The Exorcist possesses theaters for 50th anniversary

What an excellent day for an exorcism…To commemorate the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist, Fathom Events is presenting the 1973 film on the big screen for two nights only: Sunday, October 1st and Wednesday, October 4th.

As per Fathom’s official website, “As part of the Warner Bros. Studio 100th Celebration and to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Exorcist’s theatrical release, Warner Bros worked closely with the director, William Friedkin, on the restoration of this iconic film. This newly remastered version was created from the original camera negative and features audio masterfully remixed by Atmos.” This extended director’s cut is promoted as being 12 minutes longer than the original theatrical version of The Exorcist.

In addition to the 50th anniversary screening of The Exorcist – showing a remastered 4K – ticket buyers also get a look at various locations used for the movie with a special feature titled The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then And Now. There, too, will be a tribute to the late William Friedkin, who passed away last month.

Although the true 50th anniversary for The Exorcist is in December – and what better represents the holiday season than a girl jabbing herself in the crotch with a crucifix? – the timing is obviously meant to coincide with the spooky season. It, too, will work as a nice lead-in to The Exorcist: Believer, David Gordon Green’s continuation of the franchise that will see Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) trying to help another possessed young girl. That movie hits theaters on October 13th.

The Exorcist is widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever. Not only was it the first to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, it also nabbed nine other nods, making it one of the most recognized in Academy Awards history. The American Film Institute would even name it the third most thrilling movie ever, behind just Jaws and Psycho.

The 50th anniversary of The Exorcist has been hard to ignore. To tie in with the theatrical run, Warner Bros. will release a 4K Blu-ray of the film next week.

Will you catch the 50th anniversary screening of The Exorcist when it returns to theaters in October?