EXORCIST 2: THE HERETIC. (1977) BASED ON THE BOOK BY WILLIAM PETER BLATTY AND THE FILM OF THE SAME NAME BY WILLIAM FRIEDKIN.
DIRECTED AND CO-PRODUCED BY JOHN BOORMAN. WRITTEN BY WILLIAM GOODHART AND ROSPO PALLENBERG.
DISTRIBUTED BY WARNER BROS.
STARRING LINDA BLAIR, RICHARD BURTON, MAX VON SYDOW, LOUISE FLETCHER, KITTY WINN, PAUL HENREID, JAMES EARL JONES AND NED BEATTY.
REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS. ©
The original film in THE EXORCIST horror movie franchise was always going to be a hard, if not an impossible, act to follow. Critics have been citing it since its release as not only the best horror film ever made, but maybe even the best film of all time in any genre, full-stop. It has terrific acting, a great plot and of course some of the scariest special effects you'll ever see in your life.
While I enjoyed watching the first sequel, EXORCIST 2: THE HERETIC, it's probably fair to say that it doesn't exactly measure up to its staggeringly brilliant predecessor. The marvellous Linda Blair, who reprises her role as Regan, the possessed girl from the first film, is the best thing about it, although as I said I still enjoyed watching it. It's still part of the biggest horror franchise of all time, when all is said and done, so we won't disrespect it too much, haha.
It's four years after the original film. Regan is sixteen years old and living in a fancy new apartment with her absent actress mother's assistant, the mopey Sharon. I'm not saying that Sharon hasn't got a lot to be mopey about. After all, she did live through Regan's terrible possession first time around. But seriously, would it kill her to crack a smile? She has a face as long as a racehorse's willy in this.
Regan, on the other hand, is an absolute treat to look at. Her hair is thick and glossy and her skin soft and radiant. She dresses mostly in white flowing dresses throughout the film, I suppose to emphasise her regained purity and innocence after what she went through. She's nice, friendly and smiley to everyone she meets and she's a real help to the little kiddies at the clinic where she's been getting therapy for what happened to her.
She gets the odd disturbed sleep, but which of us doesn't in this modern workaday world? Overall, I think she's recovered remarkably well from her demonic possession ordeal from four years ago. Which is why it's so aggravating that two people, namely her shrink Dr. Gene Tuskin and Father Philip Lamont, a priest investigating the death of Father Lankester Merrin from the first film, seem hell-bent on forcing her to relive the worst days of her life.
A rather wooden but still handsome Richard Burton plays Fr. Lamont. Louise Fletcher, fresh from her Oscar-winning for the role of the destructive Nurse Ratched in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST with Jack Nicholson, is okay as Dr. Gene but I don't like the character.
And, by the way, did you know that if you and another person stick on these jazzy 'Seventies-style headbands with wires attached, you can actually read the other person's thoughts and relive some of their old experiences? That sounds like a handy gadget. I must see if I can rig one up out of old toilet roll tubes and pipe cleaners. BLUE PETER- style, as it were. I can think of a few guys whose minds I'd quite like to read, haha.
Anyway, that's what the good doctor and Father Richard Burton are forcing Regan to do, and obviously making her think once more about Pazuzu, the demon who nearly killed her in the first film, is hardly going to result in sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, everywhere.
In fact, it ends in a mad trip to Africa for Fr. Richard Burton to track down James Earl Jones, who plays a scientist who once defeated the evil Pazuzu and might be able to help Fr. Richard Burton to get rid of him once and for all.
The funny thing is, though, that Pazuzu wasn't doing anything bad, really, until Richard Burton came along and started poking him with a stick and riling him up and stuff. It's pretty much his fault that the whole demonic hoop-la kicked off again. I blame him entirely. Him and Dr. Po-Face Tuskin, that is.
I loved that they went back to the house in Georgetown again, and we got to see the infamous dark steps once more. Linda Blair actually refused to wear the demonic make-up this time round, which you'll probably realise the second you see the 'evil' Regan as she grapples with Lizzie Taylor's handsome on-off hubby.
