''L'esorciccio'' (internationally released as ''The Exorcist: Italian Style'' and ''The Exorciccio''; the title puns on "Ciccio," a hypocorism of

Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...

) is a 1975 Italian Horror comedy film written, directed, produced and starring

Ciccio Ingrassia Francesco Ingrassia (5 October 1922 – 28 April 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian and film director. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. He starred in m ...

. A parody of William Friedkin's '' The Exorcist'' (1973), it is the second and last film directed by Ingrassia after '' Paolo il freddo'' (a parody of '' Paolo il caldo''). In the film, an

amulet An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects ...

of Beelzebub is located in Iran. Once transported to Italy, it causes the spirit possession of a mayor's son. Following a rape performed by the possessed boy, an exorcist is summoned. The evil spirit keeps changing host bodies, and eventually possesses the exorcist himself. The exorcist vanishes at the film's end.

Plot

In Iran at an archaeological site, an amulet depicting a small head of Beelzebub is recovered. The trinket is then lost and unearthed, in a small rural town near Rome, by a kid during a football match. The kid immediately manifests signs of spirit possession, felling a tree with the football and then forcing himself on a peasant girl in a nearby field. The following day the girl's parents ask for a reparation marriage but the kid's father (the town's mayor seeking re-election) dismisses their claims as a set-up to damage his reputation. However, later, he is shocked to find evidence of the uncontrollable urges of the possessed boy; after having called the doctor (to no avail) he is forced to ask for the assistance of the notorious "Exorciccio", a lay demon-hunter. The Exorciccio, aided by his bumbling assistant 'Satanetto' (lil'Satan) manages to exorcise the boy, his sister and finally the Mayor's wife, who all in sequence come into contact with the diabolical amulet. In the end it is the Mayor himself who ends up under its thrall during the celebrations for his re-election. The man, now possessed, shocks the crowd by urinating on the bystanders and performing a 'satanic' rock song, causing a furore during which the amulet is yet again lost and found, first by Dr. Schnautzer (the Mayor's physician) who briefly turns into a Hitler-esque figure. Finally, the accursed amulet is swallowed by the Exorciccio himself. In the final scene the Mayor complains that the supernatural events so far occurred must have a diabolical origin; the Exorciccio (now possessed) rebukes putting in doubt the existence of the Devil, before vanishing in a plume of smoke.

Cast

as the Exorciccio *

Lino Banfi Lino Banfi (born Pasquale Zagaria; 9 July 1936) is an Italian film actor and presenter. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1960. Biography He was born in the Apulian city of Andria and at the age of three, moved to Canosa di Puglia. Li ...

as Pasqualino Abate * Mimmo Baldi as Satanetto * Didi Perego as Annunziata, Pasqualino's wife * Barbara Nascimbene as Barbara Abate *

Gigi Bonos Luigi Bonos (1910–2000) was an Italian comedian and stage, television and film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1945 and 1992. Born in Berlin, Germany, the son of two Hungarian circus artists, along with his brothers Vitt ...

as Dr. Schnautzer * Tano Cimarosa as Turi Randazzo *

Ubaldo Lay Ubaldo Lay (14 April 1917 - 27 September 1984) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Life and career Born in Rome as Ubaldo Bussa, after graduating in law, Lay was admitted to the Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1939, from which he graduated with ...

as Lt. Sheridan *

Salvatore Baccaro Salvatore Baccaro (6 May 1932 – 13 March 1984) was an Italian character actor. He was recognizable for his known acromegaly and appeared in more than sixty films from 1970 to 1984. He died on 13 March 1984 aged 52 after thyroid surgery. Filmo ...

as Satanetto's mother * Dante Cleri as Antonio Sgrò * Renato Malavasi as Monsignor Evaristo * Franca Haas as Margherita *

Ada Pometti Ada Pometti (born 13 May 1955) is an Italian film, television and stage actress. Life and career Born Nunzia Agata Pometti in Catania, Sicily, she graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, and she worked at the Teatro St ...

as Domestica *

Lorenzo Piani Lorenzo Piattoni (27 September 1955 – 14 August 2016), known professionally as Lorenzo Piani, was an Italian singer and songwriter. Biography After studying classical piano at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, he released a single. As a musi ...

as Armando

Production

Due to Italian cultural sensibilities of the time, there are no mentions of

organized religion Organized religion, also known as institutional religion, is religion in which belief systems and rituals are systematically arranged and formally established. Organized religion is typically characterized by an official doctrine (or dogma), a ...

or the Catholic Church in the film, although the Exorciccio wears clothes vaguely resembling priestly ones.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Exorcist (Italian Style) 1975 films 1975 comedy horror films 1970s parody films 1970s supernatural horror films Italian comedy horror films Demons in film Films about exorcism Italian parody films Parodies of horror 1970s Italian films The Exorcist Films set in Iran Films set in Italy Beelzebub 1975 comedy-drama films