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The Fear Of God: 25 Years Of The Exorcist -
This satisfies as both a making-of documentary and as one about what The Exorcist means to its makers and biggest fans. There's possibly no bigger Exorcist fan than film critic Mark Kermode, who is an able host and guide for the movie's most famous landmarks from those stairs to Reagan's house. Believe it or not, most of the house does not actually exist, with much of it being the product of movie magic. The production and special effects designers are in this, all of whom make you appreciate the ingenuity, hard work and risk involved in making this movie as well as pre-CGI movies in general. Director Friedkin gets in a slight jab at CGI, by the way, mentioning that today's filmmakers would likely use it to indicate the cursed house's freezing temperature instead of what his team did, which is rely on actual refrigeration. The leads from Blair to Von Sydow, writer Blatty and priests who consulted are also never not interesting whether they're discussing how much they enjoyed working on the movie - surprising given the constant makeup, freezing cold, Friedkin's temper and all that pea soup - or what the movie means to them. For the latter, while some naturally mention variations on good and evil, it was interesting to discover that no two ultimate interpretations of what the movie is about are exactly alike.
Whether you watch The Exorcist for the first time in your youth or as an adult, it's bound to leave a lasting impression. From its controversial subject matter to the arguments Friedkin and company had with studio heads as a result to simply getting the ambient sounds right, everything about making and releasing the movie was challenging. This documentary is bound to make you appreciate all the blood, sweat and tears that went into The Exorcist and the kinds of movies that remain in conversations for years in general. Thankfully, it does not do this in a way that's akin to a magician revealing their secrets.
This satisfies as both a making-of documentary and as one about what The Exorcist means to its makers and biggest fans. There's possibly no bigger Exorcist fan than film critic Mark Kermode, who is an able host and guide for the movie's most famous landmarks from those stairs to Reagan's house. Believe it or not, most of the house does not actually exist, with much of it being the product of movie magic. The production and special effects designers are in this, all of whom make you appreciate the ingenuity, hard work and risk involved in making this movie as well as pre-CGI movies in general. Director Friedkin gets in a slight jab at CGI, by the way, mentioning that today's filmmakers would likely use it to indicate the cursed house's freezing temperature instead of what his team did, which is rely on actual refrigeration. The leads from Blair to Von Sydow, writer Blatty and priests who consulted are also never not interesting whether they're discussing how much they enjoyed working on the movie - surprising given the constant makeup, freezing cold, Friedkin's temper and all that pea soup - or what the movie means to them. For the latter, while some naturally mention variations on good and evil, it was interesting to discover that no two ultimate interpretations of what the movie is about are exactly alike.
Whether you watch The Exorcist for the first time in your youth or as an adult, it's bound to leave a lasting impression. From its controversial subject matter to the arguments Friedkin and company had with studio heads as a result to simply getting the ambient sounds right, everything about making and releasing the movie was challenging. This documentary is bound to make you appreciate all the blood, sweat and tears that went into The Exorcist and the kinds of movies that remain in conversations for years in general. Thankfully, it does not do this in a way that's akin to a magician revealing their secrets.