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( EW)(EXORCIST/VIDEO-RELEASE) Collectors' Tribute to the Film That Frightened
the World! "The
Exorcist" 25th Anniversary Special Edition Set for Video
Release Aug. 25
Entertainment Editors & Video Writers
BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 13, 1998--
Introduction by
Director William Friedkin, New 30-Minute
Documentary, Never-Before-Seen Footage
and Interviews with
Filmmakers and Talent
DVD Release Filled With
Added Features Including Expanded
75-Minute Documentary, Audio Commentary, Featurette
and Original
Trailers
A quarter century ago, "The Exorcist"
first shocked and terrified audiences around the world.
In celebration of its
25th anniversary, this classic horror film will be available Aug. 25 with a digitally
restored image and re-mixed stereo
soundtrack from Warner Home Video. "The
Exorcist 25th Anniversary Special Edition" has several exciting features including
never-before-seen
footage, interviews and a 30-minute documentary.
"The Exorcist," "one
of the best movies of its type ever made (a)," received 10 Academy Award nominations
in 1973 and won two
Oscars. In addition, this blockbuster hit received four Golden
Globe awards including Best Dramatic Film, Best Director, Best Supporting
Actress
(Linda Blair) and Best Score.
A landmark tale of demonic possession, "The
Exorcist" features Blair playing the possessed 12-year-old child, Ellen Burstyn
as her
distraught mother, and Max von Sydow and Jason Miller as the troubled priests
determined to break Satan's hold.
Special Edition features:
-- Introduction
by Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin;
-- "The Fear of God:
The Making of The Exorcist" -- A new, 30-minute documentary produced by the
BBC specifically for the film's 25th
anniversary edition featuring 11 minutes
of never-before-seen outtakes and all-new interviews with Friedkin and William Peter
Blatty, the
author of the best-selling novel on which "The Exorcist"
is based;
-- Original theatrical trailer;
-- Limited-edition 4 1/2-inch by
3 1/2-inch mini lobby card reprint.
25th Anniversary Special Edition Deluxe
Set features:
(available Oct. 6)
-- The widescreen special edition
video with a 50-minute version of "The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist";
-- Commemorative 52-page book "The Exorcist: The Making of a Classic Motion
Picture";
-- New limited-edition CD soundtrack combining portions of the
memorable film score plus additional music by Hollywood veteran Lalo
Schifrin.
This new music was originally recorded for "The Exorcist" soundtrack; it
was never used and is exclusive to this deluxe set;
-- Eight limited-edition
"The Exorcist" lobby card reprints;
-- Senitype film frame (a mounted
piece of film plus an enlargement of the corresponding scene).
Each "The
Exorcist" 25th Anniversary video includes a Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary Savings
Book featuring more than $150 in valuable
offers.
As one of Warner Bros.'
most popular and successful titles, "The Exorcist" was chosen as one of
the original titles released on DVD last
year. A Special 25th Anniversary Edition
DVD will be available Oct. 13 with the following features:
-- Introduction by
Academy Award-winning director Friedkin;
-- An expanded 75-minute edition of
the new BBC documentary with 25 extra minutes of footage exclusive to DVD;
--
Documentary featurette of the film's storyboards and production exclusive to DVD;
-- Feature-length audio commentary by screenwriter/producer Blatty, including audio
outtakes of the sound effects;
-- Three original "The Exorcist" theatrical
trailers.
Produced by Blatty, "The Exorcist 25th Anniversary Special
Edition" is available from Warner Home Video, a Time Warner Entertainment
Company,
at a suggested retail price of $19.98 for the single video and $49.98 for the Special
Edition Deluxe Set. "The Exorcist" is available
in pan/scan (Catalogue
No. 16176) or widescreen (Catalogue No. 16336) formats, has an MPAA "R"
rating, a 160-minute running time and
is in Dolby Surround Stereo. The new 25th
Special Edition DVD has an approximate running time of 220 minutes and a suggested
retail price
of $24.98 (catalogue No. 16176).
(a) Roger Ebert's Video Companion
--30--RJ/la WAM/la
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