CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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I think when they go HD, Friedkin will use the original theater-released version only. I don’t think he’ll mess with TVYNS, so the spiderwalk scene will be moot.
I truly believe that WB did the re-edit from the stuff they found in the vaults and that Blatty nor Friedkin had a lot of say (or power) about the re-release content of TVYNS. It’s a cash cow for WB and has been for 35 years now. I think deep down that Blatty and Friedkin (Friedkin, in particular) are very disappointed in TVYNS. However, vocalizing that would be a financial disaster for the one who comes out against it first. It was not the best of the best and TVYNS really put a lot of “cheap makeup” on the “Mona Lisa” with contemporary CGI that looks trite.
I’m not sure if the Captain did a poll on here about which version is people’s favorite. But, now that TVYNS has been out long enough now, it would be nice to see how the poll goes.
Cap, have you done this in past? I can’t remember.
Yeah. At least the other one was a shorter liminal. Maybe in a future release they can cut the frame count down thus making less in your face. (Pun intended)
I do not object terribly to TVYNS but I have to admit that like most touch-ups it needs more work. That’s the big problem with retouching old films. Once you’ve done it, you want to go back and fix it again and again and again. Look at how many version there are of Star Wars. However I do believe that they are making progress each version being slightly better than the last and they used audience reaction in some cases to determine what to change in the next release. I can see the same thing happening here.
I took a good hard look at the photo comparisons again and looked again at the footage. If you notice, in the FoG spiderwalk Linda Hager sp? looks very focused on getting her walk right. She is looking upwards or downwards depending on your pov to make sure her footing is appropriate. If you take a look at the second picture she is looking more straight ahead and looks to be in total agony as opposed to the first pic where she is very focused.
Here’s a little trick. Try and take a glass of water and tilt your neck back with the water in your mouth. I know personally I feel like I want to swallow it. This may not be the case for you but every time I felt like I was going to swallow it. Now imagine being upside down going down a flight of stairs and worry about if you are going to crash and hurt yourself and on top of all this, you have something in your mouth. Well first off, you wouldn’t want to make it even harder for yourself so you would want to keep your neck straight so any liquid in your mouth would hit the roof of your mouth not the back of your throat.
Also, I breathe through my mouth, so when my mouth is closed it is rather difficult to be comfortable and just breathe through my nose, it’s possible just not as easy as breathing through my mouth. Now imagine on top of all this you were a mouth breather who was not getting any air due to your positioning. I think I would have the same agonized look on my face that L.H. had. My conclusion, I think the blood was on stage instead of cgi.
That head on shot with the blood has never seemed right to me. I have always assumed it was shot especially for TVYNS.
The lighting hitting the banister posts is from the opposite direction to that of the other takes and that grimace looks painted on, especially the lines around the mouth and the vein on the throat. I think the blood may possibly be live on set but the face and neck have been retouched in much the same way as has been done in the psychiatrist sequence.
At the time of shooting the original, Friedkin was incredibly fussy in his setups and Owen Roizman was a lighting genius I would be surprised if they let the direction of light change error pass or even why they would have moved just one lamp. And the shot itself is exactly the kind of cheap shot that Friedkin would not have allowed in his movie. I’d put money on that one shot either being retouched or filmed in 2000.I could totally get behind the theory of that close up being shot present day…it was the whole CGI blood debate that I disagree with. Still though…it looks to me like the same style night gown and same pictures hanging on the wall, at the same levels. That coupled with the staircase behind her make for a pretty expensive insert shot if it was new.
This is really a cool topic for us diehard fans. Although I tried to point out the scene with comparisons and the words of Friedkin that do not support a version with blood in Hager’s mouth, I would love to see something that is more concrete in terms of that scene being filmed the way we saw it in TVYNS. I searched everywhere and I’ve read a lot of information on this topic for 35 years now.
I don’t believe that the scene was filmed in 2000 at all based on the costs and the things you other guys pointed out; i.e., lighting, etc. I don’t believe that Hager did the scene with blood in her mouth because it looks like CGI and the look on Hager’s face does look distorted through CGI as well. I really believe what Friedkin said on his FAQ that I posted on here. Why would Friedkin not take advantage of another “car salesman” twist? Why hasn’t Dick Smith mentioned it or anyone else?
In addition, as pointed out repeatedly by Friedkin, he thought the scene was too early in the film. Therefore, I do not think his “heart” was in it and, frankly, I believe he thought it cheapened the film and made it more a stereotypical horror film. Friedkin was looking for a documentary style film, which is exactly what he got.
