The Spawn of Pazuzu

The sensation caused by the release of The Exorcist in 1973 not only brought a newfound respect to the horror genre but would also inspire generations of filmmakers. Some of these films simply imitated the terrifying original, but there is a rich history of filmmakers who have built on the foundation laid by William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin to create their own blood-curdling cinematic accounts of the forces of hell and demonic possession. For Halloween 2023, Disreputable Cinema celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist with a series of films that pay tribute to this film and some of its most frightening spawn.