Terror Toys is an exciting feature bringing you the latest in horror action figures and collectibles. I’m very excited to have the services of Aaron Hauser of Turmoil in the Toybox fame, as one of our leading experts for this page. Aaron is also a skilled broadcaster/videographer with the Air Force, totaling over 11 years of experience working in news and TV production, along with producing various pieces for 99 Air Base Wing Public Affairs. His youtube series chronicles some of the best reviews on the net for movie collectibles, props and toys, so having him as a part of this feature is an honor.
Aaron returns to HMS with a literally head twisting piece and I do mean it. This time around he reviews a personal favorite of mine from Neca’s Cult Classics line – The Possessed Regan box set from the Exorcist. This is a fantastic piece and highly detailed, so let’s give Aaron a chance to tell you all about it in this exciting review from his Turmoil in the Toybox series.
William Peter Blatty‘s The Exorcist has had a significant hold on American pop culture. The film has been named the scariest of all time by Entertainment Weekly and landed at number three on Bravo’s list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments. In 2010 the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry; a highly esteemed honor as far as I am concerned. Blatty’s name will always be associated with this film, since the book – inspired from an actual exorcism that took place on a young boy in Cottage City, Mariland in 1949.
When Warner Brothers decided to option the book and make a film version, director William Friedkin was allowed access to the diaries of the priests involved in the actual exorcism, as well as the doctors and nurses. He doesn’t believe the head-spinning actually occurred, but this has been disputed by everyone involved.
The head-spinning scene is one of the highlights of the film. Some would argue the infamous spider-walk scene, or the vomiting and even the crucifix/masturbation scene are also unforgettable moments, but this is not so. In fact the FX crew built an animatronic doll of the possessed Regan to facilitate the desired effect. Some on set doubted the scene could be pulled off correctly, and before the commencement of the initial shot was filmed, FX artist Marcel Vercoutere realized the dummy Regan needed some breath to align the setting correctly. Once this was done, the scene was perfected and pulled off as the creepiest moment of the movie.
Kenneth Gallant, Editor HMS
Read the previous installment.