New Version Pros & Cons; I pity younger viewers today.

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2000)

THE EXORCIST is the only truly "scary" movie I have ever seen, and I'm a horror fan of 38 who has viewed fright films from the Lon Chaney silent days to the current year 2000 (and what garbage we've got today!)
I HOPE I'M NOT A SPOILER IF I DISCUSS NEW SCENES:
I feel that the new edition has its good and bad points, but overall it has helped the film more than hurt it. I thought that the spider-walk scene became the hit of the show and I also felt that the added scene with Regan's doctor added much to the eerie progression of the girl's illness. A beautiful moment that is not discussed often is the bit before the exorcism where Father Merrin asks Chris what her daughter's middle name is, as an attempt to ease the tension. Outstanding!
On the down side, I didn't care for the opening which shows us shots of Georgetown; the film works better originally by simply seeing the title of the film amidst that chilling soundtrack. People are asking why a scene is added where Karras listens to a tape of Regan's real voice? Well, to familiarize himself with the changes that have occurred. Don't forget that he's never heard her speak before she became posessed.
For me, the only major problem I had with the New Version is the adding of CGI effects (the death of horror films these days) to cater to the MTV crowd of youths. I also didn't think we needed new music cues to accentuate the more quiet moments.
As for the ending, I prefer the original one; but being a fan of EXORCIST III I must say that it perfectly sets up the relationship between the characters in that sequel with this restored conclusion.
Now onto the jaded kids today: I pity you. Of course, there's the old saying: "What they don't know won't hurt them". How anybody could watch this film and feel indifferent as to its shock value is beyond my comprehension. I've scrolled down the reviews here and I was almost as terrified by people calling this masterpiece dull and non-scary as I was while confronting the demon within Regan. Have we really forgotten what tension and fear is all about? Do we truly get no jolts from THE EXORCIST in the 21st century? I've seen it dozens of times, and I get uneasy every time Regan first goes bonkers in her bedroom as the perplexed doctors struggle to restrain her.
Many teenagers were yawning in the theatre at the "slow parts," and I think it's tragic that everything must constantly move like an MTV video to keep younger audiences interested. Don't they realize that there used to be things in movies called "character development" and "motivation"? We need to know about Merrin's dealings with the demon as well as Karras's guilt regarding his mother. We likewise have to see Regan as a sweet and innocent young child to fully gain the payoff later in the film, when all hell literally breaks loose! That's what makes the frightening scenes potent!
Bottom line: THE EXORCIST hasn't lost an ounce of its power to terrorize when seen on a theater screen. It's possibly THE BEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME, and the only one of thousands that scares me to this day.