The Exorcist

Starring:Jason Miller, Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Linda Blair, Reverend William O'Malley, Barton Heyman, Peter Masterson, Rudolf SchÃ¼ndler, Gina Petrushka, Robert Symonds, Arthur Storch, Reverend Thomas Bermingham, Vasiliki Maliaros, Titos Vandis, Wallace Rooney, Ron Faber, Donna Mitchell
Director: William Friedkin
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The Exorcist
it's a crime to miss this movie
Beautiful Horror
PLEASE REMASTER THE THEATRICAL VERSION SCARIEST MOVIE EVER!
Aint never scared, except this one time.

The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)
Starring: Jason Miller , Ellen Burstyn , Max von Sydow , Lee J. Cobb , and Kitty Winn
Director: William Friedkin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000524CY
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

The Exorcist.......2007-07-05

Director Friedkin's masterful adaptation of William Peter Blatty's best-seller is one of the most petrifying films on record. An ominous mood is established at the outset that quickly escalates to bone-chilling terror. Burstyn embodies the frantic mother, while Miller is the film's emotional heart as the tortured Karras. And young Blair would never match her outing as the possessed child. Look for a solid late-career turn by Lee J. Cobb as a curious detective. To the uninitiated, beware-this is still strong stuff.

it's a crime to miss this movie.......2007-05-13

Warning: Do not watch it if you are under 19. Secondly, do not watch alone or nighttime, or before going to sleep. Very powerful movie that scares to death.

Beautiful Horror.......2007-04-17

This is simply a wonderful film. Everybody knows about the head-spinning and vomitting, but no-one ever mentions the brilliant direction, fabulous use of sound and stunning imagery, such as in the first 12 minutes of the film.

The next section of the film develops the characters, and until at 75 minutes in the film Mrs MacNeil meets Karras and begs him to see her daughter. This scene ("And, how do you go about getting an exorcism?") is very powerful. Ellen Burstyn is outstanding, and should have won the best actress Oscar in 1973 for this film rather than Glenda Jackson.

Most people will be familiar with the last section of the film and if the effects look a little dated it doesn't detract from the raw power of the film. There are great supporting roles from Max Von Sydow and Lee J Cobb.

The UK film critic Mark Kermode (who is always right!) claims this as the greatest film of all time. Whilst it wouldn't be my choice it is certainly amongst the best I've ever seen and I strongly recommend it.

PLEASE REMASTER THE THEATRICAL VERSION SCARIEST MOVIE EVER!.......2007-04-13

OK This is a scary movie! As much as I like the spider walk segment, I prefer the original theatrical version of the movie way more. This movie is scary as HELL and needs no embellishments! Please release the original version remastered on DVD!

Aint never scared, except this one time........2007-02-14

I am a fully grown man and i have to say that i've seen a gazillion horror movies and this is the only movie EVER, and i mean EVER to scare me. Buy it but don't watch it alone in the dark.

The Exorcist - The Complete Anthology (Original / The Version You've Never Seen / Exorcist II The Heretic / Exorcist III / The Beginning / Dominion)

Average customer rating:

do you know what she did?
Could have been perfect
Exorcist Anthology
Just buy the The Version You've Never Seen!
Reasons For Buying The New Boxed Set Of "The Exorcist"

The Exorcist - The Complete Anthology (Original / The Version You've Never Seen / Exorcist II The Heretic / Exorcist III / The Beginning / Dominion)
Starring: Jason Miller , Ellen Burstyn , Max von Sydow , Lee J. Cobb , and Kitty Winn
Director: William Friedkin , John Boorman , and William Peter Blatty
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HEWEGC
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Description

Here it is. The scream of the crop. The fear is here. And so is the hope. Because at their center are intrepid souls who dare to look evil in the eye and vanquish it. From The Exorcist (presented in its Original Theatrical Version and the 2000 Version You've Never Seen) to the shocks and surprise of Exorcist II: The Heretic and The Exorcist III to the two versions (by two different directors) of Dominion/The Beginning, this DVD set comprises the scariest and most fascinating collection of movies in modern horror.

Customer Reviews:

do you know what she did?.......2007-06-24

This is great if you don't have any of these films yet.For someone who doesn't want all of them 1,3 and the Renny Harlin version of the prequel are the must haves. There are some continuity problems with the 3rd and I say that because 1 and 3 are both written by William Peter Blatty, so there really shouldn't be mistakes but they are there. The ones I'm talking about are in the dialogue, having to do with the tapes Karras made of Regan talking to him in the first film. That is talked about in the 3rd but it's not described how it actually went down in the 1st... why Blatty why

Could have been perfect.......2007-01-12

I am not here to comment on the movies, never found The Exorcist anything more than a mediocre flick anyway. I will just comment on this DVD set.

The packaging is lovely, with an outer cover made of high quality cardboard and printed perfectly. It houses four individual ultra thin plastic cases, two of which have 2 DVDs each the other two each has one DVD.

The only problem I had was that one of the two disks in the first case is a double face disk, and a double face disk means trouble and all the acrobatics needed to touch it or know which face has what! It is beyond me why didn't they make an extra disk and make one of the two single disk cases a double as well?

