The Exorcist Untold (2023) Review
On the 50th anniversary of one of the most legendary and influential horrors of all time, Robin Bextor (OPPENHEIMER: THE REAL STORY sheds new light in THE EXORCIST UNTOLD. The documentary is set for its home entertainment bow this December, arriving on DVD and digital on 11 December 2023, courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.
THE EXORCIST is a cultural phenomenon that changed the face of cinema, paving the way for numerous films that followed in its terrifying footsteps. It continues to haunt and captivate audiences and its legacy can still be seen across the cinematic sphere today, 50 years on.
By exploring the motivations of the creators, the genesis of this pivotal film and the historical and cultural contexts surrounding THE EXORCIST’s enduring influence, Bextor’s film unveils the remarkable story behind its creation, the challenges faced during production and the profound impact it had when it hit theatres on Boxing Day, 1973.
Featuring fresh insights and commentaries from industry experts, historians, scholars, and designers, including Dan Perri (STAR WARS, TAXI DRIVER), Rich Cline, Dr. Sarah Crowther, Prof. Chris McGlothlin, Nat Segaloff and more, the film also presents rarely seen archive footage of William Peter Blatty, the Academy Award®-winning screenplay writer who penned the original book – which sold over 13 million copies – along with interviews with his wife, Julie Blatty. It also features seldom-seen footage of world-famous director William Friedkin (THE FRENCH CONNECTION, TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA).
With THE EXORCIST franchise kickstarted again recently with THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, the first in a planned trilogy, and with the original film celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the retail release of this documentary has been timed to perfection. However as for the ‘UNTOLD’ claim in its title that would take a lot of living up to. There have been numerous documentaries that have covered the late director William Friedkin’s classic movie at length, from DVD and Blu-ray extras to film critic Mark Kermode’s documentary THE FEAR OF GOD: 25 YEARS OF THE EXORCIST from 1998 that pretty much sealed the deal.
So in a nutshell is there much here that is untold, that’s questionable, but for anyone that is new to the phenomena that is THE EXORCIST and would like to know more about the film, its development, release and everlasting impact that this would serve as a reasonable introduction. As for older fans of the film, like me, I imagine that most, if not all, will have seen most of this material before and be familiar with the facts it imparts.
However, I was a fan of the archive footage from the film’s release that is included in this documentary, as well as that year’s Oscar ceremony when the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and I was interested to learn that William Peter Blatty’s original book, upon which this was based, did not sell well until the author was asked to replace actor Robert Shaw last minute on Dick Cavett’s TV chatroom. Aside from that I found this documentary to be treading a well-worn path in a structurally uneven manner whilst spending too much time on lesser ‘reveals’, like that of the plaque unveiled at the campus that features within the film all too a musical accompaniment that I felt was too jolly considering the doom-laden nature of THE EXORCIST itself.
TRAILER
On DVD and UK digital 11 December 2023