Franchise Review- The Exorcist

Fifty years ago, "the scariest movie ever made" traumatized the country in late December and left stunned audiences staggering out of theaters in disbelief(watch the Youtube clips). William Peter Blatty was inspired by "Rosemary's Baby" and the 1949 "exorcism" of a deeply disturbed 14 year old boy known as "Roland Doe" when he wrote the 1971 novel that would top the New York Times Best Sellers list for 17 weeks and sell 13 million copies in the U.S. alone. The fact that people were MUCH more superstitious in the 1970s hasn't lessened the power of Pazuzu, or Mercedes McCambridge's gravelly voice, or Linda Blair's comfort level with that crucifix. Atheism is the fastest-growing religion in the 21st Century, but "The Exorcist" is still a masterpiece that laid the blueprint for countless stories of demonic possession and sequels and prequels and a short-lived 2016 TV show. It's an excellent day for an exorcism, if you believe in that sort of thing. Let's begin.

"The Exorcist"(1973) Director William Friedkin, emboldened by the Oscar-winning success of 1971's Best Picture "The French Connection", was uniquely suited to make horror history when he was handed Blatty's screenplay. Translation- he was an egotistical, uncompromising madman that would surely get canceled if he was becoming famous today. But film is forever, and I'm very glad that he made this one. I know full-grown adults that still can't watch this head-spinning affront to Catholicism. Think about that for a minute. A slow build(let's go to Iraq!) and a lack of big-name stars brought a quiet realism to the first half of the movie and a killer payoff to the instantly-iconic second half. You'll never want pea soup again.

Max von Sydow, Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, and Jason Miller were all perfectly cast. Regan's refridgerated bedroom set was freezing(-20 F) during the unforgettable climax that took a month to complete(principal photography took 200 days). Shout out to Dick Smith's game-changing make-up, Owen Roizman's camerawork, Bud Smith's editing, and Jack Nitzshe's unnerving score. Film is truly a collaborative art form. I wish I could have been there for the TWO-YEAR theatrical run, that saw "The Exorcist" gross $165 million and earn ten Academy Award nominations(wow). Viewers are too savvy and have seen too much now to ever be as scared as they were in 1973-74. The decade produced some other creepy classics("The Omen", Carrie", "The Shining"). Regan MacNeil's inevitable encore would NOT be among them.

"Exorcist II: The Heretic"(1977) I don't want to beat a dead horse, but this movie fucking sucks. I've seen it three times in my life- in my 20s, in my 30s, and in my 40s- hoping to feel differently(I've had a similar relationship with "Superman III"). "Deliverance" director John Boorman, Louise Fletcher, and a 17 year old Linda Blair were badly exposed, after Friedkin, Blatty, and Burstyn refused to return. Richard Burton's prayers for a comeback went unanswered. "The Heretic" had no chance in the summer of "Star Wars"(neither would Friedkin's follow-up "Sorcerer" for that matter). We've gone from movie heaven to hell in four years. From Blair's brainwaves to swarming locusts, unconvincing flashbacks and a director that didn't understand the original's appeal, "Exorcist II" deserves it's derision.

"The Exorcist III"(1990) Warner Bros. wanted a third "Exorcist" throughout the '80s when they saw how much $$$ that Freddy and Jason were making. William Peter Blatty was lured to the director's chair with the promise of creative control and set out to adapt his 1983 novel "Legion" as a big-screen close-up for minor "Exorcist" character Lt. William Kinderman. The great George C. Scott replaced the late Lee J. Cobb in the Georgetown search for the malevolent spirit of the Gemini Killer(Jason Miller and Brad Dourif awkwardly share those duties). Blatty was proud of the film, despite studio mandated reshoots and the relatively flat box office- America was falling for a considerably nicer supernatural story in August '90, the year's second-biggest hit "Ghost". "III" is probably the second-best "Exorcist" movie and accrued a cult following among horror hounds(Blatty was opposed to the unimaginative title).

"Exorcist: The Beginning"(2004) Morgan Creek cofounder James G. Robinson began pursuing a prequel to "The Exorcist" in 1997 with a script separately credited to Caleb Carr and William Wisher("Terminator 2"). It seemed like a good idea, with George Lucas presenting the younger versions of Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi and popularizing the entire concept of prequels in that late '90s cultural phenomenon known as "Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace". Tom McLoughlin and John Frankenheimer flirted with the project, before former action maestro Renny Harlin("Die Hard 2", "Cliffhanger") seized the opportunity. Stellan Skarsgard's Lankester Merrin originally encountered Pazuzu in 1949 Cairo, Egypt(Liam Neeson wisely turned down the role). "The Beginning" took some heat off of it's Razzie rival "Catwoman" when it was released at the end of the summer. Blatty described the film as "a humiliating experience" as an opening weekend attendee. At least it didn't bomb financially- $78 million was generated worldwide on a $50 million budget.

"Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist"(2005) The "Exorcist" prequel thing is confusing. Long story short- Harlin and Paul Schrader of "Taxi Driver" fame were hired with competing visions for Father Merrin's backstory during a messy protracted production that dragged on for fifteen months, and neither was embraced by Warner Bros. or fans of the franchise. Schrader's more-restrained version was filmed first and shelved in favor of Harlin, then resuscitated for a limited release seven months later. We've got a "Justice League"-like situation over here. For what it's worth, "Dominion" is better, but it hardly mattered. The smell of death was in the air and both films were damaged goods. Roger Ebert's upward thumb wasn't enough to persuade springtime audiences after two years of adverse publicity. It only made $251,495.

"The Exorcist: Believer"(2023) Blumhouse strikes again. I don't believe in David Gordon Green. Leslie Odom Jr. has a devilish daughter(Lidya Jewett), because diversity trumps talent in 2020s Hollywood. The most shocking thing about the new movie is how little interest there was among horror buffs who paid to see the equally loathsome "Halloween" reboot trilogy. "The Conjuring" franchise is doing demonic possession objectively better, so the director of "The Pineapple Express" and Peacock/Universal blew $400 million on the rights(Jesus!!!). At least an 89 year old Ellen Burstyn did some good with the money she was generously paid to appear. I'll give the late Billy Friedkin the last word- "If there's a spirit world and I can come back, I plan to possess David Gordon Green and make his life a living hell".

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