The Exorcist [4K Ultra HD] [1973] [Blu-ray]

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Platty’s story itself was taken from true stories of an actual exorcism that took place on young boy in 1949. Part of the film’s attraction and horror exists in this realism — these are real people, with normal lives, not monsters or aliens like your average horror film or fantasy film. It is a story that forces one to look inside oneself, question the world, and question faith.

Possess Your 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Collection with The Exorcist

In their 100 years of moviemaking, Warner Bros. has nine Best Picture Oscars to date, with a total of 26 nominations, making it one of the most recognized studios in that category.

The Exorcist: Other Editions

The Exorcist Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features: rather just know how this new 4K restoration looks and sounds... so on that note, let's dig into what makes this release both great and kind of

Exorcist (1973) coming to 4K UHD for 50th Anniversary in The Exorcist (1973) coming to 4K UHD for 50th Anniversary in

Okay, folks... we’ve got a LOT of ground to cover today, and I’m seriously not kidding, so strap in and hold on tight... Warner Bros. has remixed The Exorcist in lossless Dolby Atmos for this 4K Ultra HD release. Their previous Blu-ray release had a reference quality lossless 6.1 mix and this elevates that. We get a wide soundfield, hyper-clarity of all the eerie atmospherics placed in the surrounds and overhead channels, and wide dynamic range. Speaking as a New Yorker, the early scenes with Father Karras in the subway sound completely authentic to the aural experience of the cavernous roar of the train pulling through the station. We also get moments with the ‘voice of God’ effect as Regan screams from upstairs, or a well-placed phone ring off to the side that will get your heart racing. The original mono mix is also included for the Theatrical Edition in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. It holds up very well considering the limitations of the format. The Supplements But Warner Bros. won’t just be focusing on 4K for their 100th. They, too, will be recognizing major anniversaries through theatrical re-releases, including Superman: The Movie later this week to mark the 85th anniversary of the superhero and, again, The Exorcist, which will see its official 50th anniversary later this year. Though many appreciate and even love The Exorcist III today, it had its fair share of troubles due to its strong directorial control, among other things, and was attempting to be a piece of art reaching for an audience that wasn’t made of people who could appreciate it. Time has been kind to it as its now considered a worthy follow-up to the original, even if Blatty never intended it to be such. And with a gorgeous presentation and all-encompassing bonus materials, it’s never been a better time to revisit it. Highly recommended. The story of The Exorcist III takes place many years after the events of both the original novel and the film version of The Exorcist, ignoring Exorcist II: The Heretic completely. Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott) and Father Dyer (Ed Flanders) have remained friends, but when a series of grisly murders begin occurring around the city, Kinderman believes it to be the work of someone who may be imitating the Gemini Killer, a man who was executed for his crimes fifteen years prior. Investigating further, he discovers a familiar face in a padded cell of a local psychiatric hospital, a man who looks like the long-dead Damien Karras (Jason Miller), but is inhabited by the spirit of the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif). Kinderman soon realizes that he’s dealing with a brutal supernatural force, one that only he and Father Morning (Nicol Williamson) can dispatch.

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Unfortunately, Warner Bros. has not included any new bonus features for this release, and they have not even at least included the previously issued bonus features on a separate Blu-ray. Those are accessible via the digital version, however, which can be obtained with the free Movies Anywhere Digital Code that is provided.

Exorcist gets a 4K release for its 50th anniversary - JoBlo The Exorcist gets a 4K release for its 50th anniversary - JoBlo

decades, even if my rational brain recognizes major elements of its story as manipulative hogwash. But that's not why you're here, right? You'd representation of the original natural color palette, with understated production design and striking compositions that absolutely look better than In this new version, the differences mostly involve the scenes featuring the Gemini Killer, played by Brad Dourif. They were re-shot later on, including the ending, with Jason Miller, who portrayed Father Karras in the original film. The theatrical version features both Dourif and Miller in the same role, but originally, it was meant to only be Dourif. Most of the other changes are minor scene extensions in three or four places, a slightly different opening, and some excised elements including those involving Father Morning. But the most drastic change is the film’s finale, which no longer contains an exorcism. In 2010, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” cut... but they affect both versions which are, to my eyes, more or less identical aside from what might be very minor encodingthe color timing of key sequences including the exorcism itself, which pushed its otherwise natural color palette towards one bathed in cool blue The other concern is related to William Friedkin's misplaced efforts to revise the color timing of his films, which started with the heavily controversial 2009 Blu-ray release of The French Connection. Thankfully, that does not appear to be the case here, but it is worth noting that Friedkin purportedly worked with cinematographer Owen Roizman on the restoration and color timing for the 2010 DigiBook Blu-ray release, which we are left to assume is the model used for this 4K remaster. And since we don't have access to the original elements — and any claims of remembering the original look of a movie from fifty years ago is ultimately absurd — we have to take the filmmakers at their word that this is how the film is meant to look. With that said, however, there are a few moments that raise some small suspicions, such as the reds seeming a tad amplified and over-saturated. It's nothing terribly egregious or distracting, but they tend to pop pretty loudly here and there. The rest of the palette appears accurately rendered and fuller, and facial complexions are healthier with a natural peach-rosiness around the cheeks of the cast. Also, the strong bluish hue of the exorcism sequences seen in previous releases has been toned down somewhat to a more downcast, steely tone that when combined with the diffusion photography, gives those moments an eerie, ethereal, and otherworldly feel. walk to the house, which sporadically takes on a similarly filtered, chalky appearance that's likewise hurt by excessive noise, smearing, and even

Exorcist Ultimate Collectors Edition 4K Ultra HD The Exorcist Ultimate Collectors Edition 4K Ultra HD

very well should -- have been a more authentic presentation. It would be one thing if these new colors were only present on the director's The Exorcist, I'm clearly not as big a fan but can still appreciate its craftsmanship as well as its considerable legacy during the past five For a synopsis and appreciation of the film, please see Kenneth Brown's review of the 2010 Blu-ray digibook above. As indicated by my own rating of The Exorcist tells the now-famous story of a girl’s demonic possession, and a gripping fight between good and evil. Linda Blair, in a breakout role, plays Regan, a young girl who starts to exhibit strange, arcane behavior. Her mother (Burstyn) calls upon a priest, Father Karras (Miller), to investigate. But Karras, who has a spiritual crisis of his own, is suddenly confronted with the unimaginable evil of Regan’s possession. Father Lankester Merrin (Von Sydow), an archeologist-priest, is called to help, and a horrific battle for her soul begins. off-putting but at least reigned in a bit. Yet it's also the root cause of nagging issues exacerbated by HDR, which gives new and appreciatedThe Exorcist III, I feel, is always going to remain a controversial sequel over what it could have been versus what it ultimately became. There’s the studio take and there’s Blatty’s original vision and then there’s what the audience needs and expects from an Exorcist film and these three competing forces never quite saw eye to eye. Overall I think it’s a solid entertaining expansion of the first film, certainly miles better than the second film, but even with the footage of Blatty’s original version available, it’s far from a masterpiece. It’s ominous, it’s creepy, and there are a few great scares to enjoy. format is truly capable of. Splitting the difference, I'd rate The Exorcist's 4K presentation as a 3.75/5 overall, though it's probably That bit of revisionism hasn't been erased but it has been at least lessened somewhat, now taking on more of a lightly purple hue that's still