10 Truly Disturbing Behind-The-Scenes Movie Facts
1. The Radiographer In The Exorcist Was An Active Serial Killer
Legendary supernatural horror film The Exorcist was released in December of 1973 to general chaos. Pretty much as soon it hit cinemas, there were reports of viewers fainting, vomiting and even suffering heart attacks while watching screenings of the movie.
It received global attention due to its controversial content, particularly that relating to the Catholic Church, and led to boycotts and protests outside movie theatres.
The Exorcist became a point of international conversation, which helped to cement it as a cultural tentpole.
As if the movie wasn't already disturbing enough in and of itself, one scene depicts the main character, Regan, undergoing a carotid angiography. The actor who portrayed radiology technician that can be seen in the background of the scene multiple times was an active serial killer named Paul Bateson.
He reportedly committed a series of murders against gay men involved in New York's leather-clad subculture around the time he filmed the movie, which adds a chilling dimension to an already unnerving sequence.