Director: William Peter Blatty
Year: 1990
Country: USA
Alternate Titles:
Genre: Possession
Plot:
When a series of brutal killings rock a small town, the local police detective finds that they resemble a supposedly long-dead serial killer's work and finds the truth behind the deaths to be done by a possessed madman, forcing him to stop the deadly rampage before it's too late.
Review:
This is a rather surprisingly good film with a few flaws. One of the more engaging elements of this one is the fact that it goes for a more subdued series of scare tactics which is well appreciated. The main angle of the series of gruesome deaths that takes up the majority of the first half is basically taken up with discussions about the graphic murders being committed around the city or conducting their investigative tactics trying to tie it into the events in the past storyline. They help with a powerful tone that is really unsettling and manages to get the best out of very little. The storyline is quite brilliant, leaving very little in the way of confusion and the way it can connect with the original and take off where it left off is a fantastic feat.
The other really enjoyable aspect of this one is the series of fine jumpscares that are present here to help break up the monotony. The dream sequence moving through Heaven as a large Grand Central Station where he finds an old friend with his head stitched on who turns and utters a shocking line and holds a strong kick, the moment where a character enters a hospital ward and one of the patients is scuttling about on the ceiling behind them is a real jump and the nurse jump is among one of the finest shocks ever committed to the screen. These here make this one engaging as there's very little to find fault with in this one.
There are a couple things that come to mind with this one. One big issue is the fact that the ending is so out-of-place and over-the-top that it borders on the ludicrous in what it tries to pull off. Not only does it really ruin what could've been a brilliant movie, but it does little to stave off what was inevitable by being so tonally off from what had come before it. However, the other thing that really bothers is that the pace of the film is a real slog to get through. Very rarely does this one have anything happen as the film doesn't really need to be sped up and make things go quicker since the film does take its time in spelling things out as the investigations that take up the main part of the film don't really offer this one any kind of horror-based activity. It's the biggest problem that affects this one.
The cast here is as good as the lame material really allows for. Lt. William Kinderman, played by George C. Scott, is a calmer version of his usual self as the compassionate officer at the heart of the case. Sure, he does fall into his usual trap of becoming far too fiery at the wrong moment to be as loveable as he really should be, but he still imparts his usual air of authority and dignity to the material. His friend Father Joseph Dyer, played by Ed Flanders, isn't in this often but he does have a nice connection and their friendship is a nice part of the first half of the film. The only other part worthwhile here is the special patient James Venamum, the venerable Brad Dourif, who comes into the picture quite late but he does his usual routine with all the frenzied raving and foaming-at-the-mouth intensity that he always brings. It's a shame some of his dialog is dubbed over which is quite unappealing but overall it's still a decent performance. The rest of the cast performs well but doesn't have a memorable impression one way or another.
Overview: **.5/5
Frankly, this is a grossly overrated film that really does deserve a wider appeal despite the fact may be the most underrated film of all time. It's not for everyone, though, as what makes it an underrated film isn't exactly a popular theme. Take it with extreme caution.
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