The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology (1973-2005)

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by Youre My Boy Blu!

Exorcist 2&3 are airing on IFC HD today and Sunday.
Currently watching 2. If this presentation is indicative of what to expect for the blu-ray, it'll probably get 3/5 for PQ, closer to 2.5. Nothing stellar, and probably could have had better results, but all things considered, expectations have to be tempered.

The thing about the previous DVD release of THE HERETIC that was wrong was that the "flying through Africa" scene had a orange tint - it never had originally. I know that film extremely well, and have spoken to the director about it. Boorman made color keys prior to filming. He choose what color palette would best represent the film. and which color would be struck from it. EG: although a teen in the film Regan is never seen wearing jeans because one of the colors he didn't want was blue. He even went out of his way to through muddy water over a NYC bus because at the time the roofs were blue.
Remember, this is way before digital editing and photoshop filters. All color timing was done in the lab - something Boorman was very know for doing.
Someone at WB either saw the elements had aged and figured it was meant to look orange/sepia and didn't know to fix it.
Back then trailers were made from footage already ready to be part of the film Those same tinted scenes never appeared tinted any trailer or TV spot either. I hope this is a new master for BD and that this has been fixed.

[warrian]

ditcin: layin' the E2 knowledge down. Nice.

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by warrian

ditcin: layin' the E2 knowledge down. Nice.

[Dylan34]

Originally Posted by ditcin

The thing about the previous DVD release of THE HERETIC that was wrong was that the "flying through Africa" scene had a orange tint - it never had originally. I know that film extremely well, and have spoken to the director about it. Boorman made color keys prior to filming. He choose what color palette would best represent the film. and which color would be struck from it. EG: although a teen in the film Regan is never seen wearing jeans because one of the colors he didn't want was blue. He even went out of his way to through muddy water over a NYC bus because at the time the roofs were blue.
Remember, this is way before digital editing and photoshop filters. All color timing was done in the lab - something Boorman was very know for doing.
Someone at WB either saw the elements had aged and figured it was meant to look orange/sepia and didn't know to fix it.
Back then trailers were made from footage already ready to be part of the film Those same tinted scenes never appeared tinted any trailer or TV spot either. I hope this is a new master for BD and that this has been fixed.

Surely they're going to use the best (newest) masters possible right? Hopefully we dont get issued crap transfers from them.

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by Dylan34

Surely they're going to use the best (newest) masters possible right? Hopefully we dont get issued crap transfers from them.

Warners aren't really known for making crap transfers.

Some of their encodes in the early days of the BD format were a bit ropey but their transfers have generally been decent.

Their certainly nowhere near as bad as some of the disasters that Universal and Paramount have given us over the years.

[TwelveVacancies]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

That's not true and it wasn't the first time Friedkin has misspoken.

The current transfer is from the OCN and 4K as mentioned. There's a magazine article about it and the transfer process with Warner if you do a Google search.

Do you have a link handy? I've done a search but all I can find are articles speculating (and most concluding it was 2K). Nothing concrete from WB.

In any case, it's still not the mystery transfer that Friedkin has been talking about since 2012 and claimed was being used for the 40th anniversary release (which obviously never happened). I know he can talk bollocks sometimes but he's been going on about this transfer for a while now.

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by Dylan34

Surely they're going to use the best (newest) masters possible right? Hopefully we dont get issued crap transfers from them.

I hope so. But remember, that previous 25th Anniversary DVD Edition down right sucked. It was the first time that horrible blue tint was added. The 5.1 mix was basically MONO. When compared to the very first DVD release way back it was shameful. (that first release still has the best color ever).

I'm not say they don't try, but sometimes it less than it should be. Add to that if a person doesn't know the material during transferring a whole lot stuff can happen in terms of color timing, contrast values and DNR.

Another scary thing is even with a great master the person who is doing the digital authoring can make tweaks to all of the above and ruin a good master. It's scary.

[AlexIlDottore]

Originally Posted by TwelveVacancies

Do you have a link handy? I've done a search but all I can find are articles speculating (and most concluding it was 2K). Nothing concrete from WB.

In any case, it's still not the mystery transfer that Friedkin has been talking about since 2012 and claimed was being used for the 40th anniversary release (which obviously never happened). I know he can talk bollocks sometimes but he's been going on about this transfer for a while now.

