The film became a focal point of the trial of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The Exorcist III. I say that if you liked the original you will most likely like this, as long as you keep your mind open and don't expect a carbon copy of the original. [11] Blatty hoped to recover the deleted footage from the Morgan Creek vaults so that he might re-assemble the original cut of the film which he said was "rather different" from what was released, and a version of the film which fans of the Exorcist series have been clamouring for. But, who is the mysterious Patient X? It stars George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson and Brad Dourif. George DiCenzo, Viveca Lindfors, and Zohra Lampert also appear in this underrated, low-key horror film. Morning manages to regain consciousness and tells Karras to fight. [11] Although at the time, Blatty told the press that he was happy to re-shoot the film's ending and have the story climax with a frenzy of special effects, apparently this compromise was forced on Blatty against his wishes: The original story that I sold [Morgan Creek] (and that I shot) ended with Kinderman blowing away Patient X. He was locked up, catatonic until he became violent and claimed to be the Gemini Killer. The Zodiac Reference. It grossed a total of $26,098,824 in the United States and Canada and $18 million internationally for a total of $44 million worldwide. The Exorcist III was first released in October 1989 in the European MIFED Film Market and then opened in 1,288 theaters in the United States on August 17, 1990. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Kinderman reveals to the hospital staff that the murders fit the modus operandi of James Venamun (Brad Dourif), or "The Gemini Killer", a serial killer who was executed fifteen years prior. Dourif introduced the film, and did a Q&A session with the audience afterwards. Blatty's original cut didn't have Jason Miller as Karras/Patient X in it, and it had a different isolation cell for scenes in which Kinderman talked with Patient X/Gemini killer. The Exorcist III is available to watch free on Crackle, Tubi TV, Vudu Free, Pluto TV and Peacock. Karras' form appears to briefly change into that of the Gemini Killer. The Exorcist novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Peter Blatty triumphs again with this spellbinding sequel starring George C. Scott.Year: 1990 "'The Exorcist III' is a much better film than either of its predecessors." [11], The project went into development hell, and Blatty wrote Legion as a novel instead, published in 1983. [4][5][6], Blatty, who wrote the original Exorcist novel (1971) and the screenplay for its 1973 film adaptation, conceived The Exorcist III with Exorcist director William Friedkin attached to direct. Similarly, how were Kinderman and Karras meant to be good friends? We are working on putting together a version that will be close to Blatty's original script using a mixture of various film and videotape sources that we have been provided with". His investigation leads him to the psychiatric ward of a Georgetown hospital, which holds ominous secrets. Some sequences are just creepy as hell. Why We Love It After an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue. The possessed Karras then torments and attempts to kill Kinderman. -- Vincent Canby, New York Times "William Peter Blatty … The Exorcist III never had a chance. A former marine arrives at a mental asylum housed in a remote castle to run it. Although this scene is deleted, parts of it are used in a new ending where Patient X/Karras is buried. When a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her. The Exorcist III is set 15 years after the original film. The exhumation of Damien Karras's body in Jesuit cemetery. Kinderman returns to see Karras, who once again changes into the Gemini Killer. He additionally labeled The Exorcist III "an ash-gray disaster [that] has the feel of a nightmare catechism lesson, or a horror movie made by a depressed monk". Warner Bros. previously released 'The Exorcist III' on Blu-ray in 2014, both on its own and as part of a franchise box set called 'The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology'. The Exorcist III is a talky, literary sequel with some scary moments that rival anything from the original. It was a bestseller. It's written and directed by William Peter Blatty, who wrote the original book and this book. [11], As of March 2021[update], review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 59% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based on 41 reviews, with a rating of 5.60/10. The Exorcist III is in fact the only entry in the franchise that really scare the s**t out of me. The Exorcist III (1,136) IMDb 6.4 1 h 49 min 1990 X-Ray R Police Lt. Kinderman notices similarities between his current murder investigation and the methods used by … Recovered and released in 2016 under its original title, this is the definitive cut of the film based on his novel "Legion". To that end, we turned to VHS tapes of the film's dailies to assemble the director's cut. William Peter Blatty, who wrote the original Exorcist novel and the screenplay for its film adaptation, initially had no desire to write a sequel. Each evening, the soul of the Gemini leaves the body of Karras and possesses the other patients elsewhere in the hospital, using them to commit the murders. Like the original, THE EXORCIST III combines elements of a detective story, a theological puzzle, and an unforgettable study in terror. They only spoke a few times in the first film. [16], Critic Brian McKay of efilmcritic.com remarked that the movie is "not quite as chilling as the first story" yet "is at least a quality sequel", being worth watching but suffering from many "uneven" aspects.