The Exorcist III is a 1990 American supernatural psychological horror film written for the screen and directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1983 novel Legion.
Initially designed to be a standalone adaptation of that novel (hence the anachronistic elements which contradict Friedkin's adaptation of The Exorcist), the final cut wound up being an official entry in the filmed series due to Morgan Creek demanding extensive last-minute changes — including the insistence of bringing back a key cast member from the 1973 film, as well as an exorcism sequence for the climax — much to Blatty's frustration.
[9][10] The Exorcist III was released in the United States on August 17, 1990, by 20th Century Fox as part of their multi-picture deal with Morgan Creek that commenced in 1987 and concluded in 1991, when the latter switched distribution through Warner Bros. Pictures.
A man walking on the street speaks about a dream of "falling down a long flight of steps", suggesting that someone is committing murders linked to Karras' death.
Riley suggests he talk to Father Paul Morning, who handled an exorcism in the Philippines and that "his hair turned white overnight" as a result.
The Gemini Killer possesses another elderly patient (Viveca Lindfors), who leaves the hospital disguised as a nurse and attempts to murder Kinderman and his family at their home.
The attack abruptly ends when Father Morning arrives at the hospital to confront Karras, having sensed a calling to perform another exorcism.
William Peter Blatty, who wrote The Exorcist novel and the screenplay for its film adaptation, initially had no desire to write a sequel.
Despite the critical and commercial failure of the previous sequel, Warner Bros. was keen to proceed with Blatty and Friedkin's plans for another Exorcist film.
George C. Scott signed up for the role, impressed by Blatty's screenplay: "It's a horror film and much more… It's a real drama, intricately crafted, with offbeat interesting characters… and that's what makes it genuinely frightening.
"[12] Several cast members from Blatty's previous film The Ninth Configuration (1980) appear in The Exorcist III: Jason Miller, reprising the role of Father Damien Karras from The Exorcist (billed only as "Patient X" in the end credits); Ed Flanders, taking on the role of Father Dyer (previously played by William O'Malley); and Scott Wilson.
Zohra Lampert, who plays Kinderman's wife, is remembered for her lead role in another horror film, 1971's Let's Scare Jessica to Death.
"[12] 20th Century Fox put up an additional $4 million in post production to film an effects-laden exorcism sequence featuring Nicol Williamson as Father Morning, a character added just for the new climax.
[15] The novel ends with the Gemini Killer summoning Kinderman to his cell for a final speech and then willingly dropping dead after his alcoholic, abusive father, a Christian evangelist, dies a natural death from a heart attack.
In both novel and early screenplay, the Gemini Killer's motives for his murders are also given further context via a long series of flashbacks that portray his and his brother's childhood and their relationship with their father.
The Exorcist III was first released in October 1989 in the European MIFED Film Market and then opened in 1,288 theaters in the United States on August 17, 1990.
Blair claimed that Exorcist III was rush-released ahead of Repossessed, hijacking the latter's publicity and forcing the comedy to be released a month later than was originally intended.
"[16] British film critic Mark Kermode called it "a restrained, haunting chiller which stimulates the adrenaline and intellect alike",[17] and New York Times reviewer Vincent Canby said "The Exorcist III is a better and funnier (intentionally) movie than either of its predecessors.
"[18] Critic Brian McKay of efilmcritic.com remarked that the movie is "not quite as chilling as the first story" yet "is at least a quality sequel", being worth watching but suffering from many "uneven" aspects.
He additionally labeled The Exorcist III "an ash-gray disaster [that] has the feel of a nightmare catechism lesson, or a horror movie made by a depressed monk".
[19] In the British magazine Empire, film critic Kim Newman claimed that "the major fault in Exorcist III is the house-of-cards plot that is constantly collapsing.
George C. Scott was also nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor but lost to Andrew Dice Clay for The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.
[citation needed] Despite his misgivings about the studio-imposed reshoots, Blatty remarked on his pride in the finished version of Exorcist III: "It's still a superior film.
In 2007, Blatty's wife reported on a fan site that "my husband tells me that it is Morgan Creek's claim that they have lost all the footage, including an alternative opening scene, in which Kinderman views the body of Karras in the morgue, right after his fall down the steps."
[24] Some pictures (lobby cards, stills) show a few deleted scenes from Blatty's original cut of the film: In March 2011, a fan edit called "Legion" appeared on the Internet, credited to a fan using the pseudonym Spicediver, which removed all exorcism elements and recreated the main story arc of the director's cut without the use of any lost footage.
In 2012, cast member Dourif agreed to present a screening of the fan edit at the Mad Monster Party horror convention held in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 25.
We are working on putting together a version that will be close to Blatty's original script using a mixture of various film and videotape sources that we have been provided with."
In speaking to the process of creating the Legion director's cut, Blu-ray producer Cliff MacMillan explains further as to the journey to get there and the outcome: "We conducted an exhaustive search through a pallet of film assets from the original shoot to re-create William Peter Blatty's intended vision.
Dahmer went so far as to purchase yellow contact lenses to more resemble Miller, as well as to emulate another film character he admired, Emperor Palpatine from Return of the Jedi (1983).
[30] The player character is an unnamed detective in a role similar to Kinderman's, venturing through horror environments and encountering demonic entities.