The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, October 26, 2000
Music
Section B • Page 5
Linda Blair's character, Regan, gets examined in Warner Brothers' The Exorcist, 1973, re-released in 2000.
Contributed photo.
Exorcist back from the dead
By Ryan Dolan
Kansan movie critic
As Halloween approaches, memories resurface of my days as a freshman at Georgetown University in 1993 when I began my treadmill-like quest for a college degree. The rerelease of director William Friedkin's horror classic, *The Exorist*, fuels the trip down my memory superhighway.
There's nothing Catholic school students like better than a pagan holiday. After a night of debauchery, 700-plus Georgetown students line up on Halloween night to grab a seat in Gaston Hall — located in the 125-year-old Healy building, which is the site of the staged political rally at the beginning of the *The Fire*
— to watch the movie on a big screen.
Because the horror movie was filmed in and around Georgetown, the students are well-versed with The Exorcist's scenes, and they scream and cheer at shots of the school or facetious one-liners (it's basically the school's personal Rocky Horror Picture Show).
The Exorcist is based on diaries of an exorcism — a Catholic Church practice of ridding humans of demonic possessors — that took place in Washington, D.C., and St. Louis. Despite it being 27 years later, the movie still contains some shockingly graphic images. An omnipresent evil lurks each time someone enters the possessed little girl, Regan's (Linda Blair), room. "I had never seen it before," said
"I had never seen it before," said Ashley Dew, Charleston, S.C.
senior. "It was probably the worst thing I've ever seen. I am not going to sleep tonight."
The Exorcist's re-release contains 13 minutes of added footage that the novelist and screenwriter, William Peter Blatty, wanted put in the original final cut. After almost three decades, Friedkin finally relented, and the results are mixed.
The added flashes of evil faces ant imprints of statues are lame and detract from the mystery. Added dialogue at the end of the movie between the cop and a priest fall flat as well. The final scenes involving the characters Father Merrin and Father Karras and the climax of the exorcism also were re-edited.
Of course, the fact that Friedkin's re-release has pulled in $30 million in about a month might soothe his artistic sensibilities.
The one good addition is an exchange between Merrin and Karras during a reprieve outside Regan's room. Karras wonders why this little girl has become victim to such a horrible experience. Merrin replies simply that the demon is testing them — if God exists, why would he let this happen?
Lost Souls, a new release that also features demonic possession, isn't as credible or as scary.
Starring Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted) and Ben Chaplin (Thin Red Line), the movie becomes possessed by bad dialogue and a deadend plot. Janusz Kaminski's directing debut can't save the dying suspense thriller, although his brilliant cinematography for Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List and
Recommended rentals:
The Exorcist: 25th Anniversary Special Edition — this DVD release contains a 74-minute documentary on the making of The Exorcist as well as commentary by the screenwriter and novelist, William Peter Blatty, and director, William Friedkin.
Schindler's List — shot by Janusz Kaminski and, in my opinion, Spielberg's best film.
Reviews:
The Exorcist
Plot ◀◀◀◀○
Acting ◀◀◀○
Lost Souls
Plot ○○○○○
Acting ○○○○○
Saving Private Ryan, garnered him two Oscars. His master-of-the-film medium is evident in Lost Souls, but when that becomes the central focus, the movie is in trouble.
The evil intent in The Exorcist is somewhat credible because it was based on an actual priest's account of an exorcism. The evil intent in Lost Souls is lost from the beginning.
If you're a fan of the horror genre or you just want a good fright, catch The Exorcist while it's still in theaters. Envision yourself 27 years ago, before A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream were the horror basics, and imagine the audience's hysterical reaction as you witness the godfather of horror films.
Edited by Kimberly Thompson
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