The Exorcist Quotes

Demon: What an excellent day for an exorcism.

Father Karras: You would like that?

Demon: Intensely.

Father Karras: But wouldn't that drive you out of Regan?

Demon: It would bring us together.

Father Karras: You and Regan?

Demon: You and us.

Demon: I'm not Regan.

Father Karras: Well, then let's introduce ourselves. I'm Damien Karras.

Demon: And I'm the Devil. Now kindly undo these straps.

Father Karras: If you're the Devil, why not make the straps disappear?

Demon: That's much too vulgar a display of power, Karras.

Regan: But ya like him.

Chris MacNeil: Of course I like him. I like pizzas, too, but I'm not gonna marry one.

Father Karras: It's my mother, Tom. She's alone. I never should have left her. At least in New York, I'd be near, I'd be closer.

Tom, President of University: Could see about a transfer, Damien.

Father Karras: I need re-assignment, Tom. I want out of this job. It's wrong. It's no good.

Tom, President of University: You're the best we've got.

Father Karras: Am I really? It's more than psychiatry, and you know that Tom. Some of their problems come down to faith, their vocation and meaning of their lives, and I can't cut it anymore. I need out. I'm unfit. I think I've lost my faith, Tom.

Sharon: I should have known better. I'm sorry.

Chris MacNeil: Yeah, I guess you should have.

Sharon: How were the tests?

Chris MacNeil: We have to start looking for a shrink.

Dr. Taney: Pathological states can induce abnormal strength. Accelerated motor performance. Now, for example, say a 90 pound woman sees her child pinned under the wheel of a truck. Runs out and lifts the wheels a half a foot up off the ground - you've heard the story - same thing here. Same principle, I mean.

Chris MacNeil: So what's wrong with her?

Dr. Klein: We still think the temporal lobe.

Chris MacNeil: Oh what are you talking about, for Chrissakes? Did you see her or not? She's acting like she's fucking out of her mind, psychotic, like a... split personality or...

Dr. Taney: There haven't been more than a hundred authentic cases of so-called split personality, Mrs. MacNeil. Now I know the temptation is to leap to psychiatry. But any reasonable psychiatrist would exhaust the somatic possibilities first.

Chris MacNeil: So, what's next?

Dr. Taney: A pneumoencephalogram, I would think. Pin down that lesion. It will involve another spinal.

Chris MacNeil: Oh, Christ.

Dr. Taney: What we missed in the EEG and the arteriograms could conceivably turn up there. At least, it would eliminate certain other possibilities.

[after fighting with Karl]

Burke Dennings: So, what's for dessert?

Psychiatrist: Is there someone inside you?

Regan: Sometimes.

Psychiatrist: Who is it?

Regan: I don't know.

Psychiatrist: Is it Captain Howdy?

Regan: I don't know.

Psychiatrist: If I ask him to tell me, will you let him answer?

Regan: No.

Psychiatrist: Why not?

Regan: I'm afraid.

Dr. Barringer, Clinic Director: There is one outside chance for a cure. I think of it as shock treatment - as I said, it's a very outside chance... Have you ever heard of exorcism? Well, it's a stylized ritual in which the rabbi or the priest try to drive out the so-called invading spirit. It's been pretty much discarded these days except by the Catholics who keep it in the closet as a sort of an embarrassment, but uh, it has worked. In fact, although not for the reasons they think, of course. It's purely a force of suggestion. The victim's belief in possession is what helped cause it, so in that same way, a belief in the power of exorcism can make it disappear.

Chris MacNeil: You're telling me that I should take my daughter to a witch doctor? Is that it?

Dr. Barringer, Clinic Director: It looks like a type of disorder that you rarely ever see any more, except in primitive cultures. We call it a somnambuliform possession. Quite frankly, we don't know much about it except that it starts with some conflict or guilt that eventually leads to the patient's delusion that his body's been invaded by an alien intelligence, a spirit if you will.

Chris MacNeil: Look, I'm telling you again and you'd better believe it: I'm not about to put her in a goddamn asylum! And I don't care what you call it! I'm not putting her away!

Dr. Barringer, Clinic Director: I'm sorry.

