News about William Peter Blatty

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: Has a writer ever directed an adaptation of their own novel? Many writers have worked on screenplay adaptations of their books, but no one has directed them. There are some notable instances. Clive Barker is one of horror's most original voices. He adapted his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart for the big screen, writing and directing Hellraiser (1987), whose sadistic Cenobites are some of the most frightening pictures on film. William Peter Blatty won the Best Adapted Screenplay award for his book The Exorcist in 1974, although William Friedkin produced the film. After its success, Blatty reworked his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! The Ninth Configuration, a psychological thriller that was released in 1978, has been turned into a psychological thriller. In 1980, he produced the film of the same name.

Those horror enthusiasts can now enjoy Exorcist: Believer (left) in UK cinemas, but the film is not exempt from back luck, as shown by a slew of chilling stories. FEMAIL explains how puking viewers (right inset), family death (centre), spinal injury (ight), and a motorcycle accident (right inset) plagued the original film.

William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" is a classic that has been praised by reviewers and lauded by viewers as one of the best horror films ever produced, a masterpiece that never finds its way onto televisions during Halloween season. After her apparently normal daughter, Regan, starts to act strangely after interacting with a Ouija board in their rented house, the 1973 film, based on William Peter Blatty's 1971 book of the same name, is based on a mother Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn). Regan's physical, mental, and emotional state begin to decline rapidly and quickly, and she becomes possessed after an attempt to contact a spirit named "Captain Howdy." Chris enlists two priests to expel the demon from Regan before it kills her, overwhelmed by her daughter's vivacious demeanor and her superhuman strength. Many believed "The Exorcist" to be the scariest film in film history at the time of its release. Eröffnung (that one is still impossible for me to stomach): Many moviegoers experienced strong bodily reactions, such as fainting or vomiting, to several of the film's frightening scenes, such as Regan's neck swivel. Despite mixed reviews when it premiered, the film became a instant cult classic and the first horror film to be nominated for a best picture Oscar. It's difficult to imagine the very fabric of our culture and film history without the supernatural horror genre, and "The Exorcism" has unquestionably inspired other classics such as "The Omen," "Poltergeist," and "The Blair Witch Project" later this year.