Forty years of “The Exorcist”

In 1971, William Peter Blatty released a novel which would go on to reshape the face of contemporary American horror. Based on the 1949 exorcism of Robbie Mannheim, performed by Jesuit priest William S. Bowdern, a former teacher at St. Louis University and St. Louis University High School. “The Exorcist” was released by Harper & Row, and would, of course, inspire the Academy Award-winning film of the same name which many consider to be the scariest movie of all time.

Blatty first heard of the exorcism while he was a student in the Class of ’50 at Georgetown University. He based the character of Father Merrin on British archeologist Gerald Lankester Harding, whom he had met in Beirut (Lankester had excavated the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found).

From Wikipedia (spoilers ahead, in case you were raised in a cave and have never read or seen the story):

“An elderly Jesuit priest named Father Lankester Merrin is leading an archaeological dig in northern Iraq and studying ancient relics. Following the discovery of a small statue of the demon Pazuzu (an actual ancient Assyrian demigod) and a modern-day St. Joseph medal curiously juxtaposed together at the site, a series of omens alerts him to a pending confrontation with a powerful evil, which, unknown to the reader at this point, he has battled before in an exorcism in Africa. Meanwhile, in Georgetown, a young girl named Regan MacNeil living with her famous actress mother, Chris, becomes inexplicably ill. After a gradual series of poltergeist-like disturbances, she undergoes disturbing psychological and physical changes, appearing to become “possessed” by a demonic spirit.
After several unsuccessful psychiatric and medical treatments, Regan’s mother turns to a local Jesuit priest. Father Damien Karras, who is currently going through a crisis of faith coupled with the loss of his mother, agrees to see Regan as a psychiatrist, but initially resists the notion that it is an actual demonic possession. After a few meetings with the child, now completely inhabited by a diabolical personality, he turns to the local bishop for permission to perform an exorcism on the child.

After consultation with the Jesuit president of Georgetown, the bishop appoints the experienced Merrin, recently returned to the States, to perform the exorcism and allows the doubt-ridden Karras to assist him. The lengthy exorcism tests the priests, both physically and spiritually. After the death of Merrin, the task ultimately restores Karras’ faith, leading him to give his own life to save Regan’s.”

“The Exorcist” has inspired many demonic-possession books and films over the years, but none has ever come close to capturing the horrific atmosphere and spine-tingling terror that the original evokes. The 1973 feature film version of Blatty’s novel is till considered one of Hollywood’s most nerve-shattering horror films of all time, holding up every bit as much today as it did upon it’s release almost four decades ago. On October 31, 2010 (Halloween day), Cemetary Dance released a special omnibus edition of “The Exorcist” and its sequel “Legion”, signed by Blatty (ISBN 978-1587672118) – a limited edition of 750 copies (with an additional 52 leatherbound copies), it is now out of print.

Happy birthday, Regan!

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – haunted luxury in the heart of Tinsel Town!

Located on Hollywood Boulevard just one block west of the Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is one of the few remaining treasures of the glamour of Hollywood’s heyday. Founded in 1927 by a syndicate of Hollywood luminaries that included Douglas Fairbanks and Louis B. Mayer, the Roosevelt was conceived as a spot for east coast movie makers to stay while working on the west coast. Iti s notable as the location of the first Academy Awards ceremony, taking place in 1929 and lasting all of five minutes as Fairbanks and Al Jolson handed out thirteen(!) Oscar statuettes. The Roosevelt has hosted its share of celebrities throughout the early days of Tinsel Town, with visits from the likes of Shirley Temple, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, and Will Rogers. The Roosevelt currently offers 320 rooms, 38 suites, 65 poolside cabana rooms, valet parking, and celebrity spirits – it is rumored that the ghosts of Marylin Monroe and Montgomery Clift now roam the Roosevelt.

Clift stayed in room 928 while filming “From Here to Eternity”, and is said to have been witnessed pacing the halls, reciting his lines and playing the trumpet. Many reports state that loud noises can be heard emanating from the room, and numerous incidents have occurred in which the room’s telephone is mysteriously taken of the hook.

Monroe often stayed in poolside suite 229, and witnesses claim that her image can be seen in the full-length mirror that once hung in that room (it is now located next to the elevator on the lower level), while a number of visitors claim to have seen her dancing in the ballroom.

Of further note is that there is said to be a cold spot, some 30 inches in diameter, in the Blossom Ballroom – the very hall where that first Academy Awards ceremony was held.

Did Oscar curse the hotel, offering up an unlucky thirteen statuettes in 1929? One could speculate. Whatever the catalyst behind these legendary hauntings, when planning that next trek to explore haunted America, you may want to plan on a short stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Who knows WHO you might bump into in the dark…

I was born a Coal Miner’s Haunter…

I came across this post from a few years back on the Zillow real estate blog, detailing the alleged haunting of country music legend Loretta Lynn’s home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee (special thanks to the article for giving Ms. Lynn’s home address!).

