CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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Amanda Autopsy said:
Thank you father,
I have another question, do any of you see any undertones of Regan being sexually abused? I mentioned this to my mother who saw the movies in theaters when it first came out, and she said “No” But I see that she uses the same language as Burke (He said something to the butler like “You cunting hun”) And while Regan is possessed she says “Do you see what your cunting daughter did?” Also a lot of the things she does during the intense scenes is very sexual in nature, so this allows me to believe that he in some way he abused her sexually when Regan's mom left the two of them alone in the house. Or could this just be because Pazuzu is making her use vulgar language?
Â
You're welcome, Amanda.To address your next question (above), I can speak from the film's perspective that Burke has no sexual interest in Regan. There is nothing to support that in the film. While Regan uses the vulgar language during her physical exam with Dr. Klein, this could be pinpointed to either Chris or Burke. However, you'll notice the quick flash of Pazuzu that Regan sees while lying on the examination table. That's the real indication that it is the demon speaking through Regan and nothing more. (IMO, it's one of the worst scenes to add back into the original.)
Going forward, the notorious masturbation scene does include the voice of Burke. The answer about Burke's identity coming forward relates to my original response: “At times during the film, it can be confusing about who is inside of Regan due to the various voices used. For instance, differing singular or multiple vocal entities emanate from Regan at various times. These are merely a part of the intentional mental illusions that Pazuzu exploits onto his victims in order to reach his ultimate goal of the grand showdown with Father Merrin in the film’s final exorcism scenes.”
Sexual abuse? Always listen to your mother.
Father Bowdern
Jagged I see your point after reviewing the entire article. I'm not sure if the reviewer has a copy the actual DVD and Blu-ray because he uses words like “presumably” and the release date is October 27, 2010 (two days from now).
Justin, I see that the picture has a title of “The Exorcist : 2-Disc Extended Director's Cut and is a Region 4Â that it is:
Disc-type: Dual-layer/Single-sided/Non-flipper
I think that's part of the confusing thing. Where can I buy one because it may be a DVD worth owning for my Region Free DVD Player?
Father Bowdern
Justin,
I think that is superb news for the Australian release on DVD.
I enjoy Richard Gray's analysis of the EDC:
“It sometimes seems that there have been countless versions of The Exorcist released to DVD, and this one is different again. From memory, we've has the original barebones edition released back in the early days of Warner DVDs, followed by the 25th Anniversary Edition in 1998. Then, of course, there was the Version You've Never Seen, a silly title rendered void as soon as you've watched it. That edition reinstated some cut footage, and cleaned up the infamous 'Spider Walk' scene with some CGI work. Finally, we have this Extended Director's Cut, adding a further 10 minutes of footage cut from the original theatrical release. Those changes are ultimately insubstantial, although director Friedkin and writer Blatty maintain that this is the most complete version to date. Whatever version of the film you prefer, this ends up being one of the best looking editions of the film we've seen yet.”
He is by all means correct in his summary. I only say this because I am a true fan of the original and I will never buy into the charade of marketing tools that Friedkin and Blatty agreed to directly from WB to sell TVYNS/EDC.
Have other versions of the DVD been shorter in other countries such as Australia? IOW, does WB have to cut certain scenes to this day to follow their ratings? I don't believe it is still banned anywhere, but I didn't think about each country having a standards committee that audits certain scenes, or basically certainly films.
Father Bowdern
I'm tempted to buy an external Blu-ray drive now that collection is growing … I'll have to check around. Looks like Justin has the goodies though with over 300 screen caps.
Father Bowdern
Cheetah, this means you are more emotionally intelligent than your 15-year-old brother. Perhaps he has a severe case of ADHD?
Father Bowdern
Cheetah,
I believe a lack of maturity has a lot to do with the laughter. The Exorcist has an intensive character building and theme setup that relies upon viewers having the maturity to comprehend the plot. Some individuals have a hard time following what is happening before they become interested in the movie, unfortunately, that appears to be only when the more vile scenes take place. Perhaps fresh, tender young minds of sexual innocence cannot quite grasp the overall context … only shadow versus substance.Father Bowdern
There's also this correlation about the bed straps:
- Mama Karras tied to the hospital bed in the asylum
- Regan tied to the hospital bed during observation in the Barringer Clinic
- Regan tied to the bed upon meeting Karras and throughout the exorcism
There's also one about the wallpaper in Mama Karras's home but I can't remember that one … something about roses perhaps.
Father Bowdern
Exactly, Cap. When Blatty made decisions about wording, he was precise and on target to get us to think about how vile and disgusting the *”bloody vaginal stabbing with the cross” scene could be imagined in his readers’ minds. When put on film, it was in your face thanks to film's helmer skills.
As I grow older, I will never understand how newer and younger audiences can laugh at what they are seeing. I can recall how the scene played out in the 1970's versus 2000 and 2010. I was much younger than the typical theater members in the 70’s (thank to my father, no less) and I assure you no one laughed or even chuckled. Today, laughter fills the air and I don’t want to guess at what or why visceral and emotional senses are so dull now.
Father Bowdern
PS: This is not insult to anyone’s age or interpretation of the scene. Period.
* From the booklet that comes with the Blu-ray edition: “Picture for a moment the immaculately photographed late-night arrival of Father Merrin outside of the MacNeil home, fog enshrouded, eerily silhouetted, and recalling Rene Magritte’s famously atmospheric painting L’Empire des Lumieres. Now, consider the stomach-churning geysers of pea soup, the gruesome head spinning, and the bloody vaginal stabbing with the cross. The Exorcist is a film of both elegance and extremity, of class and, simultaneously, of crass.â€Â
Hi Jagged,
It depends on whether you want to enjoy the film with the BR enhancements and if you have the audio/visual equipment to display them on properly. I am fortunate that I do, plus, I enjoy this film a lot. I typically don't chance buying lousy transfers, so I read reviews on Blu-ray.com. Blu-ray.com users gave it a 5.0 out of 5.0. Most of the time, I somewhat ignore what the reviewer writes because the reviews are typically biased toward higher-end videophiles and it's one person's opinion. Here's the link for Psycho's review.
Father Bowdern
Technically, I agree with you Jagged that the scene is much more brutal than just masturbation. It is the highest level of demonic assault on a young virgin with the most sacred of religious iconography: the crucifix. Regardless of the name of the scene, it is the juxtaposition of Jesus Christ's bloody impalement. It also reflects the incredible genius and higher level thought processes of William Peter Blatty.
Father Bowdern
Nice find, Jagged. Thanks for sharing. Speaking of sharing where can I freely download The Last Exorcism. I don't want to encourage anyone to violate copyright by any means, but I was thinking that film probably has hit the “internet airwaves” like almost every film does at some point. Just asking for locations …
Father Bowdern
