Eric Stevenson This has little connection to the first two Exorcist films although the death of the priest is alluded to and an important plot point. I admit to not remembering any of the characters from the original except for Regan and the demon. This still does a much better job of being faithful to the original film than the second movie did. This was nowhere near as violent as the original, but still quite creepy. I admit to being confused by the tone of this film at first. It played more like a murder mystery most of the time.It definitely gets better when we see the man claiming to be the Gemini Killer. I'd compare it to "The Silence Of The Lambs" but that movie had yet to come out. Maybe this was instead inspired by the novel it was based on? I really like seeing all the religious imagery and religious talk. The length is quite nice, but it does take awhile to really get good. It's still one of the biggest improvements in a sequel if only because "The Exorcist II: The Heretic" was so bad. ***

BA_Harrison One might imagine that, after the debacle that was The Exorcist II, the franchise would have returned to the head-spinning and vomit spewing of the original, but to writer/director William Peter Blatty's credit, he tries something a little different with The Exorcist III, his film's serial killer plotline more akin to The Silence of the Lambs for much of the time. The nearest the film comes to William Friedkin's 1973 classic is with the brief special effects laden exorcism scene in the final act, which was forced upon Blatty by the film's producers.The majority of the film sees George C. Scott's cop Kinderman investigating several gruesome murders that mimic the modus operandi of The Gemini Killer, who was executed in the electric chair fifteen years earlier. Kinderman's enquiries lead him to cell eleven of a secure hospital ward where a patient who resembles dead priest Father Damien Karras claims that he is the Gemini Killer, having possessed Karras's body as he died.Sadly, as original as the majority of this film is, it also proves frustratingly dull for much of the time, with a glut of exposition heavy dialogue, an extremely slow pace, and only one decent scare (the much lauded hospital hallway scene) to keep the viewer from nodding off. As out-of-place as the studio sanctioned exorcism undeniably is, at least it's entertaining, which is more than I can say about George C. Scott's character complaining about a carp in his bath.

chrismonkee I have a cast iron rule, any movie with a number after it, I simply don't bother. I give you Exorcist 2, Die Hard 2,3,4,whatever, Alien,3.But, Exorcist III? Here we go.I was alone, I read a review of this in the newspaper, it was on late that night. As good as the first, the review said.It starts as a sort of murder mystery, slow, well paced, nothing to worry about.But then....I was alone, late at night, I was "smoking", if you get what I mean. This film really, really freaked me out. So much so, I thought about it for a very long time afterwards. It really affected me.I never thought the first one was all that scary, and to be honest not many movies really, properly scare me. Maybe The Omen, perhaps The Conjuring.This one is scary. Get it, watch it on your own, enjoy a legal, herbal smoke if you like.I am giving it 10 stars.

Bonehead-XL After the disastrous reception that greeted "Exorcist II: The Heretic," you would expect no further attempts to franchise "The Exorcist" brand name. Why not let a classic film stand on its' own? That was the general belief until original series creator William Peter Blatty had an idea. In the mid-eighties, Blatty thought a concept for an "Exorcist" sequel, revolving around Kinderman, the detective from the original story. Published as the novel "Legion," the box was a best seller. Naturally, Hollywood demanded a film adaptation, expanding the "Exorcist" series into a trilogy. After William Friedkin and John Carpenter passed on directing the film, Blatty himself took up the job. "The Exorcist III" had a troubled production and mediocre box office but has developed a cult following over the year."The Exorcist III" does not go for the bold shock value of the original film. Instead, it is more interested in creating a creeping sense of unease. The film begins with an extraordinary dream sequence, a point-of-view shot walking down a street, passing the first murder victim. The door of a church blows open, accompanied by diabolic cackling on the soundtrack, forcing the eyes of a crucifix open. The camera then crash-cuts to Karras rolling down the stairs. There are many moments of slow-building dread. A confession at a church begins calmly enough before escalating to screaming, murdered priest. Sometimes, the film punctuates these sequences with a strong jump scare. Kinderman wanders a dark, suddenly foreboding church. The face on a statue of a saint is suddenly replaced with a sadistic grin. Suddenly, a girl bumps into the detective, deflating the tension. The most famous moment, probably, in "Exorcist III" involves a long shot of a nurse doing her nightly duties which ends suddenly with a killer, clad in white and carrying a giant pair of sheers, entering to decapitate her. Moreover, the movie is just creepy, with a fabulously sinister sound design, frequently powered by unearthly growls. The image of an old woman scurrying across the ceiling or a sudden, near decapitation are startling, unnerving sights.Centering "The Exorcist III" is a powerful performance from George C. Scott. Lee J. Cobb, who played Kinderman in the original movie, had passed away, forcing recasting. It's just as well because Scott's Kinderman is practically a different character. The whimsical Kinderman who digs information out of people with double-talk isn't seen much here. Instead, Kinderman has suffered many losses and will suffer more before this is over. Blatty retcons his own work a little. In "The Exorcist," Karras and Kinderman only knew each other a short while. In this film, the two are characterized as best friends. This change, however, allows the character to be far more invested in the story. George C. Scott gives a fantastic performance. His face is world-weary and his words are usually blustery. He's a man who has experienced a lot so, when he breaks down in tears at one point, you know it's serious. Scott gets two fabulous monologues to himself. The first describes his wife keeping a carp in their bathtub, a bizarre bit of quasi-comic dialogue only Blatty could have written. The second one is a powerful speech near the end of the film where Kinderman establishes his belief in evil. That is the true climax of the film and a great moment.Much of "The Exorcist III" is devoted to Kinderman's discussion with the mysterious man in Cell 31. He is credited only as Patient X. A really interesting choice has two actors playing the part. Sometimes, Jason Miller plays the part, confirming the character as the revived corpse of Damian Karras. Other times, more frequently, Brad Dourif plays the madman. Dourif brings the strangled, coldly sadistic, slightly refined, and deeply unhinged style to the part that we expect from him. Even then, Dourif's voice constantly changes, rising and falling in pitch. The demon truly is legion, a multitude of wicked personalities always shifting around inside. The film's supporting cast is generally great. Ed Flanders has fine chemistry with Scott as the recast Father Dyer and Zohra Lampert and Nicol Williamson feel out the supporting case.The original "Exorcist" was a story about faith and guilt. The third film continues in a similar pattern but with a slightly different approach. Kinderman's guilt comes from loosing dear friends, from the thought that he failed them. His faith has wavered because of how much evil he has seen. The gruesome details of the murders weigh heavily on him. The story revolves these issues through two ways. By acknowledging the existence of the demon, of supernatural evil, it justifies the existence of a higher power, of supernatural goodness. Secondly, Kinderman is able to literally resolve his friend's untimely passing. He has to confront Karras' death and viscerally move pass it at one time. The final image of "The Exorcist III" is the cop standing above his dear friend's grave, finally at rest. Though not as powerful as the themes addressed in the first film, the movie handles its own ideas with a similar complexity and skill."The Exorcist III" was originally an even more low-key production before Morgan Creek demanded reshoots. Specifically, they were convinced an "Exorcist" movie couldn't happen with an exorcism. So a new subplot, about a priest going to exorcise Patient X, was hastily added. The sequence also contains most of the gore and special effects seen in the film. They are mildly effective but obviously last minute additions. William Peter Blaty has expressed a desire to create a director's cut but Morgan Creek hasn't been interested in cooperating. Perhaps his vision of the film would be a smoother affair. Even in its theatrical cut, "The Exorcist III" is still a pretty good movie. It doesn't attempt to recreate the shocks of the original, instead doing something very different, providing some worthy chills of its own.