[10]. Some pictures (lobby cards, stills) show a few deleted scenes from Blatty's original cut of the film: In March 2011, a fan edit called "Legion" appeared on the internet, credited to a fan using the pseudonym Spicediver, which removed all exorcism elements and recreated the main story arc of the director's cut without the use of any lost footage. Some promotional photos show Patient X and Kinderman talking in the original cell. It stars George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson and Brad Dourif. Blatty based aspects of the Gemini Killer on the real-life Zodiac Killer,[3] one of several serial killers who enjoyed the original Exorcist. You can't call it Exorcist III, because people will shun the box office. That early talent for back-and-forth wit shows in the first act of The Exorcist III. Sequel to the 1973 film about a 12-year-old girl who is possessed by a mysterious demonic entity, forcing her mother to seek the help of two priests to save her. Detectives testified that Dahmer claimed to identify with the Gemini Killer and would play the film for some of his victims before killing them. William Peter Blatty shares a chilling relationship with the real-life serial killer … There he attempts to rehabilitate the patients by letting them act out their craziest fantasies and desires. [11], The central role of Lt. Kinderman had to be recast, as Lee J. Cobb, who played the part in The Exorcist, had died in 1976. The power of “ William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist III” (the film’s onscreen title) is that this artful, surreal horror film maintains that unease and is every bit as profoundly scary as the original. In 1990, fifteen years after Regan MacNeil's exorcism in 1975, Fr. I foolishly thought: I can do a good exorcism, I'll turn this pig's ear into a silk purse. The film was released only a month before the Exorcist parody Repossessed, starring Linda Blair and Leslie Nielsen. But it was a Mexican stand-off between me and the studio. This is the tale of Father Merrin's initial battle with Pazuzu and the rediscovery of his faith. He does an amazing thing with taking the lore of the original and having a murder mystery about the "Gemini" killer and joining them with a perfect balance. [11], Working on the film, Brad Dourif recalled: "We all felt really bad about it. But Blatty tried to do his best under very difficult circumstances. Directed by William Peter Blatty. View production, box office, & company info, A seemingly endless series of grisly killings that bear the trademark of the mass murderer, the Gemini Killer, terrorise the district of Georgetown. [11] Blatty conceived Legion as a feature film with William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, attached to direct. As per the stipulations for his deal with Morgan Creek, Blatty was to direct the movie himself, and it was to be filmed on location in Georgetown. [27] The website states: "We know that the biggest question you might have is: Will there be a "Director's Cut" of the film? During development and production, the film went under various titles, including The Exorcist: 1990. But they went and named it Exorcist III. As it stands now, it's a mediocre film. Dahmer went so far as to purchase yellow contact lenses to more resemble Miller, as well as to emulate another film character he admired, Emperor Palpatine from Return of the Jedi. Merrin's initial battle with Pazuzu leads to the rediscovery of his faith. When Kinderman leaves the morgue, the heart monitor shows signs of life from the body of Karras. [17], In the British magazine Empire, film critic Kim Newman claimed that "the major fault in Exorcist III is the house-of-cards plot that is constantly collapsing". Unlike its predecessors, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox instead of Warner Bros. (though some distribution rights would later revert to WB). A police Lieutenant 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. The Exorcist III[a] is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. In Blatty's original screenplay adaptation, the ending is similar to the novel except that the Gemini's death is not self-induced but forced supernaturally and suddenly by the death of his father. Being a gigantic fan of the original Exorcist and having read the review of this film and having seen the horrible Exorcist 2, I was very weary. THE EXORCIST III is author/filmmaker William Peter Blatty’s personal vision of what followed after THE EXORCIST. The Gemini explains