The Exorcist

1973, William Friedman, USA, 122 min

Selected and introduced by director, producer, and writer Erin Lee Carr

When a young girl is possessed by a demon, her mother and two Catholic priests do all they can to save her.

“Friedkin took an already terrifying subject and then added layers of visual and aural cues to heighten what we were already experiencing. The film’s soundtrack is filled with external noises”¦ used to heighten the tension. Robert Knudson and Chris Newman won the Academy Award for sound mixing, and it’s hard to think of a film in which sound is used more effectively. But in discussing the use of sound in The Exorcist, it is equally important to recognize how well Friedkin and his sound crew utilized silence and stillness.”

—Mike Holtzclaw, Daily Press

About Cabaret Cinema: Soundtrack

You can probably name the best movie you’ve seen, but what about the best movie you’ve heard? It might be your favorite because of its sound effects, sound engineering, score, or another element of the audio experience. Watch—and hear—a series of films that caught the ear of notable New Yorkers.

About the Introducer

Erin Lee Carr is a New York-based director, producer, and writer. Her newest film, Mommy Dead and Dearest, had its world premiere at SXSW in March 2017, aired on HBO in May 2017, and was well-received by critics and audiences alike. Her debut film, Thought Crimes, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Hot Docs Film Festival in 2015 and aired on HBO that May. Variety named Erin one of the 10 documentarians to watch in 2015. Before working with HBO, Erin hailed from the video team at VICE, specifically the “Motherboard” blog, where her produced content has amassed over 25 million views worldwide. Erin is currently in post-production for an episode in a Netflix series, executive produced by Alex Gibney, and directing a third true crime film for HBO, executive produced by Sheila Nevins.