Other than this, I find it to be one of the best value for money DVD sets i have ever bought. A must for fans of those movies or those -like myself- who just wanted to see them to know what the fuss is all about.

Exorcist Anthology.......2007-01-10

Overall, the Exorcist Anthology is not a bad deal for the price I paid. However, Exorcist 2 and 3 are Really, Really bad as movies, which surprised me as Exorcist One was really great. The Exorcist One's "Making of" was excellent and makes you appreciate the first movie of the series. My copies of Exorcist 2 and 3 I may either use as frisbees for my small dog or some hapless soul may find them at Goodwill, I wash my hands of them. It was 5 and 4 that got my interest in the series and the package, which still considering 2 and 3 is a decent anthology value. Exorcist 5 and 4 are misleading because the studio did not like 4, so they made 5, which rates higher than 4 on IMDB. Exorcist 4 is actually better than 5, because of its interesting flavor and it is truer to the Exorcist tradition, so I recommend viewing 5 first and then 4. The Exorcist Anthology is actually cheaper than buying 1 and 4 by themselves (the best ones, in my opinion), so go figure. I give the Exorcist Anthology 3 out of 5 because Exorcist 1 is excellent and 4 is good in spite of 5 and the mishaps 2 and 3.

Just buy the The Version You've Never Seen!.......2007-01-07

The originial is the best and now a new version has add to it! the other movies in this set are not even close! So only buy The Version You've Never Seen and you wont be disappointed!

Reasons For Buying The New Boxed Set Of "The Exorcist".......2007-01-05

Here it is, the definitive complete collection of 'The Exorcist' in a nicely done cardboard cover containing four DVD's in individual plastic snap cases, just the way you like it.

Reasons for Buying:
1- You don't have the complete set yet so you might as well.
2- The cover art on the first disc is different than the original cover of `The Exorcist I' so you simply have to have it.
3- The first three films were released in the old cardboard snap cases while the next two came out in the plastic snap keepcases that can be replaced if damaged. (That's my reason, I'm a little anal and like everything to match).
4- The price is right, for less than $10.00 a disc who needs a reason.

The Exorcist (25th Anniversary Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Exorcist
it's a crime to miss this movie
Beautiful Horror
PLEASE REMASTER THE THEATRICAL VERSION SCARIEST MOVIE EVER!
Aint never scared, except this one time.

The Exorcist (25th Anniversary Special Edition)
Starring: Jason Miller , Ellen Burstyn , Max von Sydow , Lee J. Cobb , and Kitty Winn
Director: William Friedkin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 079073804X
Release Date: 1998-12-01

Amazon.com essential video

Director William Friedkin was a hot ticket in Hollywood after the success of The French Connection, and he turned heads (in more ways than one) when he decided to make The Exorcist as his follow-up film. Adapted by William Peter Blatty from his controversial bestseller, this shocking 1973 thriller set an intense and often-copied milestone for screen terror with its unflinching depiction of a young girl (Linda Blair) who is possessed by an evil spirit. Jason Miller and Max von Sydow are perfectly cast as the priests who risk their sanity and their lives to administer the rites of demonic exorcism. Ellen Burstyn plays Blair's mother, who can only stand by in horror as her daughter's body is wracked by Satanic disfiguration. One of the most frightening films ever made, The Exorcist was mysteriously plagued by trouble during production, and the years since have not diminished its capacity to disturb even the most stoic viewers. The film is presented in letterbox format on digital video disc, with a remastered soundtrack that's guaranteed to curdle your blood. The 25th-anniversary Special Edition DVD of The Exorcist is packed with bonus features, including a 74-minute documentary titled The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist, which includes interviews with cast and crew, audio commentary by William Friedkin and author William Peter Blatty, a special introduction by Friedkin, theatrical trailers and TV spots, and DVD-exclusive coverage of the film's storyboards and production design. --Jeff Shannon

Description

An innocent girl is evilly possessed -- and a doubting priest becomes her last hope. Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn in the two-time Academy Award(R) winner that shocked the world.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Separate Commentaries by Friedkin & Blatty
Other:"Fear of God" 3 trailers Nwe Interviews
TV Spot:6 TV Spots: "Beyond Comprehension", "You Too Can See The Exorcist", "Between Science and Superstition", "The Movie You've Been Waiting For", "Nobody Expected It", "Life Had Been Good"

Customer Reviews:

The Exorcist.......2007-07-05

it's a crime to miss this movie.......2007-05-13

Warning: Do not watch it if you are under 19. Secondly, do not watch alone or nighttime, or before going to sleep. Very powerful movie that scares to death.

Beautiful Horror.......2007-04-17

PLEASE REMASTER THE THEATRICAL VERSION SCARIEST MOVIE EVER!.......2007-04-13

Aint never scared, except this one time........2007-02-14

I am a fully grown man and i have to say that i've seen a gazillion horror movies and this is the only movie EVER, and i mean EVER to scare me. Buy it but don't watch it alone in the dark.

