Good fighting the ultimate evil.

Rating: 10/10 (16 October 2000)

**SPOILER ALERT** Two years ago, I was fortunate to see THE EXORCIST on the big screen at the Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary film festival. And watching it on the big screen made me change my opinion of the movie from weird to excellent. I first saw EXORCIST when I was nine on late night television. I couldn't make any sense of it, and I though it was very bizarre. I saw it a few years later on video and thought it was so-so. But watching this on the big screen really makes a impact of the film. And now, we are lucky to see THE EXORCIST on the big screen, and it is the uncut version. In case you never heard or saw THE EXORCIST, this is based on the popular novel by William Peter Blatty. Blatty loosely based his story on a factual incident of a real exorcism during the 1940's. Exorcism became a thing of the past since modern science discovered various mental illnesses including split personalities and insanity. In the film famous film actress, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) is noticing that day after day, her twelve year old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair) is acting more bizarre and scary. From using constant profanities to even hitting her mother and doctors. After going to several different doctors, Chris seeks the help from Father Karras (Jason Miller). Father Karras is having problems of his own, he questions his own faith after being guilty over his mother's death in a mental institution. When Father Karras discovers the horrors of the deamon that has taken over Regan's body he wishes to use a exorcism, a ancient ritual where a priest or rabbi drive the evil spirit out of a person's body. But since Karras is inexperienced, he gets the help from the distinguished and experienced Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow). While a police detective, Lieutenant Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb) is investigating the murder of film director Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran). The original EXORCIST I think is one of the most frightening and scariest movies of all time. Although it's not about a shark in water (which scares me the most) this is about a evil that lives amongst us. Some people don't believe this, others strongly do. This is a film that is different and better than the slasher flicks that are being released by the dozens. I am here to review the new and uncut version of the film, so here is what I enjoyed and didn't enjoy with the new version. LIKED: I enjoyed the new digital transfer, it was excellent! I kept jumping as I heard the voice of the demon from behind me in the theater. It's rare that I can recognize the new digital transfer with classic being rereleased and digitally transferred. I also enjoyed some of the deleted scenes that were shown. I found the best to be the first examination of Regan, where later on the doctor reveals to Chris that her daughter was using strong profanity towards him. Unlike the original version where the terror just jumps out, it creeps up in this version. I also enjoyed the more visions of the demon and the nice quiet dialogue scene where Father Merrin and Karras are discussing the evil they are up against. DISLIKED: I did enjoy the visions of the demon, but on the windows? And the doors? It looks more comical that scary when I see those. Unless director William Fredkin and writer/producer William Peter Blatty can come up with a good reason on why they did that, I won't accept it. But the biggest flaw is the end, I am one who always enjoys a director's cut, THE ABYSS, ALIENS, and even the STAR WARS films redone were fantastic. But the final scene in the film where Lt. Kinderman and Father Dyer (Reverand William O'Malley) are talking about movies, takes away the errie and suspense of the original. Where the original suddenly ended with the Jack Nitzsche "Tublar Bells" being played then...BOOM the credits. It ends in a terrifying and creepy note. But with this new ending, it's almost like a "happy ending" a ending that modern movie goers would enjoy. I am a person that would always say, "more is better." But with this version, it ruins the film. This is a movie that I would find to be very scary. It would be a great film to watch on Halloween night. But what upset me while watching this film are the rude people who would laugh and find this movie to be funny. Why? What's so funny about a young girl spitting up pea soup? I would be horrified and disgusted. But the people who laugh at this film, are the kind that find a stupid teenager wearing a white hollow mask carrying a knife around killing teens, to be scary. These imbeciles are the ones who find THE SIXTH SENSE to be "stupid" EVENT HORIZON to be "weird" but find SCREAM as "the bomb" and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID... as "freaky." You can point the fingers at those who ruined the terror of THE EXORCIST. I'll point my finger at the Hollywood director's who do countless rip-offs and spoofs of EXORCIST (Leslie Nielsen's REPOSSESSED and ABBY come to mind). Also, EXORCIST, after twenty-seven years is still getting ripped off with END OF DAYS, STIGMATA, and most recently LOST SOULS. And the violence shown on t.v. news shows and programs just to get raitings. If I told a majority of teens that the EXORCIST has been banned in the U.K. until two years ago, they would think that I am kidding, but I'm not. Like JAWS, STAR WARS, PSYCHO, and any other modern classic movie, if a plot works, other Hollywood studios try the same thing to cash in on the popularity. By doing this, it causes the film's impact to die, and become cliched. I can see THE MATRIX, SIXTH SENSE, and AMERICAN BEAUTY to be the next set of films with countless rip-offs. It's a shame, what did really kill THE EXORCIST, why Hollywood, of course! But anyways, this is a film that is a must see! See it on the big screen instead of blowing 3 bucks at the video store to think it's cheeper. That's like going to your swimming pool to go fishing, since it's closer and cheeper. Just go see this in the theater, and Halloween night would be the perfect night! 1973 VERSION: ***** 2000 VERSION: ****1/2 (out of five)