ABCs of Horror: Exorcist III

On the Book of Faces, I was nominated to take part in the ABCs of Horror. Each day, I’ll post a favorite horror movie in alphabetical order.

Day 5: E Is for The Exorcist III.
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My understanding is that William Peter Blatty hated Friedkin’s adaptation of his classic novel to the point that neither would speak to each other for decades. When Hollywood decided to adapt his novel Legion, Blatty signed on as director.
Friedkin’s The Exorcist remains a classic, a terrifying picture that has lost none of its power. General consensus states Blatty’s picture suffers only by comparison, but I don’t think it’s a fair one. The Exorcist III is a thoughtful, uncanny horror effort, with terror deriving from its intellectual approach to the material as well as visuals that just feel…off. Some of it is extremely funny—I cannot hear George C. Scott’s Kinderman complaining about the fish in his bathtub without cackling—which only amplifies the terror—the screams from a confessional as the camera slowly zooms in on onlookers never fails to fill my veins with Freon.