Exorcist - The Beginning (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Exorcist IV
Best Exorcist movie--very watchable again and again
Standing in the shadow of a very famous movie
Two thumbs down
The Exorcist IV: We Will Scare You To Death If You Watch Another Sequel

Exorcist - The Beginning (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård , Izabella Scorupco , James D'Arcy , Remy Sweeney , and Julian Wadham
Director: Renny Harlin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00065HKLG
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Amazon.com

"This movie is cursed!" exclaimed movie-magazine headlines regarding Exorcist: The Beginning, but those dire warnings turned out to be exaggerated. Considering a tumultuous production history that actually did seem cursed, Renny Harlin's much-maligned prequel to The Exorcist is a surprisingly competent, serious-minded shocker filled with the same anxious foreboding that made the 1973 original so phenomenally effective. The story lacks focus and feels cobbled together (perhaps the result of its tortured development, which included the untimely death of original director John Frankenheimer), but Stellan Skarsgård is well-cast as Father (now Mr.) Merrin, a lapsed Catholic priest summoned to East Africa in 1949 to retrieve a demonic idol. He discovers a buried church, a vast underground cavern, demonic possession, and a legacy of carnage that preys upon guilt-ridden memories from his parish in Nazi-occupied Holland. Harlin delivers the gross-out moments that Warner Brothers demanded, but otherwise shows remarkable restraint while cinematographer Vittorio Storaro delivers doom-laden visual atmosphere. It's not the classic many were hoping for--not even close--but it's still a win-win scenario for horror fans, since it's rumored the unreleased and "abandoned" version directed by Paul Schrader will be paired with this film for its DVD release. Comparisons will no doubt prove interesting. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Prequel. Exorcist: The Beginning traces the story of Father Merrin back to his first encounter with the Devil during his missionary work in Africa.

Customer Reviews:

The Exorcist IV.......2007-05-31

The latest in the long running Exiorcist series, this fourth entry was billed as a prequel but actually is going forward and happens right here, right now in the 2000s. I just watched it for the third time in the wee hours of the morning and not even the once terrifying demonic possession scenes and makeup could make this scary for me but it is well made, especially for a direct to video release. The budget appeared to be about 1.5 million dollars, most of which didn't go into paying the actors but into the sets. The acting is not bad, but not good enough to make anything scary happen for me anyway except for some suspense will the new one be just as scary as the original or as dated as the second one. Out of all the movies I've seen in my life, this is somewhere in the middle for me. Because it isn't very scary it deserves to be watched over and over again almost religiously much like I do with Rocky and Excalibur. Catholics liked, but not loved this one and say the third entry is just ho hum. I don't know where they're getting these values from- I blame the parents for raising today's people at least 50 years out of date except for big celebritites and sometimes mayors and other city officials. I wish this was a lot scarier but yet I don't because it would've been too predictable I guess. Out of all the Exorcist movies this one at least used modern technology to make it. So on many levels it on a level with the fine Exorcist III, that it updated with the times and turned it into or is it? just another long running horror franchise.

Best Exorcist movie--very watchable again and again.......2007-05-14

I had never watched any of the Exorcist movies (all five of them) until Mother¡¦s Day. I didn¡¦t bother renting Exorcist 2 or Dominion, which got bad reviews and sounded just awful. Intrigued by serial killer movies, we rented Exorcist 3, which was so plain awful that I couldn¡¦t even watch the whole thing. The last hour of it is one long dialogue between the serial killer Brad Dourif and the cop Kinderman played by George C. Scott. Very depressing and a waste of money.

In this day and age, as moviegoers, we¡¦ve become pretty picky about our horror movies and yet I find myself still enjoying classics like Rear Window with James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Having said that, the original Exorcist (1) is still pretty good. Having never seen it before, I wasn¡¦t too terribly disappointed and could see why it¡¦s a cult classic like Jaws (I prefer Jaws). While I would never watch it twice, it was worth renting to see what all the references in the Austin Powers movies were to (º ).

The third of the Exorcist movies I rented, Exorcist-the Beginning, was by far the best and I¡¦ve already watched it twice in two days. Stellan Skarsgaard is an excellent actor and we have several of his movies (Deep Blue Sea, Arthur) as well as several of Isabella Scorupco¡¦s movies (Reign of Fire, Vertical Limit). Funny enough, he looks much better in Excorcist: the Beginning and she looks much worse than her other movies (they aged her quite a bit). The plot is interesting without being so overtly religious that you don¡¦t find it fascinating. Many of the Roman Rites (including the exorcism ritual) are similar to ancient pagan rituals that Wiccans still practice in some form. I find it interesting that the Roman Catholic church ¡§adopted¡¨ so many pagan rituals when introducing Christianity to get the pagans to convert. Aside from the pagan and Catholic rituals, you see what happens when evil takes hold in a place and cannot be banished. There are such things as evil places and this is one of them for sure.

