The Exorcist on Blu-Ray? (1 Viewer)

[Kyle_D]

I'll be passing on this release. Warner would have gotten my money if they had included the theatrical cut.

Roger Ebert's review of The Version You've Never Seen lines up more or less exactly with my own take on the film.

rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article

I want to write about William Friedkin's "The Exorcist," and instead find myself faced with the film's "director's cut." Here is one of the great horror films, and it has been subjected to editorial tinkering--no doubt to justify the advertising line, "The version you've never seen." No, and you don't need to, either.
If the changes don't make the film better, they should not have been made. If I were showing "The Exorcist" to a friend, I would show the 1973 version without the slightest hesitation. I hope Warner Bros. doesn't suppress it in favor of this marketing ploy.

 

[Jim_K]

Can't say I'm surprised as Warner is getting very proficient at giving their High-def customers the shaft.

yet another catalog title that would've been a no-brainer purchase from me is now a NO SALE.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by Robert Crawford

You're right Scott, it's all about preference and I'm more inclined now to watch the TVYNS version than the original...

Like most extended editions, there's scenes that I think are great (Merrin and Karras on the stairs during the exorcism) and scenes that I think should have never been added back to the movie (the spider walk). That being said, if this was the original version I would have picked up on the first day but since it's the extended cut, it's not something that I'll be running out to grab. At some point in the future, I'll grab it when it's on sale cheap.

Sadly, the Friedkin and Blatty commentary from the 25th anniversary disc most likely won't be on the disc but the TERRIBLE solo Friedkin commentary from the extended cut will be.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Warner, I suspect, are simply following Friedkin's preference, which as seen with The French Connection, can be quite controversial.

 

[Mark Hawley]

I think it's time to start a real "Free Hat" group devoted to protecting films from their directors!

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

I wanted the theatrical cut of the film, it would be nice to have both versions but if Freidkin wants his more Mtv cut of the film released cause he wants to think of himself as hip and with the kids then he can release that but no purchase from me.

And can't they just call it a new Dir Cut, instead of that really tacky VERSION YOU'VE NEVER SEEN? I mean come on we have seen it - or had a chance to it has been out on DVD for years.

 

[Dave H]

The theatrical cut would be nice, but I will still get this version.

 

[Brian Borst]

Well, Owen Roizman (the DP) is also working on it after expressing his dissatisfaction about the Blu-ray of The French Connection, so it should look like it was before. But I didn't really care for the extended version (since it was more William Peter Blatty's version, it's not really a Director's Cut). The hospital scenes gave the impression that something was wrong with her too early, and the 'demon images' were mostly distracting. I'll hold on to my dvd anyway, since that one has the 'Fear of God' documentary on it. I'll have to see how the Blu-ray looks first.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

NO SALE for me as well -- I much prefer the original theatrical version to THE VERSION I DON'T NEED TO SEE. I still own both versions on DVD, but these days I think of TVYNS as a bonus disc with extra scenes.

It's amazing that after Friedkin stuck by his guns for so long regarding NOT wanting to appease Blatty by revamping his film, now he's championing TVYNS.

I want this movie on Blu-ray, but it'll be the original version or I'll stick with the S-DVD. Sometimes you have to take a stand, and this is such a time.

 

[MattFini]

I'm sticking with the theatrical cut on SD as well.

Warner's decision to release TVYNS only is incredibly disappointing, if expected. Sorry Warner, but I'm not buying this film on BD until you offer the theatrical cut.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Man, this sucks! Why not include both version and increase the price-point? We all know Warner Bros. loves to do that. Brandon's probably correct though that these are Friedkin's wishes, but the man is proving to be a loon, in my opinion

This is why I have been holding onto the original cut of the Exorcist on DVD for dear life. And as soon as I heard To Live and Die in L.A. was getting postponed, I feared another French Connection pastel hack-job was on the way so much I pulled the trigger on the Hong Kong BD release. I guess those are my own personal 'Free Hat' actions.

 

[Jim_E]

I'll probably pass since the original version isn't included. At least it isn't in a Warner 'box of crap', I thought they might have floated the disc in a bucket of reproduction vomit the way they've been going...

 

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by Jim_E

I'll probably pass since the original version isn't included. At least it isn't in a Warner 'box of crap', I thought they might have floated the disc in a bucket of reproduction vomit the way they've been going...

Now that's just silly. We know it wasn't fake vomit they were going to include, but a little statue of Pazuzu and a diamonique encrusted crucifix.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

You forgot the Regan figurine in the "spider walk" pose.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Sigh. The original cut is simply a better film. Whilst a few of the scenes in the newer version aren't bad, the "in your face" digital additions detract from the film. The quick flashes of Pazuzu in the Karras' dream still make me shiver. Bad CG morphs don't. Chalk up another one I won't be buying.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

"The Version You Don't Want" to See is comical. The spiderwalk scene is a lead balloon within the context of the film and what makes it worse is that Friedkin added CGI blood spewing from Regan's mouth when he put that clunker back in. The faux-subliminal images are inept and cheezy like something out of a straight-to-video horror film from 1996. I'm so glad that I have held on to the old SE which isn't exactly hard to get now, but you have to hunt around for it, especially in European countries. The transfer on the old SE isn't perfect (if anything, it's the encoding/bitrate that lets it down) but it represents the film very well, I feel. I am a huge Friedkin fan, but he has made some frustrating statements of late: promising an uncut Cruising; the futzing of the Blu-ray French Connection (which I don't find that bad, actually); promising that a remastered widescreen SE of Sorcerer was on the way (I constantly get folk from the IMDb message boards asking me about this); and now potentially deep-sixing the 1973 cut of The Exorcist. BTW, which version of The Exorcist shows up most on U.S, TV these days? Because, if a 1080p HD transfer of The Exorcist does not currently exist, that version may go the way of the original Star Wars, I reckon. There will come a day when TV stations won't touch a non-HD tape/disc. As I say, you can get the OOP 1998 SE for under $10 but I could see those sealed sets reaching high prices within 12 months.

 

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by Gordon McMurphy The spiderwalk scene is a lead balloon within the context of the film and what makes it worse is that Friedkin added CGI blood spewing from Regan's mouth when he put that clunker back in. The faux-subliminal images are inept and cheezy like something out of a straight-to-video horror film from 1996.

Exactly my feelings. I love the additional scenes put in, except for the spiderwalk, but I HATE the rejiggred subliminal images. But, sadly, now I find the original a bit lacking when I miss some of the "new" scenes, especially Merrin and Karras on the stairs, and the ending.

Too bad they can't put everything on the blu-ray all restored and pristine and let everybody "build" their own favored version of the film, be it "Original," "TVYNS" or a mix of the two.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Despite the 9/8 release date. Amazon still does not have this title listed for pre-order. I couldn't find it.

Edited by Johnny Angell - 7/25/2009 at 06:18 pm GMT

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angell

Despite the 9/8 release date. Amazon still does not have this title listed for pre-order. I couldn't find it.

Edited by Johnny Angell - 7/25/2009 at 06:18 pm GMT

Maybe WB's is trying to work with Friedkin for the inclusion of the original cut who knows. I just know without the original cut of the film I will NOT buy that new overly done re-edit. I woudl hope for the original cut the original WB logo would be intact... but I can deal with not having it open the film as long as we get the original cut. Otherwise I will just deal with the so so image quality of the standard DVD 25th Anniversary release.

 

[iDarren]

Do you guys realize that there is an AMAZING DVD set out now of the entire Exorcist series featuring EVERY CUT of every film, plus with all the previously release extra features included? It is my hope that this same set hits Blu ray in the future.