[Jason Stringer]

The design, pictures and layout of the book were out of Kermode's hands for that 25th Anniversary book– I wonder if this 'disapproved' edition will have the same images and similar layout but with different text?

Very intriguing!

[Jagged]

Got mine today and it's a pretty good read. Far less reverential than the Kermode version but still very informative. I bought mine direct from the author and had a chat with him about why it got junked and replaced by the Kermode version. I won't go into details here as I don't want to spread mailicious gossip but suffice to say Friedkin and Blatty both threw hissy fits over the content. I suspect probably regarding the on set power struggles between the two that you don't hear much about elsewhere.

The layout is very similar to the published version. it's apparent that they just rehashed this book with Kermode's text inserted and some re-working of the page layouts. There are some different images etc.

I'd put some images up but my scanner is offline at the moment, so maybe later if I can. But really you should all just buy one while you can. It's an opportunity to get another insight into your favourite movie.

[Jason Stringer]

Thanks for the follow-up, Jagged– much appreciated. And great that you got to speak with the author of the book about it not being published. Too bad, because the juicy stuff that went on between Blatty and Friedkin is the kind of stuff I crave. The inner thinking and contentious issues that evidently resulted in a masterpiece– I don't see the problem in sharing. Especially if both parties are well past it and (supposedly) friends again.

[Justin]

Just received my copy. Will give it a read & make some scans later, but flicking through it, it does look very similar to the Kermode version. There's a couple of different photos, including a full-page pic of possessed Regan on the back page.

[fatherbowdern]

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Here's the Amazon customer review by Trevor on Traver and Reiff's The Story Behind The Exorcist. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: Definitive Speculation, True Reporting, January 23, 2003 By  Trevor Willsmer This review is from: The story behind The Exorcist (Hardcover) Written in the immediate aftermath of The Exorcist's phenomenally successful first release, Travers' and Reiff's book is a genuinely impressive example of film reporting as opposed to the kind of uninspired theorising and half-hearted press release cut-and-paste that passes for much of popular film history today. Wide-ranging and well-informed, what's so surprising is that the book was produced with no official help from Warner Bros. or any of the participants: the authors had to go out there, dig up the stories for themselves and separate fact from fiction. How successful they were was borne out when I was commissioned by the studio to write a book on the film (subsequently withdrawn and pulped at Friedkin's behest) with full access to all the documentation in the studio's archives as well as masses of deleted footage and audio and several of the surviving principals. Every other time I thought I had a scoop, it turned out to be in this volume: and where the authors were wrong, it wasn't by much. Yes, there are inaccuracies and errors, but it's still by far the best book on one of the seminal blockbusters, and more deserving of a reprint than many of the similar tomes currently available. Father Bowdern

[ReganMacNeilfan]

Oh cool and how rare is the book? Think we could see it next year for the anniversary? Sure would like to own it also. 😉

[Author]

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