OVERALL: Draw

R1 has a great selection of extras, and R2 Japan has two cuts of the film. The R2 Spain is the only version with the 1979 release (the R2 Spain release of the 1974 version is titled DEMONIAC: EL EXORCISTA DIABOLICO but we do not have specs or distributor label for it).

This is also available from:
- Redemption Films/Kino Lorber (US)

With the exception of the Spanish release from Manga Films, all of the other discs represent the 1974 version of the film despite the UK and Dutch releases using the DEMONIAC title on the cover.

General notes:
This film has been released in many different cuts:
-"Exorcisme Et Messes Noires" is the original 1974 Eurocine-Belgian co-production.
-"El Sádico de Notre-Dame/Sadist Of Notre Dame" is the 1979 European version, which is actually a recut, that mixes footage from the 1974 "Exorcisme Et Messes Noires"-version and scenes shot five years later on Parisian locations. This film has a softcore sex and violence.
-"Demoniac" was the 69 minute clothed cut of the 1974 version, but the title was appropriated by Wizard Video for their heavily cut (79 min) release of the aforementioned 1979 recut. The title has subsequently been apropriated for some of the R2 releases of the 1974 cut.
-"Sexorcisme" is a 1975 hardcore version, and there are actually two slightly different cuts available (71 min and 82 min variations, which also has a slightly different scene arrangement). These versions drop much of the narrative material and several major characters to include several lengthy XXX sequences.
-"Exorcism" (Synapse´s version) is entirely new 94 min transfer of the 1974 version from available materials from "Eurocine of Paris". Eurocine initially presented them with a shorter 92 minute PAL master, but a stateside consultant pointed out some missing bits and Eurocine sent them the revised 94 minute master. It´s considered the most coherent of all possible versions. It contains none of the hardcore footage and does not use any of the footage added in 1979-80 for the reworked "El Sádico de Notre-Dame"-version. However, there are gore scenes and explanatory scenes that are missing from all other versions. So this is the complete gore version, with some softcore.

This film is also known as:
-L´ Éventreur de Notre-Dame
-Chains and Black Leather
-Exorcism and Black Masses
-Exorcisme
-Exorcisme et messes noires
-Exorcisms
-The Sadist of Notre Dame
-Sexorcismes

CUTS:

• R1 Special Edition America- Synapse Films - Print title "Exorcism": this is an entirely new transfer from available materials from "Eurocine of Paris". It´s considered the most coherent of all possible versions. It contains none of the hardcore footage and does not use any of the footage added in 1979-80 for the reworked "El Sádico de Notre-Dame"-version. However, there are gore scenes and explanatory scenes that are missing from all other versions. So this is the complete gore version, with some softcore. (93:42 PAL to NTSC).
• R2 France- Aventi - Print title: "Exorcism" - 1974 version (92:18 PAL)
• R2 Holland - (World Wide Cinema/DFW) - Unknown cut-status.
• R2 Japan - (Addones/Panorama Communications) - "Uncensored version" (previously unseen in Japan), and "Alternate censored version". It´s unknown which cut.
• R2 Spain- Manga Films - Print title: "El Sadico de Notre Dame" - 1979 revision (94:39 PAL)
• R2 United Kingdom - (Arrow Film Distributors Ltd) - Yes - 89:58 min (PAL). Same cut of the film as the Synapse disc but with cuts by the BBFC (2:25 min): Company was required to make four compulsory cuts to scenes of sexualised violence, under BBFC Policy, Guidelines and the Video Recordings Act of 1984. An uncut certification was not available.
  BBFC cuts as follows:
  At 2:25, cuts to shot of naked woman stabbed and having a knife run over her body;
  At 29 mins, cuts to shot of naked woman who has been stabbed;
  At 39 mins, cuts to the evisceration of one of Vogel's victims;
  At 48 mins, cut to shot of naked woman being slapped by Vogel;
  At 80 mins, cut to woman being bitten and threatened with a knife.
  

Do you own a release not listed? Then please visit our forums and let us know!

Comparison added by Noor_Razzak on 08/03/03
Comparison last updated by Eric_Cotenas on 18/06/13

UPDATE LOG:

18/06/13 Added Spanish and French releases, and modified general notes.
27/11/12 Added Synapse runtime & note about transfer
01/08/11 Added detail about BBFC cuts to UK release