Exorcist

Product Information

Two years after its publication, The Exorcist was adapted for the screen by Blatty. The film, directed by William Friedkin, who has penned an exclusive introduction for this edition of the novel, would become a wildly successful motion picture, garnering ten Academy Award nominations. Friedkin and Blatty formed a lifelong friendship, with Friedkin often referring to Blatty as “my brother,” and “the most spiritual man I ever met.” To both men, The Exorcist was not a horror story, but one of the great mystery of faith. Friedkin’s new introduction chronicles the moments of inspiration that led Blatty to write the novel. This is the thought that makes The Exorcist such a scary, creepy movie. A lot of monster movies are about a menace that you run from, that you have to outwit; this one just takes over before anyone knows what's happening. The Exorcist tells the now-famous story of a girl's demonic possession, and a gripping fight between good and evil. Linda Blair, in a breakout role, plays Regan, a young girl who starts to exhibit strange, arcane behavior. Her mother (Burstyn) calls upon a priest, Father Karras (Miller), to investigate. But Karras, who has a spiritual crisis of his own, is suddenly confronted with the unimaginable evil of Regan's possession. Father Lankester Merrin (Von Sydow), an archeologist-priest, is called to help, and a horrific battle for her soul begins. Having seen the new version and reviewed my laser disc of the original version, I noticed four areas of difference between the 1973 and 2000 versions. One change is probably useful, the second neutral, the third pointless, the fourth catastrophic. There may be other changes I missed, including some flash-frames of satanic faces, but here's what standsout: 1. Early in the film, Regan, the possessed girl, is subjected to invasive testing and a spinal tap, with lots of queasy closeups of needles and fluids. This scene provides a preliminary medical explanation for Regan's behavior and sets up the later bedtime dialogue between mother and daughter about "what the doctor said"--dialogue that is unsupported in the 1973 version. It's useful.

Controversial, haunting and popular from the moment it opened, William Friedkin's masterpiece The Exorcist turns 50 years old, featuring stunning 4K UHD restorations of the original 1973 Theatrical Version and the 2000 Extended Director's Cut.Note: the extras identified above on the Theatrical Cut and Extended Directors Cut are available on ALL UK releases, including the standard edition as far as I’m aware.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters. Subtitles include English, French, German, Italian, Spanish (Latin and Castellano), Dutch, Chinese and Japanese for the Theatrical Cut; Subs for the Extended Directors Cut are as above but also include Korean, Czech, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian.Bonus Blu-Ray (included in the Ultimate Collector’s Edition - UCE - and Deluxe Edition - DE - releases ONLY):

The author adapted his novel into a screenplay for the 1973 film, The Legend of Hell House, starring Roddy McDowall and Pamela Franklin. But in the same year that a version of this story was attempted by a modern film maker in a much more modern world and single handedly failed to harness any of the depth, the craft or the power of this original, its testament to not just the richly deserved reputation but the quality of the film itself, its craft, its thematic depth and cultural relevance, that The Exorcist remains one of the very pinnacles of cinematic horror. I could go on…but I’ll spare you from covering over ground that many more learned than me have done before. Extras: Language(s): English, BD: Spanish-Castilian, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese-Brazilian, Hungarian, Spanish-Latin, Polish, Hard of Hearing Subtitles: 4K: English, German, Italian, Subtitles: 4K: Cantonese, Spanish-Castilian, Complex Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Spanish-Latin, Norwegian, French-Parisian, Swedish. BD: Portuguese-Brazilian, Spanish-Castilian, Complex Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Spanish-Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish., Interactive Menu, Screen ratio 1:1.85, Dolby Atmos-TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround, Commentary: Director's Cut BD: William Friedkin (Director); Theatrical BD: William Friedkin and Wiliam Peter Blatty (Producer/Screenwriter), Documentaries: Theatrical BD: 'Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist'; 'The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown, Then and Now'; 'Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of the Exorcist'. Special Features BD: 'Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist'; 'Talk of the Devil', Interviews: Theatrical BD: Interview, Theatrical BD: Introduction by William Friedkin; Original ending The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut Digital release contains the following previously released special features: It's presented in anamorphic widescreen, 1.85:1 format, and except for very few minor scratches on the film, it looks fantastic. Understandably, the picture quality on the included theatrical trailers, and particularly the TV spots, is not as good-- there is lots more grain and flaws on the film. But who cares? That they were included at all is cool enough.French (Canadian and European), German, Italian, Spanish (Castellano) Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish (Latin) and Czech Dolby Digital 2.0 - Extended Directors Cut ONLY Best of all there's a 75-minute documentary, The Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist that explains all aspects of the film's production, including how that little girl was able to spew pea soup 20 feet. (As it turns out, this movie was inspired by true events that occurred in 1949, in Silver Spring, Maryland.)