MovieChat Forums > The Exorcist (1973) Discussion > If a Head Spins 360 Degrees....

If a Head Spins 360 Degrees....

posted 8 years ago by ChaCha44
12 replies | jump to latest

...Wouldn't that have killed Regan? Or did it just appear that way? If I had the nerve, I would watch it again.

Well, the head spin was supposed to verify that she was possessed. This was not a normal situation and being that the demon has her levitating and rocking the whole house it would not be far-fetched to think it could twist her head all the way around and not kill her, that was the point. The book however is a little more ambiguous with the actions Regan did.

[–] ChaCha44 8 years ago

Levitation (unless the drop off point was out a window)would not have killed her but a 360 head spin surely would have killed her. I was wondering if it was just an illusion the demon created or was it intended to be a literal head spin.

[–] brucedgo 8 years ago

Wonderful word, "ambiguous." I read the novel way back -- before the movie. Liked it a lot. As I recall, the whole possession thing was kept quite ambiguous -- unlike in the movie.

[–] ramsplp 8 years ago

In the Good Morning America 10-year anniversary interview novelist Blatty said he was dead set against the 360 head spin because if it happened in real life, "the head would fall off". Friedkin trumped him, and it became arguably the biggest shock of the whole film.

[–] ChaCha44 8 years ago

It certainly was shocking but it should have been close to the point but not actually 360.

[–] blaydes 8 years ago

I like the idea that someone once posed to me in that it didn't really happen, but that the head spin was an act of illusion performed by the demon as a mind trick.

[–] snickz 8 years ago

I belive natural law did not apply to the demon. It was supernatural.

[–] bluedionysus 7 years ago

Exactly. Either that, or the head-turn simply cannot be taken literally - e.g. it's an illusion, poetic license, etc..

[–] WeAintFoundShin 8 years ago

No matter what anyone says - this is the truth:

It was a telepathic illusion.

Regan's head never once actually turned 180 or 360 degrees.

Remember that Pazuzu also made Karras see his mother in place of Regan on the bed.

Some may argue Pazuzu literally transmogrified Regan's entire body to look like Karras' mother, and nothing count prevent that since it was supernatural. But they'd be wrong.

Karras saw his mother for a moment, while Merrin saw Regan.

And yes, a 360 head turn would absolutely break Regan's neck, just like Regan was actually cut and bruised.

[–] svalinanikola 8 years ago

Well, she is possessed by a demon.

[–] DrAndreiSmyslov 8 years ago

I liked the way the new TV series addressed the head spinning effect.

Spoiler
It did indeed kill the victim when the demon spun the little boy's head backwards.

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One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces.

[–] Karnivore 7 years ago

Yep, it's pretty graphic too, you see the bones snapping under the skin as it turns.