Hey folks, Harry here. Man... Alot of time has since the original review was posted below. July 26th, 1997. Wow. Before I get into my review of the new version of the film, I just want to bring up some changes that have come to pass in these 3 years. The review of THE EXORCIST beneath the vomiting Regan, was fairly early in the history of the site. It was on this night that Tim, the owner of the Alamo Drafthouse introduced himself to me in person. We have since become close friends, throwing events together and trying to help Austin become as cool as it can be. Also on that particular night, all those years ago, I received my pass to see MIMIC, the first film by Guillermo Del Toro that I had ever seen. At the time, Guillermo lived in Mexico, we did not know each other at all. Now, he is one of my closest friends and three years later... we saw THE EXORCIST revamped version together. Weird!
Upon seeing the film all those years ago in a theater, I felt that it didn't need anything done to the sound. The Alamo Drafthouse had cranked the sound up to a level where... The very fabric of your pantleg would swish back and forth. The decibels were cranked way up, and sitting on the second row, put you smack dab in the experience.
The screening I had last night at the GATEWAY THEATER in Austin, Texas with Claire (a vast improvement upon Roland I must say), Father Geek and Guillermo... Was a completely different film experience.
I'm not going to write a complete new review, because much of the film is the same as the film I saw all those years ago. But the sound, and the 12 or so extra minutes, go to create an experience which is akin to watching the director's cut of ALIENS vs the original cut of ALIENS. Both are great movies, but once you see the Director's Cut... you know which version you'll be watching for the rest of your life. Much like the two versions of BLADE RUNNER.
SOUND:
The newly created sound for THE EXORCIST simply destroys any sound you've heard in a theater in the last year or so. When we first walk into Regan's room with her mother to close her window and tuck her in... It's deadly silent, except for the bubbling of the fish tank in the far back right speaker... bubble bubble bubble bubble. Strange as it may sound, this just felt real spooky, sort of like when you walk around in a strange locale in the middle of the night and there is that strange constant noise. Like the refrigerator coming to life in an unfamiliar kitchen. The sort of sound that tells you the world hasn't stopped. Then there are the 'rats in the attic' sound. You'd swear they are walking around above you. When Merrin is walking through the areas in IRAQ... the sound... it's everywhere. People on all sides of you talking in a foreign language, the beating of metal... primary sound and echoes from the wall behind Merrin that is unseen by us. Then when Karras visits his mother. Like the sound in Morgan Freeman's room in SEVEN... you can hear different things from the paper thin walls around you. An arguement in room 11, a television show in room 15... and the room that Karras is in... All the pertinent noises... Out the window the sirens. It's a complete aural environment brilliantly realized.
Then there is the sounds of the demons, the medical equipment... The rumbling backmasked animal sounds swishing all around you, Karras' mother from the right, screams of "MERRIN!" from the left, primary dialogue from screen center. The ceiling cracks overhead, the door begins to shut behind you till the camera grabs it front and center. "YOUR MOTHER SUCKS COCKS IN HELL" seems to be screamed from every speaker. THE EXORCIST's sound engineering in 1973 broke all sorts of ground. Setting a standard for Ben Burtt to aspire to years later. Has a horror film ever sounded this good? I can't recall. Brilliant technical acheivement in 1973.... in 2000.... the mix is beyond anything you can really imagine. Take your best audio film experience... this is better. The reason? I believe that ONE: It's because the first part of the film is so silent... a mixture of lack of score and quiet moments.... The sound building and building and building throughout the film. The most interesting sound edition in this DOLBY DIGITAL EX print is the super low bass... that creates this nearly stomach churning sense of foreboding doom. No home woofer can reproduce this. It literally made me almost queasy.
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE FILM:
In my original review below, I discuss how much more effective the jumpcuts in THE EXORCIST (1973) were to the high tech morphings of today. Well... When I read in Tom Joad's Blatty interview and in his and Quint's reviews of this new edition... A sense of dread overcame me. I've come to hate morphs in everything save T2 and HEAVENLY CREATURES, as it just takes waaaay too long and feels like excess. I voiced this criticism of morphing 3 years ago, and it seems that Friedkin figured out how to use the technology and use it to the level of disturbance that it really really needed to be. The morphs are done at the speed of a jumpcut... No long 3 second transition, but a nearly snap of the fingers violent wrench accompanied by appropriately painful sound effects to produce a wrenchingly upsetting effect. VERY WELL DONE! Perhaps the best use of the technology since T2. Amazingly well done.
