The Exorcist III

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully directed, but a little too "talky"
Review: I really tried hard to find something--anything--to push this film over into the 4 star territory, but I just could not do it. That would be dishonest of me to give the impression that it was of film of such classic status.
Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a worthwhile movie and not a waste of time to watch by any means. Blatty's directing is very unique and at times extremely artistic in its creepiness. He is incredibly talented at creating an eerie vibe by using bizarre camera shots and borderline psychedelia, and personally I think he should have directed more horror films. The story, within the world of the Exorcist films, is believable and not necessarily a "roll your eyes in disbelief" kind of plot. Bringing back Jason Miller lends credibility to it that may not have been given otherwise.
My only gripes are the confused acting of George C. Scott--not his typical kind of role and I just don't see him meshing with the strange behavior of Kinderman all that well--and the extraordinary amount of dialogue. Blatty likes to really bash us over the head with conversations, especially between Scott and Brad Dourif. These seemingly endless rantings get very tiresome after the first five minutes of sitting there watching these guys go back and forth, not to mention having to deal with Dourif's constant overacting. Blatty wants us to know just how clever he can be (as well as how nonsensical he can be, considering some of Scott's lines), but this is overkill.
Aside from those points, it is certainly a very visually enthralling film. I remember reading about TE3 in Fangoria before it came out and, upon seeing the final product, noticed that some of the gorier scenes--which had clearly been filmed--were left out. One scene I recall from a photo in the magazine showed the priest in the confessional holding his head in his lap after the old lady got to him. Removing that was probably a good decision since this sort of film leaves the horror to your own imagination rather than shoving it in your face.

Rating:
Summary: I Like it a Little Too Much
Review: For some reason this movie always got to me...it has little to do with the first two Excorcist Movies...but it is unique nonetheless. Stellar performance by George C. Scott--if you don't want to see this film at least see it if you're a fan of his work. You will enjoy the unique story and wonder a little more the next time you visit the nursing home.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I had seen this back in '90 when I was like 12 years old, and remembered liking it, but wasn't head over heels. Just popped it in last night for old time's sake, and woo-wee! What a scary flick!

What makes this so effective is the fact that most of the violence is related to the viewer via the brilliant dialouge between The Gemini Killer and George C. Scott. This is an atmospheric unsolved mystery type film. The acting was great (Brad Douriff was positively BRILLIANT as the Gemini Killer!). The script was by the master, Blatty himself, so no quelms there.

I did feel that the ending was a bit too abrupt for an otherwise brilliant flick. I give it four and a half stars!

Note: the dvd does not have extra features, save a theatrical trailer.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Movie that People Aren't Watching
Review: FANTASTIC! One of the most underrated movies ever. Stellar performances by psycho-type-cast Brad Dourif and George C. Scott. A must see if you enjoy intelligent horror films. Well done all the way around. Brad Dourif should have received an academy award for his portrayel of the Gemini Killer.

Rating:
Summary: a scary sequel who honnor the original
Review: The main caracters of Kinderman, Father Dyers and Karras are back to face the evil in Goergestown for an ultimate time in this mysterious thriller of horror about a serial killer and a famous connection to the original exorcist that almost took the life of Regan McNeil 15 years ago. George C Scott is terrific in the main role. Enjoy it, and don't watch it alone. The plot has a lot of details that you may need to watch it more than 2 times to understand all this exorcist case related to the past. A perfect sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely underrated
Review: This movie has always been extremely underrated, even before it came out. The Exorcist II was such a piece of crap that no one cared by this point. It was written off as another awful Hollywood cash-in. But it's not. It's an excellent horror hilm carefully constructed by the author of the original novel.

This is the REAL sequel to the Exorcist.

It doesn't rely on gore or shock. Instead it builds tension and allows your imagination to wander into hellish depths. It's smart and creepy and it looks and sounds great even today. This is a film with more of a risidual effect than most I've seen, much like the first one was. It has some of the best jump-out-of-your-seat scares I've ever seen but it's more than that. It's the movie's ability to make you think and imagine, even long after you've seen it, that makes it so terrifying. Very impacting.

Rating:
Summary: Gemini Killer + Pazuzu --> Father Karras
Review: Unlike Exorcist II, this Exorcist III - Legion, seems like a much better sequal to the Exorcist I. In terms of the scary parts, I didn't recall any subliminal shots but there's indeed a couple of "jump" moments really got me. There's not many visual scary shocking effects as the first Exorcist, but if you follow the conversation and dialogs well, they do really make you feel scary. Worst part of this dvd is lacking of extra features. It, in fact, only contains the theatrical trailer and closed caption subtitle. Period. If there's director's commentary feature, it will be greatly appreicated. Overall, not bad but Exorcist I is still the best.

*** Otto Yuen's DVD Special Rating for Exorcist III ***
1. Film Rewatchability: LOW
2. DVD Featurability: VERY WEAK
3. Picture Quality: VERY GOOD
4. Sound Quality: VERY GOOD

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 5-Sep-2004)


Rating:
Summary: Scary as hell
Review: An amazing very scary Movie, the exorcist trilogy (and the new Bginning) are a must have for horror fans!

Rating:
Summary: Why don't more people love this?
Review: This may be idiosyncratic on my part, but I've seen "The Exorcist III" dozens of times and consider it a cult classic. The mood of the film is nearly overpowering from the beginning dream sequence to the somewhat overdone end. It is philosophical, filled with unpredictable twists and turns (and three powerhouse performances from Ed Flanders, the ever-nutty Brad Douriff, and the wonderfully cranky George C. Scott). Some of the religious symbolism is overdone, some of the dialogue absurd ("What do I care about possession? I'm just trying to get kids into college." This from a priest drinking scotch), and if we were to characterize it in a negative way it would be quirky. But Scott's performance as Kinderman and Douriff as "The Gemini Killer" more than compensate for the dragging parts. From the outset we are convinced that Kinderman is a man living in the shadow of an unspeakably evil and mysterious event. (Jason Miller does not make this movie. His appearance must have appeased the hardcore "Exorcist" fans. The exorcism scene at the end is horrendous.) While it doesn't equal the original, this is a film which has not gotten it's just desserts.

Rating:
Summary: Very surprising
Review: I have never developed a true love for The Exorcist. Its great, its scary, but its old and kind of boring by today's standards. I had heard good things about The Exorcist III, but I was never too interested. Then I kept hearing about a hospital scene that is really scary, so I picked it up. This movie really surprised me. Its more of a thriller than a horror, but the horror elements are blended in perfectly. It's like The Silence of the Lambs meets The Exorcist. Brad Durif is awesome as the Gemini Killer, he's so slimy and creepy. George C. Scott was... George C. Scott. Which isn't a bad thing, but he seemed a little bland by the end of the movie. There were quite a few cameos as well, even Patrick Ewing showed up. The killer's motive is very cool even when compared to thrillers of today. There are some truely creepy if not damn scary scenes. Especially that hospital scene. The ending dissapoints which is pretty sad considering the rest of the movie was actually good. A Linda Blair-free sequel with a few scares and some great acting worth checking out.