Audiences had some intense reactions to The Exorcist in 1973

Arguably, The Exorcist—along with Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre—ushered in the modern era of horror cinema. The Exorcist became a major cultural event when it was unleashed on audiences in December 1973. Based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, The Exorcist tells the story of a little girl possessed by the demon Pazuzu and the priests who are charged with saving her soul. There are tales of people being so frightened of Blatty’s book that they keep it in a separate part of the house, like a garage, a linen closet, or even a freezer like Joey Tribiani did with his copy of The Shining (not recommended for your Kindle). The movie terrified audiences perhaps even more so; some believe that there is actual evil contained in the film stock. Even Paul Mooney and Richard Pryor were no match for Pazuzu.
For those who were not around to experience The Exorcist for the first time on the big screen, YouTube users historycomestolife and Behind The Exorcist have unearthed what appears to be local news footage of audiences experiencing William Friedkin’s horror masterpiece for the first time.