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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"The Exorcist" is the film
that turned heads (literally) and stomachs (it's
rumored that some patrons at the premiere threw up
-- studio P.R. or factoid info? We may never
know). It stars Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, a
single mother raising her pre-teen daughter, Regan
(Linda Blair) in a Boston brownstone that just
might be the new hot spot for satanic worship.
When the devil decides to claim Regan for his own
through demonic possession he unleashes a
maelstrom of otherworldly activity in which Regan
becomes the human vessel for his return to the
earth. Enter Fathers Lankester Marrin (Max Von
Sydow) and Damien Karras (Jason Miller). Marrin is
a devout Catholic. Karras has lost his faith.
Together these two priests set themselves on a
path to abolish Satan by restoring Regan's virtue.
Lee J. Cobb is William Kinderman, a suspicious
police lieutenant who gradually begins to suspect
the unthinkable is taking place at the MacNeil's.
Based on the bone-chilling novel by William Blatty
and directed with formidable gusto by William
Friedkin, "The Exorcist" continues to test the
faith of filmgoers in search of a good scare.
Previously Warner Home Video has made "The
Exorcist" available in three separate editions.
There are the bare bones, movie only edition and
the 25th anniversary edition (both minted from the
same film elements) and, "The Version You've Never
Seen" (reportedly minted from improved picture and
sound elements). None of these options presents
the film in a completely satisfying edition,
though the 25th anniversary disc comes close (as
already mentioned, both the 25th and the original
film only disc are minted from the same print).
Image quality exhibits considerable grain in
spots, can be remarkably smooth in spots, and
exhibits a dated visual characteristic. Colors are
sometimes bold, though quite often less than, with
weak flesh tones that are either a pasty pink or
hazy orange. Contrast levels are sometimes quite
good while black levels are rarely deep or solid.
There is some pixelization and edge enhancement
present for a visual presentation that is not
terribly smooth or consistent.
However, the 25th anniversary edition contains a
BBC documentary on the film, the inspiration for
the novel, and, and a thoroughly engrossing
back-story on exorcisms. This documentary is,
unfortunately, not available on " The Version
You've Never Seen," presumably because Warner's
rights have since expired. However, "The Version
You've Never Seen" does exhibit improvements on
all levels of picture quality but they are very
marginal improvements at best! Also, several
scenes excised before the film's original
theatrical release have been reinstated herein,
including the much talked about "spider walk"
episode in which Regan, possessed by the devil,
walks upside down and backwards down a flight of
stairs. Truthfully, there's nothing terribly
exciting about the new footage.
Minus the documentary, I recommend the 25th
anniversary edition over "The Version You've Never
Seen." The audio on all versions of the film has
been cleaned up and restored. |