Without giving too much of the plot away, this movie is about an excavation site in Nairobi, Kenya in 1949. Mysterious things begin happening and a priest is called in by the Vatican to explore a Catholic church that is unearthed from the 1500s (before Christianity was introduced to that area). Enter Father Marren (Skarsgaard) who left the church after World War II when he was forced to watch while Jews were massacred in front of his church (the famous line ¡§God is not here today¡¨ enters here). He is ¡§Mr.¡¨ Marren now and joins the excavation with an anxious Catholic priest named Francis by his side. It turns out that Marren is famous for his works regarding the Roman Rites of exorcism and has published some books on the subject which Francis has read. The doctor in the village is Scorupco, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps where her family was sent for harboring Jews. There are the native African tribespeople called the Triqueta, the hyenas, and, of course, an exorcism. By the end of the movie, Mr. Merrin has become Father Merrin again and you¡¦re happy he has. I¡¦m not sure why, but this little conversion back to his priesthood reminded me of Mel Gibson in Signs. It is a rare thing when a horror movie can move you like a drama (like Signs), but this one did for me.

The entire movie is set around this excavation site and about it. The inside of the church itself is probably the creepiest thing about the movie and Father Marren goes into it on at least three occasions while you¡¦re sitting in your seat saying why are you going in there!!! Perhaps the two most breathtaking scenes in the entire movie are at the beginning and at the end (when history repeats itself) when you see a valley full of dead soldiers and natives, including those crucified on upside-down crucifixes. Very scary. I highly recommend it.

Standing in the shadow of a very famous movie.......2007-03-22

It's hard to do follow up movies to a legendary flick like the exorcist and this movie will suffer by being compared to the original. All in all, it is an okay movie to watch when there is nothing else on tv. The story is okay, but the movie comes across as choppy. Sometimes it is trying to be a psychological thriller, sometimes an action flick. Some of the computer generated affects are tacky.

Two thumbs down.......2007-03-15

None of the Exorcist movies are as good as the first one.
Save your dollars!

The Exorcist IV: We Will Scare You To Death If You Watch Another Sequel.......2006-10-31

Chad had earlier given another great synopsis of this last entry into the world of Pazuzu. You might want to read any of his reviews just to get a good understanding of what went on in the movies he's reviewed.

I do not disagree with him on this one as far as the quality of the film. This film is a mess. I always wanted to know what the previous meeting between Father Merrin and Pazuzu was like based off of the hints given us in the original Exorcist film, but this shallow film did little for me. I think Kat's review is on the money with this flick. If it wasn't for the good performance Stellan Skarsgard, playing Father Merrin, I would give this film a zero. I wonder what the author of the original story thinks (or would think if he's dead) how this prequel was handled. Only in his mind would we really know how Father Merrin really battled Pazuzu.

Average customer rating:

Genuinely Creepy, Nicely Done
Legion
Excellent Sirvice
Exorcist III: The Return to Sound Story Tellling
Ban this guy.

The Exorcist 3
Starring: George C. Scott , Ed Flanders , Brad Dourif , Jason Miller , and Nicol Williamson
Director: William Peter Blatty
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Exorcist II - The Heretic
The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)
Exorcist - The Beginning (Widescreen Edition)
Dominion - Prequel to the Exorcist
Poltergeist II/Poltergeist III

ASIN: B0000399W9
Release Date: 1999-12-28

Description

The evil is back. The Exorcist novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Peter Blatty triumphs again with this spellbinding sequel starring George C. Scott.Year: 1990

Customer Reviews:

Genuinely Creepy, Nicely Done.......2007-05-10

Yes, skip the Exorcist 2. It's junk.
But this!!! This little gem was a total surprise. It plays more like a weird murder mystery about a really twisted serial killer. It takes place fifteen years after The Exorcist ended, and it seems that something from that incident is not finished quite yet. So there are some scary, supernatural things going on.

There's so much I could say about this film and its acting, script, dialogue, imagery, strangeness, sound design, cinematography... not to mention its creepiness factor; the hair on my neck stands up.

And there's that scene that always, always makes you jump. Dead silence, no background music to distract you. Until you let your guard down. Very Hitchockian, giving you a big scare that really isn't scary after all, and then moments later, the big genuine fright just as you're starting to relax and you don't expect it. Good stuff.

Casting is interesting here: the woman playing George C. Scott's wife was Zohra Lampert from the 70's film "Let's Scare Jessica to Death". I always found her fascinating, brittle, and pleasantly odd. Her dialogue is dubbed strangely here. It sounds like they recorded it in a tupperware sandwich box.
Oh, and if you blink you'll miss the king of chitchat, Larry King, at the restaurant. It's a one second shot of him. There are a few familiar faces around this film.

You find so many macabre touches in Exorcist 3:
The old woman crawling in a very unexpected place.
The voice you hear in the church confessional.
The big shears.

I'll never look at hospitals the same way.

There are odd people in this film, like the nurse with the heavy lipstick, and the chainsmoking doctor who rehearses his conversation. It's as if David Lynch was consulted half the time. There are really bizarre characters. I like that.

And it's not realistic, but that's no big deal. People smoking in a hospital. You could say that about "Alien". Lighting up a Marlboro in a spaceship: Wouldn't they all explode? Well, duh.

