CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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I guess we're supposed to officially call it The Extended Director's Cut, now that the Blu-ray is upon us.
After ten years, allow me to formally farewell The Version You've Never Seen on behalf of us all.
TVYNS, the acronym we came to love, we've all (ironically) seen you many times by now, so renaming you made quite a lot of sense. Even so, you were every bit exciting, fresh and gorgeous the day you were released in 2000. You gave us the the infamous Spider Walk scene, the conversation on the stairs, the Georgetown opening shot of Regan's bedroom window and so many silly 'subliminals' we could hardly contain ourselves (what was with that one next to Chris in the kitchen, I mean honestly?!)
You gave me a scene I have grown to love — and a line I believe sums up the entire film more than people might realise:
Well, the doctors say I shouldn't. But, thank God, my will is weak.You were the first to show us Regan getting dizzy in the doctor's office, and we finally got to hear Dr. Klein tell Chris that Regan advised him to keep his fingers 'away from her Goddamn c*nt'. And who could forget that final scene, Lt. Kinderman and Father Dyer walking off together– a new friendship forged.
TVYNS, you also gave us a strange blue tint over the entire third act– the exorcism. But we didn't care. Friedkin created you and Blatty gave you his blessing. Plus, we got a whole new dose of The Exorcist right when we– and the world– needed it.
In reality, we still get to watch every second of you on the Blu-ray release. We just have to call you something different from now on. I'm sure you'll still be mentioned for years to come as drifters find captainhowdy.com's message forums and ask exactly what the difference is between The Version You've Never Seen DVD they picked up at a yard sale and the blu-ray Extended Director's Cut their brother/sister/parents own.
We'll set them straight. The whole gang and I will be here to explain it all. How you came, you conquered, and forged your way on DVD. While we'll always have your posters, your trailers and TV spots, your work here is officially done. You may rest peacefully now.
TVYNS, thank you, and farewell.
Would anyone like to add anything?
All I can say is, good riddance. After that first viewing I felt that the DVD case was always lying to me. “The version you’ve never seen” actually yeah I have.
Goodbye to the marketing ploy that got audiences into theaters for an extra 12 minutes and sold millions of DVDs to consumers who had no idea they would seeing some the best and worst parts that wound up on the cutting-room floor.
Rest in peace, TVNS!
Â
Father Bowdern
TVYNS was the closest I got to experience the excitement of the 1973 release.
I remember… Exorcist II: The Heretic was playing on TV and it was the first time I'd seen it. During one of the ad breaks, the trailer for TVYNS came on. I was so overjoyed, I didn't bother with the rest of The Heretic. I was only 11 at the time and so I couldn't get into the cinemas to see it. Instead, I sent my parents off to see it for me and report back with all the goss.
Watching TVYNS for the first time on video was great fun. Having seen the original so many times, this was full of surpirses. I didn't know how the spiderwalk would end, or that Regan would transform into the Captain Howdy demon during the hypnosis scene. I got some genuine frights out of TVYNS that I never got from the original.
But of course with time, the novelties have worn off. And with that said… good riddance to that stupid title, the silly Pazuzu subliminals, and the horrible washed-out purple tint which makes everyone in the film look like corpses!
“In forgetting, they were trying to remember.”
'The Version You've Never Seen' is now the version everyone's seen!
Hopefully TVYNS will phase out of print over time and be replaced with this new Blu-Ray/DVD release as the definitive retail version.
Ceru, that's WB's intention. TVYNS copies were taken off shelves late last year so the new release DVD and Blu-ray could take full hype. The only way anyone can get TVYNS now is second-hand through Amazon, bargain bins or eBay.
Just hold on to all your copies. I sold The Exorcist Deluxe DVD Box Set with the Linda Blair signed Sentitype for a mint to a collector in Japan. I had 12 signed copies that I acquired from a video store that was going out of business in Florida and they were unaware of the signed Senitypes. All purchases were only $18.00 each and they paid the S&H. I kept the best one for myself. This was a major screw up by WB because they didn't make enough DVD copies at the time supposedly because they miscalculated how many people had DVD players and how many people would buy the film in that format.
Father Bowdern
I'm not sure too many people will be interested in copies of TVYNS when the EDC is going to be widely available on DVD, and is essentially the exact same disc (in terms of extra content). Die-hard fans might be desperate for the Pazuzu flashes in Regan's room after Burke's death, or an extra blue exorcism, perhaps.
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