The Exorcist on Blu-Ray?

Re: The Exorcist on Blu-Ray?

Actually, no I'm sure he will probably remaster the film based on this "new" system. He just started using it for Boys in the Band and The French Connection. And the Exorcist TVYNS was actually done before the DVD transfer of TFC, so I'm sure he'll revisit it for blu-ray.

Re: The Exorcist on Blu-Ray?

In a review for TVYNS, someone commented that the color timing was changed in the Exorcism scenes to have a more blueish cast compared to the original version.

Re: The Exorcist on Blu-Ray?

Jeff Wells has linked to a podcast interview with Friedkin over at Hollywood Elsewhere.

Full Of It :: Hollywood Elsewhere

It's a long interview and the interviewer has a tendency to jump in when he's not welcome and stay silent when he should be speaking up, but the most frustrating thing about the interview is that Friedkin doesn't even seem to regard his new color timings as revisions, instead blaming the unrefined, inconsistent printing processes of the time as imposing the look we've all gotten used to. He did, however, seem pretty happy with the way The Exorcist currently looks on DVD, but flatly stated that the Blu-ray will look even better, "the best it ever has."

He does say that Warner asked him which cut of The Exorcist he'd prefer to see on Blu if forced to choose, and he chose TVYNS, though George Feltenstein told him they'd try to put both cuts out. Friedkin didn't seem to have a problem with that. He wasn't sure, however, if this was still the plan given the current economic situation.

He also mentions that he was all set to start work on a Blu-ray of Sorcerer, but this has been held up due to the economy.

Re: The Exorcist on Blu-Ray?

Ha, ha! No sale Friedken WB.
Glad I got the "original" out of a used sale bin.
SD for me on this title (and I'm not even an SD fan; so I'm disappointed I wont get too spend $$$ on a HD/lossless "TE").

Again, I'd buy it: "TVYNS" on BD...
if it had an unfutzed w/version w/lossless.

Well- it looks like Warner forced him to choose as The Digital Bits posted this yesterday



. Between this, the outrageous prices on Wizard Of Oz and GWTW and the cynical use of Bd's enormous capacity to only give us one preliminary version of LOTR- I'm feeling like Warner is petitioning hard for Most Disappointing Studio Of The Year.
They may take it too, since Paramount has ceased being a 'surprise' disappointment for several years now.

I did not care for TVYNS, so I will probably pass on this release and just hang on to my DVD copy of the theatrical version.

What's wrong with TVYNS?  Did they omit anything from the original version?  I thought they just added on some images of the demon and the spider walk.

Well, there are quite a few changes, which totally alter the pacing of the film:

• A slightly different opening, which shows the MacNeil's home in Georgetown, then cuts to the opening titles.
• The scene where Chris MacNeil screams on the phone includes a new music cue and omits the line "I've been on this fucking line for 20 minutes!" and simply cuts to the next scene.
• A new scene with Regan at the hospital receiving treatment to diagnose her "unusual" behavior. The doctor tells Chris MacNeil that Regan told him to "keep his hands away from her Goddamn cunt." This scene sets up her bizarre behavior earlier and clarifies the scene where Chris tells Regan "it's just like the doctor said, it's just nerves. You just take your pills and you'll be fine"
• The party scene removes the shot of Regan lauging with the guests, obviously because of her "unusual" behavior in the previous scene.
• In the scene where Chris returns home and the lights go out, new digital effects including satanic faces and images of the statue, new sound effects, and music have been added to the scene.
• The "spider-walk" scene has been restored and digitally altered from the original scene. Here, crude wires from the scene have been digitally removed, she comes down the stairs much faster, and her mouth is full of blood. It then cuts to black, and the next scene opens.
• Before she grabs the psychiatrist's crotch, a new digital effect of her face morphing into the devil(which is seen in subliminal cuts throughout)including a new growl has been added.
• A new music cue has been added to the scene with Lt. Kinderman and Father Karras.
• After Father Karras leaves for the night, a new scene of him examining a tape of Regan trying to talk to her dad has been added and a new music cues ties the new scene and the scene of Father Karras at the mass together.
• New scenes with Sharon trying to tune out the devil groans and a short moment with Chris MacNeil and Father Merrin(which hints his vulnerability and weakness) have been added.
• A new music cue has been added to the scene with Father Karras and Father Merrin going up the stairs to perform the exorcism, and a short scene has been added before they enter the room. Father Damien asks Chris MacNeil what Regan's middle name is. She tells him it's Theresa, and he says "what a lovely name."
• The scene with Father Karras and Father Merrin talking on the stairs (which was included on the 25th Anniversary DVD) has been restored.
• When Father Karras looks up at the window when he's possessed, a new digital effect with Karras' mother's face has been added, and the scene includes the "subtle morph effect" that was included on the 25th anniversary edition DVD.
• When Chris MacNeil gives Father Dyer Father Karras' medal, he gives it back to her and says "I think you should keep it", instead of simply keeping it as in the original version. A new short scene of Regan smiling and waving at Father Dyer as they drive away and Father Dyer waving back has been added.
• The original ending with Father Dyer and Lt. Kinderman has been restored. The 'tubular bells' music cue plays over them walking away, and it ends before Lt. Kinderman can say quote "Casablanca", "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

Thanks for that detailed list, Andre. It has been quite awhile since I watched TVYNS, so I could not remember all the changes. I do know that I ended up selling that DVD version of TVYNS and keeping the 25th Anniversary Edition, as I preferred the theatrical cut of the film. 

You're right Scott, it's all about preference and I'm more inclined now to watch the TVYNS version than the original, but I remembered the 25th Anniversary release as not being the orignal version, but the director's cut.  I have to check it out as I have four different dvd releases of this great film so the BRD will be my fifth release.

However, I do agree that Warner and those other studios need to make better use of the blu-ray available space by including both versions of a film.

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

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.

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

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

 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. 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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

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.

"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.

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.

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. 

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.