31 Days Of Horror: Day #22 - THE EXORCIST III: LEGION

"I have dreams... of a rose, and then of falling down a long flight of steps." - Patient X 

The Exorcist III: Legion, (1990), Directed by William Peter Blatty

Grade: A

Once again, General George S. Patton enters the realm of the supernatural and fights off demons.  Suffice to say, this blogger thinks this film is superior to The Exorcist.  Yes, that's a horror classic, but Exorcist III delves deeper into the subconscious, and provides numerous scares that are ultimately more terrifying.

First, we must forget about the laughfest that was Exorcist II.  That film was pure camp and actually if taken as a comedic exercise isn't that hard to sit through.  Exorcist III picks up fifteen years after the original Exorcist, with Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott) investigating the murders of a serial killer that seem to have a dark, religious motive.

The events that take place soon bring forth demonic forces that were present in the original film, as the serial killer claims to be by the original demon that took over Regan MacNeil fifteen years earlier, exacting revenge by possessing patients in a psychiatric ward and having them commit murders. (Got all that?)

What follows is an exercise in cinematic scares, including a scene in the hospital which is so cleverly constructed and set up, and it builds and builds until.....well, watch the movie.

Exorcist III was written and directed by William Peter Blatty, the writer of the original novel and film, and is one of the reasons why the movie works so well.  Blatty's original source material is what allows Exorcist III to unfold so cleverly.  Blatty knows these characters better than anybody, so his vision makes for a satisfying horror film that wouldn't have worked with another director.  George C. Scott plays his part well, although some may argue echoes of Jack Nicholson's performance in The Shining, which was accused of being over-the-top.  No matter, Scott gives a well-rounded performance that works.  Scenes are eerily set up where we as the audience can feel the terror and experience the dread that is oozing out through each scene.

Of course, when released in 1990, the film was a critical flop and was quickly disregarded.  Also, certain scenes were dropped and the studio, after viewing Blatty's first cut, wanted a scene added involving an actual exorcism so as to market the film properly. (Originally, there was NOT one present in the first cut.)

This is a shame, because over time Exorcist III has become a cult classic of sorts, and has stayed within the horror oeuvre as a sort of a curiosity piece.  It's a movie that contains everything needed in a horror film, which allows for its audience to experience terror first-hand.  Sadly, Blatty's original version is said be lost, so we may never actually see what could have been.

But no matter, what remains is an excellent horror film and you get to see Patton face off against the voice of Chucky, so that's a winner in my book.