Friday, August 10, 2012

A Quick Look At... Exorcist III: Legion



Linkara takes a quick look at, believe it or not, his favorite horror movie. ‎

28 comments:

Monster Mike said...

If Linkara says it's good, that's good enough for me. Gonna watch it shortly.

RatherOddRanger said...

It's an awesome movie, shame the uncut version is missing.
It's well worth buying as part of the 5 disc boxset if you don't own the other 4 movies. Heck JMS even homages it in the 1st segment of B5: The Lost Tales.

Jesse said...

My dad saw the original Exorcist when it first came out when he was in college. It scared him to staying up the whole night.

When we went to see the prequel that came out in the 00s wasn't as good.

I'm going to have to get the original Exorcists.

Le Messor said...

That guy with the Voice sounded like Christopher Lee!

Also, was your spoiler very spoilery? I haven't seen this movie, but it looked like something that'd be revealed fairly early.

Balbo said...

I didn't even know this existed. It actually looks pretty interesting.

Anonymous said...

Linkara I can't help but wonder if anyone has gone back and cut back together the movie with the removed scenes restored. I know it would make the pacing different but I can't help wonder what that experience would have been like.

Anonymous said...

Don't take this the wrong way... this was also Jeffrey Dahmer's favorite movie. Guess he thought it was authentic.

Anonymous said...

I remember when I watched the movie soon after it came out on tape. I was only 15 or 16 at the time, and I thought it was good as it was going. And then came.... THAT scene... THAT... shot....

...

I never watched the movie again until over 10 years later, and that moment was the only thing that I remembered and will never forget. It still terrifies me.

By their nature, jump scares suck. But, holy s***, that was perfectly done. It will NEVER be topped, and if I'm ever proved wrong, then whoever does it should get a goddamn award.

PopCultureOtaku said...

I don't know. I never really liked the movie. I didn't really like it as a kid. As a matter of fact was probably the only exorcist movie I saw until I watch 20th anniversary release of 1 in theaters. That movie scared the crap out of me though it made my nephew laugh. I may re watch one day.

TheBlueFootedBooby said...

Some trivia... the song, "There's a Carp in the Tub" probably originated from a bit of Blatty-banter here.
Since you enjoy Blatty's work, track down his very obscure and underappreciated film, The Ninth Configuration.

boooratt said...

holy crap you like this movie too! I thought I was one of the only few that dug this sequel!
I love that old line, "We have no name for we are many! We are LEGION!!"
I've been meaning to read the book this is based on as I'd love to get a more in deep look at it!

LucasChad said...

I had to look up who else was nominated for Worst Actorbthat year. Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Rocky V, while the winner was Andrew Dice Clay for The Adventures of Ford Fairline. Then again, George C. Scott was too awesome in that movie, he doesn't deserved to be nominated!

"It is not in the file! IT IS NOT!!!"

BTW, I hope you like 80's horror movies, so I would love to hear your thoughts on such titles as The Thing, The Fly (personal favorite), Fright Night, etc.

TDM222 said...

Linkara, if you've never read the book, you need to give it a shot. It really is what the movie would be with the extra scenes. I haven't watched the video yet, so you may cover this, but it's called Legion, and it is really good, on par with the novel of The Exorcist, and has a far better ending tahn the exorcism ending shown in the film.

Bruce Probst said...

The priest actor is Nicol Williamson, and yes that pretty much is his real voice. You can hear a lot more of it in Excalibur, where he plays Merlin (in a terrific performance). He also did a decent (IMO) portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. (The latter is not a great Sherlock movie but is perfectly watchable, again IMO.)

"To some a dream ... to others a nightmare!"

Bruce Probst said...

D'oh! Wrong Sherlock Holmes movie. Nicol Williamson played Holmes in The Seven-per-cent Solution, not Private Life. Sorry for the mix-up.

Seven-per-cent Solution should be well known to Wrath of Khan fans as it was directed by Nicholas Meyer, based on his own novel.

megaL3 said...

I kinda swore off horror sequels,but I'll check this out.

On another note, have you seen this?:http://www.craveonline.com/comics/reviews/188155-dcs-free-comic-book-day-new-52-trinity-war

ArmymanZ said...

I agree with you Linkara that the scenes with Brad Dourif and George C. Scott are my favorite part of the movie.Those Razzie people are high if they thought George C. Scott should be nominated for worst actor.Good thing the movie won a Saturn Award for best writing as well two nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Brad Dourif) and Best Horror Film.

Alec Pridgen said...

