8 Lost Movie Scenes That Were Found Years Later

When The Exorcist was released in 1973 it was billed as the scariest film you would ever see. Sensibilities were different then and, sure enough, there were reports that the movie led audience members to faint from fright. What’s remarkable is that one of its most chilling shots wasn’t in the original cut.

If you somehow have never seen it: The Exorcist tells the story of Regan, a small child who seemingly becomes possessed by the devil. In the process of expelling the evil from her body, we are treated to some, at-the-time, shocking and state of the art effects.

Regan running down the stairs bent over backwards is one of the most iconic moments in horror history and was inspired by a similar scene in the book. When it came to the theatrical edit of the film though it was left out, with director William Friedkin citing that it’s planned placement didn’t work and interrupted the otherwise slow-build to Regan’s demonic takeover.

Fans of the book missed its inclusion, and rumours about it swirled for decades.

In 2000 however The Exorcist returned to cinemas with a director’s cut, promising a “version you’ve never seen before” and 27 years later The Exorcist was the topic of terrified debate because of Regan’s horrifying gymnastics. The scene drove audiences in their thousands to see the classic once more, making The Exorcist the highest grossing horror film for many, many years to come.