The End of a Career Pt 1 (The Last Exorcism, 2010)

Cotton Marcus is a charismatic preacher who has fallen into disbelief. This probably has a lot to do with his reliance on show stopping special effects to win over his audience. He has lost his belief in evil…and is ready to walk away from the pulpit. But he is participating in a documentary following his last big act…performing an exorcism. He does not believe he will be dealing with demons of course.

At first, when he arrives at the farm of the Sweetzer family, he plays up some drama. But they start to believe there is a much more human explanation. But the young woman may actually be possessed.

Done in a found footage format, the film has really good performances. In fact, this is a really good film until it goes off the rails in the final fifteen minutes. At that point it gets very silly with it’s overdone demonic images, leaving behind any uncertainty about the young woman’s condition.

October 17, 2018 0

Setting the Traps (Incarnate, 2016)

Incarnate takes it’s queue from the Exorcist2 more than, say, the original Exorcist. Doctor Ember is a bit of a disgraced type who focuses on exorcising demons with science, rather than deities.

When a young boy kills a homeless woman who had broken into their house, the Vatican calls Ember and his team in to deal with a determined case of possession.

It becomes clear that Ember knows more and is willing to risk his own life to end this possession.

Incarnate tries to bring something new by making science a major part of the exorcism game. But at the same time, it really does not rise above the level of, say, a ghost hunting show.

While it has a good cast, the film’s attempt to make it’s heart the final confrontation of a longstanding battle between Ember and a demonic entity never results in any sort of real engagement for the viewer.

Incarnate lacks any real emotional or visceral punches to draw the viewer in. In it’s attempts to make it a personal mission of the exorcist, it actually neuters anything the story might have done to keep you invested.

October 16, 2018 0

Cops and Demons (Deliver Us From Evil, 2014)

Opening in Iraq, some soldiers discover a strange cave. Inside they encounter something unnatural. The film then picks up with Ralph Sarchie a few years later. He is giving mouth to mouth to what is revealed to be an infant…unsuccessfully.

Sarchie is a man dealing with facing a very dark world that has tested his faith and left him feeling hopeless and empty. His partner (Community’s Joel McHale) takes a lighter view of life and his wife would like him to open up and be a part of their life.

When Sarchie find himself facing a set of crimes with seemingly impossible to explain aspects, he gets connected to Father Mendoza. The Priest is familiar with one of their suspects, Jane. He becomes Sarchie’s educator in the spiritual world.

Like the Conjuring films, Deliver Us From Evil is based on the stories of a real guy. Ralph Sarchie is now retired, but became a Catholic Demonologist. Not unlike Ed and Lorraine Warren, it is pretty hard not to believe that their stories are a bit…exaggerated. And I have no doubt that Derrickson and screenwriter Paul Harris Boardman take liberties.

Sean Harris makes for a freaky victim of possession and I am a fan of Eric Bana who gives Sarchie a rough and weary edge.McHale brings some comedy, but he also proves himself capable in the drama. Olivia Munn does not get a ton to do, but she has a nice scene with Bana where he pours out his sense of futility about the world…sharing all the thinks he has kept bottle up inside to protect her.

Yeah, the films finale gets a little crazy, but Derrickson knows what he is aiming for (a horror movie with a tale of redemption) and mostly hits the mark with a dramatic and entertaining film.

October 16, 2018 0

Petals Off the Rose (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 2005)

Inspired by a real life trial from the 1970’s, The Exorcism of Emily Rose tells the story of an exorcism that resulted in the death of the possessed young woman and the priest on trial for her death.

Unlike a lot of Exorcism related films, director Scott Derrickson (making his second appearance this month) makes the heaviest focus the courtroom drama. The exorcism is done more to give us background on Emily and her situation as it pertains to the charges against Father Moore.

He is defended by agnostic lawyer Erin Bruner, who finds herself having to question if she needs to believe in God to provide the defense. Can she accept the idea that Emily’s was a spiritual affliction?

Jennifer Carpenter gives a great performance and was able to contort her body in ways to make the exorcism sequences especially harrowing. Derrickson noted that he abandoned plans for a lot of digital effects because Carpenter was able to do so much herself.

The cast is pretty stellar for a small court room drama horror film. Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson are especially good as Lawyer and defendant.

The resolution seems a little pat, but then, I believe this is how the original trial that inspires the film also resolved itself.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a strong film, with a unique focus for an exorcism film. It is not about the power of evil, but rather the questions of faith and accountability. At the same time, while the questions are asked, Derrickson is not telling you where you must come down on the answers.