Can't watch the video- I'm at work-, but I can leave you with a Haiku about it.

'The Author Directs
Fabio appears in it
Weird weird weird movie.'

I will also take this time to blatantly pimp my own site and allow people to see a text review of said movie (with SPOILERS)- http://mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com/2011/08/forgotten-three-quels-exorcist-3.html

For absolutely-free, I'll even throw in 'The Ninth Configuration!' It's so weird and random that it's hard to really SPOIL- http://mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com/2011/03/directorauthor-ninth-configuration.html

Thank you and try the Veal.

Nick Michalak said...

This is one of the BEST horror movies ever made! I can also watch it whenever because it is so damn good. Blatty's direction is beyond amazing, and George C. Scott gives a powerhouse performance. Throughout the film he's charismatic, humorous, heartfelt, and immensely intense. With Brad Dourif, I have never seen a more, as you said, hypnotic performance. He just oozes with vile charisma. And yes, that is Nicol Williamson's real voice. I've seen in him a very movies, and he's done animated voice work.

And DAMN YES! That jump scare will startle anyone out of their skin. I've seen the film many times, and it gets me every single time. It's so brilliantly executed as is practically everything in this movie.

With the ending, I definitely see your perspective, but I feel they went a little over the top with the imagery. I have warmed more and more to it as my love for the film grows, but it still feels a little excessive and grandiose for what had been a more subtle and richly atmospheric film up to that point.

I have a similar experience with the original "Exorcist." I saw the theatrical re-release in 2000, and at the time, the film literally paralyzed me with fear. I could barely watch the film for over a decade. Two years ago, I saw it theatrically again, and it barely did anything for me. It's still an all right movie, but "The Exorcist III" is consistently effective for me. I love it!

If anyone wants a generally spoiler free review, you can read my written review of the film on my Forever Cinematic blog. The more I watch this film, the more I love it. While John Carpenter's "In The Mouth of Madness" has been my favorite horror film for a long time, "The Exorcist III" could easily rival it.

Forever Cinematic "Exorcist III" Review: http://forevercinematic.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/the-exorcist-iii-1990/

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you decided to continue this series because I really like it.

I was hoping that you do more movies like Firday the 13th series, Nightmare on Elm Street series, Aliens series, or Superhero movies. Personally, I prefer first three, but you decide.

Trekkie313 said...

I'm so happy that this your favorite horror movie! It's one of my favorites too and isn't given enough credit.

Mori Kessler said...

Hell Lamp is void in Utah? NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
*head esplode*

Mori Kessler said...

The Hell Lamp offer is voice in Utah? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
*Head esplode*

StCerberusEngel said...

I love this movie! It is in my list of favorite horror movies along with Hellraiser, Jacob's Ladder and the Changeling.

lead sharp said...

Agree completely, the faster p[ace in this coupled with stronger characterisation makes this, in my opinion stronger than the first one. I always felt the friendship between the policeman and the priest was wonderfully realised and you really feel it when the priest dies.

IF the jump scare is the one I'm thinking of (in the corridor, at night?) then yes, bricks are shat every time I see this.

If you can do subtitles (which when you think about it should be no problem for folks into comics) then try the original Thai 'Shutter'. That is perhaps my all time scariest film having made me scream like a girly both times I watched it...at TWO separate scenes.

Gareth said...

I didn't own this movie when your review was first posted and when you said that your review contained spoilers I decided to buy the movie for myself and check it out without seeing your review. I managed to get the Uncut version and while it wasn't terrifying and lit was a bit slow (like the original) it was still a fun movie, all the major roles were well acted and I really enjoyed all the scenes that Patient X appeared in.

I also liked the heaven scene, it wvthe first very unsettling view of heaven that I have ever seen.

I too enjoyed the exorcism scene, it was dramatic and felt like a godoy end to the movie.

Alec Pridgen said...

Weird and random Trivia related to the movie...

Lee J. Cobb played 'Kinderman' in the original, but died in 1976, leading to Scott playing the role.

A bit later, William Friedkin- who made the original 'Exorcist'- did a TV movie version of '12 Angry Men,' in which Cobb was a major lead.

With Cobb still dead, who did Friedkin pick? George C. Scott.

Makes you wonder what other Lee J. Cobb roles Scott could have picked up in his career.

Razorgeist said...

Yeah this is a great movie...I actually like it better than the 1st one. The actor who played Father Morning does indeed sound like that his name is Nicol Williamson he was also Cogliostro is Spawn and the Nome King in return to Oz.