THE EXORCIST - 1973 - THE SPIDER WALK / SCENE

In northern Iraq, the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, is heard. Catholic priest and archaeologist Lankester Merrin unearths a medallion of Saint Joseph and an artifact representing Pazuzu, an ancient demon. As Merrin prepares to leave Iraq, he sees a large statue of Pazuzu, and two dogs fighting.

In the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Georgetown, actress Chris MacNeil stars in a film directed by her friend Burke Dennings. MacNeil rents a well-appointed house with servants and her 12-year-old daughter Regan. Father Damien Karras, a psychiatrist who counsels Georgetown University priests, visits his ailing mother in New York. He confides to a colleague that he feels unfit in his role, citing a crisis of faith. Chris hears noises in the attic, and Regan attributes them to her imaginary friend, "Captain Howdy". In a local church, a statue of Mary is found desecrated.

Chris hosts a party. Karras' friend Father Dyer explains Karras' role as counselor, mentioning that his mother died recently. Regan appears and urinates on the carpet. After Chris puts Regan to bed, her bed shakes violently. Dyer consoles Karras, and Karras expresses guilt at not having been with his mother when she died. Karras dreams of his mother, a Saint Joseph medallion and—briefly—a demonic face.