By Lee Pfeiffer
The much-anticipated Blu-ray release of The Exorcist was worth the wait. Warner Home Video has justifiably been touting this as one of the major home video events of recent years and recently released the film to theaters in anticipation of the Blu-ray arrival. The film has aged remarkably well since its 1973 release. I recall being in high school when it opened and having to stand on line for hours in the frigid cold to see the movie, which initially only played at a small art house theater in New York. The film's impact hasn't diminished in the ensuing years, a testament to the talents of director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty. Even though the film inspired countless inferior imitations that continue today, nothing comes close to the original Exorcist in terms of scaring the living daylights out of even the most sophisticated of viewers. Perhaps the film's ultimate impact lies in Friedkin's contention that this never was a horror movie, but a statement about the ultimate battle between good and evil. Friedkin wisely chose a cast based on their ability rather than box-office clout. The performances of the actors continue to impress, especially those of Jason Miller and some of the supporting actors who were not thespians by profession.
I won't waste time extolling the virtues of the film, as virtually everyone reading this has probably seen it numerous times. Warner Home Video has issued the movie on both DVD and Blu-ray, but the latter has all the bells and whistles that make this a truly phenomenal release. The DVD contains the extended director's cut from 2000, which was also a major hit when released to theaters. The DVD has a limited number of extras, all of which were issued previously: a director's commentary and some trailers and TV spots. The Blu-ray edition, however, features not only all of the special edition features that had previously been released, but also the original theatrical cut of the film. (Friedkin amended certain effects and added some scenes for the 2000 director's cut.)
The crown jewel of the Blu-ray release is the inclusion of the on-set silent footage shot by cinematographer Owen Roizman, who captured cinematic history in a very unobtrusive way. The Roizman footage gives the viewer a new appreciation of all aspects of the movie, especially those that pertain to the technical elements. We witness how some of the film's most impressive special effects were achieved in the most primitive manner in those pre-CGI days. For example, the controlled shaking of Regan's bed was accomplished by having crew members kneel outside of camera range and simply shake and lift the bed with their bare hands! The footage also shows how delicately Friedkin handled sequences with young Linda Blair, who was often oblivious as how shocking seemingly innocuous scenes would appear in the final cut.
There are three new documentaries in the Blu-ray release that examine the lost footage, the various versions of the film that now exist and a "then-and-now" look at the Georgetown locations. Additionally, the set is packed with all of the extras that appeared on the initial DVD release of the extended cut. The set contains a leaflet with a special note from William Friedkin and is packaged in a small hardback book format that resembles those glorious old movie souvenir programs you could buy in theaters. Don't miss adding this to your library- and if you don't have Blu-ray yet, here's a reason to take the plunge.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW SPECIAL BLU-RAY TRAILER AND TO ORDER DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON
CLICK HERE TO ORDER DIRECTOR'S CUT DVD EDITION
The following is a comprehensive list of the contents of this set, taken from the official Warner Home Video press release:
Disc 1 - Extended Director’s Cut (2000) plus
Special Features
- Commentary by William Friedkin
NEW Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist -- set footage
produced and photographed
by Owen Roizman, camera and makeup tests, and interviews with
director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair,
author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman. BLU-RAYâ„¢
EXCLUSIVE
· NEW The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then
and Now -- Featuring a tour of the
iconic locations where the film was shot. BLU-RAYâ„¢ EXCLUSIVE
· NEW Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of
The Exorcist -- with director William Friedkin and
author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty discussing the different
versions of the film and featuring outtakes from the film. BLU-RAYâ„¢
EXCLUSIVE
· Trailers, TV Spots & Radio Spots from the
film’s 2000 release
o Trailers
The Version You’ve Never Seen
Our Deepest Fears
o TV Spots
Most Electrifying
Scariest Ever
Returns
o Radio Spots
The Devil Himself
o Our Deepest Fears
Disc 2 - Theatrical Cut (1973) plus Special Features:
· Introduction by William Friedkin
· Commentary by William Friedkin
· Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
The
Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist [1998 BBC documentary]
· Additional
Interviews with William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty
o The Original Cut
o Stairway to Heaven
o The Final Reckoning
· Original Ending
· Sketches & Storyboards
· Trailers & TV Spots from the 1973 version
o Trailers
Nobody Expected It
Beyond Comprehension
Flash Image
o TV Spots
Beyond Comprehension
You Too Can See The Exorcist
Between Science & Superstition
The Movie You’ve Been Waiting For
DON'T MISS CINEMA RETRO'S SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE EXORCIST AND WILLIAM PETER BLATTY INTERVIEW COMING IN ISSUE #19!