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The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen
review by Anthony D.
Rated R
Studio: Warner Bros.
Running Time: 132 minutes
Starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max
von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb and Mecerdes McCambridge
Screenplay by Willam Peter Blatty, from his novel
Directed by William Friedkin
Retail Price: $26.99
Features: Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots, Radio Spots,
Commentary
Specs: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby
Digital EX, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese
Subtitles, Chapter Search
In the winter of 1973, the hottest selling movie of the
Christmas season was William Friedkin's stunning film
version of William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel, "The
Exorcist." This tale of demonic possession shocked
complacent audiences with it's graphic language, visuals and
disturbing theme. The film garnered several Academy Award
nominations, including Best Picture, while dividing critics
and audiences over its merits.
Flash forward several years, to 1998, to be precise, and
"The Exorcist" is given a deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition on
video tape and laser disc. This version contained extensive
interviews with Blatty and Friedkin debating the merit's of
the original cut of the film, the one NOT seen by audiences,
as well as numerous deleted scenes including the infamous
"spider-walk." Blatty felt that the film was incomplete and
ambiguous; whereas Friedkin felt the film was a
"thinking-man's" horror masterpiece. Finally, three years
after the Anniversary Edition, Freidkin went back to "The
Exorcist," pulled in eleven minutes of deleted scenes,
pumped up the soundtrack and added several
computer-generated inserts. This "Version You've Never Seen"
was released to theaters nation-wide in September of 2000,
once again dividing the audiences (now laughing at what once
was meant to shock) and critics. A lackluster box office
pushed Warner to release their second, and hopefully final,
DVD incarnation of this classic horror tale only three
months after its theatrical run.
For the uninitiated, the plot centers on the brutal
demonic possession of the daughter of an actress (Linda
Blair's Regan to Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil), and the
effects on the people closest to her. Involved in the major
story line are a frail priest (Max von Sydow as Lankester
Merrin), a priest whose faith has been tested too many times
(Jason Miller as Father Damian Karras), a homicide detective
with a fondness for old movies (Lee J. Cobb as Lt.
Kinderman) as well as the Demon Pazuzu, voiced all too
realistically by the brilliant character actress Mercedes
McCambridge (whose efforts were not recognized until the
film's first theatrical re-issue). "The Exorcist: The
Version You've Never Seen" spins a suspenseful web akin to
reading a good novel, and in its newest video presentation
adheres more closely to William Peter Blatty's novel than
ever; BUT whether or not this is a good thing, is up to the
viewer to decide.
The anamorphic print (1.85:1) used by Warner for this DVD
is definitely the best "The Exorcist" has ever looked;
noticeably cleaned up from the 25th Anniversary Edition, the
film still possesses a mild graininess, particularly in the
opening scenes set in Iraq introducing us to Father Merrin
(Chapters 1 through 3) as well as in dimly lit scenes. A
drop in color is noticeable in all versions of "The
Exorcist" in the notorious "nut-grabbing"sequence, and this
version does not rectify that color loss (Chapter 21). These
minor points aside, the print is fine. Colors are much more
natural and film-like than previous video versions, and had
Warner not pointed out the new footage on the Scene Index,
one would be hard-pressed to distinguish between the 1973
and the year 2000 versions. Fleshtones (whether possession
inflicted or human) are stable throughout, as are the
balances between black and grey. The few outdoor daylight
scenes look natural and present a stark contrast to the
softly lit scenes in the bedroom of the possessed Regan.
Once again, "The Exorcist" has undergone a makeover, and
the Dolby Digital Surround track may have its problems, but
the merits outweigh those problems. Dialogue all too often
appears to be ADR-produced, especially in the closing
Chapter 47, and the "Heard of exorcism?" scene between Chris
and Father Damian Karras (Chapter 26). At times, the effects
track is pumped too high: when a telephone rings in Chapter
35, you'll be tempted to answer it. On the plus side,
though, the soundtrack is totally environmental, effects
move fluidly throughout all speakers creating quite a
hellishly delightful aural experience.
Here's where Warner's has missed the boat. The
opportunity to present a seamlessly branched version of both
films has been over-looked, there are no trailers for the
original version, nor the splendid documentary which was
included on the 25th Anniversary Edition. What we are given
is a rather soporific, scene-specific audio commentary from
director Friedkin who uses this track to more or less
narrate the movie, leading me to call this "The Exorcist: A
Bedtime Story" track. There are a couple of text only files
on the cast and crew, as well as several trailers, tv and
radio spots: all for "The Version You've Never Seen," and
none really all that great.
I have always been somewhat indifferent to "the
Exorcist," pleading that I like the book much better. I have
found the possession scenes to be too over-the-top and too
graphic for their own good; while when reading the novel,
there is still room to see the innocent Regan while reading
those possession passages. Friedkin's choice to smother
Linda Blair in outree make-up and special effects has always
been a sore point with many viewers...the head turning
sequence - -too obviously fake, and too brutal for a child
to survive reeks of gratuitousness. Despite all the cheap
thrills Friedkin evokes, the film works very well outside of
Regan's possession, after all, it is not ultimately ABOUT
Regan, but rather the effect that Regan's possession has on
the people around her. This is the heart and soul of this
story, the quiet passages where the superb acting of a
finely-tuned cast is allowed to present their characters. My
favorite scenes in any version of "The Exorcist" consist of
two to three people nearly whispering to each other in
conversation, and on that count, the new "The Version You've
Never Seen" excels. Viewers are treated to new scenes with
Lt. Kinderman, new footage of Fathers Karras and Merrin
discussing the reason for the possession, as well as some
new dialogue for the ever-watchable Ellen Burstyn.
For fans of this film, unfortunately NEITHER dvd
incarnation is adequate: Although "The Version You've Never
Seen" boasts much better picture and sound, the additional
footage at times feels bloated and dumbed-down, while the
25th Anniversary edition features a plethora of Special
Features, including a running commentary with BOTH Blatty
and Friedkin, as well as a BBC documentary featuring
interviews with cast and crew. With Warner's pricing, it is
not too expensive to hove both in one's home video library.
 (4/5, NOT included in
final score)
 (5/5)
 (4.5/5)
 (2/5)
(4/5,
NOT an average)
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