And that deep female voice in the confessional gets to me. She'll be in my nightmares. It reminds me of the late Colleen Dewhurst's smoky, seasoned, frosty voice. But there's no credit in the film for a voice. Funny how it smacks of the whole Mercedes McCambridge debacle from the first Exorcist film. Apparently Mercedes did the creepy voice of the demon (uncredited), and after the film was a smash hit, they had to re-do the credits to include her because she was going to sue the studio. It may be rumors for all I know.

Anyway, a final word: filmmakers of today's horror movies should watch this film. It gets under your skin so much more than movies like Saw, House of Wax, Hostel, or The Hills Have Eyes.
Give this movie a try. Turn the volume up more than you usually do. The sound design is half the fun.

' It's a wonderful life'.

Legion.......2007-01-28

I would say that the real star of this production is the sound design. Surely such is lost on a playing through an ordinary TV with its own speakers, but play it through a good surround system with decent bass response and the nearly subsonic rumble throughout will have viewers on the edges of their seats.

Additionally, being a DC native and still resident, I found the location shots particularly gratifying. I am very familiar with the boathouse where they found the first young victim.

The scene where Lt. Kinderman and Father Dyer went to a movie was filmed in the lobby of what was once a lovely small cinema on M Street. It was called the Biograph, and one could always count on the Biograph to present films that were otherwise out of circulation. Not only that, but they offered a variety of seasoned salt for the popcorn. Sadly, that location is now what too many other neighborhood theaters have become...another CVS!

One half-star may be subtracted for the final chase scene through Georgetown to reach the home of the last victim. It seems the film makers went way, way all around Nelly's barn to get to where the heroes were going.

I know cab drivers, trying to cover as many zones as possible (DC uses zones instead of meters) who will still drive a route economically convenient to the customer to reach a final destination. lol

At any rate, if you want a good goose bump flick, treat yourself to a rental of this one.

Over 13 am I? You betcha! I was in college when I read the first hard-back version of "The Exorcist" and it scared the pants off me! Imagine reading it alone at night in a rural off-campus trailer where mice were scraping around and the sounds of whip-poor-wills augmented the effect of the story with reminiscences of Lovecraft's "Dunwich Horror."

Excellent Sirvice.......2006-11-11

Movie came within the correct time period and excellent sirvice and was what I expected.

Exorcist III: The Return to Sound Story Tellling.......2006-10-31

Once again, Chad has done a great job writing and evaluating this sequel. This film should have faired better than it did, but I think the disappointing entry of "The Exorcist II: The Heretic" spoiled the franchise a great deal. It was hard to take any of the sequels seriously after that mess of a film and that's a shame as The Exorcist III really deserves praise as it is a solidly written, acted, and directed film that really does what a sequel is supposed to do . . . continue the story (not repeat it or satirize it). Much credit goes to William Peter Blatty as he wrote both the original story and the literal sequel. He knew what he wanted to accomplish and he executed it very well as the director.

It important to keep in mind that unlike perhaps the rare sequel that is equal or superior to its original (i.e. Spider-Man, Alien, The Godfather), few sequels ever give us what we really want, and that is the same feelings we had when viewing the original film. That's what makes those films true classics; they are something we just can't repeat. It is like lightning; it's there one moment and gone, but, wow, it was glorious when it flashed!

Ban this guy........2006-10-25

William Peter Blatty should be banned from ever making another movie this scary again. That is enough. This movie will scare the living crap out of you. What a great comeback to such an awful part 2. Well worth the wait.

Average customer rating:

Worthy of the name, 'Exorcist'
Lame
Couldn't get into it
Cover me, Teilhard. I'm goin' in.
Prequel to a War Of "Good & Evil" in all of Us

Dominion - Prequel to the Exorcist
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård , Gabriel Mann , Clara Bellar , Billy Crawford (II) , and Ralph Brown
Director: Paul Schrader
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Exorcist - The Beginning (Widescreen Edition)
The Exorcist 3
Exorcist II - The Heretic
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Land of the Dead (Unrated Edition)

ASIN: B000AYEL4W
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

Horror buffs will surely be compelled to compare and contrast Dominion with Exorcist: The Beginning, two films weirdly linked by film history. Director Paul Schrader shot Dominion only to find studio bosses underwhelmed by its horror aspects, at which point Renny Harlin was hired to direct another take on the subject with the same lead actor, setting, and similar storyline. That became the 2004 theatrical release Exorcist: The Beginning.

As expected, the Schrader version has more tortured religiosity and visual poetry than Harlin's cheesier (but admittedly gripping) re-do. Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) carries his guilt from the Nazi occupation to a remote African archaeological dig, where a mysteriously buried church has been uncovered. Strange stuff happens nearby, and a fervent young priest (good performance by Gabriel Mann) parries spiritual points with the now-doubting Merrin. Some of the ideas are strong and the sun-and-sand cinematography by the great Vittorio Storaro is often stunning. As beautiful as the film is to look at, it must be admitted that the climax is disappointingly flat, the leading lady (Clara Bellar) is a washout, and one begins to yearn for the occasional genre shock of the kind Schrader was able to conjure up in his remake of Cat People. If you're an Exorcist fan, watch it for its serious treatment of Merrin's crisis, which ties in to his character in the 1973 original. --Robert Horton

Description

Historic filmmaking! 2 filmmakers take on the same film. The original prequel to The Exorcist by Paul Shrader. The film traces the story of Father Lankester Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) back to his first encounter with the Devil in post-WW II Africa.

