UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - The Exorcist -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Bryan Tuck]

Very interesting -- I can trace those added effects back, as well, and it's fascinating how various elements like these can be analyzed over the years and through various editions. Curiously, I always thought that "buzzing" or "humming" you describe in the bedroom scene -- which is definitely an added element compared to the original audio -- was added for the 2000 re-release, not earlier (unless we're not talking about the same thing; there's a kind of "humming undercurrent" that can be heard as Chris walks around her room, eventually closing the window because it's freezing...this audio cue wasn't in original versions of the film). This same addition -- or something similar -- was injected into the scene when Chris gets testy with the telephone operator on Regan's birthday (originally there were no audio cues here, but my ears have picked up, ever since the 2000 release, the addition of that "haunting humming" effect when you hear Chris go "Operator, you have got to be kidding me...").

I think we're talking about the same scene: Chris walks around the room, closes the window, and pulls the covers over Regan (about 10 minutes in). But the effect I'm talking about isn't in the original mono, the 1998 5.1 track, or the 2000 mix. It's only heard in the pre-'98 stereo versions, which are (again, I assume) taken from '79 stereo remix. It's a literal buzzing effect that sounds like an insect is flying around Regan's room, as opposed to the low humming in the 2000 version.

Because these effects were missing on the 25th Anniversary disc and the theatrical cut of the Blu, I am going to assume then that they were specifically prepared and designed for the 2000-and-up extended versions.

Again, the effects I mentioned were heard in the pre-1998 stereo mixes, and actually none of them are heard in the 2000 remix.

I didn't know that, as I never had the 97 DVD -- that's so weird that they didn't include the surround remix on the widescreen side. What is that about?

Who knows? But it was literally in the first batch of DVDs ever released by Warner, so maybe they were still figuring out exactly what to do with the format. The 2.0 stereo unfolds on modern equipment fairly well, though.

 

[Kaskade1309]

I think we're talking about the same scene: Chris walks around the room, closes the window, and pulls the covers over Regan (about 10 minutes in). But the effect I'm talking about isn't in the original mono, the 1998 5.1 track, or the 2000 mix. It's only heard in the pre-'98 stereo versions, which are (again, I assume) taken from '79 stereo remix. It's a literal buzzing effect that sounds like an insect is flying around Regan's room, as opposed to the low humming in the 2000 version.

We're talking about the same scene but different effects then (confirmed if you're saying they were never in the 2000 rework of the audio) -- yeah, the one I was referring to was that creepy music/humming that was added to this sequence and a couple of others (I even made out a very subtle background "humming" like this during the scene when Kinderman and Karras are walking past the tennis courts of the university and talking about Dennings' murder; it's almost like Friedkin threw these in randomly in places for the extended versions).

Again, the effects I mentioned were heard in the pre-1998 stereo mixes, and actually none of them are heard in the 2000 remix.

Interesting -- I had VHS copies of the film before I got into DVD, but simply don't remember the audio delivery. I'll have to take your word on it.

What I DO know is that the Extended Director's Cut/Version You've Never Seen had a myriad of injected sound elements never heard prior to that (again, taking the aggressive surround remix itself out of the proverbial equation).

Who knows? But it was literally in the first batch of DVDs ever released by Warner, so maybe they were still figuring out exactly what to do with the format. The 2.0 stereo unfolds on modern equipment fairly well, though.

Seems logical enough, though I still would think the widescreen would get the priority for more engrossing audio.

I am sure the 2.0 mix unfolded effectively via Pro Logic II steering and such.

 

[Kaskade1309]

I believe that the procedure was called an artieralgram. Friedkin mentioned it in either a documentary or an interview. He said the person in the movie did this procedure for real in their work.

Yes -- that's what the doctor called in by Regan's first physician refers to it as (you can hear him reference it during the scene when they're all talking on the landing outside Regan's door -- I believe he says "One more artieralgram to pin down that lesion...").

After pulling out the Original Theatrical Version from the DigiBook Blu-ray set to rewatch it, I believe we got that line of dialogue wrong -- I think the doctor (not Regan's primary MD who was handling the original brain diagnosis) calls the procedure something else in that hallway scene (when the two doctors and Chris are talking outside Regan's bedroom)...