Watch out, THE LAST EXORCISM! The grand-daddy of possession flicks, the Oscar-winning 1973 classic THE EXORCIST will be back in select theatres later this month – for a special one-night-only pair of screenings on September 30. The event is presented by NCM Fathom, which broadcasts video to an network of affiliated theatres, creating “live” nationwide events rather like watching television on the big screen (previous examples include the RiffTrax crew performing live commentary for screenings of PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE). Warner Brothers Home Video is using the event as a platform to promote the upcoming release of a two-disc Blu-ray on October 5, which will include the original theatrical cut and the so-called “Extended Director’s Cut,” plus three new documentaries; also on October 5, the film will be available for download via iTunes.
“THE EXORCIST EXTENDED DIRECTOR’S CUT” RETURNS TO THEATERS WITH NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE FOR THRILLING ONE-NIGHT EVENT
NCM Fathom, Warner Home Video and CHUD.com Bring Academy Award®-winning Thriller Back to Select Movie Theaters Nationwide September 30
Centennial, Colo. – September 2, 2010 – The scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut, returns to theaters nationwide for a one-night special event on Thursday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. local time and again for a second showing at 10:30 p.m. in select theaters. The thrilling special in-theater event, shown in more than 450 select movie theaters nationwide, will feature never-before-seen on-set footage and interviews with Academy Award® winning director William Friedkin, writer William Peter Blatty and actress Linda Blair as well as members of the original cast and crew. Following The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut, audiences will also be treated to a look behind-the-scenes showing how many of the legendary scenes were shot in this classic and thrilling tale of good vs. evil.
Tickets for The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut are available at participating box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the website (theaters and participants may be subject to change).
Released in 1973, “The Exorcist” caused a cultural earthquake that is still felt today, shocking and enthralling audiences who had never seen anything like it. Many viewers were frightened out of their wits – and literally out of their seats. Some ran out of the theater; others got physically ill or couldn’t sleep for weeks. Now audiences may experience the same visceral emotions again in their local movie theater with this masterpiece of suspense that haunted, intrigued and thrilled the world.
Adapted from the best-selling 1971 novel inspired by an actual exorcism case, “The Exorcist” tells the now-famous story of a young girl’s demonic possession, and her mother’s (Ellen Burstyn) desperate attempts to save her. Blair, in a breakout role, plays the possessed Regan, caught in a gripping fight between good and evil which culminated with an exorcism conducted by two priests. Terrifying audiences and chilling them to the bone, the theological thriller also starred Max von Sydow, Kitty Winn, Lee J. Cobb, Jason Miller and Mercedes McCambridge. “The Exorcist” is still considered one of the most successful feature films of all time, grossing $440 million worldwide and earning 10 Academy Award® nominations (winning Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound).
“The cultural impact of this truly frightening thriller cannot be understated and to experience it in movie theaters on giant, 40-foot screens is amazing,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “With the stunning quality of this special event, fans will be on the edge of their seats like never before.”
Presented by NCM Fathom and Warner Home Video, in association with CHUD.com, The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut will appear in 457 select U.S. movie theaters, including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, National Amusements, Rave Motion Pictures and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA), The Carolina (Asheville, NC), The Majestic 10 (Williston, VT) and Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA).
“The Exorcist” will be available from Warner Home Video on Blu-ray in a two-disc, high-definition set featuring both the original theatrical version and Extended Director’s Cut of the film plus three new documentaries on October 5. For more information, visit www.warnerhomevideo.com.About National CineMedia (NCM)
NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater network covers 172 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 17,100 screens (15,600 digital). During 2009, over 680 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters currently included in NCM’s network (excluding Consolidated Theatres). The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of approximately 550 locations in 154 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing over 40 entertainment-related web sites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.0% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.fathomevents.com.
Please note that the press release’s use of the phrase “Never-Before Seen Footage” refers to “on-set footage and interviews.” That, plus the appellation “Extended Director’s Cut” might lure viewers into expecting to see a different version of the film, when in fact this appears to be the revised version released to theatres in the year 2000. At that time, the film was billed as “THE EXORCIST: THE VERSION YOU’VE NEVER SEEN” – a title that makes no sense now, as interested viewers have seen that version in theatres and on DVD.
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