Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

"Satan has become an embarrassment to our progressive views.", 26 October 2005

Exorcist II: The Heretic is a difficult movie to write about. The things that don't work or the things that are totally ridiculous are the very reasons to watch the movie. It's an absolute mess and a helluva good time because of it. The plot - don't worry about the plot. It might make your head explode if you think too much about it. I'll give it a try, but you've been warned. Since the events of the first movie, Regan (Linda Blair) has grown to be a teenager with some sort of mental problems and a desire to perform in really bad musicals. Her mother has disappeared leaving her in the care of Dr. Tuskin (Louise Fletcher). Dr. Tuskin's idea of treatment is to have Regan stare at a blinking light bulb until she enters into a trance like state. Father Lamont (Richard Burton) shows up to study Regan's case and to announce at every opportunity he can find that there is still an eeeevil presence inside Regan. From this point forward, you really need to see it to believe it.

John Boorman had what many people would consider one of the best horror movies ever made to work with when making the sequel. But at every opportunity, he takes Exorcist II into some of the most ridiculous places imaginable. He tries to get artsy, but fails miserably and ends up making scenes that should be horrific come off as silly. Take the scene where Father Lamont snaps and goes after Regan. What should have been a shocking moment is instead incredibly funny. I'm convinced that no matter how hard you tried you couldn't make a sequel this bad on purpose.

The cast doesn't help Boorman at all. None of the three main leads escapes this movie looking good. First, there's Richard Burton. He chews through this movie and spits it out like a John Deere through foot high grass. Burton looks like a buffoon who overacts almost every moment he appears on screen. Next, there's Linda Blair. I like Linda Blair, but I've never thought she was much of an actress. And she proves this in Exorcist II. Her lines are delivered with all the conviction of a prostitute in church. And those dance numbers are just short of painful. Finally, Louise Fletcher acts throughout much of the movie as if she would rather be anywhere other than here. She comes across as bored, uninterested, and embarrassed to be part of this debacle.

There's no end to what I could write about this movie, but I'll stop here. One of the best reviews I've ever read can be found here - http://www.cinemademerde.com/Exorcist_II_Heretic.shtml. You owe it to yourself to check it out.

3/10