[hatter76]

I enjoyed reading this, it’s Nice to hear Someonelse’s More Deeper and Complex views On this Movuie and this subject.

I admit I felt that Dominion Should have given in More Scares.
If It had been Making the decisions, I would Made some Compromises with Schrader, not fire him, I would Have tried to Up certain elements without destroying any thing he filmed.
Basicly Reshoot a few differn’t interpritation’s on a few scenes, Some additional Shots, perhaps a couple small scens, and Some additional footage of the Demon transforming into the Captain Howdy creature, runnig around Like a spider, and Thrashing Merrin around, before He succumbs to the Power of the Exorcism, then cut to him getting weaker and weaker in the film.

[ManInKhakiExorcist]

Thank you, Hatter.

Yeah, I’d have certainly been interested in reshoots (if Schrader got his wish to stay on board) along those lines. Reshoots in general are completely not out of the ordinary in Hollywood. But if they stuck to the kind of reshoots you describe, that may have been the ticket… before Morgan Creek decided on a completely different film to make from scratch.

There’s one scene that they shot later on to scare things up but never finished — the Francis posession, a scene which echoes the “posession of the younger priest while Merrin’s away” scene after the exorcism in the Friedkin film. That alone may have been enough. Apparently it was too awkward, so they nixed it rather quickly. But unline LEGION, Blatty’s original cut, maybe this footage will remain preserved long enough for some kind of special edition DVD. MAYBE. 🙂

M.I.K.E.

[ManInKhakiExorcist]

[EDIT] That should read “CAN’T stand it” [/edit]

…They’ll cite how it’s “not scary” and “too preachy”, but still say how much they like the original Friedkin film, how classic, how scary it is, which can only mean they wanted Dominion to be scarier (let’s be honest, who didn’t just a little?). 🙂 And some will say how Renny Harlin’s version is better, etc. 😛

Anyway, in the name of discussion, I’m cannibalizing a reply I posted in reply to Justy, agreeing with him that one need not be religious to appreciate the film (and for that matter, the original Friedkin film). Believers and non-believers enjoy it and the original to different extents. So, I guess I’m just a bit disappointed that the film is so under-rated.

M.I.K.E.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449086/board/thread/63551795?d=latest&t=20070111060800#latest

I agree, exmk. However, zombies walking the earth and giant gorillas inhabiting unknown islands simply aren’t thought-provoking or life-change demanding as an eternal enemy of Christ, Satan, bent on humanity’s destruction, the taking of its souls forfeited upon the rejection of Christ (whether the latter is viewed as fiction as well or not). On the reverse side, in conflict with and tempted by the enemy, we have those who in obedience struggle to choose God despite their divinely diagnosed flawed, sinful nature. It reminds us that serving a God, and in turn others, is a viable, concrete alternative demanding consideration of how we live our lives and that it is ours to accept or reject at any time.

I’ve been tempted, I’ve jumped ship, rejecting Jesus Christ; it still happens. Life’s had spells of hardship and seeming impossiblity. I’ve savored calling my own shots. But that lifestyle only goes on until we are so broken down, having only my limited life toolsets (with God absent) I ask for help. We’re not robots, so God waits for our genuine acceptance of Christ before giving us what we ask, rescuing us and often in His own time giving us more than we in our limited minds could have ever hoped for. With God, life is so much more satisfying than without Him. It’s actually easier believing — knowing — we’re not on our own.

Of course, maybe I’m just a human being, desperate for a deity. Fair enough. I can’t prove anything, what I’m saying here. That’s why it boils down to faith. I’ve been through too much good and bad, and seen too many amazing coincidences big and small — revelations, I guess — to continue on without God, without Christ, or, without the Devil. Just as the priests in Dominion, regain or maintain their respective faiths.

But the point of my endorsement of God and faith here is to offer the point of view of a fan of Dominion and many such films portraying good, evil, and servants and enemies of Christ. And I’ve always enjoyed the film more when the Christianity depicted closely matches my own than when I minimize or attempt to reject God’s presence in my life’s equation; I’m not holy or God-pleasing all the time, but I struggle to be, as any Christian ought to, striving to be a Christian in more than name alone, by living it, actively. And Dominion is one of those films that speaks to me when I’m walking with or apart from God. I might like it less when I walk apart from Him, but that’s just because I find it uncomfortable when I know I’m capable of being a better Christian; I think it’s human nature. My two cents.

God bless.

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