GoldenJCJ

I saw the Renny Harlan version when it first came out on DVD fully expecting it to be a steaming pile, but after watching it I rather enjoyed the atmosphere and story. Now that's not saying I thought it was perfect by any stretch, but we are talking horror film so some leeway must be given.

I felt the Harlan version was good enough to give the Paul Shrader version a try when it came out. Before seeing [b]Dominion[b] I fully expected the Shrader version to be superior. After hearing that Renny Harlan was brought it to make the film more gory and bloody I thought seeing an exorcist film that used slower pacing and more suspense letting the audience create the scenarios in their heads would be a more fulfilling movie experience. Besides I really couldn't stand siding with the executives taking control from the director.

Boy was I wrong, the Paul Shrader version is terrible. The pacing was so slow that at several times I forgot I was actually watching an exorcist movie, nothing was happening onscreen. It was basically an hour and a half of watching Father Merrin walking around the desert and 15 minutes at the end with him battling Satan.

While the Harlan version did add more blood and gore it also had a better pacing, not too slow and not too fast and it added more suspense, eerie things actually began happening onscreen that made me, the viewer, become nervous for the characters.

So for those of you who have seen both versions, or even one version, what do you think?

Geofferson

I watched Dominion over the weekend and preferred it to Harlin's version. I liked that Shrader focused the attention on evil with the moody atmosphere while using the past moral conflict of Father Merrin (I preferred the WWII story be told first-hand rather than in a flashback, which is what Harlin's version did).

However, I will say that after seeing both, I now appreciate both for their differences (initially I was not a fan at all of Harlin's version).

GoldenJCJ

Yeah, I agree with your WWII point. I thought it was better used in the Shrader version, which helped lend more towards the way Merrin lost his faith, while I still got that sense from the Harlan version, I would have liked for him to have used the WWII experience for more than one short flashback.

Filmmaker

Perhaps it is wrong of me but I am only interested in seeing the original vision, however flawed (and I give DOMINION 7 out of 10 stars; it was not the masterpiece many have made it out to be by any stretch), so I have no intentions of ever seeing the Harlin version.

Cameron

No poll?

Dead

If he wants one, he'll probably have to create a new thread and either delete this one or have a moderator merge them.

mdc3000

I didn't like Harlin's at all...it was like a banging headache (and believe it or not, I can appreciate Harlin's style...LOVED Deep Blue Sea....) so I gave Schrader's version a try.

Well, his movie was just as bad...but for opposite reasons. While Harlin's had lots of things going bump in the night, excessive violence and a choppy story, Schraders was devoid of any scares, not nearly enough violence and the story was just as loose as the Harlin version. I thought maybe the character driven story of Dominion could really sell it, but I just found it dull.

I am a Schrader fan...the stuff he wrote earlier in his career and also a fan of him as a director (like Affliction and LOVED auto focus), but this was quite pitiful. Looks like any Exorcist prequel, no matter who you gave it to, was destined to suck. Although, it makes for a neat compare and contrast study of two different director's styles.

MATT

GoldenJCJ

I had every intention of creating a poll, but I'm ashamed to admit that for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to make one.

I will now hang my head in the computer illiterate hame of shame

Geofferson

Is it possible to appreciate Dominion even if does have a lack of scares? (For example, I didn't think that Bram Stoker's Dracula was all that scary and I regard that movie very highly.)

I enjoyed the story and felt that the Merrin character was played out rather effectively.

wm lopez

Man, somebody make a poll!
I saw prequal at the theater and I didn't like it.
Dominion I liked from begining to end.

GoldenJCJ

agreed, I can't think of any other example where two completely different films were made using the same sets and lead actor. It's a pretty interesting study in filmmaking.

neilo13

Forgive me if I am being dense, but is the Shrader version out on DVD?? I would be interested in seeing it at least once.

Filmmaker

It came out a couple of weeks ago, yes.

natevines

Hated the Harlin version like everyone else, but looking forward to getting the Schrader version.
Slightly OT, but why is everyone crazy about Schrader? He wrote an excellent script for Taxi Driver + Raging Bull and a good script for the Last Temptation of Christ, but he also did so much garbage.

Rival11

Wow, I never thought I'd be saying this but Harlin's version is much better.

I'm so let down by Schrader. Dominion was horrible, absolutely horrible. It looked liked a made for tv movie (suprised nobody else has mentioned this yet).

And how about that editing? It was bad enough that the movie lacked barely any suspense and when we did get some, it didn't last long and was immediately chopped (and badly chopped) to another boring setup.

Do yourself a favor and only watch the Harlin version..........you shouldn't watch either but if you have to, stick with deep blue sea.

GoldenJCJ

I noticed this too. It had me wondering just how much more money and effort was put into completeing Shrader's version. Was an actual effort put into it to make a good film or did they just throw it all together as fast and cheaply as possible, slap it on dvd to try to make a few extra buck with footage that would otherwise have gone into the trash?

I don't know, but maybe a little more TLC with Shrader's version after it was shut down would have made for a better viewing experience.

Filmmaker

Though Warners wouldn't pony up for Shrader's preferred music score, nor to refine the sketchy visual effects, the actual cut of the film was Schrader's approved edit, so if the film plays poorly to you, Schrader can be blamed.

Legolas

How could one ever do him/herself a favor by watching Exorcist: The Beginning?

Rival11

"Do yourself a favor and only watch the Harlin version..........you shouldn't watch either but if you have to, stick with deep blue sea."

filmfreak

Neither.