S4 Halloween 2021 Special | The Exorcism of Roland Hunkeler

I Want To Believe: Season 7

I Want to Believe Podcast – Halloween 2021 – The Exorcism of Roland Hunkeler

Music at the top of the episode: Space and Time by Hannah Harleen

Voice & Lyrics by Hannah Harleen | Produced by Steve Bops | Hannah's Link Tree

Music at the bottom of the episode: The Exorcist Theme by Starfighter (Re-Work)

Documentary clips throughout the episode: The Exorcism of Roland Doe on Discovery+

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On December 26, 1973, The Exorcist was unleashed upon the American public. Some people were sickened by the film’s imagery and violent scenes. Some claimed to have fainted, vomited, suffered heart attacks, and more. Despite all the chaos, most movie goers loved the movie and it was the highest grossing, R rated horror movie until the 2017 release of IT.

Years before “Based on” or “Inspired by a true story” would ever be seen on the screens of countless horror movies, the general public, at that time, were mostly unaware of the origins of William Peter Blatty’s book and screenplay. Those origins transpired about 24 years prior to the film’s release.

Before we jump into the episode, I did want to give a reminder that ALL of our I Want to Believe social media & email are listed below. My brand-new book, We Only Come Out at Night, is now available for purchase. This book is a collection of short horror stories and can be found online at: SlevikStore.Company.Site. Valerie’s Tangled Web of Friends book series can be found on Amazon.

In 1949, Blatty was attending Georgetown University when he read an article in The Washington Post titled, Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil's Grip. It was written by Post Reporter Bill Brinkley, and according to Blatty, it inspired him to write his 1971 novel, The Exorcist. It was a relatively short article, approximately 500 words, and read in part, “In what is perhaps one of the most remarkable experiences of its kind in recent religious history, a 14-year-old Mount Rainier boy has been freed by a Catholic priest of possession by the devil, Catholic sources reported yesterday."

Listen to the episode to hear the whole, reportedly true story about how Roland Hunkeler became possessed and eventually exorcised.

Sources: Washington Post | Diabolical Confusions | Alex Matsuo | TFP.org | River Front Times

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