CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
- This topic has 79 replies, 23 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 10 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
“Dominion”. Flawed as it is, it’s superior to “Merrin II: Exorcise Harder”… (Even though there are quite a few scenes which work better and – oh my, oh my – are better directed in “Beginning” than they are in “Dominion” – one “Dominion” scene in particular is so atrociously ridiculous that it would probably be deemed too bad even for a Steven Seagal picture…)
However, not even in Beginning’s case do I really blame the director. Yes, Renny Harlin’s tepid direction is overall rather laughable, as are most of his cliched additions to the plot (most, but not all – a few are actually nothing short of brilliant), his infantile forced references to the original, and some of his cartoon characters (again, however, not all of them – the characterisation of some was actually handled or expanded better by Harlin).
No, the root of all evil is in both cases – as it is so often – the writing. One can make a bad film out of a good script, but one will not make a good film out of a bad script. For all that is wrong, Caleb Carr – who should stick to writing insulting e-mails – is to blame.
Hey Vess,
Can you please elaborate as to what scenes bother you in Dominion? What scenes in that ol’ compare and contrast fashion are better/worse to ETB? I usually object to making comparisons (which are really unfair since most standalone films aren’t compared to other films, so why should sequels be?), but out of indulgence I’m curious to what upsetted you.
Quite honestly, Caleb Carr while proving himself an unprofessional, egotistical, whiny punk, has taken William Wisher’s script and added so many wonderful things to it (with Paul Schrader making minor changes) that he’s become seriously under-rated as a participant in the creation of what became Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, and the Exorcist series in general. He’s just as creative and imaginitive as Blatty, Friedkin or Schrader, and far from the likes or Boorman, Harlin, Goodhart and Hawley — as far as this series is concerned.
His stupid trash-talking and childish behavior has overshadowed his exceptional contributions to the Exorcist mythos. A shame, really.
Bla, bla, bla, I’m starting to repeat myself.
Oh, and it’s a shame he was never able and/or willing to do a (thoughtful) commentary for the Dominion DVD.
I truly admire the story-narrative of Dominion.
M.I.K.E.
Usually the work speaks louder than any artist’s ego. For some reason, some of the best artists who have lived are the most egotistical. Certainly a lot of studio execs are as well, but I guess that’s what happens when one becomes empowered by their so-called smarts. I do think Dominion is a very well written film and I’ve confirmed this with many writer friends of mine who know what is good (the original) and what is bad (Exorcist II).
I feel just as dirty remembering it. Thanks for the reminder, you guys. 😛
NOT!
…
Man, that’s an old, non-non-non-non-heinous expression. 😛
Dominion is flawed but it’s a much better film than ETB. I only watched ETB because I had waited so long for the prequal, but I did feel quite dirty after watching it.
Not trying to step on any toes here, I know how sometimes people try to look for a silver lining in things, but I can’t see how anyone can get excited or be happy with any version of both of these films!
I think for me, and I know I expect to much sometimes, but after watching the first few moments of The Exorcist, and seeing the look on Father Merrin’s face as he clears away the dry earth from that little statue’s face that was dug up… I don’t know about you people but to me Father Merrin looked like he was gonna shit himself. He looked as if he was totally flung into ‘his worst nightmare’ (and he was)!!!!
Which brings me to my question, where in any of those “2 version films” do you get the impression the Father Merrin is putting up a fight for his life against this demon, such as the one we witnessed in the first film (remember the one against Reagan)?
In which film does the exorcism “damn near kill him”?
I said it before, in this day and age of sequels and prequels and reimaginings and remakes (jeez, gimme a brake)- some movies should just be left alone! I’m sorry if I hurt anybodies feelings, but these are just my opinions and I needed to rant.Your final sentence is valid, St. Michael.
And to answer your equally valid questions, here are my opinionated observations (with reference of DOMINION only, for I’ve never heard of Exorcist: The Beginning; it doesn’t exist — not after what one ticket and DVD invested into that movie do I still wish to dignify that trash.)
1.So where in Dominion is he “putting up a fight…[which] damn near kills him”? Well, technically, since this is (literally supposed to have “lasted months”), the exorcism, which while brief, with the passage of time from his much-ballyhooed post-WWII faith-taking “incident” to the 1970s (the time of that infamous conversation between the two Catholic leaders’ deciding on an exorcist), fits the bill; he’d lost his faith, and was a sitting duck during the first meeting, and then for the exorcism, with faith restored, his faith was just barely strong enough to secure a victory for him. The very night he got his faith back, he’d exorcised a demon for the first time; no easy task (it could have been longer, but all in all, it succeeded cinematically), I’m sure. Therefore, when he’d gone back to Rome to file his report (not present in the narrative of the film), he probably told the truth: Something like, “I fought the Devil. The boy survived the exorcism.” Maybe he embellished the story, but more likely, it was the official or officials he’d reported to who did, or the story of that exorcism by the Oxford-educated arhaelogist-prolific writer-priest grew and became exaggerated and more thrilling with time; from a single night to “lasted months”. The priest said: “…Africa…The exorcism lasted months… I [HEARD] it damn near killed him.”
