jimbow8 Wrote:Nice review, Dave.
I have some questions to ask:
- Did Morgan Creek have anything to do with this version? Is this a way to try to recoup their losses? I almost hope they don't profit from it because of their initial ineptitude.
- Do you think it is worth seeing the Harlin version (before or after this version) in order to compare and contrast the two? Roger Ebert seemed fascinated by it from a film student type perspective.
Related to the original Exorcist:
- Is this the same church as seen at the beginning of The Exorcist - I believe in Iraq? Does it tie in directly to The Exorcist.
- I am interested in buying the DVD of The Exorcist but am not sure which version to buy. Which do you recommend? The original is outstanding, given. The Version You've Never seen adds some good things, like the crab-walk (I haven't actually seen this version from beginning to end), but the ending seems tacked on and inferior to the original. You seem to be an "expert" since you write reviews for horror sites, so I was just wondering what your opinion was.
To answer your questions:
Morgan Creek barely has anything to do with
Dominion. They would not even fork over the cash for Paul Schrader to finish the film. He paid a large amount of money out of his own pocket to put the finishing touches on the film. Morgan Creek will of course make money off of the DVD sales. The film received a limited theatrical release. It opened the same day as
Star Wars. Another great move by the production company (Morgan Creek) and the distributor (Warner Brothers).
I would reccommend seeing
Dominion first, as this was indeed the original version of the prequel. But I have to say, to truly appreciate
Dominion you definitely need to see Harlin's debacle. Whichever order you choose, it will leave you scratching your head in confusion as to why
Dominion was shelved in the first place.As far as the Roger Ebert "student film" quote goes, he was referring to
Dominion. It has at times a very experimental feel to the film. Some imagery left me scratching my head. It at times felt very art-house in content. This does not by any means take away from the great story.
The Church: It is not supposed to be the same church. If it is or isn't is never disclosed. Seeing as
Dominion takes place in Kenya, years before the opening scene of the original taking place in Iraq, I am going to say no to this one.
As far as which version of the original
The Exorcist to purchase,
The 25th Anniversary Edition is the definitive edition. This movie lacks the infamous spider-walk scene and the cheesy digitally inserted after effects, but the special features on this DVD are nothing less than spectacular. To go back to the spiderwalk scene, it is creepy imagery, but you can clearly tell that the actress used in this scene in not the young Linda Blair. It does not mesh with the rest of the scenes and in turn ends up taking away from the haunting aura of the movie.
As far as
Dominion goes, there is some slight deviation from the source material. In the book "The Exorcist", Author William Blatty clearly states that the demon who possesses Regan MacNeil is the Winged Pazuzu, and although never named in the original film, the statue utilized throughout the entire film is that of the winged demon. In
Dominion, the demon is actually the Devil himself as opposed to one of his many minions. The reasoning behind this are discussed at length with Paul Schrader himself
HERE.
Mr Schrader was extremely kind and generous with his time in meeting with my former website partner and myself. I truly hope his film gets the recognition it so rightfully deserves.