The Exorcist Extended DC (R1/US BD) in October

[John Johnson]

Warner Home Video have announced the US DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut on 5th October 2010. Newly remastered in 1080p from the original camera negative, the Blu-ray includes both the remastered Extended Director’s Cut as well as the remastered theatrical version of the film. The 2-Disc Blu-ray edition ($34.99 SRP) will be packaged with a personal letter written by Friedkin inside a 40-page Blu-ray Digibook featuring striking photos, cast bios, revealing production notes and more. Along with extras from previous releases you also get three new documentaries.

The single-disc DVD ($19.96 SRP) includes the remastered Extended Director’s Cut only with commentary by Friedkin and trailers.

Friedkin has this to say about the new Extended DC: “After my final cut of the original The Exorcist, I took out 12 more minutes before we actually released it in theatres. Years later, Bill Blatty asked if I’d consider reviewing some of that rejected footage (which he always felt should have remained) with an eye towards putting it into a new version. Bill gave me the best piece of material I've ever received and because of that and because the film had such a major reputation over some 25 years, I agreed to revisit all these scenes. When I saw them, I came to realize that Bill was, in fact, right. With technical advances, scenes that didn’t work then could now be fixed with CGI and there were others that I thought strengthened the spiritual aspect of the film. Warner agreed and released a whole new theatrical print in 2000 which we called The Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen. And I now agree with Blatty that this is the best and most complete version.”

Here is a breakdown of what you’ll find on the discs...

Disc 1 - Extended Director’s Cut (2000) plus Special Features
Commentary by William Friedkin
NEW Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist -- set footage produced and photographed by Owen Roizman, camera and makeup tests, and interviews with director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair, author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman. BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE
NEW The Exorcist Locations: GeorgetownThen and Now -- Featuring a tour of the iconic locations where the film was shot. BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE
NEW Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist -- with director William Friedkin and uthor/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty discussing the different versions of the film and featuring outtakes from the film. BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE
Trailers, TV Spots & Radio Spots from the film’s 2000 release

Disc 2 - Theatrical Cut (1973) plus Special Features: (Blu-ray only)
Introduction by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist [1998 BBC documentary
Additional Interviews with William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty
The Original Cut
Stairway to Heaven
The Final Reckoning
Original Ending
Sketches & Storyboards
Trailers & TV Spots from the 1973 version

http://homecinema.thedigitalfix.co.uk/c ... tober.html