For those wondering, I was unable to get the collectors Blu ray from Shout Factory so I will be discussing the theatrical cut. And yes there will be SPOILERS.
After The Exorcist, the most notable entry in the franchise is considered to be The Exorcist III. Now I understand it's because there are quite a few people that didn't like the way the second entry The Heretic was. Some even going as far as saying that it's a complete rubbish movie. I will get that to film at some point as well. But people seem to overlook the way II and III are set up.
Exorcist II covers what happened to Regan and her family after the events of the first film. It gave us more insight into the mythology as well. Exorcist III gave us the story of what happened to Kinderman, Father Dyer and the surprise of Patient X. Both these films whether want to admit that The Heretic exists or not, it works well with Exorcist III by giving us the survivor stories. And I'm not even going to get into the whole prequel mess yet.
After The Heretic was released and was a bit of a disappointment to audiences, it took thirteen years for a third installment to be released. For me, that feels absolutely crazy to think. William Peter Blatty had written the original novel and film. He was rather unimpressed and a bit upset by that second film. He took it upon himself to return to the world that he had created in the original novel with a follow up titled Legion.
.
When word had gotten out what Blatty was up to, the studio approached him to make a film of it. He wanted the film to just be called Legion. However, the studio pushed to use the title The Exorcist III. Not a good start with things.
Lieutenant Kinderman uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward. Ultimately his journey leads him to the mysterious Patient X - who happens to be someone from Kinderman's past.
The cast in this film is great. We have George C. Scott taking on the role of Lieutenant Kinderman from the original film. Scott delivers a fantastic performance. I think this may have been the first time I had seen a film with him in it. But he kept me interested in what was going on with a very authoritative presence when it's needed. He's also very likeable.
Ed Flanders is Father Dyer. Here, he's very warm and welcoming. He's likeable. And it's easy to see why him and Kinderman get along. The hospital scene where they get to banter with one another is also delightful.
Jason Miller returns to the franchise in the role of Patient X. Now you may remember that Jason Miller was Father Karras. Here in a surprise return of events, Father Karras and Pazuzu have survived the events of the first film. At first I was very shocked by this. But I appreciate that Miller was able to return to reprise the role. It actually made me a bit unsettled as it would switch between Karras and the Gemini Killer.
And then there's Brad Dourif. He plays The Gemini Killer. This was a presence that felt like a split personality companion to Father Karras. And that works wonderfully as there are scenes where we would switch between the two on the fly. It just added a bit of unsettling and creepiness to things. Also Brad Dourif kills it in this role. Definitely part of the reason why this film works so well.
The film is pretty well paced. I mean considering that this wasn't Blatty's original version and was a studio interference. It handles things pretty well. There is creepiness and tension to scenes that I did not feel in the original Exorcist. Though, there was a scene with a patient crawling round on the ceiling. That instance came off extremely comedic. But not once did I find myself bored. The mystery of who is committing the murders was handled really well. For myself, I thought Kinderman had finally cracked and was being possessed and forced to commit the murders. But when it's established that it is Father Karras once again, I felt a little better as I had come to enjoy George C. Scott so well. The exorcism at the end and Father Morning felt tacked on. Rest assured with my researching, I learned that was a studio note. But it didn't feel out of place. I also was extremely worried during the car ride to Kinderman's home. I honestly had no idea how that was going to play out. It was well done.
The Exorcist III works for me really well. It gets to play with the world that the original spent so much time building. It's nice seeing the returning characters and seeing their stories come to a close. There isn't much gore in the film. But honestly, the suggestive-ness of it all felt creepier than anything could be shown. Great use of letting the audience imagine the aftermath of the killings. There is a bit of a tragic feel to it. But it's one that I would be happy to revisit any time. And I'm sure I will once I get the Shout Factory Blu ray.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment