CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
- This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 19 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I used to think it was a really funny movie, but now I just find it boring = but yah, count me in as comedy fan 😛
Not a fan, but would sooner watch this than the more recent and thoroughly inane “prequel” Renny Harlin directed — FURTHER, as many times as possbile if it meant a definite NO to having to also watch Exorcist: The Beginning.
Hey, when I rain honesty, I pour. 🙂 Thank you for letting me get all this off my chest.
M.I.K.E.
I mainly watch it for the africa flashbacks, I do like the basic story, but Everybody acts like there high, Burton thogh looks plain drunk, but overall the part I truely cant stand is the voice of the Demon, sounds like a cheap impression of the with from the wizard of Oz, Perhaps they should redo the voce.
Yeah, the Africa stuff is the best thing it’s got going for it.
Say, JUSTY, can you edit the entire Africa segments down to one piece of shi– sorry! — footage? I’d like to download just to watch, so that I don’t have to sit through the rest of the film. 😀 THANKS!
When i watched it for the first time i had a lot of expectations on it but it wasn’t as good as i thought it would be but since then it has grown on me.
I agree that the africa flashbacks is one of the best things in the movie
Frankly, I think there should be a sequel – of sorts – to Heretic!
Hear me out.
Remove it from any and all Exorcist continuity. No mention of Regan MacNeil or Father Merrin. BUT, continue with the idea of the Teilhardian convergence, the World Mind, psychic saints and spiritual attack. This could make an awesome Cable TV series of sorts.
And locusts. Lots n lots of locusts….
I’m afraid I have to say… yes, it’s really that bad. A total prostitution of Blatty’s characters and ideas, substituted with Boorman’s wacko theological notions.
he “feel” was all wrong, especially in view of that established in the original film. E.g., Lamont’s relationship with The Cardinal is simply unreal as contrasted to the priests in The Exorcist, from Dyer’s and Karras’ realistic friendship to the brief but quite realistic scene with Karras and the Bishop and the scene with the Bishop and “Tom” the University president as they discuss who to get for the exorcism.
Karras’ self-sacrifice which saved Regan is not even mentioned, except to imply that it was a waste since the demon is dormant inside of her.
The use of bugs. Not scary and reminiscent of the Peter Graves cheapo sci-fi giant grasshopper “thriller” The Beginning of the End.
Merrin is a mere cypher: we don’t find out anything about Blatty’s characterization of Merrin as “the towering intellect… whose view caused ferment in the Church”. We are not given a sound theological reason why Merrin is suspected of heresy. Instead, we are only told that he believes that a new generation of holy kids has appeared, Regan among them, who will usher in a new world of sanctity. Nothing especially heretical there at all. Blatty’s Merrin is based on Teilhard de Chardin and Carl Jung/Spinoza. Boorman’s Merrin is based on weak speculation.
Blatty’s/Friedkin’s Karras was obviously an intense, honest seeker after sanctity, hoping against hope for a resolution to his faith crisis. Boorman’s Lamont is a fanatical, unlikable kook from whom a sane person wouldn’t buy a used car or anything else.
Blatty’s/Friedkin’s Sharon was a sweet, smart ally to Chris and Regan. Boorman’s Sharon is a sinister, cynical proto-witch whom Boorman clothes in an appropriately weird, black rain slicker. She is supposed to have been scarred by Regan’s possession, but Boorman renders her strange and unsympathetic. Boorman’s utter disrespect for his re-make of Sharon is fittingly resolved by his turning her into a human torch.
Let’s not get down to Boorman’s level in praise of Blair’s tits, either – that’s just what he wants – to distract the viewer from the fact that he’s made a ripe piece of shit. Don’t forget his other boob-references: Sharon’s see-thru gown after her shower and the African girl Lamont encouters. When in doubt, appeal to male chauvinism. Great respect for the viewer there, huh.
Yes, Lamont stepping on spikes makes us cringe, but what does it have to do with the gritty realism we expect of an Exorcist sequel? It’s just another newage-sewage throw-away dream sequence with no consequences for Lamont either in the dream or the real world.
Ennio Morricone’s score is fittingly sucky as well, with its screaming “African Mass” choral “music”. He composed a lovely theme for Regan but its very beauty is only obtrusive and reminds us that it really belongs in a much better film.
Based on the original film’s runaway success, the studio gave Boorman a huge production budget, which he proceded to abuse with bloated production values. E.g., the exorcism flashback in Regan’s bedroom: the Georgetown bridge is distractingly evident thru her window, which is completely gratuitous because we don’t need to see the bridge, and worse, it was not visible in the first film because Regan’s windows had been boarded shut and the curtains pulled. Another waste of filming money was that ridiculous sci-fi bullshit headgear which looked like a throw-back to B-films of the 1930’s.
In short: E-2 The Heretic is everything The Exorcist wasn’t. That fact alone marks it as an abysmal failure.
I’m a huge fan of Heretic. Linda Blair looks absolutely marvelous!!
