Review: The Exorcist III

Dir: William Peter Blatty

Cast: George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller

Theatrical Release Date: 1990

Category: Horror

Reviewed By: Lorelei

Plot: When New York is jolted by a series of hideous murders, tough, skeptical Police Lt. Kinderman can. t make sense of it. They seem to have been committed by the Gemini Killer, who was executed fifteen years before. Could this be the work of & Satan?

DVD Special Features: Widescreen, Interactive Menus, Scene Selection, Original Theatrical Trailer, English and French

The Good: This is one of the creepiest movies out there. The murders are horrifying in concept, and once the supernatural bit starts, it' s the stuff of nightmares. The writing is just spectacular (of course; it was written and directed by William Peter Blatty, based on Legion, his own sequel to The Exorcist).

George C. Scott is wonderful as the gruff Lt. Kinderman. Watching his skepticism turn to horrified, reluctant belief is fascinating. But the real showstopper is Brad Dourif, as the demonically-assisted Gemini Killer. He gives as intense a performance as you' re ever going to see on film.

The direction is excellent, original, and genuinely scary. It' s a crying shame that no one went to see this film (mainly because "The Exorcist II" bit so hard). It really is a masterpiece.

The Bad: I don' t think there is anything bad about "Exorcist III", other than the fact that it was Jeffrey Dahmer' s favorite movie. If you watch it, I' m afraid you' re going to have to think this is no brainless slasher flick. There' s very little gore, and most of the really ghastly stuff is implied rather than shown. This may be a problem for the imagination-challenged.

Bottom Line: If you love horror, this is a movie you don' t want to miss. Plus, it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "the devil made me do it."