R.I.P. William Peter Blatty (1928-2017)

William Peter Blatty

On January 12, 2017, writer William Peter Blatty died of multiple myeloma at the age of 89 in Bethesda, Maryland. With a long and storied career, he is best known for his bestselling novel "The Exorcist," which followed the journey of a possessed girl. The story would later be turned into a movie by director William Friedkin, which has gone on to be considered one of the scariest movies of all time. While he got his start writing comedy, he is proud to have his legacy for a story that is tied to his own faith and ended up influencing literature, cinema, and TV for decades to come. He leaves behind an impressive body of work that transcends time and will likely be scaring people for the rest of time.

Freaky Friday: "The Exorcist" (1973)

The season is upon us, and it's time to get in the mood for Halloween. Every Friday in October, The Oscar Buzz will be highlighting the films that The Academy recognized that likely chilled you to your bone. While there have been several genres more prevalent than horror, there's been a fair share that have popped up and proven themselves among the more prestigious competition. What is it about these films that stand out? Are they just scary, or is there something more to their charm? Join in the journey of recognizing the award nominated scares that you may or may not have known about.