Chris MacNeil: You're sorry! Jesus Christ, 88 doctors and all you can tell me with all of your bullshit is...

Dr. Barringer, Clinic Director: There is one outside chance of a cure. I think of it as shock treatment. As I say, there is an outside chance...

Chris MacNeil: Will you just name it, for God's sake? What is it?

Male Doctor: Do you have any religious beliefs?

Chris MacNeil: No.

Female Doctor: What about your daughter?

Chris MacNeil: No, why?

Dr. Barringer, Clinic Director: Have you ever heard of exorcism? It's a stylized ritual in which rabbis or priests try to drive out the so-called invading spirit. It's pretty much discarded these days, except by the Catholics who keep it in the closet as a sort of embarrassment. It has worked, in fact, although not for the reason they think, of course. It was purely the force of suggestion. The victim's belief in possession helped cause it. And just in the same way, this belief in the power of exorcism can make it disappear.

Father Dyer: Listen, if you ever go up there again will you take me along?

Astronaut: What for?

Father Dyer: First missionary on Mars.

Chris MacNeil: [as the Ouija planchette pulls away] You really don't want me to play, huh?

Regan: No, I do. Captain Howdy said no.

Chris MacNeil: Captain who?

Regan: Captain Howdy.

Chris MacNeil: Who's Captain Howdy?

Regan: You know, I make the questions and he does the answers.

Chris MacNeil: Oh, Captain Howdy...

[Regan, possessed, is masturbating with a crucifix]

Demon: Let Jesus fuck you, let Jesus fuck you. Let him fuck you.

Father Merrin: I cast you out! Unclean spirit!

Demon: Shove it up your ass, you faggot!

Father Merrin: In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is he who commands you! It is he who flung you from the gates of Heaven to the depths of Hell!

Demon: Fuck him!

Father Merrin: Be gone...

Demon: Fuck him, Karras! Fuck him!

Father Merrin: ...from this creature of God! Be gone! In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Father Karras: I think it might be helpful if I gave you some background on the different personalities Regan has manifested. So far, I'd say there seem to be three. She's convinced...

Father Merrin: There is only one.

[Karras sees Merrin dead on Regan's bed and gently moves him onto the floor; he beats Merrin's chest with force and checks for a heartbeat]

Father Karras: You son of a bitch!

[attacks Regan]

Father Karras: Take me! Come into me! God damn you! Take me! Take me!

[the demon transfers to Karras; he is about to kill Regan but stops]

Father Karras: NOOOO!

[jumps out of the window and rolls down the stairs outside the apartment, dead]

Burke Dennings: Shall we summon the writer? He's in Paris.

Chris MacNeil: Hiding?

Burke Dennings: Fucking.

Dr. Klein: Do you keep any drugs in your house?

Chris MacNeil: No, of course not, nothing like that.

Dr. Klein: Are you sure?

Chris MacNeil: Well, of course I'm sure. I'd tell you. Christ, I don't even smoke grass.

Chris MacNeil: Would you like some brandy in that, father?

Father Merrin: Well, my doctor says I shouldn't, but thank God my will is weak.

[repeated lines]

Father Merrin, Father Karras: The Power of Christ compels you!

[to a prominent senator at Chris' party]

Burke Dennings: There seems to be an alien pubic hair in my gin. Never seen it before in my life! Have you?

Lt. Kinderman: You know who you look like? John Garfield. Exactly, John Garfield, "Body and Soul." Do people ever tell you that, Father?

Father Karras: Do people tell you that you look like Paul Newman?

Lt. Kinderman: Always.

Father Karras: Why her? Why this girl?

Father Merrin: I think the point is to make us despair. To see ourselves as... animal and ugly. To make us reject the possibility that God could love us.

Burke Dennings: Tell me, was it public relations you did for the Gestapo or community relations?

Karl: I'm Swiss!

Burke Dennings: Oh, of course. And you never went bowling with Goebbels before either, I suppose? Nazi bastard.

Father Karras: Where is Regan?

Demon: In here. With us.

Demon: You killed your mother! You left her alone to die! Bastard!

Father Karras: Shut up!

Regan: Mother? What's wrong with me?

