50th Anniversary / New 4K Restoration
Twelve-year-old Regan (Linda Blair) is acting out, just as you’d expect from a teenage girl. But unlike her peers, her behavior includes a violently shaking bed, glossolalia, and peeing on the rug after telling an astronaut at a party he is “going to die up there.” After a battery of diagnostic tests show nothing medically wrong, her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn) turns to her last resort: exorcism. Based on William Blatty’s novel of the same name, which in turn was inspired by a real-life exorcism officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church, The Exorcist stands as one of the best horror films of all time. A number of iconic and frightening scenes have become staples of pop culture, including the arrival of Max von Sydow’s character in silhouette, the disgusting vomit projection, and the main musical theme (adapted from Mike Oldfield’s debut album Tubular Bells).
Director William Friedkin took an old-school approach to manipulating his actors, whose genuine reactions and screams were the results of being yanked around in harnesses. The director’s cut, originally released in 2000, includes a number of alterations and new scenes, including the terrifying spider walk that Friedkin removed just before the film’s premiere in 1973. And now, in honor of the film's 50th anniversary, The Exorcist has been revitalized with a true 4K transfer, showcasing exceptional fine detail throughout, including iconic scenes like the northern Iraq opening, daylight Georgetown exteriors, and well-lit indoor footage. This restoration faithfully captures the film's original natural color palette, preserving its understated production design and delivering stunning compositions that truly shine on the big screen.