Customer Reviews:

Worthy of the name, 'Exorcist'.......2007-06-23

This version (Dominion) is by far the more superior of the two releases (i.e. 'The Beginning' being the first release by a different director). It didn't have me squirming like I and III did, but that wasn't the intent. I thought it was a good story about how evil slowly works its way into unreasonable situations and transforms them into something undeniable.

Budding film makers should see both 'Dominion' and 'The Begining', for a great example of what a quality director can do with the same actors and story.

Lame.......2007-04-01

I bought this film the same day I bought the Renny Harlin version. Sadly enough the Renny Harlin version was better. The Harlin version was more of a horror/violence/action film, when this version was more of a Lifetime Movie of the week. Neither film is a masterpiece, but avoid this one.

Couldn't get into it .......2007-03-16

I am honestly not getting what all the good reviews are about.

I like most of Paul Schrader's films, but I really found this one boring, sorry to say, I much prefer the Renny Harlin version.

For me, I just wasn't getting into the film.

If you're like me, you'll like the Harlin version much better.

Cover me, Teilhard. I'm goin' in........2007-02-10

Looks like I have to strap on my armor and enter the combat.

This is a superb piece of filmmaking, especially considering that the film it morphed into (EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING) is one of the worst films I saw that year. The executives at WB were insulting your intelligence by having this film mutilated by Renny Harlin. This original film is a smart, creepy, atmospheric work. I won't say it was the scariest film I've ever seen, but it was pleasantly unnerving and kept zigging where most workman filmmakers would have let it zag. It starts mutedly, but builds into something increasingly bizarre. I had no idea it was going to be this good. The film also leads into THE EXORCIST beautifully. I put in THE EXORCIST right afterwards, and it felt like a sequel to DOMINION. High praise, well-earned.

Prequel to a War Of "Good & Evil" in all of Us.......2006-12-26

Not a bad movie at all, if you watch it as a story being told, it's not a movie, but gives you a starting spot to what will give you, horror of all horror movies "The Exorcist". A priest .. who left his faith must find himself & God again & must meet evil head on & know God has not left him but, will stand with him in life against .. evil himself,the devil ... time is time evil is evil as good must rule over all evil. Take time & watch with a open mind & let the soul tell you if it was a good movie my friend ... later kids.

Average customer rating:

Inept sequel
Career lows for many...
This movie is stupid!
not as good as the first
The Exorcist II: The Hillarious

Exorcist II - The Heretic
Starring: Linda Blair , Richard Burton , Louise Fletcher , Max von Sydow , and Kitty Winn
Director: John Boorman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000067FP5
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Amazon.com

This sequel to the Oscar-winning horror film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty was virtually laughed off the screen when it came out in 1977. It was an unintentionally hilarious mishmash and received such terrible reviews that director John Boorman yanked it out of theaters. He reedited it, cutting eight minutes in hopes of getting the story (written by William Goodhart) to the point of coherency, to no avail. The film remains a kind of reverse gold standard for sequels. It's still a ridiculously overacted, although at times visually haunting, movie. Richard Burton stars as a troubled priest (something of a specialty of his) who is brought in to follow up on the case of Linda Blair, who is institutionalized, still troubled by her encounter with the devil (who wouldn't be?). By the time they confront Satan's minion in the final struggle, you'll be rooting for evil to win. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Inept sequel.......2007-01-29

"Exorcist II: The Heretic" was hooted off the screen by audiences who witnessed its release in summer 1977. The original film, released one day after Christmas 1973, terrified audiences with its tasteless scenes of a head turning, vomit spewing Linda Blair, broke box-office records, and was inexplicably nominated for 10 Academy Awards.

The sequel had all the markings of a prestige effort. With William Friedkin unavailable to direct, Warner Bros. recruited John Boorman whose "Deliverance" was one of 1972's most acclaimed films. Richard Burton, fresh from his Broadway triumph in "Equus," was signed to star as the investigator from the Vatican who continues the work left unfinished by Max Von Sydow's Father Marrin who returns in a series of flashbacks. Linda Blair, the teenaged victim whose possession by a demon inspired some of the grisliest moments in film history, was back on board, and then there was Louise Fletcher, the Oscar winning Nurse Ratchett of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Even Paul Henreid, (Victor Lazlo from "Casablanca") turns up as a cardinal. Add a music score by Ennio Morricone, and you've got a winner on your hands.

Wrong. The reaction to the film was so hostile that Warner Bros. yanked it out of theaters, and re-edited what most critics derided as a mess into a bigger mess. During its production, there were the usual stories of an evil presence being felt, suggesting the devil himself was creating havoc on the set (such as supplying Burton with drinks?). If so, his mark can be felt on the screenplay. Not even Ed Wood could have tolerated such an incompetent and incoherent script.

