The 1974 original is hands down my favourite movie of the 70’s and probably my favourite horror movie of all time, but I never saw the sequels as I heard only bad press. So when while trawling the weekly horror rack I spotted the Exorcist 2 I thought why not?
Now that I have seen it I can tell you why YOU shouldn’t bother.
Following on about 4 years from the events of the first film we find Linda Blair back as Regan, who is either delusional or simply in denial about her previous demonic possession, though she still frequently visits a psychiatric practise with several other patients.
An early highlight is a meeting with a fellow patient which results in the following exchange:
Patient – “What’s wrong with you?”
Regan – “I was possessed by a demon. It’s OK he’s gone.”
What cracked me up is the light and breezy way she says the above, almost like she was saying “Looks like rain, don’t worry I’ve got an umbrella.”
Anyway plot: Richard Burton is Father Lamont, a priest commissioned to look into the events of Regan’s exorcism, in particular the death of Father Merrin, who reappears in flashback and whose reputation had come into question as a result. After Lamont gets too involved in Regan’s situation he is removed from the “case” and goes to Africa to find another boy possessed by the demon (now named Axui-Xui “ah-zoo-zoo”) to discover more….. and hilarity ensues.
Without spoilers, Lamont and Regan can share visions by putting on headbands with cords attached to nothing and looking at a cheesy disco strobe light and speaking slowly. In the very first usage of what they call “synchronised hypnosis” Regan’s doctor goes into shock and Lamont simply picks up the headband and without ever using the thing before is able to drag her out. After which the event is never spoken of again!
One more clumsy exchange featuring the “spirit” (apparently piloting a helicoptor and buzzing wild animals) later and off goes the plot into whatever is required to set up some pretty awkward scenes that I am sure the director felt would be coo-oooollllll. My favourite recurring motif is that of the “hover-locust”, literally a locust that is able to furiously beat its wings without advancing.
The less said about the finale the better, I really had no idea of what was supposed to be happening, who was in danger and what was real or a flashback. It just seemed they ran out of ideas and noisy and confusing means scary, not just noisy and confusing.
This movie is the poster child of why a good movie sometimes should be allowed to stand on its own, without being soiled by dodgy sequels. I can’t believe that quality actors signed up for this rubbish. Richard Burton! Max Von Sydow!! James Earl Jones!?! The special effects are pretty dodgy but that is probably more a by-product of the film being made in 1977.
My biggest criticism, and the harshest I can render on any flick, is that it achieve its primary purpose. A comedy should at least be funny, an action flick should have some action and a horror movie should be scary. Obvious right? The only time I got scared of this movie was when I checked the time and realised there was 25 minutes still to go.
Finally the director should be ashamed for sexing up Linda Blair, who was about 16 or so when filming, the first shot has her jiggling about in a crop top and it is obvious that the costume department didn’t have room in the budget for a bra!
I hate a lot of films, this one is so boring I couldn’t summon the passion to even care. I can’t come up with anything worse really.
Final Rating – 3 / 10. So bad it’s…. just bad.