The SPIDER WALK scene. I thought I knew what this looked like, based upon the DVD release of the film, years ago. WRONG! The shot of this scene that they used was from a completely different take. And folks... it's friggin freaky. Like the shock value of the crucifix fuck or the first pea-soup vomit or the first twisty head... this scene screws with ya. It works fantastically.
However, there are two other additions, among the rest, that I felt were the best additions. The first one is Regan's pre-peeing on the carpet visit to the doctor, to diagnose her hyperactivity issues that her mother has. Ever wonder why her mother didn't want her to eat that cookie early on? Ever wonder why mommy instantly had a doctor to take her to? It's because Regan was a bit of a problem child. Captain Howdy, was slowly taking her over... not just one day, but over a period of time. These initial tests... the misdiagnosis and prescribing of ritilin, weakening Regan so Captain Howdy could become more agressive in his taking over of Regan. These scenes are sad and haunting and add pathos to not only Regan but her mother as well.
Then there are the scenes where Karras is listening to a tape that Regan made for her father with her mother. It's after his first visit, and you can see him beginning to care about the girl. It's a stark reminder that this was once a little girl... giggles and cheerful. Now she is an abomination. You can see Karras' level of emotional involvement. Very very very good.
There are other scenes, but having only seen this edition once, I'm hard pressed to remember them all, but there are a pair of questions that I've seen in Talk Backs that need answering. First "What ending is it?" All I will say, is that it isn't the 'Casablanca' ending that so many dread. Second "Are the subliminal additions as bad as Gus Van Sant's in PSYCHO?" Oh God No. These subliminals are brought in as Karras first enters the house and is headed through the house and up to Regan's room. They are in the shadows of the rooms. And they create a feeling like.... OH MAN... GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?!?!?! LEAVE MAN! DON'T YOU SEE THAT FREAKY SHIT!
If you live in one of the 3 towns it is showing, go see it. Take friends. Having seen it, hurry to gather more friends to see it again. Talk to classmates, co-workers, family members, etc. It is our duty as film lovers to help this film get a national release so people around the world won't have to watch this on a TV. Spread the word. Call your local radio station! Get the local Catholic church involved. In 1973, the Catholic church embraced this film. Get butts in seats! Save this Movie!
Now... Here's my review from 3 years ago...
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I just got back from seeing THE EXORCIST at the Alamo DraftHouse here in Austin, and I felt compelled to write up a review of it. I mean here is a film, that is truly as shocking and downright fantastic as it was when it originally came out.
Let me set up the experience a bit for ya. This theater shows mostly films in between their Primary runs and their Secondary runs. That sort of neutral period after the film has played the first run houses (or is finishing it's run) and before the Dollar Theaters (strange how these theaters now cost $2). It's situated in the hub of trendy Austin. The walkthrough traffic is non-stop and is a perfect location for a Dinner (Film) Theater, something my town has been needing forever.
For those of you in cities without this form of entertainment. Go get a bank loan, a cook and a location and start one up. Instead of paying $2.50 for a small Popcorn, you can get delicious Blue Bell ice cream with hot fudge and sprinkles. Or a piece of CheeseCake with a carmel pecan topping, like my friend Roland had. Or a Coffee Frozen Expresso thingamagig. All taste wonderful. They serve pizzas, sandwiches, and other edibles at prices and quality like that of the "cool" eating places, plus instead of listening to people chatter about this and that, you can gorge yourself and watch a movie.
Now the best times, are the midnight films, and on this weekend they are showing THE EXORCIST. Just the mention of the title sends shivers of that tinkly music theme. So cool. THE EXORCIST. And now the image of a street light casting light upon a mist and the shadow of Max Von Sydow. One of the most striking film images ever captured on the temporal lobes of my mind. Unforgettable.
I have seen the film several times in my life, but this is only the second time I've seen it on the big screen (where it belongs). The first was when I was two years old. If I concentrate I can remember the impressions of sitting on my father's lap at the ol Capitol Plaza staring at the screen. When I asked my father tonight if this was a valid memory, he said yes (in a stunned kinda way. I have an uncanny recollection of exactly where I saw all the good movies in my life, along with the stinkers. Ahhh Megaforce and Northcross Mall).
This brings me to tonight. I dragged my oldest friend with my father and I to see the film. Roland (imagine the biggest cutest New Yawk accented teddy bear dude and you got em) had never seen it. I love seeing movies like this with the film virgin, the purity of the post- film conversation is taken to the next level.