Some of the special-effects are truly amazing, especially a scene in which locusts swarm above the New York skyline, but "Exorcist II: The Heretic," though not the worst movie ever made, is a failure.

Brian W. Fairbanks

Career lows for many..........2007-01-20

Those guys who decided the Golden Turkey Awards chose this as 2nd worst film, next to "Plan 9". I must admit I'd rather watch "Plan 9" or listen to my hair grow than be subjected to "Ex II". Mr. Boorman must've thought a lot of people liked wild jungle rhythms while being bored and baffled. I was annoyed. Ms. Blair should've known better, because she is talented. Mr. Burton, too, but at the end of his career, he was stretching a lot (not unlike the great Rod Steiger in "Amityville"), looking for legitimacy. Overacting seemed to be their way of overcoming the rotten script. Unfortunately, it never happened for them. "Ex II" is among the sorriest examples of acting, editing, sound recording, and just about everything else that makes filmmaking an art. I understand that there were studio demands, so I can't blame Mr. Boorman, whom I admire. "Plan 9" and Ed Wood didn't have studio support. That's why I think this MUST be the worst film of all time.

This movie is stupid!.......2007-01-11

I was generous to give it one stars. This movie makes no sense. I only bought it to have the whole exorcist collection. This movie is not scary. It don't have much to do with any of the other movies. It was a waste of time!

not as good as the first.......2006-11-02

First of all,the storyline sucked.Second,the film didnt carry all the scary action like the first one did.Besides,I thought they should have found someone different to play the demon Regan.

The Exorcist II: The Hillarious.......2006-10-31

Unintentional humor and over-the-top acting make this movie good, but in a cheesy way. The score and certain images are truly haunting, but most of this mess of a film is just incomprehensible. I so appreciate Chad DeFeo's synopsis of the film as he explained things that I honestly couldn't figure out when I first saw this film. I think those involved were trying to be cerebral, but ended up having a cerebral hemorrage instead.

This is definitely one of those it's so bad it's good kind of films. It's also nice to see good actors like Richard Burton, Linda Blair, and James Earl Jones in something unintentionally campy.

Average customer rating:

Abby (The Black Exorcist Edition)
Starring: Carol Speed , William Marshall , Austin Stoker , and Juanita Moore
Director: William Girdler
Manufacturer: CF Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000RACXFI
Release Date: 2007-06-01

Product Description

Abby Doesn t Need a Man...The Devil Is Her Lover Now!William Girdler s blaxploitation answer to The Exorcist (1973) is a down and dirty, dollar store knock-off of the Hollywood blockbuster that has since gained a loyal cult following of it s own. Pulled from theaters only weeks after it s premiere, sued into obscurity and essentially a lost movie for three decades, Abby is finally ready to repossess the souls of fans everywhere! SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES: trailer, radio spot, poster images, lobby card repros, production stills.

Average customer rating:

Exorcist Chronicles
Starring: Exorcist Chronicles
Manufacturer: Kc Sales
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Average customer rating:

BEWARE!!!!!
A PIECE OF S**T
Abby = crappy
Abby is a Collector's "Must-Have," Regardless of the Not-so-Perfect Picture Quality"
Good movie - Terrible DVD

Abby

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002QDOP0

Product Description

Unearthed after three decades, William Girdler's blaxploitation cult classic of demonic possession finally comes home to DVD in this Special Collector's Edition that celebrates the 30th anniversary of this legendary film. Abby tells the story of a young, church-going housewife (Carol "The Mack" Speed) who is possessed by an erotically charged Nigerian sex demon, accidentally set free of it's African confines by her archeologist father-in-law (William "Blacula" Marshall). Possessed by the renegade spirit, Abby goes on a hell bent spree of destruction and wanton sexual behavior, all to the shock of her minister husband. When Abby's father-in-law returns from Africa to exorcise the demon inside her, all hell breaks loose as a local discotheque is turned into the ultimate battleground of good versus evil as Abby's family fights to save her soul from eternal damnation! See this long lost, blaxploitation classic as it was intended to be seen-and take Abby home tonight! SPECIAL FEATURES: REGION 0, Digitally Restored Print Direct From Film, Scene Access, Interactive Menus, Stereo Sound, Original Theatrical Trailer, Original Radio Spot, Theatrical Lobby Cards, Poster Gallery, Rare Production Stills, The History Of ABBY, And Much, Much More....

Customer Reviews:

BEWARE!!!!!.......2007-05-29

This was a movie that scared the bejizzes out of me as a kid. As an adult, the movie itself is pure camp and just fun to watch. Too bad that this release is just that, a bad copy from a VHS tape. This DVR copy even edits out the head turning scene.
There have been promises of the orginal print being transfered to DVD but that has yet to happen. Until that happens, DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION!!
The one star is for the memories I have from childhood of this movie.

