This is the 2010 _Region_Free_ U.K. 2-disc Blu-ray release. It's the same as the U.S. 2-disc digi-book without the book, just the two discs in a standard Blu-ray two disc case. Case cover and disc have European markings. The blue and read seals with numbers (18; minimum purchase and viewing age) are the Irish (Rep. of) and U.K. These are their government equivalents of the U.S. film industry's MPAA ratings; film is rated "R" by MPAA which equates to the Irish and U.K. ratings. The discs have these two seals plus a third, German one (minimum age in Germany: 16). Unlike European DVDs which usually cannot play properly in U.S. DVD players (PAL vs. NTSC encoding; an issue completely unrelated to region protection code "flags"), region free Blu-ray discs should play without any problem in U.S. Blu-ray players. Indeed they should play in *any* Blu-Ray player in *any* region (that's had its firmware updated/maintained properly).The 2000 "Extended" version is on Disc 1 with some of the extras; 1973 "Theatrical" version is on Disc 2 with more extras. Both discs are 50 GB dual-layer. The 2010 transfer of both versions is excellent without jitter and containing superb detail with equally excellent restoration to eliminate any significant print damage. Color rendition looks good (to me). I did not see any DNR issues. It's not 100% perfect, but quite likely about as good as can be done transferring and re-mastering 37 year old print(s). Some difference in film stocks and shooting units (cameras ??) can be seen in the beginning that was shot in Iraq if one looks carefully at these scenes. In addition, film grain can be seen in places. This isn't the transfer, it's the original film stock used, and the cinematography units and their cameras. In short, on a 1080p HDTV, it's about as good as you'd get as an optical projection of a film print in a theater. Original audio was monaural (surprised me some for a 1973 film). It's been remixed to DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 ES on the "Extended" and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround on the "Theatrical." Sounds very good with things still well centered on the "center" channel; remixing was not over-done. Fidelity is quite good considering its source is a 1973 era analog monaural recording (the kind of fidelity and bass thumping found in current films isn't there and never was). Mid-level and higher home 5.1 systems will deliver better audio with finer details to be heard than anyone ever experienced in any theater in 1973. Purists might complain that the transfer was reformatted to 1.78:1 (16:9 HDTV ratio) compared to the 1.85:1 aspect ratio as it was originally projected theatrically using a projection mask on the theater projector's film gate. This was NOT done by cropping anything from what was originally projected in theaters, it was performed by opening up the frame slightly top and bottom during the transfer. The full-frame original negative and work prints are 1.37:1 aspect ratio (~4:3). Cinematography was composed in-camera for 1.85:1 projection during shooting using viewfinder masks. (This was and continues to be an industry standard alternative to shooting and projecting for wide screen using anamorphic lenses.)
What's to say about the film itself? It's a well-known classic even those (adults) who have never seen it generally understand its content. Completely deserving of its R rating by the MPAA due to extremely strong language, a very disturbing scene with sexual content involving the girl (while possessed), and graphically violent death scenes. It is only one or two steps shy of NC-17 although the MPAA has gradually become much more tolerant with film content over the years. Like most thrillers, suspense and horror genre of its era, its pacing is slower than many current films in these same genre that launch immediately into non-stop action. Instead, it lays the character and story groundwork while gradually building the frequency and intensity of disturbing and horrific incidents until the climax at the very end. As I understand it, the "Extended" version is the 2000 Director's Cut which restored nearly all (if not all) the scenes that were cut by Friedkin after the studio execs reviewed the film. Blatty, the novel and screenplay author, was extremely upset with Friedkin for many years over this, in spite of the film's immense success and continued popularity. The "Extended" represents what would have been originally released had a studio exec not suggested these cuts, or if Friedkin had ignored that exec's suggestions. It's become a horror classic that has withstood nearly four decades of other horror film writers and directors chasing after its macabre presentation of pure evil . . . and this done in an era without any CGI and other modern special effects. It doesn't need the modern audio-visual shock methods as its terror preys upon the mind as much or more as it does the visual and aural senses. Few since are its peer. The ten Academy nominations including Best Picture, and seven Golden Globe nominations it received . . . unheard of for a horror film including being the first one nominated for an Academy Best Picture . . . should be telling. In my opinion it's a "must see" . . . either version . . . for those that like or study the horror and thriller film genre (although I recommend the Extended).
Note that even now, the writer and director do NOT consider this a "horror" film and never have. They have always characterized it as a (theological) "thriller." Put it into whatever genre bin you wish. It still ranks as one of the "scariest" films ever made. Various scenes have remained shocking even with repeated viewing and knowing what will happen next.
No comments:
Post a Comment