The Exorcist Diary Reviewed

"January 15, 1949, at the home of R in Cottage City, Maryland a dripping noise was heard by R and his Grandmother in the Grandmother's bedroom.  This noise continued for a short time and then the picture of Christ on the wall thumped.  By the time the parents of R returned home there was a very definite scratching sound under the floor boards near the grandmother's bed.  From this night on, the scratching was heard every night about seven o'clock and would continue until midnight."

So begins "The Exorcist Diary," the true story of the Exorcist. 

The Exorcist is of course an iconic horror movie from 1973, based on a novel by author William Peter Blatty.  The subject of the story is a young girl possessed by demonic forces and the priests who work to drive the devils from her.

The film terrified moviegoers at the time, but the truly creepy thing about the story is that it was based on actual events.  The root of the tale is a possession suffered by a young boy in 1949. 

In 2010, The Booth Brothers, filmmakers renown for their paranormal/horror films, produced "The Haunted Boy: The Secret Diary of the Exorcist," based on the documents left by Raymond J. Bishop, S.J.
Bishop was one of the priest involved in the exorcism of the boy in St. Louis, MO in 1949.  The film is highly entertaining and deserves a review of its own.  Needless to say, I encourage you to see it if you haven't.

The movie is great, and now, Christopher Saint Booth has done us all a further service by publishing "The Exorcist Diary," The Diary is actually the notes that Father Bishop kept while working on the infamous possession case.  It gives us some interesting insights into the disturbing events that took place in 1949.  The book is an excellent document to aid in the further study of the case and of course, it's filled with details about the incidents as they unfolded.  Directly from the priest's notes we read about incidents such as this:

"The most distinct markings on the body were the picture of the devil on R's right leg and the word "HELL" imprinted on R's chest in such a way that R could look down upon his chest and read the letters plainly.  The imprint of the devil and "HELL" appeared at the repetition of the "Praecipio" demanding the evil spirit to identify himself.  His arms were held above his head and seemed to be webbed, giving the hideous appearance of a bat.  All the room observers agreed that the above two signs could not be mistaken for other designs."

If you're interested in demonic cases, or the paranormal in general, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book while it's still available.  Find it at:

http://www.spookedproductions.blogspot.com/