October 16, 2018 0

Weaponized Possession (The Atticus Institute, 2015)

This mock documentary is built around a group of scientists who explore psychic phenomena.

One day a young woman is brought to them. At first they are excited at her apparent powers. But soon it becomes frightening. They call in the government, only to find that the military thinks they can force the woman and her demon to be a compliant weapon.

As noted, this is in a documentary format. With interviews set in the present we hear from family members of the lead scientist as well as the other members of the institute.

There is also archival footage and photographs depicting the events.

The Atticus Institute is kind of interesting. They are committed to the format, and the look of the archival footage and photos look worn.The actors give good performances (which is not terribly surprising as the film is peppered with established character actors).

It would be nice if the film did not end on such a vague note…or there was some sense of closure…but it just kind of ends. But still, I found the film a fairly enjoyable watch.

October 15, 2018 0

How Can This Go Wrong?! (the Possession Experiment, 2016)

Beginning with a tragic attempt at Exorcism, the Possession Experiment leaps ahead about 20 years and introduces us to a theology student choosing to do a thesis on the inviting of a possession. Surely, this is a wise move.

After discovering the tale of a coverup of an exorcism that went horribly wrong Brandon convinces his stoner class partner to conduct an experiment in which he will call upon a demon to possess him and stream the entire thing online.

This, of course, sparks an outcry from the local religious community. His father reveals that Brandon has connections to the failed exorcism that he had never been told about.

The film is an attempt at a modern spin on exorcism and possession stories, but it is heavily informed by stories outside that genre. At one point it becomes more of a combination of a slasher and resident evil styled monster flick. When the big twist comes, it all feels pretty…well, too little too late.

The character motivations seem to be very lacking. There is nothing in the script or performance to sell the audience on the notion that Brandon has real solid emotional reasons for exploring this dark material. He has no real sense of faith, nor an apparent desire to debunk possession. He just thinks it will make a cool thesis…I guess?

The Posession Experiment actually holds a lot of potential as a s[iritual horror film….but it never comes close to exploring it.

October 15, 2018 0

Vulgar Display of Power Pt 6 (The Devil and Father Amorth, 2017)

Father Amorath was one of the Vatican’s most prominent Exorcists, in fact, he was the Exorcist in Chief. William Friedkin, the director of the original the Exorcist presents one of his final exorcisms in the film.

Friedkin notes that at the time of the original film, he had never witnessed an exorcism. He wanted to explore the topic, noting that he is a believer in the idea of supernatural forces.

He gives background into the film and book on which it was based, and the film includes bits of interviews with the late William Peter Blatty. He explains when he wrote the book, originally he had planned on writing an account of a true life event. However, as time had gone on, sensitivity for the family resulted in Blatty choosing to make a fictionalized tale.

Friedkin meets with Father Amorath, who agrees to let him witness and film an exorcism of an Italian woman named Christina (there is a stipulation that Friedkin must film it himself, without a film crew present).

Friedkin interviews the woman Christina(she is revealed to have been through nine unsuccessful Exorcisms, which kind of challenges the notion of the power of the ritual) and her family. But Friedkin also interviews mental health experts and neurologists. I admit, the voices Christina utters are certainly unsettling, but still, the film leaves some doors open, in spite of Friedkin’s personal lack of skepticism.

Its is an interesting documentary and Friedkin’s involvement gives it an interesting perspective. It is not truly conclusive, and I suspect will, much like Friedkin’s 1973 film will impact the viewer based on what they bring to the film. The faithful will feel affirmed, the skeptical will remain skeptical.

October 14, 2018 0

Vulgar Display of Power Pt 5 (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, 2005)

So, Paul Schrader completed his Exorcist movie. The studio did not like it. They hired Renny Harlan to make a whole new movie. It bombed. To try and recoup their losses, they released Paul Schrader’s film shortly after the Exorcist: the Beginning hit DVD.

So…uh…what did we get?

Well, the basic concept is the same as what we got from Renny Harlin’s film. There is a church discovered in Kenya where one should not be (in other words, it pre-dates the recorded arrival of Christianity in the region). Father Merrin, suffering a crisis of faith after a traumatic experience in World War II is the lead archeologist.

He finds himself facing off against a great evil that he will one day face again in the future. But this is pretty much where the similarity ends. There is no twist here as Merrin finds a young man with several physical deformities. The young man turns out to be more than they thought as Merrin and his friends attempt to save the boy and maybe even correct his weakened condition.