And the other thing I wanted to add, was Schrader and co. did leave the original alone; it’s clear, and it’s a very good thing, as the resulting story is a wonderful one which doesn’t distastefully retread and stomp the original 1973 film (let alone book) into the ground, but instead stands on its own, not to mention manages to still jive with the immortal sentence by the Church official about Merrin’s experience as an exorcist. It could have been more like the 1973 film, sure, arguably so was Renny Harlin’s film. Schrader and Carr had it right, doing what they did with their prequel; they struck creative gold on a film which could have easily turned into the kind of film Morgan Creek and Renny Harlin later concocted — a cheap cartoon of the 1973 film, only set in Africa, in a desperate attempt to organically tie itself to the original. Exorcist: The Beginning only succeeds superficially there. Digging deeper than outward appearances, Dominion has a viable and different story — Father Merrin’s journey (as Schrader coined it); the kind of story not necessary for us to NOT go “de ja vu!”, but instead take on its own and more easily believe that this character, Merrin, would years later, in the darker, more modern 1970s America, return to face The Enemy (we know he’d fought at least once before… more sequels need not be made; Dominion does the job).
Dominion portrays a very different story with a very different Merrin, and a very different possessed and very different exorcism than the “Georgetown episode” of 1973. It’s a solid prequel. Yes, it might have benefitted from more nods to the original; but the makers knew when to stop, unlike their replacements.
My two cents.
M.I.K.E.
Very interesting M.I.K.E.
Seriously, your statements about Dominion “putting up a fight…[which] damn near kills himâ€? were well very well explained. In essence, it could have happened just as you discribed! I never thought of it that way. In so much as I like to dissect The Exorcist, looking for sublims here and there, I might have, and my reasons are so valid, because of the treatments given to Exorcists sequels and 1st prequel, prejudged this film. I know I went into it, after seeing the first prequel, with a predetermined mind. That much is true, I will confess. I shall “empty my cup” and give it it’s second viewing. It is only fair. 😉
Your further statements about the director and his production from Dominion are true. From reading various articles, I know how much Schrader wanted to handle his film with the respect it deserves.
My faith has been restored. Thank you M.I.K.E. for showing me a side of this film, I have not given a chance to look at.Hey M.I.K.E., that was a very good critique and overview of Dominion. I think you covered a lot of the elements that many people have generally panned for no apparent reason other than that Dominion has been drawn down by the stigmatism of ETB. Those were some very intriguing and insightful comments. I admire them very much. 😀
I think ETB is 10 better than Dominion, for several, very solid, reasons.
Dominion has another argument, it makes more soft in certain sense, like a standard movie. I do not find any relation with “The Exorcist”, the first movie (1973). The movie brings to Merrin into another enviroment, too far from the central point: A STRONG POSSESION, i.e., the drastic change of people when they become possesed by demons, like Reagen for example.
In effect, this STRONG POSSESION, makes actually a true movie about exorcist.
Shaking the bad, diabolics faces, different voices, etc, like The Exorcist, the first movie, makes a big
difference with the The Domminion.
I prefer to keep ETB, as a history linked to The Exorcist. I do not see any special ingredient in the Dominion.
I do not completely agree in the scene where Merrin found a perfect clean Church, despite of the fact of 1000 years of existence. Very bad production, In addition, the movie lacks of reality, and very scenes are in some extent very soft, leading to upset the public, waiting for the exorcism, it is A STRONG EVER CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE GOD AND THE EVIL.I think the sole criterion (besides the obvious fact that it’s supposed to be the prequel to the beloved original) — for determining which film is the better prequel can be articulated with this question (based on all the rants and pans I’ve heard on both films):
Which one DOESN’T make you laugh or cringe more due to its performances or special effects?
In conclusion, fans will consider one or the other the true prequel, naturally. And I think it boils down to which is less hokey in the eyes of the fan.
For me, E:TB has one or two truly decent scenes or sequences (the acting of D’arcy when he spills the beans to Merrin toward the end of the film; it was beleiveable! And, Sarah leaning forward on the upside-down cross toward Merrin; truly creepy and picturesque! I even liked the opening scene where soldier-priest, Father Theron Morakis — named in the E:TB novelization — finds the Pazuzu idol in the hand of his fallen comrade; the events after he takes the idol — when the camera pulls backward and everyone’s been crucified upsided-down, HOWEVER, THAT made me groan and shake my head), and the rest is unintentional comic fluff; a cartoon — it’s not supposed to be a cartoon.
