how warner brothers screwed the exorcist: the version you've never seen before! --
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how warner brothers screwed the exorcist: the version you've never seen before! --
ain't it cool news: the best in movie, tv, dvd, and comic book news.
published on monday, march 20, 2000 - 5:11pm
how warner brothers screwed the exorcist: the version you've never seen before!
hey folks, harry here with some fairly distressing news. warner brothers, the same folks behind anally raping the iron giant, are once again at it again.
sunday night, i went to see the exorcist: the version you've never seen before, and found my self in a half full auditorium watching, in my opinion, the greatest horror film (besides dawn of the dead) ever created. the audience was in a giggly mood to start with, but as the film continued to play... this audience of 'scream generation' horror fans were silenced.
i believe the exact moment was when regan has fucked herself bloody with the crucifix and then shoves her mother's face into her bloody crotch while grunting out "lick me". yup... i believe that's where the audience of mostly exorcist virgins, sat up and thought... man... scream is for pussies.
but how has warner brothers screwed the exorcist roll out?
first they decide to test the film in 3 college towns (austin, tx, athens, ga and ann arbor, mi) during spring break. second, they buy nearly zero television advertising. third, there is a notable absence of radio spots on popular radio stations. fourth, the only way to properly break this release is to go big and go national.
the proper way to unroll this film, an incredible 'special edition' that does everything to perfection, is to do it all across the country with a huge push.
there have been 93,325,791 tickets sold for the exorcist. 93,325,791. this is not some sort of 'stepchild'. this is one of the most successful movies of all time. and with nearly zero promotion and in a city where the student population is on the beaches, the film population is at sxsw film festival... well... that half full audience could have been packed had there been a real promotion behind this film from a studio that gave a rat's ass!
i took the lovely claire standish (who had never seen the film), father geek and guillermo del toro to see the film last night. guillermo? he came out of the screening calling the film the best director's cut or special edition he had ever seen. he completely loved the screening. we all felt that this was perhaps the very best use of full digital sound we had ever heard. we left with the knowledge that in just two more days we'd be back with more people. at dinner, our waitress asked wait we had been doing that night, when we told her... she shrieked and said she can't wait to see it for herself. claire's cousin and friend arrived, and they are headed to the theater tonight.
however, i fear that no amount of local word of mouth can replace a market saturation campaign. linda blair, max von sydow, ellen burstyn, jason miller, william friedkin and william peter blatty should be placed on every talk show, morning show, late night show in the world. this should be treated as an event. there should be cover stories in fangoria, starlog, cinefex, entertainment weekly, premiere, usa today, new york times, la times, chicago sun times, film comment, etc etc etc... there should be t-shirts, exorcist slime, etc. it should roll out on over 2000 screens nationwide two weeks prior to halloween.
blanket the country with exorcist imagery. spend some money on it. let people know in no uncertain terms that this film isn't for wusses. but this dripping faucet style of testing that warners is currently using... will not fill the sink. that faucet needs to be running full blast.
hire a special team to work only on this promotion. for trailers, get onscreen interview quotes from stephen king, clive barker, wes craven, and so on. this is a great film and a great presentation that should not... should not be treated like some sort of three week old moldy bread.
treat this like the second coming! sell t-shirts that say, "your mother sucks c*cks in hell" put together folks like marilyn manson, rob zombie, kiss, etc... and put out a badass inspired by album to get radio play and earn extra fucking money for you greedy bastards! use some damn imagination!
this is free money for you guys! also... you might want to use alternative images for poster art. using the classic lamp post/sydow image... while classic, doesn't necessarily communicate that it is any different.
in the original 1973 press book, there was an alternative poster that had a door cracked... it was the door to regan's room. it was in the same black and white stark contrast feel... but this poster was never seen. also. use some of the other images of the film that you would do in the high contrast... just black and white, with the purple exorcist font... like... the stairs. like the shot of regan's face as the demon when she senses that father merrin is on the way.
cut a trailer that plays out the sequence where the ceiling cracks, the door closes and cracks, and those sounds in the original sound mix.... say... that was what audiences saw and heard in 1973.... then play the very same scene with the new awesome sound... then end with the shot of merrin and the lamppost with the full digital tubular bells.
don't fuck this up lorenzo! this is a great film... a great restoration and enhancement to the original. it is... without a shed of doubt a new theatrical experience that doesn't screw the pooch like lucas did. treat this like your baby and pack theaters throughout the month of october! do it! scare people. release regan masks. exorcist priest outfits with green goo on them for halloween. use your imaginations! now!
and then of course... you could always use this original trailer that was deemed too heavy duty for audiences in 1973, mix the trailer in digital surround, and watch audiences go nuts. click here to download this massively cool trailer!!!
