NOTE: this DVD is part of Warner’s
Exorcist bundle. The package also includes the previously-released DVD’s of
The Exorcist II: The Heretic and
The Exorcist III. This review covers both the original stand-alone and bundled versions of
The Exorcist: TVYHS.
Do I really need to recap what the storyline of “The Exorcist” is for anyone reading this? Everyone older than 13 years of age has either seen William Friedkin’s masterful adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel about demonic possession, or wants to see it (again or for the first time). It’s a rite of passage, a landmark moment for movie buffs, horror fanatics and casual film watchers alike. With its well-developed (and all too human) characters, its documentary-like pace, unbelievably grotesque moments of nastiness and still-disturbing use of foul language (’You mother sucks c**** in hell’) The Exorcist has withstood the passage of time better than other 70’s horror landmarks.
The new Exorcist: The Beginning prequel begs for your DVD purchasing consideration the three Exorcist movies available in a bundle: 2000’s The Version You’ve Never Seen, 1977’s Exorcist II: The Heretic and 1990’s The Exorcist III. We’re reviewing all three movies today here on PSXNATION, along with the 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD as well as all the other flicks in the series (including the new one).
As a motion picture experience The Exorcist works because, despite all its gory set pieces and violent moments, it works wonderfully as a drama about the human endurance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. It forces the audience to put themselves in the shoes of the movie’s characters and feel/think as they do. If you were in the shoes of professional single mother Chris MacNeal (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’s Ellen Burstyn) and your little daughter Regan (Linda Blair) started mutilating herself and uttering profane religious blasphemy, what would you do? Like Chris in the movie, I would consult every mental health professional within my means to seek the most logical explanation for my daughter’s sudden mood swings and odd behavior. And this coming from yours truly, an Atheist man that was raised Catholic by a single-mother that went on to become a child psychologist (go figure! :-).
That’s the same logical conclusion given by Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) when Chris comes to him looking for an exorcism as a matter of last resort. The fact that this meeting takes place after Chris has seen Regan do some pretty nasty and unbelievable things to herself (including mutilation with a crucifix in the most intimate of areas) is half the reason we, as an audience, can identify with Chris’ desperation. The other reason the meeting with Karras is believable is that, for the previous hour, we’ve been watching the priest struggle with his own inner demons. His faith in doubt and the loss of his mother fresh on his mind, Karras (himself a psychiatrist) approaches Regan’s condition as a form of mental illness in need of psychiatric treatment.
When Karras becomes convinced there is need for an exorcism to free the little girl from her problems we know (and director William Friedkin knows that we as the movie’s audience will know) that this wasn’t a decision that was arrived to lightly or easily. As the opening scenes set in Iraq aptly preface it, The Exorcist is about an ongoing theological battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. As personified by Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow), good has to sacrifice a lot of in order to thwart its nemesis. The forces of good triumph at the end of The Exorcist (hope that didn’t ruin the movie for the 12 people out there that haven't seen it yet!) but not without paying a heavy personal toll on both the living survivors and those that had to sacrifice their Earthly beings. All to save the soul of a young woman who was only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A horror classic that keeps getting better with age (and squeezed dry by Warner for all the sequels it can), The Exorcist is a must-own DVD in either its 2000 ‘Version You’ve Never Seen’ incarnation (AKA this one!) or the 25th Anniversary Special Edition. Be warned though, the former is a little harder to find and a bit pricier than the newer version. Me? I own them both, which is the way it should be until someone wises up and releases an end-all, be-all Exorcist DVD with both versions of the movie accessible, ala the Ultimate Edition DVD of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Hey, a guy can dream right?
The Disc:
Technical specs aside, the sole reason to own this DVD version of The Exorcist are the approx. 9 Min. of Never-Before-Seen Footage seamlessly integrated by William Friedkin back into the 123 min. running time of the original ’73 version. If you’re familiar with the movie’s well-documented history (from books, magazine articles, internet forums or the documentary in the 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD) then you know that Exorcist author/producer Blatty always felt the movie needed the excised material for his vision to be fully realized. This version of the movie reflects Blatty’s wishes. It might also be one of the only times a ‘Writer’s Cut’ or ‘Producer’s Cut’ of a movie (Blatty worked as both writer & producer for The Exorcist) actually surpasses the 31 year-old ‘Director’s Cut’ we’re all familiar with. Even though the infamous ‘spiderwalk’ scene of Regan walking backwards down the stairs garnered the most attention from the press and public (and for good reason, it’s a scream… literally!) the rest of the integrated footage adds layers of depth to already strong story elements and characters.
Lee J. Cobb’s Lt. Kinderman, in particular, benefits tremendously from some of the added scenes. He now comes across more like an everyday hero than the meddling buffoon he comes across as in Friedkin’s ’73 version. Watching this version of The Exorcist is a must if you intend to also watch The Exorcist III, since the surviving supporting characters of the former are prominently featured in the latter. Theological discussions between the two priests involved in the exorcism of Reagan, a timely (even to this day) discussion about medication to treat minors and some really creepy close-ups of a demon-like face make the bulk of the new material added to the movie interesting but not necessarily relevant. Either version of The Exorcist (’73 Friedkin or ’00 Blatty) works for me, although I have a slight preference in my heart for the original version because it’s the one I grew up watching and believing to be the only version to exist. You know, the same way I prefer George Romero’s U.S. Theatrical version of 1979’s Dawn of the Dead over its gorier Extended version. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Considering its pedigree and big box office numbers (how many 25 year-old re-released movies can make $40+ million in ticket sales) the bonus features in Exorcist: TVYHS are a disappointment. A Commentary Track with William Friedkin is just the director reciting what scene is unfolding, what wasn’t included in the original version (about ten minutes’ worth) and so on. It’s a deadly dull track, and that’s it for behind-the-scenes information. There are also Two Theatrical Trailers, Four TV Spots and Two Radio Spots. The absence of William Peter Blatty (the driving force behind this version of the movie seeing the light of day) from the bonus features is dearly felt by those of us that have read his original novel.
On a big positive note though, the Widescreen Anamorphic (1:85:1) Video Transfer of this version of The Exorcist is the best one yet available on DVD. Though the color palette and skin tones are muted (the way cinematographer Owen Roizman intended the movie to look like) the movie doesn’t look as aged as the print used for the 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD back in ‘98. Artifacts, print damages and dirt are held back. Also, the new English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix is louder, cleaner and overall more involving than the previous one. The new music cues don’t overlap the dialogue as much as in the Exorcist: SE DVD, and the f***ed-up demonic groans and intense sound effects now sound better than ever. Last but not least there are English & French Subtitles.
bottom line:
Purists may detest it, but fans of The Exorcist
cannot afford NOT to have The Version You’ve Never Seen DVD in their collection. It’s got the best picture/sound transfer available on home video, plus it’s still a damn scary movie to boot! Shame on Warner Home Video for skimping on the extras and not releasing an Exorcist
DVD with both versions (Friedkin’s original cut and this one) available via branching technology. Can you spell QUADRUPLE DIP when the new Exorcist
prequel is re-released on DVD ladies and gentlemen? :-(
By - J.M. Vargas