An assumption based on the above is that, for this scene, Friedkin may have had an assistant director to mess around with that shot instead of being on the set himself. Also, if it really was filmed with the blood pouring from Hager’s mouth, would that not mean a terribly long and expensive repetitive shot for a film that was already under a critical time crunch and well over budget? Just one point: Carpet … it means that the carpet would have to be replaced each time Hager performed the scene … unless she rehearsed it with water that could be dried easily and leave no stains. The real “fake” blood scene filming seems unlikely to me because I don’t know how many times it took to get that scene the way they wanted it. Moreover, this too explains why the scenes look somewhat differently because it had to be filmed several times.
What it means = WB CGI tech picks the best-filmed version and then adds his magic. It’s wasn’t hard to do in 2000.
I do hope HorrorHound will bring us some kind of evidence to the contrary because it would be exciting news to hear. 🙂
After a bit of looking around it seems there may be a snippet of documentary evidence to support this genuinely being shot at the time:
http://www.mania.com/exorcist-making-restored-version-part-two_article_24355.html
I’m pretty sure the Fangoria issue the article refers to is No 31 which I should have lurking about somewhere. I shall have a dig in the archives to see if I can find it.
I was wondering today…anyone googled Linda Hager to see if she has a myspace page or something? We coud get our answer straight from the horse’s (bloody) mouth!
I too have enjoyed this debate immensly…Jagged … EXTREMELY COOL FIND! I want to believe Marcel Vercoutere. However, we have contradictions in the same article in two connecting paragraphs:
“Immediately following this meeting is a now much more coherent party sequence. Another thirty minutes and a few new subliminals later comes the scene that everybody wants to see: the ‘Spider-walk!’ Varying from the version shown in the supplemental section of the 25th anniversary DVD, this creepy sequence shows Regan crawling backwards down a flight of stairs with an extremely bloody climax! Special effects guru Marcel Vercoutere told Fangoria of this version way back in 1983. ‘…she…runs down the stairs on her hands and legs upside-down! All the way down the stairs…. That scene was kinda bloody… Blood was running down all over her face, because she was upside-down at the time.’
“The ‘Spider-walk’ was filmed on April 11th 1973, performed by stuntwomen Linda R. Hager rather than Blair. William Friedkin’s first explanation for cutting this legendary scene was that he could not make a conversion between the news of Burke Dennings’ death and the ‘Spider-walk’ that instantly followed. Friedkin claims that he never shot any reaction shots from Sharon (Kitty Winn); therefore, the scene would not work. The truth, however, is that Friedkin did not like the way the effect looked when he played it back in the cutting room. He felt it was too extreme and out of place. However, now in the realm of computer technology, the director was able to play make it look more convincing and certainly more frightening.”
I really wish they did film this version so we could see it the way Vercoutere explains it. However, I was a member of the 2000 Official WB TVYNS Beta Member. Here are Vercoutere’s lengthy comments and he doesn’t mention blood at all. I believe Fangoria would a great place to “stretch the truth” and make it more exciting:
THE SPIDER WALK
One of the most widely talked about “missing scenes” from The Exorcist is the eerie “Spider Walk” which appears in both Blatty’s novel and screenplay, but which was never included in the finished film. According to the director William Friedkin, “It was quite early in the story, and we hadn’t yet seen any of the massive manifestations that were to come. At that point in the narrative, I just thought it was too much.”
The entire sequence was filmed however, on April 11th, 1973, as special effects man Marcel Vercoutere remembers:
“According to the script, Regan was supposed to be at the top of the stairs where she would turn over, like a crab, and walk down the stairs upside down, with her arms moving about like a spider. She would come all the way down the stairs, then run into the foyer, chasing after Sharon and Chris.”
“Well, one of the New York people said they had figured a way to do this scene using a fishing pole and a rig. He went out and bought this very expensive, deep-sea fishing pole with a big giant reel. Then they got this gal [Linda R. Hager] who was a contortionist, and they turned her upside down and strapped this thing onto her. I told them it wouldn’t work, but they didn’t believe me, so this grip stood on the landing with this fishing pole, and the poor girl went down the stairs, and she crashed and got rapped pretty good!”
“So then I took over. I made a rig that was in the exact same position as the stairs, but up in the overhead. Then I put a carriage up there, put the girl into a harness, and connected them with flying wires. That way, she stayed perfectly level as she went down the stairs, and all she had to do was to let me know how high to have her so her hands and feet would just be touching the stairs.”
“We shot it that way, until she got to the landing at the bottom of the stairs, then all I had to do was release the rig and let her loose. I would let her go at just the right moment, and she would turn over, out of the rig and then finish the shot the right way up. We did it quite a few times, and as I remember, every time we shot it, it came out pretty good.”
The thing I notice in most interviews (especially Friedkin’s) is that stories change (like the one you linked here, Jagged) and the one I posted above. Oh, well, it goes along with the “fakelore” of The Exorcist.
drexul, I already did a massive search for Linda R. Hager and the only film she’s credited with is The Exorcist. While some may call her a “stuntwoman,” in reality she was a gifted contortionist which may account for the lack of any other films.