And you thought country music was scary before…

http://www.zillow.com/blog/2008-09-22/loretta-lynns-haunted-house/

Ghost trains and headless soldiers and suicidal brides…oh my!

Although I now consider myself an Atlantan at heart, after close to thirty years of residency here, I still feel strong attachments to my childhood in western New York (most of which are food-related). Born in Niagara Falls, I spent my first twelve years exploring the local neighborhoods and getting into the kind of mischief that kids get into on a regular basis. My friends and I spent most days locked out of our houses (and our mothers’ hair), finding any number of ways to entertain ourselves. It was the late 60s and early 70s, so we were very much on our own in terms of entertainment resources – no cable, no video games, no cell phone texting, no home theaters – so imagination was THE media for us.

Nothing stoked our imagination more than the local legends we heard from neighbors, friends and relatives (I was at least twenty years old before I realized that the dreaded tale of the murderous Little Lee Baker – who kidnapped children in the middle of the night and went wild on them with long, razor-like claws – was fabricated by my older brother in an effort to hold sway over our terrified minds…). To this day I am intrigued by ghost stories and the like (I have a few of my own that I simply cannot explain away logically), an interest no doubt sparked by the eerie legends surrounding some of western New York’s most notable landmarks. From suicidal brides flinging themselves over the powerful waterfalls of the mighty Niagara River to abandon train stations ripe with ghostly activity to spectral children swinging at night in the playground not far from our home, western New York offers up a bevy of tales to rattle even the biggest of sceptics.

My earliest recollection of paranormal curiosity comes from Old Fort Niagara. The fort stands on a bluff above Lake Ontario, not far from Niagara Falls, and acts as a centuries-old guard to the entrance of the Niagara River (dating back to 1726). It played a vital role in the struggles of France, Great Britain and the United States to assume control of the Great Lakes region. It also holds an important place in shaping the destinies of the Iriquois people. Now a national historic landmark, notable for its rich collection of 18th and 19th century military architecture, it became a popular destination for our summer weekends. We loved the opportunity to explore every darkened nook and cranny, imagining the many bloody battles that claimed the lives of soldiers for years and years. Visitors have spoken of many varied ghostly occurences, everything from shadow people to floating candles to spectral German Shepherds howling at the moon (perhaps explaining why police dogs will not enter the fort chapel, rumored to play host to unseen benches being dragged about). Often we led ourselves to believe we had discovered some chilling blood stain on the rough stone surfaces, concocting our own thrilling versions of what transpired upon that fatal spot…

Yet the thing that spurred us on the most was the local legend of the unfortunate French soldier who fell prey to jealous rage, losing his life – and head – in a tragic love triangle. It is said that two French officers stationed at Fort Niagara during peacable times both fell victim to the beauty and charms of a young Iriquois maiden. Each desired to win over the woman, and a rivalry was born. One August evening the two – drunk with anger and liquor – confronted each other outside the fort and dueled, challenging one another to a deadly swordfight. Ending quickly, the duel did little to quench the anger and frustration of the victor, and in a last attempt at vengeance he proceeded to decapitate the body and threw it into the Niagara River, where it was lost forever. His anger now subsiding, the surviving duelist soon realized that he must dispose of the body, lest his actions be discovered and he would have to face the consequences. He removed the heavy cover of the well at the entrance of the fort and dumped the body into the deep darkness, knowing this well was seldom used and it was unlikely the body would be discovered any time soon.

Soon he slipped away to unite with the Iriquois maiden and left his military station – and murderous deeds – behind, never to be seen or heard from again. Had he been arrested upon discovery of the headless body, there may have been some official record of the incidents, but circumstances and the time period prevented any such record from existing and we are left with nothing but legend. More than likely the events would have eventually been written off as nothing more than two restless young soldiers abandoning their posts and forgotten altogether, were it not for the numerous sightings of a headless apparition wandering around the grounds on dark nights. People still claim to spot this hapless soul searching in vain for the head that was taken from him, in an eternal effort to finally find some peace in the afterlife.

I admit I’ve never actually seen a ghost or experienced any unexplained activity at Old Fort Niagara, but I can say we always felt a chill when touring the grounds. Whether it was our own overactive young minds or actual paranormal presence causing that looming feeling of dread may never be known, but one thing is for sure – something about that fort and its tragic history sparked a flame inside me that to this day prevents me from completely writing off the existence of the unexplained.

Next up, we’ll take a spin through Central Terminal – Buffalo, New York’s infamous haunted train station…