Hard to get a read on a film that isn’t what the director intended. The last third was redone and a character inserted for the titles sake that stands out like a sore thumb. But there is a lot to like about Exorcist III.
Williams Peter Blatty’s direction is sharp and unsettling, the performances from George C Scott and Brad Dourif are nothing short of amazing. Particularly Dourif. Not many actors can veer from crack-up funny to intimidating-as-the-devil like he can. Dourif may be his generation's most underappreciated actor. Look at the resume: Poor Billy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a heart-destroying performance in Rob Zombie's Halloween II that is worth the price of admission alone, and the loveably gruff Doc from Deadwood. I'm just scratching the surface here.
As far as the film goes, nothing is what it seems and for that matter, no one is either, and that’s what gives the film its edges.
Barry DeVorzon’s occasional droning score adds to the already unbalanced feel the film procures from most viewers, as it has a large cult following despite its initial critical and box office failures. Great humorous dialogue at the outset between our gruff detective Kinderman and Father Dyer give a warm counterpoint to the gruesome killings being investigated before the supernatural sets in like a lead weight.
It’s not perfect, and I plan on seeing Blatty’s Legion cut to get his full intention, but the film still has its scary moments and is worth the view.
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