MovieChat Forums > The Exorcist III (1990) Discussion > Discovered a possible "subliminal" image

Discovered a possible "subliminal" image

posted 8 years ago by bastasch8647
16 replies | jump to latest

I think I found a quasi-subliminal image that's been staring me in the face after multiple viewings - it's a "sort-of" Pazuzu-Howdy face that appears on the right side of Kinderman, behind his back, when he's interviewing Temple in Temple's office.

It's frequently shown on and around the 53:30 mark.

For anyone interested, I'd say it's Blatty's subtle way of revealing the demonic ambience of his story and a possible reference to the demon symbology of the Friedkin film - what do you think?

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[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

Some say the white thing is a skull cross-section - I can't identify it, but it looks a lot, to me, like the feral snarling Pazuzu face from the first film. Not that it is a Pazuzu face, but whatever it is, it is suggestive of the face...

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[–] pazuzu9 8 years ago

I think it looks very much like Pazuzu.

To me it looks like the Pazuzu amulet face superimposed over another image.

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please - Mark Twain

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

Good description...!

:)

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[–] 5535 8 years ago

Good catch, it looks like an X-ray of Pazuzu's face.

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

Thanks...yeah, there is a similarity to an X-ray, which is oddly appropriate to a doctor's office...

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[–] pazuzu9 8 years ago

So maybe Pazuzu was a patient at some time?😀

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please - Mark Twain

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

Entirely possible - he sought counseling from the very young Dr. Temple after he threw down the challenge to Merrin in Iraq. He was having a slight lapse of self-confidence, and wanted to get straight with himself so he could battle Merrin again with vim and vigor. In their last meeting, Temple foolishly told Pazuzu, "Don't be a stranger!" - and we know that the demon met that invitation in spades once he'd implanted the Gemini as a patient in Temple's hospital...

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[–] 5535 8 years ago

^ I believe that.

Poor young Pazuzu :(

I can tell by his X-ray that he had a sinus infection too.

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

The sinus infection alone explains his prickly attitude.

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[–] 5535 8 years ago

True!

Would be funny to see someone make a short film about Pazuzu in his early years LOL

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

So long as Spielberg directs - been a long time since he made a short documentary.

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[–] 5535 8 years ago

Haha!

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

Come to think of it, documentaries aside, has Spielberg ever actually directed true horror? Jurassic Park has horror elements in terms of gore/physical attack, and in the idea that humankind and dinosaurs are not supposed to occupy the same time period - an element of cosmic horror there, the horror of that which is not supposed to be. But since SS has capitulated to safe family values entertainment, I suppose it's just a pipe dream to imagine him ever directing a genuine horror film...

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[–] 5535 8 years ago

Poltergeist could be argued as horror, as Steven directed a lot of that.

I'd love to see Spielberg direct a scary movie again.

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

D'oh! I had completely forgotten about Polgergeist - thanks for the reminder.

:)

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