We're lucky that Linda Blair agreed to do the film at all, because apparently a load of other folks wouldn't have anything to do with the sequel, including William Peter Blatty, the writer/producer of the first film, William Friedkin the original director and also Ellen Burstyn, the mother in the first film. Apparently she refused outright to reprise her role as Chris McNeil, Regan's Mommie Dearest. Interesting, isn't it? You'd almost think the thing was cursed.
Ned Beatty, the chap who had to squeal like a piggy for the hillbilly man in John Boorman's magnificent movie DELIVERANCE (1971), has a small role in the film as the airplane pilot who thinks that Father Lamont is, like, totally batshit-crazy. He's not the only one.
By the way, did you know that Satan is actually a giant bug? I always suspected as much, haha. It kind of makes sense anyway, when you think about it. After all, no-one likes bugs, do they? The first time I watched the film, I had a nightmare about a swarm of killer bees attacking me in my bedroom. It took a whole can of imaginary dream-Raid to subdue the little buggers.
I have some good news for you film buffs now, anyway. I managed to track down Dirk, one of the locusts from the film, and I had coffee with him recently in the lobby of one of Dublin's finest- well, cheapest- hotels. I asked him a few questions about the film and his career since and here, presented to you now in a world exclusive, are his answers:
Me: Dirk, what was it like working on EXORCIST 2: THE HERETIC?
Dirk: Um, you know, it was great. I'd always been a big fan of director John Boorman's and I'd been looking to do a project with him for some time so, you know, this movie came along at just the right time.
Me: How did you get on with the other cast members and the other locusts?
Dirk: Um, you know, Linda Blair was great, she was pretty much the only human actor who could look at us without, you know, flinching or being sick. We were kept segregated from the human cast most of the time. That wasn't too bad, though, as most of the other locusts were my relatives. It was great catching up with them. I actually met my first wife Irma that way.
Me: Aw, that's nice. Did you get offered loads of film roles as a result of working on EXORCIST 2?
Dirk: Not really, no. Not as many as you might expect, anyway. Since the days of the great old Hollywood Biblical epics, there's not much call for locusts in the movies any more. It's all nature documentaries mostly these days. Stephen Sommers hired me as an extra in THE MUMMY RETURNS back in 2001. A plague of locusts was called for, see? Since then, there's not much doing. I still send my CV and headshots around, though, and I'm always available for work. Um, except when I have to go and sign on the dole, of course.
Me: Well, thanks for talking to me here today, Dirk. I appreciate it and I'm sure that fans of your work in EXORCIST 2 will be glad to see that you're looking so well and hearty.
Dirk: Um, thanks and, could I, um, bum a smoke? And maybe a couple of quid for the bus fare? Since I busted my wing back in '87, I'm not as mobile as I used to be.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY OF SANDRA HARRIS.
Sandra Harris is a Dublin-based novelist, film blogger and movie reviewer. She has studied Creative Writing and Film-Making. She has published a number of e-books on the following topics: horror film reviews, multi-genre film reviews, womens' fiction, erotic fiction, erotic horror fiction and erotic poetry. Several new books are currently in the pipeline. You can browse or buy any of Sandra's books by following the link below straight to her Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B015GDE5RO
You can contact Sandra at:
http://sandrafirstruleoffilmclubharris.wordpress.com
Your attempt at comedy Ms Harris. WHY? Your reviews are entertaining but this one missed the mark with me. Ok the film is not as good as the original, but what sequel really is. Although it hasn't stopped some franchises. The Amityville one is now on seventeen straight to bargain disk movies for example. Although the latest may and I say may have promise.
ReplyDeleteIts what it is a quick cash in for the studio. Stick with part three its much better. Shame about four version A and B . The Beginning.
And the Lord said to the average film goers .
Beware of the sequel or prequel. As they just want your cash.
With Burton try Villan. Absolution. The Medusa Touch. For his better later roles in a horror vein.
Blair Savage Streets was probably the peek of her career after Exorsist. Repossessed. Was probably the bottom of the barrel. Hell it was under it.
Anyway keep up the reviews there at times are a joy