The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review

Since it made its indelible mark on the horror genre since its release in 1973, The Exorcist has terrified at least two generations of audiences with its perfect blend of drama, suspense, and of course, demonic possession. What can you say about a film that has been terrorizing moviegoers for four decades? A title that inevitably makes every top 10 list for scariest movies, and generally in the top five. There's not much I can add to what has already been said in the countless reviews, books, and discussions that have had it as a centerpiece for the past 40 years. Two things are for certain, though: it not just holds up, it gets better with repeat viewings. There's a reason why it's considered a classic.

If you've lived in a cave since 1973 and have neither seen The Exorcist or, even worse, don't know what it's about, the plot is simple: Girl gets possessed by a demon, priests perform an exorcism. But, like most great films, it's the execution of this story that makes it a classic. From go, the filmmakers did things right, starting with the script. Far too often, when Hollywood gets hold of the rights to a great book, they muck it up by tossing the author aside and bringing in screenwriters whose only goal is to get the highlights of the material to the big screen. Many times the translation is lost from page to screen because the person who knows this material best is not involved in the process. But that's not the case here. Not only did The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty pen the screenplay, but he and director William Friedkin worked closely together to make sure the story made a smooth transition to the moving picture.

The cast is phenomenal (which should really come as no surprise as three of the 10 Oscar nominations for The Exorcist were for acting alone). What still never fails to impress me whenever I view this film is how terrific Linda Blair is as the possessed child Regan. Not only was she about 13 at the time, but it was one of her first major roles. Considering how the entire film more or less rests on her shoulders, she carries that weight with ease. She's believable no matter what the scene calls for, be it as a happy-go-lucky child gushing over the horse she saw or a terrifying monster forcefully masturbating with a crucifix all the while chanting, "Let Jesus fuck you! Let Jesus fuck you!", you really do think you are watching two different people.

Blair's performance is made all the more impressive considering she's sharing her scenes with the likes of Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller and Lee Cobb. Each of these fine veteran actors bring their own talent to the table and there's never a dull moment in the film's 122-minute running time (or 132 minutes if you are watching the extended cut). Ellen Burstyn nails it as Chris MacNeil, Regan's stressed mother who is at the end of her rope in trying to find a cure for her child's ailments (which include random pissing on the carpet during social gatherings and the impressive ability to turn her head completely around without snapping the neck). Jason Miller is sincere as Father Damien Karras, the priest MacNeil begs for help. This man of the cloth is clearly weighted down with personal issues, and you can feel the turmoil he's going through with each and every scene he's in. Lee Cobb is likeable as Detective Kinderman, who brings a much needed light humor to a story otherwise wrought with tension and fear. And what do you say about Max von Sydow? While he is possibly one of the most recognizable characters outside of Regan from The Exorcist, I for one always tend to forget that even though the film opens with a segment of his character Father Merrin in Iraq on an archeological dig, he's gone for the majority of the movie only to show up for the film's climax. Yeah, he's that good.

Dick Smith's effects for The Exorcist have clearly stood the test of time. While Regan's transformation from spunky little girl to evil incarnate is still mighty impressive and effective, one should not disregard the amazing makeup job applied to von Sydow. Remember, he was only in his early 40s when cast as Father Merrin, the elderly priest. Hell, when I saw him in the opening scenes, my first thought was, "Does this man even age?" Immediately after, I realized the idiocy of that thought, and I was doubly impressed at the seamlessness of the makeup.

My first memory of seeing The Exorcist is one of watching it on VHS back when I was a kid. My mom, a big horror fan herself, rented it one night raving about how scary it was. While the infamous head spinning scared the bejesus out of me, I was not impressed. There was entirely too much talky talk. I didn't see it again until over a decade later when "The Version You've Never Seen" was released theatrically and it was only then that I completely understood The Exorcist's place in the genre. The film is far, far more than simply good versus evil. It masterfully addresses religion, faith, human nature, the length a parent will go for his or her child, and more, all the while managing to keep you up at night in terror. The Exorcist has stood the test of time for a reason.