PS: I just got an email from TFAW.com indicated my 2 Bag & Board, Horrorhound #14 issues were ready for shipment!
I hope this magazine proves me wrong and that this scene really exists! But, I want to see photos, not a “if memory serves me” type of recall.
If memory serves me correctly, Blair’s mother was on The Michael Douglass Show and she talked about the severe punishment she gave to Linda for putting their hallway crucifix in their home upside down while she was filming The Exorcist. Blair’s mother said she didn’t notice it until she was vacuuming the hallway carpet and it scared her when she saw it. She confronted Linda who confessed that she did it one evening while rehearsing her lines in her bedroom. Linda explained to her mother that she had to go to the bathroom and left her bedroom … passing the hallway crucifix. It was then that Linda flipped the crucifix upside down.
“I really wish they did film this version so we could see it the way Vercoutere explains it. However, I was a member of the 2000 Official WB TVYNS Beta Member. Here are Vercoutere’s lengthy comments and he doesn’t mention blood at all. I believe Fangoria would a great place to “stretch the truth” and make it more exciting:”
Yes but that Fangoria article was from 1983 so that would make memories fresher and in no way be influenced by the release of TVYNS.
Having said that, until I find the original article it’s just conjecture.
Once I get up in the loft and dig it out I will report here in full.Jagged, I agree that this topic, my own comments, as well as the comments of others, are conjecture because it is a rudimentary element in humans. I believe that Vercoutere puts a spin on a lot of things from the interviews I’ve seen him in. He also said that “they” (whoever “they” are) rode around in a taxi in Central Park with the 360-degree rotating-head dummy of Blair … the spectators were fascinated and scared to death. Sounds concocted and far-fetched.
I believe the “memory recall dates” are insignificant because Marcel would repeat the part about the blood, time after time, yet he is inconsistent. His recollections change consistently from what you and I have posted on here. Also, see below. On a scene this important, I would never forget that detail if I was involved in the filming.
Fr. Bowdern: “I really wish they did film this version so we could see it the way Vercoutere explains it. However, I was a member of the 2000 Official WB TVYNS Beta Member. Here are Vercoutere’s lengthy comments and he doesn’t mention blood at all. I believe Fangoria would be a great place to “stretch the truth” and make it more exciting.” [Clarifying point: Make Marcel’s recollection more exciting in that particular magazine article.]
Jagged: “Yes but that Fangoria article was from 1983 so that would make memories fresher and in no way be influenced by the release of TVYNS.”
I kind of see your point on the “dates”, but you may able to see my point too by reading below. Vercoutere’s influence from 1983 to the TVYNS would be very important, especially to TVYNS. Marcel could “market” that piece for TVYNS, yet it didn’t happen in the official WB interview. Take the “reigns” and “run” on a very cool scene.
The “clincher” for me would be photos/film with the blood-spouting Linda R. Hager.
In defense of Vercoutere, I think things in writing are:
1. Memory Recollections: They are never identical … even Marcel’s recollection in Fangoria (1983) and Mark Kermode’s tribute toThe Exorcist (1986) are not the same (only three years apart).
2. Comments are decisively edited for “excitation” in many articles by: A. The writer; B. The editor. Both of the aforementioned writings never quote Marcel “verbatim.” Marcel’s recollections are piece-milled together or selectively quoted from the things I’ve read.
Again, why is Marcel the only one of the crew to remember the blood? I certainly don’t know why (and I posted what Friedkin said before … no blood … that’s located here). This led to an email I wrote directly to Dick Smith because he may have been on the set that day … maybe. If I hear back and he was present, he can give us the low down. But, I would hard-pressed to believe that Friedkin would not have mentioned the bloody part and he doesn’t. Look for the question from the 13-y-o and you can get an answer from the helmer.
Perhaps the magazine you speak of will have photos accompanying the article. If it doesn’t, then I have to truly go along with “conjecture,” too. 😉 But, I would love to see that they actually filmed this scene the way we see it in TVYNS.
Well, I could take still shots from TVYNS and combine them with behind-the-scenes stills to form one black-and-white jpg in Photoshop. 😉
I hope Jagged’s dig will surface soon and we can see that particular scene being shot. Hopefully, it won’t be just Marcel Vercoutere’s comments only.
Also, IMHO, I think the original edit’s cut had much better background music:
As opposed to the short “bloody-mouth” version:
Oh, and after viewing the original version of the entire spiderwalk, notice that Blair should have blood on her nose and lips after she flips around. Most importantly, she should have a bloody “serpent” tongue that’s flicking out of her mouth. If we don’t see continuity throughout the edits to create that longer version of the spiderwalk, I’m still under the impression it was never filmed … unless they shot everything from that bloody descent with the blood from that point on. It’s just not consistent with the book, the script, the 25th Anniversary’s Fear of God, and Billy Friedkin.
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