The Exorcist III [Collector's Edition] [Blu-ray]

The only true sequel to the original 1973 classic sees William Peter Blatty this time in the director's chair. Unfortunately his one vision take on his own story, apparently with very little compromise on set, resulted in a movie that left studio bosses scratching their heads and then attacking the finished product first with scissors and then re-shoots.It's a pity, because the first 3/4 is terrific stuff. Scary, some great set pieces and that eerie quality throughout that makes everything look a little wrong and slightly worrying.George C. Scott is on top form as Lt. Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb in the original), with superb performances from Ed Flanders as Father Dyer and Brad Dourif as the Gemini killer. Jason Miller returns to 'share' the character with Dourif, and is listed in the credits just as Patient X.There are some stand-out moments, notably the Heaven sequence, the attack on Kinderman's daughter and THAT chilling hospital scene which must rank as an all time screamer. The vision and execution of these scenes are things we haven't really seen before.So far, so good, but the film has nowhere to go. The 'killer' is already incarcerated in a cell with manacles and a straitjacket, so there's not a lot left to do except dispatch him....somehow!This is the film's main problem. What may read well on the page doesn't necessarily transfer to the screen in a satisfactory manner. Blatty's objective was to turn the book into film, allowing nothing to get in the way. Once studio execs saw the finished product, unease set in and we then get the addition of a pointless exorcism conducted by Nicol Williamson as Father Morning, whose presence is totally unnecessary. His sudden appearance in the hospital corridor wearing full cassock and bible in hand is a rather far fetched addition. It's here that the film goes downhill and resembles a cheap effects laden horror movie. Even after this episode, the climax between Kinderman and the Demon falls rather flat, and the whole thing ends very abruptly leaving the audience wondering just what might have been.The Blu-ray release from Arrow is tremendous with a fantastic picture that is crisp, clean, very bright with rich colours. I remember the original VHS tape which looked appalling and substandard until replaced by DVD. Now, as is usually the case with Arrow, there's a wealth of extras to enjoy. Documentaries both new and vintage, on-set talks, a film length audio interview with Blatty, trailers and commentaries. Not forgetting a booklet detailing the production. Overall a great package.The main extra and the one big talking point is the inclusion on disc 2 of Blatty's original cut 'Legion', which he intended as the finished release.Again, another missed and confusing opportunity. This itself has a deleted scene with Brad Dourif playing Father Karras, which would have gone some way to explaining Kinderman's reaction upon recognising the killer as the priest. Fans of the original Exorcist movie and those who have already seen the theatrical cut just go, What? Dourif's performance here is stunning, and would surely have been worth Academy Award consideration. He hugs both screen and dialogue with lengthy monologues which whilst mesmerising are not the sort of developments to hold a modern audience's attention. The setting is also more bleak and believable. A damp brick lined cell that you can almost smell from the screen. It should be mentioned that Jason Miller is totally absent from this version which seems more appropriate considering his fate in the original.Ultimately, the climax in this director's cut is just as dull and just as flat. Without that exorcism it's a case of waiting for Kinderman to deliver the final blow, in the form of a gunshot. What also doesn't help is the quality of the re-inserted scenes. A very poor video image, blurred and washed out that makes the whole experience even worse.So finally, the cinema release is the better option, with Blatty's preferred cut emphasising the need for flexibility in story and structure whilst still pleasing fans of the novel. The film as a whole is still a minor classic, but with too many missed opportunities.

Exorcist III is another of those movies steeped in controversy, and severely underrated as a result. However, having seen both the theatrical release and the Director's Cut (on the 2nd disc in this collection), I'm afraid I can see where the studio was coming from when they decided to meddle with Blatty's vision.It's really impossible to discuss this further without some spoilers, so SPOILER ALERT.Both releases are something of a mess with some incredibly abrupt editing that had me reaching for the rewind button on several occasions, thinking perhaps I'd temporarily passed out and missed something important. Some of the filming is metaphorical, which is fine, except there's an awful lot that's literal too, and nothing in between, so you sometimes don't realise which mode the director's in, until some way into a particular scene. It's almost like the whole film is struggling with its identity... is it straightforward horror, or a head-trip movie?But, there are some truly unforgettable scenes, and some incredible dialogue scenes with Brad Dourif and George C Scott that are very reminiscent of the ideas in the original Exorcist. In particular, I loved the way the demon pretends to offer proof of its existence to Kinderman, but then deliberately makes sure there's plenty of room for doubt.... although there are other scenes that undermine this somewhat, and leave the audience in no doubt whatsoever.Having watched both films back to back, I'd say I can sympathise fully with the studio, and the additional scenes they added. The major ones are the use of Jason Miller, intercut with Brad Dourif. (which I feel makes it more clear what's going on with that particular character) and the exorcism scene at the end. The latter is not at all subtle, and I can sympathise with those who feel it's B-Movie schlock that jars with the rest of the film... but without it, you have a film that really feels like its missing an ending. I think there are also one or two scenes in the theatrical version that are very much the studio sign-posting for a supposed dim-witted audience but, irritating those these can be, they pale into insignificance compared to modern Hollywood films.I should also warn you that the "new" scenes in the Director's Cut are of sub-VHS quality with no post-production whatsoever. It renders the final scene's gunshots more comical than dramatic, as it sounds like a child's cap gun. This version of the film is nothing more than a curiosity - a glimpse of what might have been. It doesn't really work as a movie in its own right, and I would therefore recommend you watch the theatrical release first.Final verdict: Buy this for the best quality release of the theatrical version, with an additional version that plays more like bonus material for the curious.

This film's biggest issue relates to the studio's misguided attempts to shoehorn things in to make it more like the original, in ways that are inconsistent with the rest of what is, otherwise, a very different film. Its strengths actually lie in that it has a very different story, examing different aspects of evil, yet in ways that is tonally and thematically consistent with the original.If left to be itself, I think this would have been a good sequel which would be considered similar, and different, in all the right ways. As it stands, it is a jarring mix of two conflicting visions.The special features are excellent - huge effort has been made with the documentaries, commentaries, deleted scenes etc. Also commendable is the attempt at a rough assembly of a director's cut, despite so much old footage being lost.