‘The Exorcist’ Turns Heads on DVD

“The Exorcist” originally was released just after Christmas in 1973. Twenty-seven years later, the video (rental only) and DVD (Warner, $25) of the “version you’ve never seen” has been unleashed this holiday week.

The new version of the William Friedkin horror classic made audience’s heads spin in its theatrical release a few months ago. Several scenes that had been cut from the original were reinstated, including the demonically possessed Regan’s (Linda Blair) spider-like walk down the stairs.

The DVD features a gorgeous wide-screen transfer of the classic, production notes, facts about the movie, cast (including Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller and Max von Sydow) and crew, trailers and TV spots, plus splendid, analytical commentary from Friedkin, who received an Oscar nomination for his direction. The film, which lost the best picture Oscar to “The Sting,” won Academy Awards for sound, as well as for William Peter Blatty’s adaptation of his best-selling novel.

With the skill of a surgeon, Friedkin dissects each scene in his movie, offering character motivations, pertinent information and behind-the-scenes stories. For example, the opening sequence in which the exorcist Father Merrin (Von Sydow) has a premonition that he will soon be doing battle once again with the devil, was actually shot at a real archeological dig in Iraq. The temperatures, says Friedkin, would climb as high as 130 degrees by 10 in the morning; shooting would be suspended until later in the evening. Since the U.S. didn’t have diplomatic ties with Iraq, Friedkin took a British crew to the country.

The new ending film finds Lt. Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb) asking Father Karras’ good friend Father Ryan (Rev. William O’Malley) to have lunch with him. Friedkin says Kinderman’s offer to Ryan is a way both men can keep the spirit of Karras (Miller) alive within themselves. In the final analysis, says Friedkin, “The Exorcist” is about the battle between good and evil in every one of us.

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Mike Figgis’ experimental comedy “Time Code” (Columbia TriStar, $25) is a real treat. Shot on digital video, “Time Code” is played out in real time with the screen divided into four quarters. Figgis and his three other cameramen shot “Time Code” 15 times over a two-week period. After each 90-minute improvisational movie was completed, Figgis would screen the video to his cast later that same day so that performances and plot points could be refined and discussed. It was the 15th and last version that Figgis’ released to theaters. And he was able do get a great cast--which includes Stellan Skarsgard, Saffron Burrows, Steven Weber, Holly Hunter, Danny Huston and Salma Hayek--to participate in this unique process.

The DVD includes Figgis’ video diary in which he shows a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the filmmaking and his decision to make the experimental movie. There’s also a separate audio mix track that allows viewers to alter the focus of the audio. Figgis also offers two separate and informative commentaries: one for the theatrical release and the other for the first version he shot.

It’s great fun to watch both versions because one really gets a chance to see how the stories and the characters evolved. Not only did plot points and costumes change, so did casting. In the first version, Laurie Metcalf plays Burrow’s hyper, nervous shrink. But when scheduling conflicts lead to her not being able to do the 15th version, Glenne Headly stepped in and plays a much quieter, thoughtful shrink.

Holly Hunter, who plays a rather wacky movie executive in the theatrical release, isn’t in the first version and in fact didn’t join the cast until the fourth or fifth taping.

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Brenda Blethyn is an absolute delight to listen to on the DVD commentary track of the charming little British comedy “Saving Grace” (New Line, $25). Blethyn, an Oscar-nominee for “Secrets & Lies” and “Little Voice,” does a very funny impression of Mario Lanza singing “The Drinking Song” from “The Student Prince” when she talks about how much she loved movie musicals as a kid.

Written by Craig Ferguson (“The Drew Carey Show”) and Mark Crowley, “Saving Grace” stars Blethyn as a middle-aged British widow with an amazing green thumb who finds herself penniless after her husband dies. On the encouragement of her pothead Scottish gardener (Ferguson), she grows a marijuana crop.

The DVD offers viewers both the wide-screen or pan-and-scan versions of the comedy. Also included are cast and crew bios, trailers; commentary from Blethyn, Ferguson and director Nigel Cole; and another commentary track with Ferguson, Crowley and Cole.

Blethyn talks about the fact that she was insistent that Cole not trivialize her character’s plight in order to get more laughs. Though the film is a comedy, she wanted the actors to play their parts as realistically as possible. Cole explains that he wanted “Saving Grace” to harken back to the quirky spirit and tone of the classic Ealing British comedies of the late ‘40s and ‘50s like “Tight Little Island.”

“Saving Grace,” says Cole, also vividly captures the spirit of the people who live in Cornwall on the southwest coast of England--rugged, individualistic people who also are full of heart.

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One of the funniest extras on the “Godzilla 2000” (Columbia TriStar, $25) DVD is the behind-the-scenes footage of the man dressed up in the rubber Godzilla suit listening to director Takoa Okawara give him instructions on how to move his head as he rampages through a miniature town. The digital edition of this cheesy but fun entry in the Japanese film series features the trailer, a short history of Godzilla and fun commentary from Mike Schlesinger, who produced and wrote the English-language adaptation; Michael Mahoney, the American film editor; and Darren Paskal, the supervising sound editor on the American version.