Let’s hear it…. doesn’t the scene where Richard (am I sober yet) Burton steps on the spikes in that pond to, I think it was test his faith, make you cring? It does for me.
Come on, is it really that bad?It’s 2006 – times have changed and Exorcist II: The Heretic fans no longer have to be ashamed of who they are!!!
Stand up and be counted! Whether you love it as an unintentional comedy or for its weird trippy images – make yourself known.
Granville, your review of THE HERETIC to fantastic and matches my own sentiments. Thanks for sharing and with such insight! 😀
M.I.K.E.
Ps. Yeah, The Heretic-minus-all-things-Exorcist SHOULD get a sequel, and as soon as possible get pried from this film saga; E:TB should have the same done to it, before or after, so long as it happens. The the true trilogy will remain. Amen.
Hey Granville –
Very well written review! But I disagree, and here’s why:
>The “feel†was all wrong, especially in view of that established in the original film. E.g., Lamont’s relationship with The Cardinal is simply unreal as contrasted to the priests in The Exorcist, from Dyer’s and Karras’ realistic friendship to the brief but quite realistic scene with Karras and the Bishop and the scene with the Bishop and “Tom†the University president as they discuss who to get for the exorcism.
Karras’ self-sacrifice which saved Regan is not even mentioned, except to imply that it was a waste since the demon is dormant inside of her.>I agree with both these points to an extent. Heretic does not compare to the original – I’m definitely agreed on that. That said, Boorman was trying to hit some different notes and ideas with this film, thus the priest’s characters became secondary. The inner conflicts of Karras & Merrin were part of the genius of Ex 1. We all know the “psychic saint†thing was never the point of Regan’s possession. But Boorman took this idea and ran with it, and I applaud him for it.
>The use of bugs. Not scary and reminiscent of the Peter Graves cheapo sci-fi giant grasshopper “thriller†The Beginning of the End.>
But it WAS funny, it gave us some cool scenes (the Africa locust-cam shots), and I thought it was quite original. I still get a million laughs from the little grasshopper warbling through the air “AAAIIIEEEEEEEEEâ€!! And what about James Earl Jones as a Locust!!!??!!! How on earth can you beat that?
>Blatty’s Merrin is based on Teilhard de Chardin and Carl Jung/Spinoza. Boorman’s Merrin is based on weak speculation.>
But the way Boorman took those Teilhardian ideas again I found very interesting. And I think more can be done with it.
> Boorman’s Lamont is a fanatical, unlikable kook from whom a sane person wouldn’t buy a used car or anything else.>
True! And it only upped the comedic factor!!! I wouldn’t have it any other way!
>Boorman’s Sharon is a sinister, cynical proto-witch whom Boorman clothes in an appropriately weird, black rain slicker. She is supposed to have been scarred by Regan’s possession, but Boorman renders her strange and unsympathetic. Boorman’s utter disrespect for his re-make of Sharon is fittingly resolved by his turning her into a human torch.>
Ah yes, good old spooky, ankle-licked, crispy fried Sharon…she wasn’t much of a presence in E1, and I enjoyed her residual spookiness in Heretic. Besides, without her, we could have never received that side splitting dialogue:
Lamont: Have you tried a priest, or a psychologist?
Sharon: I’m talking to one NOW, aren’t I???!>Let’s not get down to Boorman’s level in praise of Blair’s tits, either – that’s just what he wants – to distract the viewer from the fact that he’s made a ripe piece of shit. Don’t forget his other boob-references: Sharon’s see-thru gown after her shower and the African girl Lamont encouters. When in doubt, appeal to male chauvinism. Great respect for the viewer there, huh.>
I definitely disagree with you here. I thought Linda looked lovely in the film, and was not exploited in the least. Other filmmakers would have been much more gratuitous with both nudity and obscenity, particularly in the “Pazuzu’s Regan†scene (another hysterical sequence!). The African girl scene was just – well – part of the very random overall nuttiness – maybe hinting at Lamont’s continued corruption?
>Ennio Morricone’s score is fittingly sucky as well, with its screaming “African Mass†choral “musicâ€. He composed a lovely theme for Regan but its very beauty is only obtrusive and reminds us that it really belongs in a much better film.>
Another point I strongly disagree with. In fact, I thought Regan’s theme was the bad part of the music (it’s feminine hygiene commercial music). The “aah aaaah aaaah†tribal liturgy music was brilliant – at times hypnotic, cheesy, laughable, sometimes even scary – but utterly unforgettable. I recommend to anyone who rents or owns the DVD to watch the “Theatrical Trailer†in the special features. It has this awesome prog rock/disco remix of the music, with a montage that basically is the entire movie! It’s great!
>Based on the original film’s runaway success, the studio gave Boorman a huge production budget, which he proceeded to abuse with bloated production values. >
True, but now we live in an era where NO ONE will ever experiment and give us more than cookie cutter, mediocre, let’s-meet-everyone’s-expectations films. No one will ever risk the way Boorman and other filmmakers of the 70’s have. I salute the risk takers!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.