Outcast prop master Joe Arnold gave OutcastCinemax.com an insider look at Rev. Anderson’s exorcism kit. From trolling eBay to interfacing with Catholic priests, a lot went into getting these props just right.
Rev. Anderson’s “toolkit” is actually an old doctor’s bag.
“We ended up using one of six vintage ones I found either at local flea markets or eBay. The one [director] Adam [Wingard] chose was so old and falling apart, I had to take it to a shoe repair place and have it reinforced.”
The cross was specially made to match the comic book.
“I figured it wouldn’t be easy to find a plain metallic cross, so I ended up finding a local blacksmith and had the crosses custom made, as well as several rubber and foam versions. An exorcism can sometimes be violent, and we don’t want our stunt people hurting themselves.”
The holy water and earmarked bible were very much a DIY project.
“I spent an entire weekend with sandpaper, soy sauce, tea and highlighters aging, scuffing, dragging, kicking Anderson’s bible, then going page by page highlighting passages and writing notes that he might have made. For the holy water, to create the exact look we wanted, I had to combine three elements: the glass bottle itself, the lids—from medical beakers, as the glass bottles came with corks—and gold crosses from craft shops.”