The Exorcist

Max von Sydow, six foot four, blonde and stoically Nordic, came to embody the archetype of the Scandinavian actor, lending grace and gravitas to countless roles in a storied career that included a bevy of accolades including two Golden Globe nominations. Having started his career in municipal theater, he studied at Stockholm’s National Theater and began working with Ingmar Bergman, the director who would shape his craft and artistic legacy, first in theater, then in film.

Roger Ebert perhaps said it best:  "I am not sure exactly what reasons people will have for seeing this movie because it's a raw and painful experience. Are people so numb they need movies of this intensity in order to feel anything at all?" The answer was a resounding “Yes!”, since The Exorcist become one the highest grossing films of all time and the mother of all supernatural horrors.

William Peter Blatty, winner of three Golden Globes has died, age 89. Blatty was an author, who also wrote his own screenplays, and produced some of the movies based on them.