CaptainHowdy.com The #1 Exorcist Fansite Since 1999
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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. 😛
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.
The “Jomo-kills-the-school-kids” scene!
Hatty, a special request: Can you digitally add the dying Jomo into the footage where he seems to gone missing (for a few seconds) before returning. It literally looks like he vanishes — he’s just gone at one point — then he’s back.
Justy, please show us the evidence. 🙂 One of the few occasions in the film where such a significant edit would certainly ADD to the film.
Thanks, Hat.
GUYS, I GOT IT!!!! The title for this fan edit. I think it’s a perfect compliment to “THE EXORCIST” — the film this one prequels — and it doesn’t “spoil” the fact that Merrin becomes an exorcist.
NOT Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.
NOT Dominion
And NOT Exorcist: Dominion
HERE’S MY IDEA: The Dominion
THE DOMINION; Merrin’s journey to become THE EXORCIST. The Dominion —> The Exorcist. One is about the journey, Satan’s defeat. The next is about the showdown with the demon, the vengeance of Pazuzu, Merrin’s last stand. The Dominion. The Exorcist. The Dominion. The Exorcist.
The Dominion.
I think it’s got an appropriate ring to it. And it’s not a drastic change from what we’re used to. Thoughts?
M.I.K.E.
All sounds good, my friend. I anxiously look forward to seeing the finished product. Gosh am I.
OH! OH! Hey, I just thought of something! You know how some have complained about how brief the exorcism is? Well, what if, through clever editing you expand the length of the exorcism to some extent? Slow motion here and there, MAYBE, and really whatever else you want to do; I guess the sky’s the limit. This would be very risky, but perhaps it’s still worth considering. I mean, one might figure, such a brief spiritual battle could only happen if the exorcist was old and seasoned, as Merrin is in the 1973 film — that is, he’d QUICKLY take out the trash. This younger, in-crisis Merrin, he really lucks out. I dunno. Thoughts?
Anyway, yes, I’m a geek for this film series (the good ones I adore, the bad ones don’t exist to me), and I just naturally think this is an exciting and intellectually rewarding and creative endeavor. Makes me want to get a recording program — Just ask Justy; been hounding him to deliver even just clips of the deleted scenes of this film inserted back in.
Justy, looks like you’re probably off the hook. 😛
M.I.K.E.
If you really want to do a second dream sequence, that could be tricky, with such little footage of Merrin lying in his bed. For this reason and my opinion that the film is perfectly fine with the one dream sequence — though I trust your judgement know what you are doing, and that you only mean well — I’d strongly urge you not to bother. That’s pretty drastic change, I’d say, and I’m not sure you have enough footage to work from/with. Still, I look forward to seeing the end result. It’s sounds quite challenging, this second dream sequence.
Also: If you’re really using Renny Harlin footage for this, I suggest you be careful; his battle scenes were just so bland. And, soldiers fighting soldiers and natives finding natives… that was the worst, but is admittedly the most interesting for a dream sequence (ie. it doesn’t make any sense at a superficial level).
Keep in mind also: be wary of using a lengthy segment or segments… instead of a dream (where there is not logic, but “dream logic” and things are theoretically more surreal and seemingly incomplete and don’t play out like a documentry, whatever you do use at all should be stragtically placed and probably touched up or edited some so that it doesn’t end up looking like a war dramatization — or worse, lifted from a very sorry excuse for an Exorcist film (you know the one). 🙂 Be poetic with this dream; keep things subtle. But feel free to let thing build to a climactic finale as Schrader did with his dream sequence… Strangeness, strangeness, and suddently — voi la: 10 seconds of a growling demon! Note: And to avoid this dream being redundant, strive to give it a different tone and imagary — of course. No two dreams are ever alike. And this should be similar but completely differnt in terms of subject compared to the existing film’s one; or, very different. So, same tone, slow pacing, and probably minimal events happening. Strive for something akin to what Schrader has created. Otherwise it will be so different, it may not gel or compliment the rest of the film, let alone the other dream sequence.
Just some thoughts I had.
M.I.K.E.
When I am wrong, I am wrong. Good point, Justy. 😛
I guess I’m just desensitized… or something. 😛
And, a “DOMINION-only” snob. 🙂 I confess.
Cheche disappearing works for me. It’s a supernatural event; these things ought not necessarily always make complete and obvious sense, in my opinion. And as a Paul Schrader film it adds to the transcendental style he showcases in nearly all his films. It works. 🙂
Plus, it’s just like an illusion — a lie — that the devil (Cheche) is gone, defeated. It’s the least Satan could have done to give Merrin false hope that he’d defeated The Enemy. We know it’s not to be, but it’s better than just doing the old, stupid demonic force leaves human shell and human clumsily falls to the ground like that kid in E:TB. Yes, the scene where Joseph falls down stupidly when the gunshots scare the hyenas off; he does this stupid, over-acted head roll — it’s just silly.
Follow? You know there’s something to this. I’m not completely insane. 😛
All sound’s good to me, Hatter. And I’d happily show proof of me holding the DVD.
Oh, and Justy: dust off that DVD cover you created that Paul Schrader liked so much. Justy’s a creative genius, you know, Hatter.
M.I.K.E.
Ps.Love your avatar, Hatter. Nice.
Hatty,
In light of your new images… here’s what says I — no pressure, but I think…:
The poster with the faces looks good, but not for a DVD cover; maybe a teaser movie poster. I like Justy’s cover ideas (aside from the “A prequel to the Exorcist” — “A” implies it’s one of many (no pun intended), which would seem to validate and rudely remind of that E:TB trash) — or quite honestly, the official one is perfecto, aside from perhaps the “Prequel to the Exorcist” subtitle (which may stay or go).
And all the light changes seem unnecessary. In my mind, this film’s lighting should go unchanged; the story represented in the film takes us to a time before the gritty, darker, modern 1970s, before the Demon Pazuzu goes after the elderly Merrin and his associates in Georgetown. It’s a less dark time back in the 1940s, so I think it would appear too forced if you changed the lighting at all.
…including for the exorcism scene and illuminated ending sequence where the church lights up — my thinking is: the way it is is the way it should stay — the church iconography becoming illuminated once the devil’s been driven out is poetic and complimentary of the themes and tone of the story. Changing it would be too… Um, Renny Harlin…? That is, it would be too “flash show”, not the sobering supernatural fallout of the Roman Rite of Exorcism.
Respectfully,
M.I.K.E.
One more thing:
If any additional Captain Howdy appearances you wish to include in this “fan edit”, may I suggest…
Use only Billy Crawford-Captain Howdy footage (or stills). Anything else will make viewers think there are two different and distinct. Captain Howdy characers. They look similar, but juxtoposing them together in the same movie would be quite distracting, methinks.
Hatty,
-Exorcist: Dominion
-Just re-do the title shot. The 1973 film this film prequels, you see, has no opening credits; they’re saved for the end. 🙂
-Final scene: the footage of Merrin walking in the street and toward the Vatican. Please have the final “Dominion” scene gradually fade into this; then of course have that fade into the SATAN’S MARCH end credits. It’d be a good epilogue, as it’s what’s found in the unpublished novelization and script. It helps remind us “Merrin is back”.
-Deleted scenes edited back into the film. Please. 🙂
-Lastly, no new effects or music, or other modifacationsor adjustments. It’s all fine as is.
Whatever you can find it in your heart to do, I thank you.
M.I.K.E.
The image can be found here:
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