Lean, surprisingly effective sequel to the 1973 horror classic. Fifteen years have passed since Father Damien Karras died while performing the exorcism that freed young Regan McNeil from demonic possession. His best friends, smart-mouthed Father Dyer (Ed Flanders) and weary police
lieutenant Kinderman (George C. Scott) meet annually to mark the anniversary of Karras' death. This year things are more somber than usual: Kinderman is troubled by the grisly mutilation murder of a young boy. Soon, a priest is murdered in his confessional; then Dyer is killed in his hospital bed
and mysteriously drained of blood. Kinderman's investigation leads him to a hospital for the criminally insane, where he confronts once again the Satanic spirit that claimed Father Damien.
Though the notion of yet another "Exorcist" sequel reeks of bottom-line money grubbing, what's most surprising about EXORCIST III is how clearly it's a writer's movie, not the product of communal thought. Director Blatty (author of the original "Exorcist" novel and screenplay) relies--quite
successfully--on dialogue to carry the film. Even so, several scenes are staged with uncommon visual skill. EXORCIST III may not have the visceral impact of the first film, but it gives viewers far more than they had any reason to expect. leave a comment
