THE EXORCIST: UNTOLD **** UK 2023 Dir: Robin Bextor. 80 mins
I have an original one-sheet theatrical poster of The Exorcist complete with the North America ‘Admittance Restricted’ viewing sticker framed under glass in one room. It is the only poster I have framed so the film is quite significant for me and perhaps others. It’s odd writing something about a film that is one of your all-time favourites for much the same reasons as presented in this documentary. I have long thought for years that The Exorcist (1973) is not a horror film specifically even if it is steeped in the supernatural. It does get my ire up with the crucifix planted in cheek that it gets called a ‘scary movie’ with folk remembering the ‘pea soup’ moment. People recollect differently yes as shown in this pictorial look at the film’s gestation, advertising, frenzy and overall effect called The Exorcist: Untold (2023).
Robin Bextor and a host of talking heads, plus news footage attempt to present the story by asking why this film still resonates for so many. The pea soup moment aside which is name-checked touches on the idea that the film was shot documentary still with a verisimilitude not seen in the horror genre. On a small budget, The Exorcist: Untold delves into the backgrounds briefly of William Peter Blatty and Director William Friedkin.
William Peter Blatty’s insights such as being a brilliant student at Georgetown University and his connection to some comedy classics like Pink Panther films were interesting. I knew of William Friedkin’s propensity for pistols and aggressive style with actors and executives. The best footage was the various makeup tests for Regan with Linda Blair and the interview with her after the making offering insight into how she was feeling about the work. The film is also placed in the historical context at the height of the Manson Family killings, the Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway concert and the Vietnam War.
The Exorcist: Untold (2023) appears not to be a licensed documentary hence some of the footage is obscured brief, or already available. It is also without the participation of Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair with specific revelations that likely make up extras on a major Studio release. Author Nat Segaloff is also on hand to offer insights and flog his book The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years Of Fear.
For one who has ‘lived’ The Exorcist frenzy as it was called, there are some empty moments of blind praise like an on-camera person saying the film was the start of possession films. I will mention Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968) which broke new ground in the approach to filming a satanic encounter which is not mentioned. I did stand in line at the Nelson Theatre in the winter with several hundred of my closest friends to see a screening. I did write a diary of sorts about my experiences going to the film, and watching the film for a school’s sociology project which I received a miserable grade from an imaginative person without imagination. I can say back then, given my time of life, and my experiences without a doubt The Exorcist film had a huge power, especially in the final 35 minutes.
Those infamous sequels are mentioned with straight faces in some cases one of which I take exception to make fun of which was the surprisingly somewhat literate The Exorcist: Believer (2023) but that is another story.
The documentary hints at these and other impressions from interviews with theatre audiences of the time that I can say yes, I would agree. How the film plays to today’s saturated CGI, jump scare, film must be ninety minutes or less so I can name-check it with my friends and write a review online is debatable as all the effects are practical.
The single best moment such as in the original film in which human vulnerability and attainment are shown is footage of visibly feeble William Blatty and older William Friedkin attending the plaque 2015 unveiling ceremony at the George Town steps that figures so prominently in the film. Both men are visibly moved by the effect they had and the reception from the audience.
The Exorcist: Untold (2023) is an excellent primer for those new to the film or the resulting frenzy of the past told in an entertaining fast-paced way. I am tempted to say for a different look at the film seek out Leap Of Faith: William Friedkin On The Exorcist (2019). The Exorcist (1973) is a true classic that was a perfect storm of casting, script, direction performance and overall serious look that had not been seen before or since.
Review by Terry Sherwood
THE EXORCIST: UNTOLD is out now on DVD and to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and USA courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films