that he is being aided by a "Master" – the same entity who had previously possessed Regan MacNeil. [11] Blatty offered directorial responsibilities to John Carpenter, who liked his script; however, Carpenter backed out when it became clear that Blatty wanted to direct the movie himself and also because of creative differences regarding the ending of the movie. The Exorcist III Special Edition Blu-ray | Arrow Films ... Arrow Films To Blatty's frustration, Morgan Creek demanded extensive last-minute changes, including the addition of an exorcism sequence for the climax. The answer is yes—but with some caveats. As the body count rises, Kinderman realizes the deaths bear the hallmarks of the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif), who’d been executed over a decade prior. It can seem as if nothing is going on in them except dim murmurings about the original movie — murmurings that mostly remind you of what isn't being delivered". The Exorcist III opened in first place in its opening weekend, earning $9,312,219 in the United States and Canada. Why is Karras played by Jason Miller in some scenes and Brad Dourif in others? One scene missing from the re-filmed climax, but which appears in the trailer, shows Karras/the Gemini "morphing" through a variety of faces. The Exorcist III, for as horrifying as it is later on, is pretty funny to start with. George C. Scott was also nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor but lost to Andrew Dice Clay for The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. They had total amnesia about my warnings! A teenage girl once possessed by a demon finds that it still lurks within her. [13] The novel ends with the Gemini Killer summoning Kinderman to his cell for a final speech and then willingly dropping dead after his alcoholic, abusive father, a Christian evangelist, dies a natural death from a heart attack. Of all the 'Exorcist' movie sequels to date, it's the only truly worthy follow-up, even if it's not quite what the filmmaker wanted it to be. William Peter Blatty, the author of the original 1971 novel, wrote and directed The Exorcist III. The film takes more of a David Fincher-styled approach to horror, using noir tropes and filmmaking sensibilities to manipulate the audience’s imagination and build and maintain tension. One theatrical trailer shows this deleted scene. There are parts that have no right to be there".[7]. Unfortunately, that footage has been lost to time. It was left out of the film because Blatty was not happy with the special effects work. Acting is top notch and there are some very very creepy moments. In speaking to the process of creating the Legion Director's cut, Blu-ray producer Cliff MacMillan explains further as to the journey to get there and the outcome: "We conducted an exhaustive search through a pallet of film assets from the original shoot to re-create William Peter Blatty's intended vision. Shop for the exorcist iii [collector's edition] [blu-ray] at Best Buy. [19], Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "C" on scale of A to F.[20]. As always both George C Scott and Brad Dourif are absolutely brilliant and the directing is actually very fine for someone who wasn't a director (since Additional interior filming took place in DEG Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes has reported that 55% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based on 31 reviews, with a rating of 5.2/10. The Exorcist III is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. Paul Morning (Nicol Williamson) arrives at the hospital and begins to perform an exorcism on Karras. [25], In December 2015, Morgan Creek began hinting via its Twitter feed that the Director's Cut was discovered and would eventually be released. Written by The year that Karras died is listed as 1975 on his headstone, placing the events of the original movie in 1975. It was unbelievable. Seventeen years after the events of the first film, Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, now played by George C. Scott, is investigating a series of gruesome murders involving decapitations and the desecration of religious sites and icons. This director's cut is a composite of varying footage quality from the best available sources". Blair claimed that Exorcist III was rush-released ahead of Repossessed, hijacking the latter's publicity and forcing the comedy to be released a month later than was originally intended. As his motive for the killing was always to shame his father, the Gemini's purpose for remaining on Earth no longer exists and he kills Karras in order to leave his host body. The Devil's own son? However, even some of that footage was incomplete, so scenes from the theatrical re-shoot were used to fill in the gaps. And … Kinderman visits the head of a psychiatric ward, Dr. Temple (Scott Wilson), who relates the history of one of his patients. Dyer. A seemingly endless series of grisly killings that bear the trademark of the mass murderer, the Gemini Killer, terrorise the district of Georgetown. The year of Karras' death is listed as 1975 on his tombstone. 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