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reader talkback
uh.....the iron giant got
anally raped ? by robinpmar 20th, 200004:25:22 pmon a less prechy note........by robinpmar 20th, 200004:29:37 pmi didn;teven know it was being
rereleasedby natashacassadinemar 20th, 200004:31:55 pmsxsw screeningby dobieboymar 20th, 200004:35:05 pmice cream for the exorcistby skllbnsmar 20th, 200004:44:23 pmyou'd think linda blair or
william peter blatty would be
pushingby uncapiemar 20th, 200004:49:19 pmthis movie suckedby jordy1900mar 20th, 200004:49:36 pmum...by iseedwarvesmar 20th, 200004:52:49 pmpop culture referencesby loki trickstermar 20th, 200004:58:08 pmto jordy1900...by agentcoopermar 20th, 200005:06:28 pmi can't wait!by phydeauxmar 20th, 200005:20:38 pmi'm one of those "exorcist
virgins"...by mr. andersonmar 20th, 200005:29:02 pma message to harry re: dawn of
the deadby lance rockmar 20th, 200005:42:08 pmo.p.m. - other people's moneyby krautlamar 20th, 200005:45:18 pmlazy bastardsby renimar 20th, 200005:47:22 pmsorry, i didn't like it
either!by mephisto666mar 20th, 200005:49:45 pmmy comment in the other
exocist article called horror
fans todayby roborobmar 20th, 200005:53:23 pmre: opmby sorcerermar 20th, 200005:57:49 pmwhat's up with harry and anal
sex?by gilmourmar 20th, 200006:04:44 pmtodd's gonna be pissed...by vegasmar 20th, 200006:09:41 pmonce were warriorsby renimar 20th, 200006:10:38 pmexorcistby sh'vardamar 20th, 200006:22:33 pmok, this is the last time i'll
bitch about this(fourth time).
goby presidentpezmar 20th, 200006:48:29 pmbe careful harry!by wondersmar 20th, 200008:18:31 pmdid anyone find this post as
funny as i did?by the thinkermar 20th, 200008:28:04 pmharry's rightby lshbmar 20th, 200008:45:45 pmwhy, dimmy, whyby propagandamar 20th, 200008:57:39 pmcalm down!by watomar 20th, 200009:13:43 pmthe true story which inspired
the exorcistby drasaidmar 20th, 200009:24:26 pmby gsolomar 20th, 200009:34:14 pmi'm there. so are my friends.
will spread the news.by gsolomar 20th, 200009:35:17 pmwarner bros, release this
film!by wesreviewsmar 20th, 200009:35:29 pmre: asylumby veidtmar 20th, 200009:52:28 pmleave the exorcist beby larry_talbotmar 20th, 200010:18:17 pmedgy today???by salamander129mar 20th, 200010:22:50 pmthe scariest film ever madeby paulzymar 20th, 200010:29:24 pmthe curse!by 60091mar 20th, 200010:56:13 pmopening night in athens, gaby shemp77mar 20th, 200011:14:33 pmaa noble effort, harry...by paco jmar 20th, 200011:23:23 pmi'm 45th! i rock!by i87dmar 20th, 200011:27:35 pmwas it scary?by norcalmar 20th, 200011:38:06 pmharry!by the fleamar 20th, 200011:54:30 pmvicious cycleby honestabemar 21st, 200003:09:05 amwoooooah there !!!by chizmar 21st, 200004:04:09 amreni/veersby big mmar 21st, 200007:15:25 ambig m and veers, bless you
brothers...by renimar 21st, 200008:23:38 ami think the movie still worksby phildmar 21st, 200008:54:18 amokay, okay...by mephisto666mar 21st, 200012:28:55 pmwarner bros. are a bunch of
inbredsby ackbargirlmar 21st, 200002:49:35 pmyou tell 'em, harry!by essemteemar 21st, 200005:53:20 pm
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how warner brothers screwed the exorcist: the version you've never seen before! --
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