Let's admit it- I totally screwed up with the last Film Club choice. There, I said it. Most of you couldn't play along and take part in watching The Initiation because the film is largely unavailable. Sigh. I know those of you who missed it are sorry you couldn't take in all the Daphne Zuniganess of it, but trust me when I say you're not half as sorry as I am.To make up for my major suckage the last go 'round, I've decided to pick a film for this installment that should be available EVERYWHERE. Hell, you probably have a copy of it right now.
Normally I try to choose films most of us- and certainly I- have never seen. Not this time, though! This month we get a Film Club Classic selection, kids. It's the movie that still kind of terrifies me, it's the movie I was too freaked out to watch alone late at night last October...the 1973 possessothon The Exorcist!
Yeah, it's time for all of us to watch it again and talk about it. I'm hoping it'll be the first time for some of you. This is the Netflix page for it- and I promise it's available. Be sure to get The Restored Version, also known as The Version You've Never Seen. There's loads of extra scenes in there, including one scene in particular that's worth the ticket price alone.Even if you're somehow not particularly frightened by The Exorcist- I don't know how that's possible, but I know it's true for some of you out there- it's a film that bears plenty of discussion and analysis. As I said, I'm still scared to death of this movie; for some reason, it really gets under my skin. I'll soldier through it late one night for the sake of the Film Club, though, and I hope you will, too.
The film: The Exorcist- The Version You've Never Seen
The due date: Monday, February 19
Okay, I'm in...I'll add the flick to my queue at Netflix.
ReplyDeleteI can do that. In fact, I wrote a film report on it during my Horror Film Class last semester... Of course, the professor was really, REALLY into Freud and psychoanalyzing.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll be one of the people who has never seen it. So, it'll be new to me.
ReplyDeleteYes!
ReplyDeleteI predicted you'd be doing this which is why I got THE EXORCIST box set for Christmas!
Go psychic me!
I knew that was a bad choice for the name of that edition. Because now it's just 'The Version That Most People Hadn't Seen Before It Was Released'.
ReplyDeleteI have at least two people in my life who are actually emotionally scarred from watching this movie.
Which means I'm in.
I got it for my anniversary. Romantic huh. She knows the way to my heart. Through my screaming, sobbing, eyes clamped shut, cowering in the corner in a fetal position kinda horror movie. Gotta love someone who knows that a sappy chick flick won't turn you on as much as a freaking scarry movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm in.
YAY! I can finally use my "Final Girl Film Club" tag again!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo! I feel redeemed already. Awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to watching this again, even though I have a hard time with it!
Yeah, "The Version You've Never Seen" is clunky and largely ridiculous. WHy it wasn't called "The Restored Version" or "The Director's Cut" baffles me.
Woo hoo!
It got the clunky Moniker "The Version You've Never Seen" because it's the Writer's cut, as opposed to the Director's. William Peter Blatty always loved that tacked on Epilogue despite director Friedkin complaints, and when the opportunity was presented, Blatty got his version in the rerelease. It's also the reason the Ritalin angle is played up so much early in the movie.
ReplyDeleteThe Spider-walk scene, however, gets no complaints on this end.
Thanks for clearing it up, Josh. The spider-walk scene is BOSS.
ReplyDeleteAnd Goose, it sounds like you've got yerself a keeper!
A friend and I went to see this at the theatre when it was re-released and were starting to wonder what scared us so bad as kids. Then that spider-walk happened and we were thoroughly re-traumatized.
ReplyDeleteI just bought the box set, but have been too chicken to watch. Now, I have an excuse.
Also, Food of the Gods!
As a 13-year-old, I was an Exorcist freak. I had three or four different editions of the book, which I read about 20 times. And as soon as the movie came out, I pestered my parents into taking me. I even bought (and still have) The Making of the Exorcist book (in hardback), which contains weird tales of the flick's production.
ReplyDeleteSo, of course, I already own the new edition of the flick, and I look forward to finally participating in the Final Girl Film Club.
This is the movie that still makes me jump in the bed with my parents. I watched this sometime back and had to go to work with my Father.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'm kidding. It was Mother I went to work with. It was ham and cheese day and I thought it would be an equal opportunity to turn people on with my lunchmeat mentality. My brain is headcheese.
Still, this movie is one of the scariest films ever made. My mother told me some tales from back in the 70's - Apparently, half of my conservative neighborhood got baptized after seeing it.