The Exorcist (director's Cut)
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday February 23, 2001
Opened in the US September 22 (re-release)
Box office on opening weekend $US8.157 million ($15.1 m) (664 screens)
Director William Friedkin
Cast Linda Blair, Reverend William O'Malley, Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller
The story The Exorcist is based on William Peter Blatty's sensational novel, which was inspired by an event reported in a Maryland newspaper in 1949. The 1973 film is about 12-year-old Regan MacNeil (Blair), who is possessed by the devil. Vomiting, headspinning and other horrific antics ensue from the devil of a child. Ellen Burstyn (nominated for a best actress academy award for her role in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream) plays the bewildered mother, Chris. They were both nominated for Academy Awards, and Blatty won an Oscar for his screenplay.
The hype There are a whopping 11 minutes of extra restored footage included in this re-release, including the bizarre "Spider Walk" scene, which appeared in
both William Peter Blatty's novel and screenplay but was not included in the film. In this scene, Regan stands at the top of the stairs, then flips over and
walks down the stairs upside down, with her arms moving like a spider.
What the critics say "Seen today, in a longer version with new stereo effects, The Exorcist retains its power to shock. The prologue, which suggests that northern Iraq is the source of the evil that will haunt Georgetown, may be politically incorrect, but it remains the film's most frightening passage." John Hartl, film.com
Official Site http://theexorcist.warnerbros.com
Due in Australia March 22
source: imdb.com
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald