Product Details

• Actors: Stellan Skarsgard, James D'arcy, Izabella Scorupco
• Directors: Renny Harlin
• Writers: Alexi Hawley, William Wisher, Caleb Carr
• Producers: James G. Robinson, Guy McElwaine, David C. Robinson
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, DTS Surround Sound
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: March 1, 2005
• Run Time: 114 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (164 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00065HKLG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,303 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Exorcist - The Beginning (Widescreen Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"This movie is cursed!" exclaimed movie-magazine headlines regarding Exorcist: The Beginning, but those dire warnings turned out to be exaggerated. Considering a tumultuous production history that actually did seem cursed, Renny Harlin's much-maligned prequel to The Exorcist is a surprisingly competent, serious-minded shocker filled with the same anxious foreboding that made the 1973 original so phenomenally effective. The story lacks focus and feels cobbled together (perhaps the result of its tortured development, which included the untimely death of original director John Frankenheimer), but Stellan Skarsgård is well-cast as Father (now Mr.) Merrin, a lapsed Catholic priest summoned to East Africa in 1949 to retrieve a demonic idol. He discovers a buried church, a vast underground cavern, demonic possession, and a legacy of carnage that preys upon guilt-ridden memories from his parish in Nazi-occupied Holland. Harlin delivers the gross-out moments that Warner Brothers demanded, but otherwise shows remarkable restraint while cinematographer Vittorio Storaro delivers doom-laden visual atmosphere. It's not the classic many were hoping for--not even close--but it's still a win-win scenario for horror fans, since it's rumored the unreleased and "abandoned" version directed by Paul Schrader will be paired with this film for its DVD release. Comparisons will no doubt prove interesting. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Prequel. Exorcist: The Beginning traces the story of Father Merrin back to his first encounter with the Devil during his missionary work in Africa.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You People Need to Open Your Eyes August 27, 2004

By John

Yes, you need to open your eyes and stop listening to these idiotic reviewers in the newspapers and television because I've never seen such biased reviews. It seems like they went into this movie ONLY looking for the negative things to b*tch about rather than concentrate on what was really going on. First of all, the movie was NOT EVEN THAT GORY. Ok, the baby covered in maggots. GET OVER IT. Every single person who whined and complained about that scene has seen 10 times worse in movies and you know you have. Second of all, another big complaint about this movie by those so-called professional reviewers was some crap about having lifted other scenes from famous movies. Uhhh, wait a minute, this sounds familiar. Didn't we just give lavish praise borderlining fellatio to Quentin Tarantino for Kill Bill 1 and 2? Didn't he do the EXACT same thing. Not only did he steal scenes from old style kung fu flicks and spaghetti westerns (not that I watch that crap but I heard that's what happened), but there was also endless amounts of blood and gore in that crap, infinitly more than there was in the Exorcist: Beginning. A heaping pile of contradiction is what that is.

All ranting aside, this movie was a sitting duck and I know why it was so easy to bash. For one thing, it was the prequel to a timeless classic. But this movie is not, I repeat, is not trash. It kept me enthralled from beginning to end. Of course it was not exactly like the original, it was modernized a bit. They paid homage to the original in a few scenes which I thought was fantastic. After watching this and then watching the original again after, it made even more sense. This is a movie that can make you think. But then again, people don't want to think about anything. They just want to see moving pictures. Mindless action is good once in awhile, but when the market is saturated with it, it can become excruciatingly boring and retarded. Watch the movie for what it is and not look for all the negative aspects of it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Unsettling Film of the Year! October 12, 2004

By Cameron

I really, honestly have no idea why this movie was bashed. From the very beginning I was curled up in my theater seat, knees to my head. I was petrified. Just when i thought it was safe to put my feet down, I put them back up in horror. Also, the film was downright disturbing. The scene with the butterflies on the wall and the supposed "exorcism" scene with the bent back fingers had me cringing and my cousin, who was sitting right next to me, screaming her head off. She's scared very easily, but my other cousin and I were both petrified and we find it extremely hard to be scared. Why the critics and audiences bashed this, I'll never know. I personally thought it was a lot more straight-forward scary than the original 'Exorcist' film. Definititely not as disturbing, but it delivers a lot more thrills that are needed now-a-days to scare the desensitized modern audience. It certainly worked, and I don't think critics realize that.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not As Bad As Some Say September 24, 2006

By Jesse B. Tibbits

Format:DVD

I was involved in the making of this film back in 2003/2004. I was hired as a wardrobe supplier. In fact, I still own the famous violet dress Izabella Scorupco(Dr.Sarah)wore in the final showdown with Lankaster. So, I feel the need to explain some things to the public. It's been two years now and I'm very upset with all the bashing this film has taken since it's release on home video/cable. Most of these reviews I've been reading on the internet are not only harsh but very cruel and also very ignorant. One even said they could not believe Izabella as a demon because she is "too prettty." Another one wrote they couldn't believe Stellan Skarsgard as the younger Father Merrin beause he is "too fat" to have lived long enough to be the old priest in 1973. People like this have no business writting reviews for anyone. I will remind them and all of you that don't already know. This was the only "Exorcist" film since the original to go to #1 at the box office. The second film couldn't do it even with Linda Blair. The third film couldn't do it with George C. Scott and Jason Miller. This should tell you something. It was not a great film but it is not that bad. There were many problems for sure, that is why the making of "Prequel" came about. Directors, writers and studio heads will not always agree on things. The original director, John Frankenheiemer died and Paul Schrader was brought in to make the film. The studio executives at Morgan Creek (the studio)liked the insightful story-line but felt a "Exorcist" film should be more intense and exciting. Renny Harlin was then brought in to give them just that. In the end, I don't blame them. The Exorcist films are horror and shock, not a story of a man and his personal demons for two hours with a bald devil that is more shrink than devil. The fans of the series want to see the priest facing the evil, violent demon and winning. So, with this film we did a bit of both. In the end, you can never re-create and top a great movie no matter what you try. Yet, Exorcist: The Beginning is a good film with some very cleaver idea's here and there. I feel it has taken a lot of bad press and very narrow minded reviews. So always, Judge for yourself! Don't let other people tell you to hate a film before you even see it. God bless and thank all of you!