Why had Roland not seen it? Well, you remember the remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS? When the dog with the dude's face licks his lips, Roland (the big tough guy) swore off horror films (or Freaky Films as he calls em). What a wuss!!!
The owner of the DraftHouse comes over to me as I enter the place and does the introduction thing. This is still an odd experience for me. I mean, I'm a geek, I have a website, and owners of theaters feel the need to talk with me. I'm flattered. Really. He tells me there is a surprise in front of the film. A special trailer that just came in that day. Hmmmm. (Somethings afoot methinks).
Then a girl I recognize from about 30 days of film festival goings ons (SXSW and HEART OF TEXAS) comes up and introduces herself and gives me a group of passes for MIMIC next Friday morning. Coooool.
At this point Roland, my father and I enter the screening room. Nice air conditioning. (My house is un-air conditioned, typing on my computer is akin to manuel labor) We order our drinks, desserts and kick back to await the film.
The lights finally go down, and it's trailer time. Oh goody, I get to see the 'surprise'.
The first trailer was CARRIE. "and introducing the motion picture debut of John Travolta" Coooooooooooooool. I can't wait for this one to come to the Alamo, I'm there. Cool Cool Cool. Neat little trailer, filled with that cheesy 70's announcer voice, as opposed to the Sleazy Self-Serious Announcer voice we have today. What a cool 'surprise' I think.
But I was WRONG!!! The "SURPRISE" trailer was next. What was it? Reise ins Jenseits: Die Welt des Ãœbernatuerlichen or JOURNEY INTO THE BEYOND. A German film with narration by John Carradine. WOW. This was something. A documentary of strange occult and semi-occult phenomenon. Real excorcism, spontaneous boils forming, gouging of human eyes, and much more. Bloody, gruesome, gut wrenching, a perfect mixer for getting you in the mood for THE EXORCIST. WoW, that was something.
Trailer 3 was OPERATION CONDOR. Love that Jackie Chan!!! Go see this film, really fun.
Trailer 4 was MEN IN BLACK, my friend Roland leans over, "I need to see that one again!" Sigh.
Then the screen goes RED and that funky W appears on screen. Early 1970's Warner Bros Logo. Ahhhh, the good ol days.
If you have managed to live your life without seeing THE EXORCIST you are missing one of the most powerfully compelling pieces of intense film making. William Friedkin was in top form, the year I was born he made THE FRENCH CONNECTION, then he did this. While I like FRENCH CONNECTION, THE EXORCIST in terms of using every tool in the film makers handbook is mind blowing. The sound engineering is amazing. I mean there is a little girl on a bed, but the sounds, my god, the sounds. Here is a girl tied to a bed that is a 100 times scarier than a great white shark, a child killer with razor bladed gloves, or a T-Rex chomping down on people.
The only recent film I can think of that even approaches the sheer level of mental torture on the audience is HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, but this is a far superiour film in my opinion.
The use of semi-subliminal imagery to denote the demonic possession shows exactly how stupid the constant use of Hollywood morphing is. The jump cut is both more jarring and disturbing for the audience. A morph simply takes too long in my opinion. And it isn't forceful. I've yet to see a morph that has the impact of the demonic face of Megan which briefly (an eighth of a second tops) flashes to the normal girl.
Word is that we will be treated to a digital 25 year anniversary release of THE EXORCIST, but in my opinion there ain't nothing broke. In just Dolby Sound, the sound went through me. Shivered my spine and cause poor Roland to twitch and jerk. This is exactly the films that make being a film geek worth while.
If you have a revival theater in your town, make use of it, the best films playing, are playing there. In Austin we have the PARAMOUNT and the ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE. I saw 3 geeks that introduced themselves to me tonight, and one just emailed me to ask if that 4th row occupant was indeed Head Geek, and yes it was.
In fact I'll be all around in the darkened theater. I'll be everywhere, wherever you can look and see a good movie. Wherever there's a fight so hungry geeks can devour film, I'll be there. Wherever there's a studio beatin' up a guy's good script, I'll be there. I'll be in the way geeks yell when they're mad about stupid plots and castings. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're watching a cool movie and they know the toys are battery ready and where fans are viewing the films they love and livin' in the theaters that only show quality films. I'll be there, too. And if Grapes Of Wrath is showing, I'll be there, too.
