11.08.10 | Brian Burkart | Staff NotesPrint this Post
Tags: classic horror movies, horror movie reviews
The Exorcist is one of the few horror films to retain their ability to scare new viewers. Director William Friedkin’s classic, based on William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel, tells the story of Regan (Linda Blair), a young girl possessed by the devil and the efforts of two priests (Jason Miller and Max Von Sydow) to save her soul. The deceptively simple plot allows the film to become a meditation on the struggle between good and evil.
My first viewing was a CBS Movie of the Week airing in the late Seventies. I was ten years old and attended Catholic school where the nuns told us that the Devil was real. So it will come as no surprise that even in a censored version the material terrified me and I turned off the television when the words “Help Me” appeared on Regan’s body. Years later, I finally manned up and watched the full film on VHS, but it still disturbed me even though I no longer considered the Devil to be an active antagonist in my everyday life. The film doesn’t resort to cheap scares or musical stings for its chills. It builds a sense of dread from the reality of the situation and the viewer’s investment in the characters.
Warner Bros has released the film on Blu-ray in a 2-disc special edition that features plenty of new bonus materials. The package presents both the original 1973 theatrical version and the 2000 extended director’s version (previously titled “the version you’ve never seen.”) of the film. The 1080P picture transfer of both versions is stunning and a vast improvement over previous home video incarnations. The film was shot in a realistic style, and Friedkin retains the documentary look of the original photography, unlike his controversial experiment on The French Connection, where the director played with original color composition of the film in its Blu-ray release. He even claims that this is the “very best print ever made of The Exorcist” on the release’s paper insert. The extended version also boasts a DTS-HD 6.1 Master Audio track, while the theatrical version offers a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. Both are outstanding, providing an effective soundscape before unleashing its full power in the film’s finale.
The real value of this release is the generous array of special features which are spread over both discs. Both versions of the film are accompanied by an audio commentary by Friedkin, while Blatty provides commentary over the theatrical version, discussing the origin of his book, the religious nature of the plot, and other themes from the book. Since Blatty’s commentary runs short, the remaining time is filled with audio of voice actress Mercedes McCambridge testing the frightening demon voice.
The new supplements are included on the first disc and are presented in full HD. “Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist” includes never-before-seen location footage, camera and makeup tests, plus interviews with Friedkin, Blatty, Blair and cinematographer Owen Roizman. “Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of the Exorcist” features Friedkin and Blatty debating the different versions of the film. In addition to charting the pair’s falling out over the director’s decision to cut twelve minutes of footage, it also shows previously unseen footage intended to be included in the extended cut, which could not be added because of missing sound files or damage to the original negative. “Georgetown: Then and Now’ contains a series of comparative photographs, showing the way the key locations of the movie have changed in the past 37 years.
On disc two, Warner Bros. has retained all the special features from previous releases. The 77- minute “Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist” was produced for the film’s 25th anniversary and details every aspect of the film’s origin with candid comments from the cast and crew. An alternate ending, theatrical trailers, television spots, a director’s introduction and still gallery are also included.
The discs are housed in Digibook packaging, and a 40-page booklet of production notes, bios, and photos round out the set.
If the devil is in the details then this set is demonic. With an immaculate transfer and a colossal amount of special features, this is the definitive release of The Exorcist.
