The Exorcist, director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty’s 1973 horror masterpiece is being released on 4K Ultra HD to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its original release.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray discs include both the original theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut which adds eleven additional minutes of footage not seen originally plus a Digital code option.
The Exorcist 4K version will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally on September 19, 2023.
The Exorcist Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features:
Introduction by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects
The Exorcist Digital release (theatrical version) the following previously released special features:
Commentary by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
Introduction by William Friedkin
“The Fear of God: 25 Years of the Exorcist”
Original Ending
William Peter Blatty Interviews
TV Spots
Trailers
The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains the following previously released special features:
Commentary by William Friedkin
The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut Digital release contains the following previously released special features:
Commentary by William Friedkin
“Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist”
“Talk of the Devil”
“Raising Hell: Filming The Exorcist”
“The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now”
“Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist”
Radio Spots
TV Spots
Trailers
Extended 4K UHD preview [4K]:
YouTube reviews of the 4K UHD release:
Meanwhile, here’s our previous coverage of this horror classic:
The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin (The Guardian), adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name.
The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe, deals with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests.
The film is one of a cycle of “demonic child” movies produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, including Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen.
The movie stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow (Sleepless; Needful Things; The Night Visitor), Jason Miller, Linda Blair (Repossessed; The Chilling; Grotesque), and (in voice only) Mercedes McCambridge.
The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. The film earned ten Academy Award nominations—winning two (Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay). It is also the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture. It became one of the highest-earning movies of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide.
Time Out (London) voted it the best horror film of all-time in 2016. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry.
Buy Blu-ray Exorcist Anthology: Amazon.co.uk
Plot:
In northern Iraq, the Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow), a Roman Catholic priest, is leading an archaeological dig when he discovers a small stone amulet. It resembles the statue of Pazuzu, a monstrous creature in the form of a human, bird of prey, scorpion and serpent. Already suffering from a serious, and a potentially deadly heart condition, Merrin then realises that Pazuzu, whom he had defeated years ago, has returned for revenge—and that their rematch will be a fight to his death.
In Georgetown, Washington, D.C., another priest, named Damien Karras (Jason Miller), apparently loses faith in God after he fails to cure his sick mother who dies in a mental hospital.
Elsewhere, movie actress Christine “Chris” McNeill (Ellen Burstyn), who is on location in Georgetown, notices that her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) is acting strangely since having played with an ouija board. The symptoms include her using foul language, abnormally high strength, and causing her bed to shake.
Regan is given painful tests and x-rays, but they prove negative. Unbeknownst to both Chris and Doctor Klein (Barton Heyman), she is now possessed by Pazuzu, whom Regan had called “Captain Howdy”…
Contemporary reviews:
“Although harrowing, its effects depend entirely on technical manipulation, and with Friedkin’s pedestrian handling of background story and supporting characters, we’re left more or less willing the film towards its climax … It would all be forgivable, somehow, if the film was at all likely to alter anyone’s perceptions one jot. But all The Exorcist does is take its audience for a ride, spewing it out the other end, shaken up but none the wiser.” Time Out (London)
“Are people so numb they need movies of this intensity in order to feel anything at all? It’s hard to say. Even in the extremes of Friedkin’s vision, there is still a feeling that this is, after all, cinematic escapism and not a confrontation with real life. There is a fine line to be drawn there, and The Exorcist finds it and stays a millimeter on this side.” RogerEbert.com, December 26, 1973
Recent reviews:
“Much of the credit rests with director William Friedkin, one of the great moviemakers of the 1970s. He fashions a dark, relentlessly threatening atmosphere by treating the subject with documentary-styled seriousness. All the elements click beautifully. Cinematographer Owen Roizman captures truly iconic images amid the Georgetown, Washington, D.C., locale, while Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” is put to spellbinding musical use.” DVD Talk
“With some of the finest acting I’ve ever seen in a horror film, a heavy dose of nightmarish imagery and a story tackling heavy themes such as the loss of faith among many, The Exorcist deserves every bit of praise that its stellar reputation awards it. If you’ve never seen The Exorcist, go and watch it now.” Flickering Myth
“The physical production and rhythms of the narrative achieve intense momentum by intertwining everyday life with the character’s theological and dramatic concerns, ominous imagery and sudden incidents of extreme violence and perversion. Friedkin persuades us to suspend belief so effectively that you never for a second get the feeling that this film is slipping into unintended comedy, the biggest pitfall with the horror film genre.” The Spinning Image
” …though it may be filled with rigorously examined ideas and wonderfully observed character moments, its primary concern is with shocking, scaring and, yes, horrifying its audience out of their wits – does mainstream cinema contain a more upsetting image than the crucifix scene? That it still succeeds, almost four decades later, is testament to Friedkin’s remarkable vision.” Tom Huddleston, Time Out (London)
“I’ve seen The Exorcist over a dozen times, but it had been awhile since I last saw it, so I kinda forgot about the scene where Ellen Burstyn is on the phone and she cusses up a storm to the operator. It’s kinda funny because Linda Blair is in the same room with her and she hears all the obscenities her mother lays out. And then all of a sudden Burstyn acts all shocked when her daughter starts talking the same way.” The Video Vacuum
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