Dominion is definitely more thoughtful and nuanced, saving much of it’s special effects for the big exorcism battle between Merrin and the possessed young man. the film focuses heavily on the tension between the African locals and the occupying colonizing forces overseeing the excavation of the church. The film is pretty careful to avoid presenting the tribesmen as savages. They are certainly seen as superstitious, but not without reason. They believe the church houses evil, and the film certainly does not deny that. Merrin deals with tragedies within the small community of more westernized and Christian Kenyans.

There is a bit during the exorcism in which it is suggested the demonic has infected the entire region with the exploding conflicts between the military forces, the tribe of the region and the small modernized village.

The film has some more gruesome moments, and the exorcism is a bit of a spectacle. But the film is hurt by some rather weak digital effects (the digital animals look downright awful).

While Schrader clearly was going for something more thoughtful (and generally succeeds) the film is nowhere near as powerful as the first and third entries in the franchise. Dominion is significantly better than the Exorcist: the Beginning It is, however, not a great film, and the franchise closes with a bit of a whimper.

October 14, 2018 0

Vulgar Display of Power Pt 4 (the Exorcist: The Beginning, 2004)

Where was there to go, but back to the beginning? Father Merrin is on an archeological dig and having a crisis of faith. He is brought into see a Christian Church where none should be. Within the church they find a sarcophagus. All this work seems to set free a demon that is controlling the local animal population (mainly hyenas) and seems intent on reigning down destruction.

So…the movie is not really the interesting things. See, Morgan Creek had hired Paul Schrader (screenwriter of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and the Last Temptation of Christ) to write and direct the film. His intent was to create a intelligent psychological thriller. He was very vocal about this and when he turned in his completed film, the studio had a heart attack. Where was all the blood and guts?!

Schrader was fired and they brought in Renny Harlan. Harlan looked at the film, claimed it was “absolute shit” and said they would need to start from scratch. The studio signed Harlan on, almost the entire film got recast (in part because most of the cast refused to come back, the main exception being Stellan Skarsgård) and a completely knew story was created. They reshot about 90% of the film.

Renny did not, in the end, provide a superior product. The film is far more obsessed with gruesome imagrey and excessive violence than any of the previous films. It lacks any of the thoughts and nuances of the issues of faith and doubt in the first and third films. Harlan seems wholly uninterested in that.

A lot of the visuals have pretty bad digital touches and there are sequences that are meant to be dramatic that are downright comical.

The Exorcist: the Beginning was received…to say the least, poorly. Harlan gave the studio what they wanted, but he is not a director you go to for the thoughtful explorations mixed with horror that you need for the series.

And so, the studio got an idea when it was time to release the film on DVD. Why not also release Schrader’s cut? And that is how we got…

October 13, 2018 0

Vulgar Display of Power Pt 3 (The Exorcist III, 1990)

The Exorcist III (originally titled the Exorcist III: Legion) came thirteen years after the Heretic. It may have seemed like a pointless act to revisit the long dormant franchise. But the screenwriter of the first film (and author of the book upon which it was based) William Peter Blatty believed he had something to say.

Picking up seventeen years later, the film simply ignore the second film. Maybe it happened…but it has no bearing here. Lt Kinderman is older and wearier. His work has devastated hope within him.

When a young boy is murdered in a fashion related to a case from about the same time as the first film, he becomes convinced dark works of the Gemini killer have resumed. However, the one problem there is that the Gemini Killer has been dead for about 17 years. In spite of his lack of belief in any supernatural force for good, he starts to become desperate for answers, including talking to a mysterious patient that looks a lot like the late Father Karras.

Where as the second film veered off into insanity, Blatty seems far more determined to explore the questions of how can there be a good God in the face of all our depravity. Kinderman has looked at the face of man and found it wanting. He sees only the ugliness…the unworthiness. And this is what makes the film so compelling.

The sincerity that was the undercurrent of the first film is back. And for much of the film, Blatty is content to avoid the sensational, saving it for a dramatic confrontation with the Gemini Killer and the host of demons inhabiting the body of Father Karras.

George C. Scott takes over the role of Kinderman from the late Lee Cobb. He brings a wonderful gruff and tired feel. Brad Dourif brings his skills as a character actor portraying the face of the Gemini Killer. It is terrifically confident and angry. The Gemini Killer and the demons housed with him mock faith, they see his mission as a dark and unholy one to spread despair through violence and carnage.

My one criticism is the final resolution. In some ways it is reflective of the first film, but at the same time it chooses murder over sacrifice. It undermines the whole idea of Kinderman accepting a larger world. The film does not give many other options, and you can argue the spiritual forces of good intervene so that Kinderman can act…but still, I kind of wish Blatty would have chosen a different option.

The Exorcist III is a powerful watch and a definite gem.

October 13, 2018 1