The most infamous deleted scene from the Exorcist was the fabled "Spider Walk" sequence wherein the possessed Regan walks down the stairs on all fours, her spine twisted horribly, and then scuttles across the floor with a lizard-like tongue flicking in and out of her mouth.
The merit of this sequence has been debated by the film's fans for years, even before it was restored in the expanded version of the movie released a few years ago. Personally, I think the sequence holds up reasonably well, and probably would have been very chilling back in 1973.
But what most fans don't know is that there was an alternate version of this scene where, instead of doing the "Spider Walk", Regan performs a Chicken Dance, much to her mother's horror. Sadly, footage of this version has never surfaced. Pity.
Demons In Iraq? Too Obvious
Another little-known cut revolved around Father Merrin, played by Max Von Sydow.
The version of the film released to theatres begins with a long sequence featuring Father Merrin in Iraq on an archaeological dig. But the studio felt this lengthy prologue would test the audience's patience since the movie was marketed as a horror film about a little girl possessed by the devil, not as a movie about an old man sifting through the dirt in the Middle East. So, at the studio's request, Friedkin shot an alternate opening with a much younger Father Merrin in rural Japan, learning martial arts and saving a village from a horde of angry demons. Some hand to hand combat was then added to the the exorcism sequence in Regan's bedroom, but those were eventually cut since Friedkin deliberately shot the martial arts sequences in a campy, overblown fashion and the studio eventually agreed that the Iraqi sequence could stay. Friedkin has kept the Japanese footage under lock and key threatening to sue anyone who makes it available to the public, but this rare still has surfaced in recent years...
Father Merrin, about to deliver a vicious karate chopThe Sexorcist?
The studio also decided during the editing stage that the film could use a little sex to jazz things up, so it was suggested that Friedkin shoot a sequence showing Father Damian Karras' mother sucking co**s in hell. Friedkin wisely refused, so the task was handed over to Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione, who would later draw upon this experience when adding explicit sex scenes to Caligula after the original director had already finished his cut. Mercifully, none of Guccione's footage shot for the Exorcist can be found today.
Captain How'd He Do That?
One of the more chilling images in the Exorcist has to be Captain Howdy, a disturbing manifestation of the demon which appears almost subliminally, appearing out of the darkness in quick shots during various dream sequences. But despite the lasting impact of this makeup creation, it wasn't William Friedkin's first choice.
During the initial stages of pre-production, the makeup department created a truly repulsive version of Captain Howdy which Friedkin showed to various test audiences prior to the film's release. The audience reacted with such horror that many of them fainted or got up and left the theatre. Those who stayed left comments about about Captain Howdy like "disgusting", "repulsive", "I love to be scared, but that freakish, pale white face went too far." The studio agreed. Friedkin was asked to tone down the Captain Howdy makeup, and the memorable image of Captain Howdy as we know him was created. And now, for the first time ever, The Thinking Man's Idiot has obtained a still image of the original Captain Howdy which was deemed too horrific for mass consumption. Read on if you dare.
Captain Howdy, as seen in the Exorcist
The original Captain HowdyIf that doesn't keep you up nights, nothing will.
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