cujo or The Shining from King, who is thought to be a gore master, were more about the horror of the situation; not the dead coming to life or any of that (although he touched on those sorts of things, too). I think it's sometimes cheap to just hack everyone up. Horror should be mysterious, tense, anxious, building to a few climaxes throughout. Not just instant beheadings and guttings.

TrivialPursuit said:

purplethunder3121 said:

I remember my friend and I reading his novel The Exorcist before the movie came out with Linda Blair's head turning backwards, etc. LOL The novel was creepy enough to scare us long past bed time... I guess it took less to scare people back then...

I don't think it was less to scare people. It's just that the mindset, and society was different. When it was theaters, people went running out of the theaters, scared out of their minds. The idea of it had frightened me so much as a child, I never saw it. It wasn't until The Version You've Never Seen came out on DVD that I decided...if I'm going to watch it, it might as well be this version. It had some extra scenes, including the one with the backwards spider walk down the stairs.

I think movies like The Exorcist set a new standard in horror films and dramas. In reality, there wasn't a lot of gore or blood in that movie. A bit here or there, but it was the idea of the devil inside a little girl, torturing her body and soul, holding her hostage - it was cerebral; an attack on a still-very-Christian America. Filmmakers have since resorted to gore, violence, blood, and worse to get a reaction. Movies like Cujo or The Shining from King, who is thought to be a gore master, were more about the horror of the situation; not the dead coming to life or any of that (although he touched on those sorts of things, too). I think it's sometimes cheap to just hack everyone up. Horror should be mysterious, tense, anxious, building to a few climaxes throughout. Not just instant beheadings and guttings.

Agreed--less is more when it comes to suspense/horror flix. And, yes, The Exorcist movie was a game changer. But, it was over-exaggerated (even I thought as a kid). I can remember more harrowing Linda Blair movies as a teen--when she played roles on TV where she was physically abused in detention and as an alcoholic. But the novel was much more frightening than the Linda Blair movie back in the day when I was a kid...

EmmaMcG said:

Sad that he died but no disrespect, he's not exactly a celebrity. Not that it's a competition, but I'd say Graham Taylor was the first high profile death of the year. Regardless of all that, I'm a big fan of the exorcist so I will watch it tonight in his honour.

I agree with you

EmmaMcG said:

Sad that he died but no disrespect, he's not exactly a celebrity. Not that it's a competition, but I'd say Graham Taylor was the first high profile death of the year. Regardless of all that, I'm a big fan of the exorcist so I will watch it tonight in his honour.

oh but it is...

some folks spend a portion of each of their days

waitin to lament someone else passin away...

'fans' are strange creatures who somehow

intwine they lives with people who have one...

i guess livin vicariously through other people

means they vicarious life ends with the star...

the best way for them to get over the loss

is bein all fukkked up over the next bucket kicker...