Comwayon
A Disappointing Continuation
ChicRawIdol
A brilliant film that helped define a genre
Breakinger
A Brilliant Conflict
StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
GL84
When a series of brutal killings rock a small town, the local police detective finds that they resemble a supposedly long-dead serial killer's work and finds the truth behind the deaths to be done by a possessed madman, forcing him to stop the deadly rampage before it's too late.This is a rather surprisingly good film with a few flaws. One of the more engaging elements to this one is the fact that it goes for a more subdued series of scare tactics which is well appreciated. The main angle of the series of gruesome deaths that takes up the majority of the first half which is basically taken up with discussions about the graphic murders being committed around the city or conducting their investigative tactics trying to tie it into the events in the past storyline. They help with a powerful tone that is really unsettling and manages to get the best out of very little. The storyline is quite brilliant, leaving very little in the way of confusion and the way it is able to connect with the original and take off where it left is a fantastic feat. The other really enjoyable aspect of this one is the series of fine jumpscares that are present here to help break up the monotony. The dream sequence moving through Heaven as a large Grand Central Station where he finds an old friend with his head stitched on who turns and utters a shocking line holds a strong kick, the moment where a character enters a hospital ward and one of the patients is scuttling about on the ceiling behind them is a real jump and the nurse jump is among one of the finest shocks ever committed to the screen. These here make this one engaging as there's very little to find fault within this one. There are a couple things that come to mind with this one. One big issue is the fact that the ending is so out-of-place and over-the-top that it borders on the ludicrous in what it tries to pull off. Not only does it really ruin what could've been a brilliant movie, but it does little to stave off what was the inevitable by being so tonally off from what had come before it. However, the other thing that really bothers is that the pace of the film is a real slog to get through. Very rarely does this one have anything happen as the film doesn't really need to be sped up and make things go quicker since the film does take its time in spelling things out as the investigations that take up the main part of the film don't really offer this one any kind of horror-based activity. It's the biggest problem that affects this one.Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
MonsterVision99
I was really looking forward to watching this movie in October, I have been wanting to watch this movie for a long time and now that I did, I must say that I loved it.The first Exorcist was a fantastic film, one of the best ever made, incredibly effective and absorbing. The second Exorcist film I found to be underrated, but I must admit that not everyone can enjoy such a deranged trip, it moved away from the calmed but frightening atmosphere from the original and became an insane dream. This third entry in the series goes back to its routes, the tone is much closer to the original and the movie's imagery becomes disturbing again.An interesting idea to make the third film a psychological thriller rather than an outright horror movie like the original, but it works. George C. Scott is amazing in this, such a great actor, Brad Dourif also delivers a really good performance, the man knows how to pay demented characters. The cinematography its amazing, not as breathtaking as the second one, but still great, this one doesn't bombard you with great visuals, it uses them when it needs to.As expected, this is a depressing experience, a magnificent movie, I love the filmmaking in it, the themes, the music, the characters, the visuals, the writing, an outstanding film.
Filipe Neto
After the disaster of "The Exorcist 2", it seems that William Peter Blatty, writer of the novel that originated the first film, decided to defend his creation and to direct this sequel himself, under a script written by himself, adapting another of his novels. So, its almost a work of just one person. It revolves around a mysterious murderer wanted by the police. However, the plot lost itself and, from the middle, is absolutely confusing, annoying and makes the public sleep more quickly than a sleeping pill. We simply don't understand what we're watching anymore. Decidedly, Blatty does not have talent for director, much less for writer. Jason Miller makes a brief cameo but its very empty of meaning and is not enough to establish a link with previous films, of which it inherits little more than the title. Thus, this attempt of sequel ends up very lost and disconnected of the previous films, thanks to an incompetent script and an absent direction.
JP_Shay
William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist III" is one of the best horror films ever made. Not only is it a worthy successor to one of the scariest and most influential films in all of cinema, but it manages to be great as a standalone mystery film as well. It was written for the screen and directed by William Blatty, who wrote the novel that the original film was based on as well as the sequel, titled "Legion". He set out to direct EXIII himself as he was not pleased with the changes made by William Friedkin, director of the original Exorcist film. "Legion" is Blatty's hypnotic tale of what takes place exactly 15 years after the events of the first film. We follow a familiar character, Lt. Bill Kinderman (George C. Scott) as he investigates murders that seem to resemble killings of the infamous "Gemini Killer", who died in the electric chair 15 years earlier. We are brought into a world where evil looms over and mortality is questioned. This review is for the newly released Directors Cut. The Theatrical version gave us great performances and memorable scenes. There were, however, many changes imposed by the studio, making the end product less faithful to the source than Blatty had intended. It was long thought that the remaining footage of "The Exorcist III" - the unseen, original footage - had been lost forever, but thanks to Scream Factory, the video label responsible for the release of many Collectors Editions of horror and sci-fi cult films, some of that original footage was found and restored into the movie...including the original ending.In the theatrical version, there were last minute parts added that should have never been there. Important scenes were cut from the film and even an unnecessary exorcism was forced in to make the studio happy. In the end, Blatty had to sacrifice a lot to get EXIII made, and it didn't help that the first sequel bombed badly. The theatrical cut is still a great film despite the changes that were made. William Blatty created a nightmarish atmosphere while remaining subtle and not relying solely on shock. George C. Scott as Kinderman brings a certain charm to the picture and his chemistry with the rest of the cast is brilliant. I actually happen to like the exorcism scene at the end, which has intense visuals and a great speech from Lt. Kinderman. The Directors Cut brings new life into the movie, giving it a sense of fulfillment while retaining - and adding to - the charm and dreadful atmosphere of the theatrical version.The additional scenes and clips in the Director's Cut originate from old VHS tapes containing the original footage. Some very short snippets, such as Kinderman and Father Dyer (Ed Flanders) conversing in a restaurant about James Stewart, and other longer, more important plot points make up the Directors Cut. The change in quality is highly noticeable as the footage is unpolished and grainy compared to the rest of the movie, however, it is added in a way that is almost artistic. For example, all the scenes in the cell with the Gemini Killer are from the VHS footage, which gives off an otherworldly feeling. Had they decided to downgrade the quality of the theatrical cut to match the footage, we would not get that effect, so I am not complaining. Completely gone are the scenes of Jason Miller as Father Karras. As you may remember, the Gemini Killer is played by both Jason Miller and Brad Dourif switching back and forth to signify Father Karras' possession. Yet in the Director's Cut, it is all Brad, who was mesmerizing in the role. Dourif has stated that he believes his best takes were captured on the earlier footage which was presumed to be lost. We get to see those earlier takes in the Directors Cut since much of the added footage is of his encounters with Lt. Kinderman in the cell. Also, many of the scares, such as the notorious hospital hallway scene, are kept intact. The most notable difference is in the end. There is no random priest coming out of nowhere and there is no exorcism. Instead, we are finally given the true - and abrupt - ending that die-hard fans of the film deserve. Despite the changes in quality, "The Exorcist III" Director's Cut turned out fine. I am very pleased with the result. This is the version that fans have been waiting for. This is the version that William Peter Blatty wanted us to see!