New Mark Kermode Video

Thanks for this Ryan, I’ll get it onto the main page. Great insight as always from Mr Kermode!

Ryan, I agree with you. When Mark Kermode worked in America at WB, he was given a “full-access pass” to all the stored material for The Exorcist … the “… entire archive full of stuff …”

We need a Ryan Streat documentary on Legion! 🙂

Just a refreshed copy of my comments from the home page:

IMHO, Mark Kermode is not eliminating CGI at all. Kermode is rather tongue-in-cheek toward the end of video with his friend and director of FOG, Nick Jones. There is no direct evidence of the filming of a bloody spiderwalk scene presented. Friedkin already answered that question here.

The question from the fan to Kermode is regarding the disappointment in TVYNS because, “One of the scenes had been changed … the spiderwalk. Now, NOW, she pukes up blood, which looks stupid. Why, oh, why did Billy Friedkin change a perfectly good scene?”

Kermode states the following about the spiderwalk scene: “We found all the footage, the outtake footage that Friedkin had forgotten he shot.” By finding all the footage, Kermode has convinced me that he did get it all.

Two theories play out:

1. There is no filmed bloody version. This is simply a hypothesis because I do not think Friedkin had carte blanche on the editing room floor materials, which WB owns. The bloody spiderwalk did not vanish with Friedkin, nor did he have special ownership rights to any part of the film.

2. WB granted Kermode access to the vaults in 1997/1998. In my opinion, Kermode is the “expert on the subject.” In fact, I believe Kermode would have worked on two variations of this critical “non-existent” scene with Nick Jones (a bloodless and bloody version) for his FOG documentary. Why would Kermode only use one version when he hit the motherload by finding all the spiderwalk material? Put simply, he did not find a bloody scene. Further, Kermode would have been thrilled to have found two versions and use them both in his FOG.

While viewing the original spiderwalk, you can see that the very same scene, sans the blood, is identical to the TVYNS. The scene has a closer crop in the 2000 version and the color is more even in tonal value. Through CGI, Hager’s mouth is now poised in an open position with the blood pouring from it for a more climactic ending. Without this climax, the scene could have gone on with Regan on all fours (quadrupedal style) with a snake-like tongue lashing at Sharon’s ankles … the way in which Blatty wrote it for the novel and script.

Additionally, it would only seem wise to continue with the CGI for an updated “shock” appeal. Why? It’s used throughout the film. Also, fans of this film had already scene what Kermode presented in the FOG. In the 2000 version, we (the fans) get something we were not expecting at all. Plus, the blood hides part of Hager’s face. Bottom line, in my opinion: TVYNS is CGI’d all over the place; the bloody ending to the spiderwalk has a newly refreshed ending with shock appeal for both new and seasoned viewers; Regan crawling on all fours with the snake-like tongue is not very scary compared to the bloody climax.

Kermode’s ending in his video asks us to believe what we want as he crosses his arms. He asks us to “decide for ourselves.” That is the true tongue-in-cheek message Kermode is delivering. Just MHO … despite the ongoing debate.

As an added note, to sustain any proof as to whether the scene was filmed as is or CGI’d is really only a “guessture.” Had Kermode put a definitive answer, without the “you decide,” at the end of his video, I would believe it was actually filmed that way. There is just too much CGI in TVYNS and the spiderwalk certainly looks that way in my eyes. 🙂

There are only a small handful of real experts … and this scene is just a mystery that goes along with the lore of the fabulous film, The Exorcist.

Also, check this out again and notice the things I mentioned above about minor cropping and tonal values in the print (first set of pictures).

The last picture is the clincher in my eyes. There’s way too much blood streaming out of Hager’s mouth. In other words, her mouth could only hold so much fake blood during her descent, yet it keeps flooding out: (pic is right-side up):

Rob. Watch out! Run, Rob, run!

I’ve been taking an ass-kicking (LOL) on here from folks that don’t believe CGI could produce the same special effect versus actually being film back 1973.

Kermode does not provide direct evidence in his video of CGI not being utilized at all. Kermode says Friedkin used another “outtake,” but does not say if CGI was used to alter that “outtake.” That’s the lacking evidence for me because an “outtake” can be mean: “I used another shot, a better shot, of Linda R. Hager descending the stairs to create the bloody ending for the spiderwalk scene.

For a film (TVYNS) that’s already been CGI’d to death, it makes sense to those of with the philosophy that CGI is incorporated (it looks obvious to me as well). Despite the fact that we agree, we have too many naysayers that can’t buy into this premise and just say, “Oh, Kermode provides the proof.” Nonsense.

Again, it’s only “guesstures” on everyone’s part. Blatty and the CGI team could answer the question best. Yes, it looks CGI’d and I prefer Friedkin’s abrupt ending versus the silly snake-tongue ending that doesn’t have a true ending other than fading out.

Ahhh, sweet mysteries (of CGI) … (enough to fool viewers as is intended). 😉

So, are we thinking that he took that one, and perhaps, only take, and CGI’d the face onto that?

If you think about it, the stunt double stops and then the mouth opens. You could ask, “How could this be the same exact ‘tongue’ scene, but CGI’d? The double stops, and in the original, she just keeps going?”

Well, remember that scenes stop and go. I’m sure the double stopped at the bottom of the staircase, they said cut, and in comes Linda Blair. So, instead of sequencing them altogether, the original scrapped film would be unedited and would have the double stopped before they stopped the camera. So, it could in fact be from the only take, “the tongue film”, but he showed the double stopping at the bottom, and in comes the CGI’d face. In the original bit, we never see the person stop. This could make people think that this had to be a different take, since the double stays still for a few seconds when he/she hits the bottom step. This doesn’t have to be so.

I hope someone gets what I’m trying to say here.

That doesn’t work. It’s a completely different take, look at the light. On the scene with the blood the banister rails are strongly lit from below and to the right. The non bloody take is evenly lit with completely different shadow patterns on the carpet and on the rails.

Sorry folks, it was very hard to screen capture the scenes above at the precise second for a side-by-side comparison. The “new” spiderwalk received the full DVD enhancements, so I think the film was brightened in other areas, too.

I do believe that more than one shot was filmed with various types of lighting. I recall somewhere on here that there was trouble with the rig holding Hager up and it had to be manually controlled. It makes sense to have several shots of that one scene as they do others.

As for the CGI, I’m glad to see some agreement. Even if the “bloody spiderwalk” was filmed in 1973, Friedkin is really the authority in his “EXORCIST FAQ by William Friedkin.” I think he’s telling the truth because he would have expounded on the bloody version if it existed. Also, let’s say there was a bloody version filmed … I don’t think the blood would be as plentiful from Hager’s mouth if CGI was not involved.