DVD Commentary - don't bother

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2002)

I am commenting specifically about the new "Version you've never seen", which was rereleased in theatres recently and has come out on DVD with a Director's Audio Commentary. There is little else in the way of extras on the DVD. The Theatrical Trailers are just the new ones created for the re-release. The film was directed by William Friedkin, who did a masterful job making "The French Connection". For the commentary, he talks non-stop, but really says nothing at all about the making of the film, or the reaction to it's controversial subject matter. Instead, he talks the movie. In other words, he's like an annoying roommate who saw this really cool film and wants you to see it. But instead of letting you just watch it in silence, he tells you exactly what's going on in every scene, like you can't figure it out for yourself.
For example, he goes on about how troubled Father Damien is about his dying Mother. Well, gosh, his character says out loud how he wishes he could have done more for his dying Mother. How about some insight into how some of the special effects were done? How did the actors cope with performing some of the scenes? Why did you originally cut the scenes from the original release? Go to the trivia section for this film and there are a few pages worth of interesting anecdotes, virtually none of which is mentioned by the director. Friedkin doesn't reveal really anything useful, except: - The scene where the detective and the mother have a 'cat and mouse' conversation is his favourite scene. - Father Damien is frequently shown rising from the ground (up a stairway, walking up a hill)
As for the film itself, there are plenty of recommendations out there that establishes this film as one of the great scare flicks, up there with "Psycho". Unfortunately, the audience for scary movies is different now then it was in the 70's. The movie originally came out before the surge in the 80's of teener slasher movies ("Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc.), and really is for a more older sophisticated crowd. It isn't surprising to hear that younger audiences watching it these days may find it slow, boring, and perhaps even silly. One thing that escapes them is that this film, as opposed to most mindless horror flicks, is actually based on fact!
Movie: 7 out of 10 DVD extras: 3 out of 10