Final Act Fail
THE LAST EXORCISM Starring Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum
Directed by Daniel Stamm Written by Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland Lionsgate
Anyone looking for Exorcist-style histrionics and
head-spinning may be disappointed by The Last Exorcism, for it’s simply not that type of film. Es- chewing the supernatural pea soup-drenched ap- proach for a more earthly, psychological one, the film tells the tale of Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), an evangelical preacher who no longer believes in God but will gladly perform ex- orcisms for a price. His guilt catches up with him and he decides to perform (wait for it…) one last exorcism, during which he will be followed by a film crew that will document his every sleight of hand. Though it’s Marcus’ intent to prove that all exor- cisms are bunk (and dangerous to boot), he runs into real danger when he arrives at the Sweetzer farm, where sixteen-year-old Nell (Ashley Bell) has been acting oddly – you know, slaughtering the livestock and swearing. Unlike The Exorcist, there are no definite an-
swers in The Last Exorcism, and the film will have you guessing right up to the end about Nell’s af- fliction – is she really possessed, or is she suffering some other very real trauma? Both possibilities are explored as Marcus’ faith vacillates and Nell’s story is revealed. It’s a smart psychological horror film, enhanced by Bell’s remarkable performance as the troubled girl. There’s no CGI or ghoulish makeup at play here; every dislo- cated shoulder and unnat- ural backbend owes to the actress’ extraordinary physicality. It keeps the movie grounded in an ex- tremely uncomfortable re- ality, which is far more disturbing than any com- puterized wall-crawling could hope to be. The Last Exorcism is a
very strong, very frighten- ing film that’s unfortu- nately undermined by a shockingly derivative ending that asks more ques- tions than it answers. Sure, you’ll talk about the film long after it’s over, but is that on account of the philosophical questions that arise, or because of the numerous plot holes? The topic of man’s re- lationship with religion is in question, but also “Who unearthed this found footage? Why was there per- fectly timed, scary music in a ‘documentary?’ And that ending... it made no sense, right?” When all is said and done, your relationship with The Last Ex- orcismcould easily go one way or the other – much like the story of Nell Sweetzer.
STACIE PONDER RM46
Little Girl Green: Sharon shows Father Karras a message written on Regan’s stomach, and (inset) a prop Linda Blair head used during the climax of the film.
abandon the project in pre-production due to health issues. Paul Schrader (director of Cat People, al- though probably best known as the screenwriter of Taxi Driver) stepped in and completed the prequel, only to have it rejected by studio Morgan Creek for not being gory enough. It was subsequently handed off to Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Deep Blue Sea) for re-shooting. The finished product was roundly trashed by crit-
ics and Blatty is very much in agreement with that consensus, although quick to leap to the defence of long-time critical whipping boy Harlin. “I in no way blame Harlin. From past experience with Morgan Creek, I have very little doubt that the vile, disgrace- ful and embarrassingly ludicrous end sequence of his version was forced upon him.” Schrader’s version, Dominion: Prequel to the
Exorcist, was later released straight to video and, not surprisingly, fared somewhat better with fans and the press. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Blatty himself called it “a handsome, classy, elegant piece of work.” He is adamant, however, that his own in-
volvement with any further Exorcist films is unequivocally over, and flatly states his wish that no one else attempts another sequel: “I pray the rosary every night that this never will happen, especially as sequel rights are in the hands of Morgan Creek.” Blatty certainly doesn’t need another kick
at the franchise, seeing as he’s one of the busiest octogenarians in the entertainment industry. Al-
though he never had another hit on par with The Exorcist – and complains that its success ba- sically destroyed his career as a comedy screenwriter – he remains prolific, with two novels published this year and more to come. One of them may even lead to him re-teaming with Friedkin. “Dimiter, a supernatural sus-
pense thriller set mostly in Jerusalem, is a novel that’s
been out and around since mid-March. Billy Fried- kin is eager to direct it as a film, which would be our one and only other teaming since The Exor- cist,” says Blatty, who flat-out proclaims the book his best work to date. “Crazy will be in the bookstalls November 9.”
he adds. “[It’s] a total departure from demons and terror. Hard to describe it – let’s try Portrait of Jennie meets The Catcher in the Rye. It’s in the voice of a grammar school boy who meets a girl named Jane Bent, who disappears for years and then shows up again as a five-year-old in a Coney Island funhouse before disappearing yet again until the end of the narrator’s life when she ap- pears in a startling and heartwarming ending.” Don’t think Blatty has given up on the genre,
though, or on The Exorcist entirely. He reveals, “One [upcoming project] is the
‘novel of terror’ I’m currently working on for my publisher, Tom Doherty of Forge Books; a second is a stage version of The Exorcist that I commis- sioned the wonderful John Pielmeier [Agnes of God] to write that will open next year at The Alley Theatre in Houston before moving from there to Broadway.” Thirty-seven years later and it seems that The
Exorcist will always haunt Blatty in one way or an- other, but that’s okay with him. Though mindful that changing times and certain external influences may colour the way new generations of fans view this classic film, he’s gratified that the final effect on most audiences re- mains largely unchanged. “For a time, after a million comedy riffs had been done by Richard Pryor – ‘The bed... is on... my foot!’ – and on Saturday Night Live, young teens would gig- gle at certain iconic scenes. Though by the end,” he says with un- mistakable satisfaction, “the audience is deadly quiet and sometimes stunned.”
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