Interesting fact:

While plenty of people appreciate the horror genre for the contributions it has made to the landscape of film over the years, it’s rare to see these flicks competing for top prizes. In fact, the first horror film to ever compete for the Academy Award for Best Picture was none other than William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, which received a grand total of 10 Oscar nominations in 1974, including a Best Supporting Actress nomination for then 15-year-old Linda Blair. That's a long time to wait for recognition!