Paul Schrader's Exorcist movie

[trekgeezer]

According to AICN and the Movie Hole, the version of  Exorcist : The Beginning that Paul Schrader shot  will be getting a limited release in theatres next year.  It was originally supposed to be included on DVD with the Renny Harlin version that was released this year.

[Dunners]

S'quite odd. But I'm interested in seeing it myself.

[Mr_Vindictive]

I'll be there opening day.

I love Schrader's work, I really do.  You gotta think of what this guy has done in the past:

1. Hardcore - George C. Scott....need more be said?

2. Taxi Driver - .....

3. Auto Focus - One of the best "actor biography" films ever made.

4. Raging Bull - Did you "Shampoo" my wife!?  (Vague SNL reference)

5. The Last Temptation Of Christ - Working three times with Scorsese?  This guy MUST be good.

6. Cat People - Sure not the best remake in the world, but entertaining.



I have no doubt that his vision of this film would have been fantastic.  Even better though would have Frankenheimer's vision which unfortunatly was never realized due to his death.

[Neville]

Skaboi, if you liked all those you should watch "Light Sleeper" as well. IMHO that's the best Schrader film ever.

I'm watching Schrader's cut as well as soon as it appears in a local theatre. BTW, don't you all think the Renny Harlin version wasn't that bad? Sure the final exorcism was terrible, more like an action movie than anything else, but the rest was quite OK.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Neville,

Thanks for the advice.  I'll definently check that one out.

As for Harlin's version......I just didn't like it.  It's wasn't horrible, no, but it wasn't anything I should have actually paid to have seen in a theater.  It seems that Schrader's version of the film is a much more psychological horror film without all the gore.  Morgan Creek hated that idea, so they hired Harlin to spice things up.

The best Exorcist films aren't about gore and spice.  They are about simple story telling that can scare the s**t out of you.  The original is a great example.  It's such a simple storyline, yet we are engrossed by the characters in the film.

The same can be said about the third Exorcist film.  It is minimal when it comes to special effects, and isn't really a flashy movie.  It has a simple, dark atmosphere with some seriously scary scenes that  completely take you off guard.

Harlin took his film and made it more like Exorcist 2 rather than the original or third.  It did have it's merits, but not enough for it to be called an Exorcist film.

[Yaddo 42]

When reading about the two versions it was the everything that Morgan Creek was supposed to have hated that made me want to see Schrader's version. I figure a DVD rental double feature of the two at some point down the line would be interesting viewing.

As long as we're recommending Paul Schrader films I'd like to mention an overlooked gem of his, "Blue Collar". An execellent gritty drama about three auto workers struggling to survive who decide to rob their local union office. Not a caper film at all, and the main characters are fallible, believable human beings. Usually credited as the best acting of Richard Pryor's career.

Schrader also co-wrote the 70s Robert Mitchum crime drama "The Yakuza". It's not in the league with his writing for Scorsese, but it is smarter and better written than many crime dramas and deals with themes of honor and repaying of debts quite well for what was essentially an action picture.

I have a copy of his film "Mishima" around here, I've got to get around to viewing it one of these days.

[Neville]

"The Yakuza" is one of my favourite 70s films. It starts quite slowly, but soon as the violence and the personal dilemmas start appearing it rises to one of the best crime dramas in history. A magnificent film, no more no less. It is said that Sidney Pollack removed some of the most extreme things from Schrader's script, but I can't imagine what was left behind, because the final version is already a rarity because of its extreme violence.

[fish688512@aol.com]

I wish Paul Schrader's Exorcist was coming out in 2,100 theatres so it could sop up more money than the Harlin version.Judging from Schrader's past film's both written and directed this picture should be cool.Keep us posted on this unusual story.
H.W.

[Chopper]

Schrader's film Affliction is also excellent, along with the novel written by Russell Banks.

Schrader is a filmmaker i've always deeply respected & admired, i read a book about him a while back and it had a lot of interviews where he talks about his strict calvinist upbringing and how it shaped his later years and his daring and rebellious work.  it's funny how sometimes the most conservatively raised people end up being the most daring in their art.

[Chopper]

the Yakuza is a great film, when are they going to release those great 70's crime films like that and Prince of the City on dvd!?

i can't believe i forgot Mishima, the commentary to that is very informative. Schrader talks a lot about the controversy the film stirred in Japan, working with Yukio Mishima's widow, and working in the close-knit Japanese, film crew environment.  ok, so do we have Schrader's whole filmography on this thread yet!? : )

[Maribel]

I heard that the other version of the Exocrist prequel is hitting theatres sometime next year(Limited release) by a director that got fired(Paul Schrader) who didn't make the movie good enough for scares and gore. Why don't they just go ahead and release it on dvd, instead of hitting the big screen. Two prequels hitting the cinema, that's crazy and doesn't make sense. It's probably gonna suck. Renny made the movie better, I don't care what other people say. They probably couldn't take stuff from Harlin's version and wants to go smooth and easy with Paul's.