The Exorcist (1973) (Extended Director's Cut & Original Theatrical Version)

I saw this movie when i was 14 in the 1980's, my mates mum worked at the cinema and let us in underage,the only horror movies i had seen up to this point was 70's hammer horror films.After about ten mins of watching this film i knew something was different and wrong, i felt the blood draining from my face as the fearfulness started to get into my very being,it wasn't anything to do with the gory or violent scenes it was all the build up and the reflective scenes that got me. I swear to god when we came out of the cinema i felt the whole world had changed and everything in it , i made my mom sleep in my bedroom for 5 days afterwards.It seemed everything had changed somehow, buses, cars, school, people on the street everything was tainted it was so bizarre i felt there was true evil in the very fabric of the movie itself. I devout atheist btw !

QUALITY: The quality to this is great, who knew a film from 1973 could look so good? The picture is super sharp, very detailed and the lighting works brilliantly. Especially in the Iraq scene at the beginning of the film, as unnecessary and boring I found the scene, it looks fantastic. It's hard to believe it was filmed in 1973. The 16:9 crop is great too. The picture doesn't look stretched or squashed at all and you only lose about 5% of the frame, maybe even less. There is a fair amount of grain, this is most noticeable during darker scenes and direct shots of light, which is a bit of a shame, but it didn't bother me that much. Don't let that put you off, it's definitely worth buying this! 7/10PRESENTATION: The case is quite bland looking, but that's not a problem, I can understand why they wanted to keep the original poster for the film. But the back has no excuse, it's just black with white text, no pictures, no symbols, no nothing. I get that they want to keep it vague, but they could have tried a bit harder with that. The discs themselves all have the same design, they're blue with silver text. But I like that, as much as they don't fit the theme of the film, they're pretty looking. The menus all have the same design as well, it's Regan/The Demon looking creepy, with the logo in the corner. It's simple, but I like how it's a screenshot of the film, but with photoshop colour. The music in the background is also really creepy, definitely scarier than any music used in the movie. 6/10VERSIONS: Before I start on the extras themselves, let's talk about the 2 versions of the film. People will complain that having 2 discs for only 10 minutes difference is unecessary. But I think having both versions is a really nice touch, you get to make your own deduction as to which version is better. Instead of the Blu-ray deciding for you. If you ask me, I think the directors cut is best for first time viewers, or people who haven't watched in a long time. This way you won't miss out on any scenes, especially the spider walk scene, the movie's not the same without it. And I think the original is best for people who are looking to rewatch it, then you can properly see the differences between the two. The quality is consistent throughout the two versions, which is surprising. You'd think the directors cut would have the better quality, but nope - they both look awesome, which is another reason to give both a chance. The aspect ratio is the same for both as well.EXTRAS: The extras were my favourite parts of the set. You get roughly 9 hours of behind the scenes footage, providing you with great trivia about about the film. This is the main difference between this 40th anniversary edition and the other Blu-Ray set. Even if you already own the other Blu-Ray, I'd definitely recommend getting this for the extra hours of entertainment you get. 9/10(The extras support HD by the way, I thought I'd point that out since not all Blu-Ray extras do.)Overall a brilliant release, the best way to enjoy the film. The only things that keeps it from being a perfect score is the trivial packaging and the slightly grainy picture. The reason why the grain brings down the score is because there are other sets better looking than this. It's not due to incompetence while remastering the movie, it's as good as it can possibly look. If you're a fan of the film or even haven't seen it yet, buy this one! You won't regret it.Overall Score: 8/10

This version of the Exorcist is the definitive one. It is both ahead of its time and it walks miles over other horror films set in the 70s.

this film is a real classic, an amazing film for the year it was created. when i first watched this film many years ago i was terrified. not so scary now but it still rates at the top of my list in the horror genre.

Thanks

The Exorcist was shocking on release in 1973. People fainted, had miscarriages and allegedly heart attacks, they were also sick, quite a bit. There wasn't anything like it at the time, the closest thing would have been Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The Exorcist no longer has the power that it once did. Of course, religious people will still be offended at the crucifix scene (for good reason) and the extreme swearing (that even now is quite shocking.)The scariest thing now is the supposed subliminal image of a demon flashing on screen. I say supposed because can it be subliminal if you can see it? Probably not. Now, this is obviously a man in demon makeup but it happens a few times, unexpectedly and it stays with you after the film. The rest of the movie isn't that scary to modern eyes because there is no real sense of dread, there is no creepy music to set the tone or jump scares. Much of the film happens away from Regan's bedroom (the possessed girl) and happens outside the house or in the living room. The demonic child makeup is still excellent and the demonic voice is suitably creepy. Is it immoral to have a twelve year old actress in the part? Linda Blair. You could certainly argue it was and still is, but it's worth remembering that many of the grotesque scenes were performed by a stand-in, and her voice was dubbed. I've probably seen The Exorcist twice, maybe three times over the years and that's enough. Mark Kermode said he's seen it 200 times, it's his favourite film. I don't get that, for me, it's just all right, well made, but just all right.

Great movie although looks dated now but it was made in 70s

There's not too much added, but it goes a way to round out a phenomenal movie. Well worth having.