Chris MacNeil: It's just like the doctor said. It's nerves, and that's all. You just take your pills and you'll be fine, really. Okay?

[2000 version]

Chris MacNeil: Well, give me an example. Like what specifically did she say?

Dr. Klein: Specifically, Mrs. MacNeil, she advised me to "keep my fingers away from her goddamned cunt."

Demon: Mirabile dictu, don't you agree?

Father Karras: You speak Latin?

Demon: Ego te absolvo.

Father Karras: Quod nomen mihi est?

Demon: Bon Jour.

Father Karras: Quod nomen mihi est?

Demon: La plume de ma tante.

Chris MacNeil: Oh no, that was no spasm. I got on the bed. The whole bed was thumping and rising off the floor and shaking. The whole thing, with me on it!

Dr. Klein: Mrs. MacNeil, the problem with your daughter is not her bed; it's her brain.

[2000 version]

Lt. Kinderman: You go to films, Father Dyer? You like them?

Father Dyer: Oh, sure.

Lt. Kinderman: I get passes. In fact I've got a pass for the Crest tomorrow night. You'd like to go?

Father Dyer: What's playing?

Lt. Kinderman: "Wuthering Heights".

Father Dyer: Who's in it?

Lt. Kinderman: Heathcliff, Jackie Gleason, and in the role of Catherine Earnshaw, Lucille Ball. You're happy?

Father Dyer: I've seen it.

Lt. Kinderman: Another one.

[2000 version]

Father Merrin: [on his way to begin the exorcism] What is your daughter's middle name, Mrs. MacNeil?

Chris MacNeil: Teresa.

Father Merrin: What a lovely name.

Chris MacNeil: What are you doing here?

Regan: My bed was shaking. I can't get to sleep.

Chris MacNeil: We've got rats in the attic. You better get some traps.

Karl: Rats?

Chris MacNeil: Mm-hmm. 'Fraid so.

Karl: But the attic is clean.

Chris MacNeil: All right, then we've got clean rats.

Regan: Captain Howdy, do you think my mom's pretty?... Captain Howdy?... Captain Howdy, that isn't very nice!

Chris MacNeil: Well, maybe he's sleeping.

[first lines]

Boy: [in Arabic] They've found something... small pieces.

[last lines - original version]

Chris MacNeil: Father Dyer? I thought you'd like to keep this.

[last lines - 2000 version]

Father Dyer: You know, you look a bit like Bogart.

Lt. Kinderman: You noticed.

Chris MacNeil: How do you go about getting an exorcism?

Father Karras: I beg your pardon?

Chris MacNeil: Is it over?

Father Karras: No

Chris MacNeil: Is she going to die?

Father Karras: No!

Chris MacNeil: How does a doctor end up as a priest?

Father Karras: It's the other way around; the Society put me through medical school.

Tom, President of University: [discussing the case, referring to Karras] Well, he does know the background. I doubt there's any danger in just having him assist. There should be a psychiatrist present, anyway.

Bishop Michael: What about the exorcist? Have you any ideas?

Tom, President of University: How about Lankester Merrin?

Bishop Michael: Merrin? Why, I'd a notion he was over in Iraq. I think I read he was working on a dig near Nineveh.

Tom, President of University: Yeah, you're right, Mike, but he's finished. He came back three or four months ago. He's at Woodstock now.

Bishop Michael: What's he doing there? Teaching?

Tom, President of University: No, he's working on another book.

Bishop Michael: Don't you think he's too old, Tom? How's his health?

Tom, President of University: He must be all right, he's still running around digging up tombs. Besides, he's had experience.

Bishop Michael: I didn't know that.

Tom, President of University: Ten, twelve years ago, I think, in Africa. The exorcism supposedly lasted several months. I heard it damn near killed him.

Father Dyer: [taking away Karras' whiskey] I reckon I saved him from a great temptation.

Father Karras: Stealing's a sin.

Father Karras: Would you like to hear about the case, first?

Father Merrin: Why?

Chris MacNeil: Jesus Christ, Karl! Don't do that!

Karl: Yeah, but you see, no rats.

Chris MacNeil: No rats. Terrific.

[first lines]

Muezzin: Allahu Akbar...