It is the "mystery transfer" that Friedkin was "going on about"

For the Warner Bros. release of The Exorcist on blu-ray, the studio decided not to use an existing HD master but instead use FilmLight's pin-registered Northlight scanner to create a 4K scan from the original camera negative.

http://digital.copcomm.com/i/19885/31

[Slyth66]

Just bought the Extended Director's Cut of The Exorcist for $5 at a pawn shop today. To be honest I don't even know if I want this set just for the sequels.

Unless I made a mistake and the Director's Cut is really horrible.

[Dylan34]

Originally Posted by TwelveVacancies

Do you have a link handy? I've done a search but all I can find are articles speculating (and most concluding it was 2K). Nothing concrete from WB.

In any case, it's still not the mystery transfer that Friedkin has been talking about since 2012 and claimed was being used for the 40th anniversary release (which obviously never happened). I know he can talk bollocks sometimes but he's been going on about this transfer for a while now.

Bro, i told you where to go 1 page ago. Go to list of 4k transfers on film, on this site, and you'll get your answers there.

[Dylan34]

Originally Posted by ditcin

I hope so. But remember, that previous 25th Anniversary DVD Edition down right sucked. It was the first time that horrible blue tint was added. The 5.1 mix was basically MONO. When compared to the very first DVD release way back it was shameful. (that first release still has the best color ever).

I'm not say they don't try, but sometimes it less than it should be. Add to that if a person doesn't know the material during transferring a whole lot stuff can happen in terms of color timing, contrast values and DNR.

Another scary thing is even with a great master the person who is doing the digital authoring can make tweaks to all of the above and ruin a good master. It's scary.

God, i hope not!! I dont care for the blue tint much during the exorcism. I wish they'd go bacK and re-color time it. As for the sequels, i just want solid 2k masters with no DNR/EE.

[GasmaskAvenger]

From what i've seen (judging by a HD fan recoloring preservation), that very first Exorcist DVD had a green tint throughout the whole movie and isn't true to the original color timing either.

If you ask me, you wanna see what the movie is supposed to look like, Terror in the Aisles on Universal's Halloween II 30th Anniversary blu-ray is where the answer lies.

The color timing of the Exorcist footage in that documentary totally match up with the color timing found on all of the trailers and TV spots made for the original 1973 theatrical release.

[Dylan34]

Originally Posted by GasmaskAvenger

From what i've seen (judging by a HD fan recoloring preservation), that very first Exorcist DVD had a green tint throughout the whole movie and isn't true to the original color timing either.

If you ask me, you wanna see what the movie is supposed to look like, Terror in the Aisles on Universal's Halloween II 30th Anniversary blu-ray is where the answer lies.

The color timing of the Exorcist footage in that documentary totally match up with the color timing found on all of the trailers and TV spots made for the original 1973 theatrical release.

I have an old vhs of The Exorcist that has the original color. The 1997 DVD is pretty close to it. I have the 25th anniversary DVD also and that has the blu tint during the exorcism like the blu-ray.

[GasmaskAvenger]

Ok, I took a look at some screencaps of the '97 bare bones DVD and you seem to be right. The color timing, as far as I can tell, matches that of the Exorcist clips found on "Terror in the Aisles".

I think the guy who did that fan restoration kinda botched the color timing in his own right and made it too green.

[Dylan34]

Originally Posted by GasmaskAvenger

Ok, I took a look at some screencaps of the '97 bare bones DVD and you seem to be right. The color timing, as far as I can tell, matches that of the Exorcist clips found on "Terror in the Aisles".

I think the guy who did that fan restoration kinda botched the color timing in his own right and made it too green.

I know what fan restoration you're talking about. Yep, he screwed the color timing. Green as
a shamrock.

[donidarko]

Originally Posted by ditcin

Thanks for the trivia. Exorcist II: The Heretic is one of my top guilty pleasures. The film is so freakin bizarre that it's amazing it was green lite. A lot of hard work and talent went into making that fascinating film. Every time I sit through it I'm amazed at how ridiculous it turned out....but it's beauty and aura take over and I never tire of its out of this world strangeness.

There is a paperback novel that details the making of the film. I have to dig it out and reread it before experiencing Heretic on brilliant BLU.

