Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Media Reviewed: UK DVD (Warner Bros)

Director: John Boorman
Starring: Linda Blair, Richard Burton, James Earl Jones, Louise Fletcher


A little while ago on this very site I posted a review of the infamous Troll 2, thought of by some as the worst movie ever made. Whilst Troll 2 is indeed a woeful exercise in filmmaking (definitely one to seek out for lovers of bad movies) there is one film that instantly springs to mind when I think about the worst movies ever made - Exorcist 2: The Heretic.

Many will agree with me when I say that The Exorcist is one of the greatest horror movies ever made, with its overwhelming atmosphere of dread throughout its duration, iconic soundtrack and some great performances from the cast. While any sequel to The Exorcist was never going to match its predecessor in any way, who would have thought that the first one would be so catastrophic?

John Boorman, director of the excellent Deliverance, was hired to direct the Exorcist sequel, but immediately this was a problem - he openly admitted to despising The Exorcist. His intentions were to create a completely different film in terms of feel and, in a sense, he succeeded. Exorcist II is nothing like The Exorcist and in the worst possible ways.

Regan (an older Linda Blair returning to the role) has relocated to New York and is undergoing psychological treatment for nightmares. Father Phillip Lamont (Burton) is sent to investigate the circumstances of the death of Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow returns in the form of flashbacks). Through some kind of ridiculous new hypnotic technique involving flashing lights in which a person may enter the subconscious of another it becomes apparent that the demon that possessed Regan is still there, lying dormant. Father Lamont learns that the demon's name is Pazuzu and later travels to Ethiopia in order to find a man named Kokumo (James Earl Jones) who has battled with the demon before.

As you will have noticed this film contains a few very well known names, James Earl Jones and Richard Burton in particular. Even these well known, well respected actors can't even bring any credibility to this film - Richard Burton looks like he doesn't want to be in the film and James Earl Jones spends a portion of the film dressed as a giant moth. It's such an unbelievable waste of talent.

The film tries to take The Exorcist into interesting new territory by exploring the demon Pazuzu's origins and taking Father Lamont into bizarre African locations, but the script is so bad (laughable at times) that the film makes very little sense and - most importantly - leaves the viewer bored throughout the duration of the film.

Those who defend this film often say that it's the change of tone and ideas that make this film worth watching (and indeed is why it may hold an appeal for those who disliked the original), but as a sequel to The Exorcist, a film that still manages to chill people to this day, it just doesn't work. It's like making a sequel to Blazing Saddles without any jokes. The only possible positives I can think of about this film are that it's occasionally quite good-looking, the Ennio Morricone score is unfittingly good (the only talent associated with this film that was fully used) and Linda Blair's refusal to wear a bra throughout the duration of the film. However, none of these positives make Exorcist II worth watching and the film still turns out as an abject failure.

Exorcist II: The Heretic was a commercial failure too, and rightly so, with test audiences laughing the film off the screen. John Boorman was forced to recut the film slightly, removing certain scenes. It was followed up by The Exorcist III, which was much better than it had any right to be.

Note that this trailer makes the film look far more entertaining than it actually is.