DOMINION, however, is a better-told story (Merrin’s journey, the ideal premise for an Exorcist prequel story), with actors portraying three-dimensional characters, and its only real and superficial problem is the special effects, special effects which I think still succeed in getting the point accross. All the “bad” effects are fleeting, whereas its replacement, EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING, directed by the inspired choice of Renny “Deep Blue Sea (love those shark effects!)” Harlin, features similar scenes lasting three or four times longer (How about that mammoth hyenas-massacre-boy scene!), despite the effects appearing more realistic, I guess.
In my mind, a prequel to THE EXORCIST had to be AS DIFFERENT to the original as Dominion was. E:TB shows us what happens when cannibalizing the original for whatever it can get away with just to appear a prequel.
I think the effects in Dominion are fine, and get the point accross, as effects should. 20,000,000 Leagues Under the Sea and other dated special-effects-celebrated films have often “laughable” effects, but effects which don’t hinder the viewing experience, nor do they take away. George Lucas’ Star Wars films might feature exceptional special effects, but I personally am only impressed when the effects are undetectable, otherwise I end up staring at “that creature” or “environment” for too long, and become distracted. The effects in E:TB distract even more than Dominion’s, as I said — the go on forever.
For that and so many reasons stated here and unstated, E:TB is so bad (however “perfect” and DOMINON so much better (however “imperfect”) that it should really be a no-brainer which is the better of the two.
E:TB is fine to revisit as a study, and even to be entertained, but to forever tie it to the orginial 1973 film as a, let alone THE, true prequel, it’s unthinkable. Dominion’s just not even close to it in terms of contrivedness, special-effects-over-story, and laughability.
Dominion is very different from E:TB and the original film, superficially sure, but who says a chapter of a book or saga should be a carbon copy of succeeding chapter…? Renny Harlin and Morgan Creek, okay, you got me. 🙂
M.I.K.E.
yes, you are partially right.
But, we back to the central point that it is concerned to the comparison between ETB and The Dominion.
Well, I see in your phrases something true, but I CANNOT accept the role of Merrin in The Dominion. It looks like Jesus being disturbed by Satan?? As in a passage of the Bible, Jesus is in the desert and after of several weeks, The Satan appears there, and he try to bring to Jesus to the bad way. It is more or less in the Dominion!! Merrin is the Church, and the demon talking in hir ears…and so on…
It is really so much to think that Merrin emulate in certain sense to Jesus.Interesting, my friend. However, please elaborate; I’m not sure I quite understand, then again, I’ll try to respond anyway…
Comparing Merrin to Jesus… Good angle, but flawed. Jesus was God and man, and therefore ultimately able to not succumb to the Devil’s temptations. Merrin was just a man, and a man on the rebound from having lost his faith. He’d have succumbed to the devil or any other demon’s temptations anywhere, given his spiritual bankruptcy, having turned his back on Christ for so long and only just that particular night returned.
Incidentally, I think this helps explain DOMINION’s swift exorcism: It took place in a/the church, was against THE DEVIL HIMSELF, and at a time when Merrin finally humbled himself to accept and truly re-accepted God and Christ. I believe that due to these facts, God and/or The Holy Spirit chose to adequately arm Merrin for the spirtual warfare he was up against that night. God makes all things possible, including the impossible, when it glorifies Him. It was a time, for Merrin, when God chose to intervene. He’d denied Merrin before when 10 of Merrin’s parish were murdered, and Merrin was forced to choose. The nazis, the parishiners, Merrin, any and all of the above were in need of a wake-up call; God allowed what He did so that they might re-think their lives and how they were living them (just as He does today, and in the original EXORCIST film; humans suffer) — were they humble and living for Christ and their fellow humanity, or were they relenting to their sinful natures and in rebellion with God? Believers, pretenders and non-believers alike, they were all under God, and in the case of Merrin, years later in Kenya, God did what He did… in time, His own time (not Merrin’s).
M.I.K.E.
I’d always thought that the African exorcism that ‘damn near killed’ Merrin and turned his hair white was another one that took place between Dominion and The Exorcist.
Merrin had only just chosen to return fully to the priesthood at the end of Dominion. He had successfully exorcised the Devil, but, given the respected, experienced, physically-ravaged exorcist priest he had become by 1973, there must have been a number of other encounters, possibly including Kokumo, before he met his maker in The Exorcist.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.