Friedkin's redemption?

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2000)

I recently saw the re-issue of 'The Exorcist' with about 12 minutes of new footage, a re-mixed sound track and a print cleaned up for today and it looks as fresh as the day it was released. It is by far the best horror film ever made and a thought provoking essay on the supernatural with religious overtones that paved the way for many of today's horror films. The new footage is a redemption for director William Friedkin. I don't understand why he didn't use this new footage originally in the 1973 version. Perhaps Friedkin thought it would be too literal in the point he was trying to make. My only criticism is the ending which WAS better in the original version but the other footage definitely belongs here and with its recent box office success I hope we can look forward to other older films being released in the near future.