Forty years ago today, terrified audiences were exiting theaters, shocked after seeing William Friedkin‘s horror classic The Exorcist. The film has gone on to spawn its own sequels, as well as influence a legion of filmmakers, most recently Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their directorial debut This is the End. To celebrate the anniversary occasion, we’ve dug up an excellent documentary that goes behind the scenes of the film.

Hosted by Mark KermodeThe Fear of God aired on BBC during its 25th anniversary back in 1988 and features interviews with actors Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Friedkin, screenwriter and novelist William Peter Blatty and even Jason Miller before his death in 2001. Running over 77 minutes, it’s a fascinating, in-depth, official look at one of the most-praised films of all-time. You can see it below in full and be sure to share your experiences seeing the film for the first time in the comments.

Is The Exorcist one of your favorite horror films? What do you think of the behind-the-scenes documentary?

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