Exorcist II: The Heretic (Arrow Video)

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by drush9999

Think there's confusion over what is the original version, the longer Boorman preferred 118 min cut has been the standard version for years, but the altered shorter version was the Theatrical Cut.

Internationally, yes. But the full 118-minute version apparently did play in US theaters for at least a couple of days.

According to some contemporary news articles (I don't have specific links, but I found them on newspapers.com), by the end of the first weekend, theaters were instructed to physically cut the epilogue out of the print they were showing. A short time later, they received a new final reel with a smoother audio transition into the credits.

Boorman then spent the next couple of weeks heavily re-editing the film into a 103-minute version, which was first released in Japan about a month later. That's the one that went out to most other countries.

I don't know if the 103-minute cut ever played in US theaters, but the first VHS/Beta release in the US was the "quick-fix" 2nd version, identical to the original except for the deleted ending...

Exorcist II The Heretic WCI HOME VIDEO 1980 VHS Closing - YouTube

The 1983 VHS release was the 103-minute cut with this ending:

Exorcist II the heretic 1977/1983 VHS alternative ending ReUpLoad - YouTube