Amazingly, the film was reedited a few days after it opened because the studio brass were out of their minds with worry....the opening weekend audiences were not happy with what they saw on the screen.....it was such a radical departure from the original classic. No one could figure out what they were watching. I saw it the Saturday it opened with my older brother and his teenage friends. They were like "WTF!" While smoking weed in the back row of the theatre. It helped them get through it I suppose. I was only 14 at the time and had just seen the original on HBO the previous November and was completely blown away by William Friedkin's masterpiece. To this day after sitting through thousands of films, it still ranks as the finest film I had ever seen. Yes, people were expecting something quite like the original....I remember there was grumbling and annoyed audience members making comments and laughing throughout the showing. There was also some popcorn carton tossing.

It definitely is one of the strangest big budgeted films that made it out of the 70s. The art direction, cinematography, score, editing and choice of color design is stunning. I'm Still trying to figure out what it all means...the film is a trip and a half....midnight showings of this crazy film could give Rocky Horror a run for its money.

To those who have never sat through it, give yourself a treat and go into it with a clear objective mind...I bet if you do, this film will blow your mind and you will be forever wondering what the heck it all was supposed to mean?

[sarah_wentworth]

Originally Posted by donidarko

Thanks for the trivia. Exorcist II: The Heretic is one of my top guilty pleasures. The film is so freakin bizarre that it's amazing it was green lite. A lot of hard work and talent went into making that fascinating film. Every time I sit through it I'm amazed at how ridiculous it turned out....but it's beauty and aura take over and I never tire of its out of this world strangeness.

There is a paperback novel that details the making of the film. I have to dig it out and reread it before experiencing Heretic on brilliant BLU.

Amazingly, the film was reedited a few days after it opened because the studio brass were out of their minds with worry....the opening weekend audiences were not happy with what they saw on the screen.....it was such a radical departure from the original classic. No one could figure out what they were watching. I saw it the Saturday it opened with my older brother and his teenage friends. They were like "WTF!" While smoking weed in the back row of the theatre. It helped them get through it I suppose. I was only 14 at the time and had just seen the original on HBO the previous November and was completely blown away by William Friedkin's masterpiece. To this day after sitting through thousands of films, it still ranks as the finest film I had ever seen. Yes, people were expecting something quite like the original....I remember there was grumbling and annoyed audience members making comments and laughing throughout the showing. There was also some popcorn carton tossing.

It definitely is one of the strangest big budgeted films that made it out of the 70s. The art direction, cinematography, score, editing and choice of color design is stunning. I'm Still trying to figure out what it all means...the film is a trip and a half....midnight showings of this crazy film could give Rocky Horror a run for its money.

To those who have never sat through it, give yourself a treat and go into it with a clear objective mind...I bet if you do, this film will blow your mind and you will be forever wondering what the heck it all was supposed to mean?

i liked it the one time i watched it. then i read online it is supposed to suck and i'm supposed to hate it. i watch the same movie once every few years so its kinda fresh again so i guess i'll watch it when i get the set and see if i like it or hate it.

[ditcin]

I just look at the film, especially the ending and think, "My God, it's incredible what they did without a drop of CG! It's all LIVE!" The scope of a few of those shots is just spectacular. Yes, there's optical work, but the stuff in the house is just incredible. At one point wire work must have been done but damn I can never fine the wires. And just thinking of the timing of all that's going on, the bed shaking, the wind, locusts, smoke/fog, lighting - all within a set that breaking down and moving!

On the book cover that was published on the making of the film it states, "...the extraordinary sequel to THE EXORCIST"

I think that is the best way to describe it. It couldn't even try to top in terms of shock what was experienced before. But it was bigger in scope, grander visually. It avoided what it couldn't re-create, and delved into backstory which expands into metaphysical reasoning - and that is "extraordinary"!

The following images are of a fold-out booklet/poster announcing the production of THE HERETIC....

[ditcin]

The following are scans from the first two pages from THE HERETIC Press Kit...

[GasmaskAvenger]

I actually really love that first trailer for Exorcist II. Not the one with the rockin' Ennio Morricone music but the other one with the narration and the spooky music.

IMO it's actually scary unlike the movie itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kap0b4XlNlU