A PIECE OF S**T.......2006-02-23

This is the worst possible tranfer of a movie to DVD. This company CineFear should be ashamed of themselves, but they must
only be doing it for the money, because no company would release
a video this bad and expect anyone to enjoy it. You cannot judge
a book by its cover, and the DVD holder look nice, and horror
fans may be quick to pick it up to enjoy the horror film inside.
When you get home and you put it in the DVD player, you will see
a HORROR FILM; the film jumps, the sound is horrible, and the picture is dirty and because the projector was dirty,(or the film)dirt, hair, and other thigs come across the screen while you are watching the movie. Absolutely the WORST. Save your money until the read DVD comes out. And they (CineFear) has the nerve to label this DVD "Collector's Edition" I taking mine back to the store tommorow, but they may not want to take it back. They may
tell me "IT IS A HORROR FILM", and they would be right but not the way horror fans, or any movie fan would appreciate.

Abby = crappy.......2005-12-29

This DVD is simply awful from beginning to end. Not only is the transfer to DVD pitiful (grainy, muddy, poor sound, unreadable titles) but the movie itself is pure crap. This movie doesn't deserve to be restored. That is why it hasn't been restored. It's grade Z filmmaking at it's absolute worst.

Abby is a Collector's "Must-Have," Regardless of the Not-so-Perfect Picture Quality".......2005-10-15

I was very happy to see Abby again after over 30 years. I have always been a big fan of Carol Speed and her 1970's movies. Prior to reading the movie's ending credits, I was not aware that Carol actually wrote the song she sang in the movie. Also, I felt the overall duplication of Abby (on DVD) was not that bad. Having said that, do not expect to see and compare Abby to a recently-made movie you would normally buy today on DVD. Movies today are filmed with a lot better technology. Remember, Abby was filmed over 30 years ago and on a very low budget. I own several DVDs of movies filmed during the 70's and they all look the about same in overall picture clarity.

You can really tell Abby was duplicated from some type of film to DVD. We all have had or seen movies dubbed from a VHS tape to another. This Abby DVD is a little better quality than a first-generation-duplicated VHS tape product. The DVD does contain some grainy areas and lines which will remind you of something recorded on a VHS tape; however, it's still better than a standard bootleg movie recorded with a personal video camera. I do not believe the DVD was made from a digitally remastered and restored print direct from film--as advertised by Cinefear; more likely VHS to DVD!

If you do decide to purchase a copy of Abby, it will definitely be a product of Cinefear. They are the only company currently producing and distributing Abby on DVD. Thirteen years ago, Cinefear began selling Abby on VHS for over $70. Cinefear is currently selling Abby for $20 (DVD) on their website. There are many sellers where you can find on-line to purchase the movie--just find the one with the cheapest price. I bought my Abby DVD from Gold Medal Hair's website for $9.98. For myself, it was worth the price to see this 70's movie classic, regardless of the not-so-perfect picture quality--I would not have paid Cinefear $70 to buy Abby on VHS tape. Also, I can understand why people are upset over the shoddy DVD, especially if they paid $20 to $30 to get it. I gave an extra star just to be able to see Carol's performance again as Abby. The comments made by the previous reviewers were right on the money concerning the actual movie. I will always remember the line, "I don't need you, I've got Abby!"

Good movie - Terrible DVD.......2005-09-12

Abby is something of a cult classic inspired by The Exorcist (1973). It features an excellent cast led by William Marshall, Terry Carter, Carol Speed, and Austin Stoker. The basic premise is scholar and minister Garnet Williams (Marshall) travels to Nigeria to work on an archaeological site. During the trip, he inadvertently releases a Nigerian demon which proceeds to possess his daughter-in-law, Abby (Speed). She soon manifests self-destructive and anti-social behavior and ultimately ends up in a mental hospital. After she escapes, she begins to prey on men in nightclubs, using promises of sex to lure them to places where she can destroy them. Eventually, Garnet, Abby's husband Emmett (Carter), and her brother (Stoker) must confront them demon and try to force it out of her before she perishes.

The film is absolutely based on or inspired by The Exorcist. Though there are many important differences, there are also a number of similarities that could be argued are derivative of the original work. This is presumably the basis of the Warner Brothers litigation that essentially killed the film. Regardless, this is a well made, well presented film that treats the subject matter and the actors with seriousness and respect. Despite being often classified as blaxploitation, the film lacks many of the stereotypes of the genre. Horror film fans should give it a chance.

Now for the awful DVD. Normally I don't do reviews here, but this DVD is so appalling as to almost be beyond words. The video transfer is so poor that the opening credits are almost unreadable. Not one moment of the video is clear or devoid of massive flaws. The original master, if indeed an actual film master was used, was in decrepit condition. The audio, though poor, is slightly better than the video. The so-called extras are worthless. The DVD is not worth purchasing at any price. It might be worth renting, but only if the viewer absolutely must see this otherwise difficult-to-find film.

At the time this review was submitted, there were two glowing reviews of the DVD. Both touted its high quality and superb extras. Lies. No reasonable reviewer can reach this conclusion. In case you doubt this, consider this one point. Both of these glowing reviews were submitted on the same day...December 14, 2004. Don't believe 'em. The DVD is absolute garbage.

With this said, the film itself is quite good. It absolutely deserves a complete and caring restoration done by a reputable company. My 1 star rating applies only to the Cinefear DVD. The film itself warrants 4 stars.

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