'The Exorcist III' (1990): An Appreciation

❉ Nick Clement revisits the underrated gem that outshines its weaker sequels and modern reboots.

“I have hobbies. In the meantime, we have cancer and mongoloid babies and murderers, monsters prowling the planet, even prowling this neighborhood, Father… right now, while our children suffer… and our loved ones die, and your God goes waltzing blithely through the universe like some kind of cosmic Billie Burke.”

This is an insane film made by an exuberant filmmaker who may have been going personally insane while production was occurring. There’s no rational way to fully account for the madness that’s depicted in William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist III (currently available in absolutely glorious 4K UHD/ Blu-ray by the fine folks at Scream Factory, the horror genre offshoot of Shout! Factory), but given the film’s extreme cult reputation, and how this series has just been given a re-jigger by Universal Pictures and director David Gordon Green (the recent Halloween reboot), it seems fitting that a work of this unhinged magnitude would find its way into the collections of film fans from a boutique label; simply put, there would never be any way in which this particular film could ever have been made other than how it went down back in the day, and via the original creative team.

Released in 1990, set 15 years after William Friedkin’s original masterpiece, and ignoring the events of 1977’s much derided The Exorcist II: The Heretic, Blatty’s wild and crazy narrative is based on his 1983 novel, Legion, and follows Police Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott), who notices similarities between his current murder investigation and the methods used by the Gemini killer (Brad Dourif), who was executed 15 years before. Kinderman soon discovers a hospitalized mental patient (Jason Miller) claiming to be the dead serial killer, but who looks uncannily like a priest Kinderman knew who died during an exorcism. As more bodies are found, Kinderman looks for connections between the two supposedly dead men. The film also starts Ed Flanders, Scott Wilson, Barbara Baxley, and Nicol Williamson.

The Exorcist III, is, if nothing else, wildly entertaining, and serves as a great companion piece to Blatty’s other directorial effort, 1980’s The Ninth Configuration (aka Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane), because both films feel like the genuine works of a cinematic madman, a filmmaker shooting for the moon in terms of technique and themes, and because both films feel so completely and utterly singular in their almost cosmic visions of psychological horror. Gerry Fisher’s in your face cinematography conjures up some impressive passages of visual storytelling, while Barry De Vorzon’s creepy and at times operatic musical score delivers the aural goods.

The team at Scream Factory/Shout! have done a fantastic job with their 4K restoration of the theatrical cut, while the film’s now-legendary director’s cut is presented in standard definition, having been assembled from a mixture of footage shared in common with the theatrical cut (which comes from the same new scan and looks very good) with new footage that only survives on VHS dupes of the production dailies. You can guess how that stuff looks in comparison, but in terms of being an artifact.

The development of the project is fascinating. Blatty, who wrote the 1971 novel The Exorcist and the screenplay for its 1973 film adaptation, conceived The Exorcist III with Friedkin attached to direct. When Friedkin left the project, Blatty adapted the script into the novel Legion. John Carpenter was approached by Blatty to direct, but ultimately decided against it. Financier Morgan Creek Productions bought the film rights, with Blatty attached as director. To Blatty’s frustration, Morgan Creek demanded extensive last-minute changes, including the addition of an exorcism sequence at the film’s climax. The Exorcist III was released in the United States on August 17, 1990, by 20th Century Fox, receiving mixed reviews from critics, with a global box office tally of around $45 million, off of an $11 million budget.

Bonus Features for UHD/Blu-ray

DISC ONE: 4K UHD (THEATRICAL CUT)

NEW 2022 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
In Dolby Vision (HDR 10 compatible)
Audio: NEW 2023 Restoration Of The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 And 5.1 Tracks

DISC TWO: BLU-RAY (THEATRICAL CUT)

NEW 2022 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
NEW 2023 Restoration Of The Stereo And 5.1 Track
Audio: NEW 2023 Restoration Of The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 And 5.1 Tracks
Deleted Scene/Alternate Takes/Bloopers
Deleted Prologue
Vintage Interviews (Featuring Behind-The-Scenes Footage) With Writer/Director William Peter Blatty, George C. Scott, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, And More…
Vintage Featurette
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Photo Galleries

DISC THREE: BLU-RAY (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

William Peter Blatty’s Director’s Cut – LEGION, Assembled From The Interpositive And Select Scenes From The VHS Dallies, Approved By William Peter Blatty
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Audio Interview With Writer/Director William Peter Blatty
Death, Be Not Proud: The Making Of THE EXORCIST III – Feature-Length, Five-Chapter Documentary On The Making Of The Film Featuring Interviews With Actor Brad Dourif, Production Designer Lesley Dilley, Composer Barry De Vorzon, Producer Carter Dehaven, And More.

❉ The Exorcist III – Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray [4K UHD]:

❉ Nick Clement is a freelance writer, having contributed to Variety Magazine, Hollywood- Elsewhere, Awards Daily, Back to the Movies, and Taste of Cinema and is a regular contributor to We Are Cult. He’s currently writing a book about the works of filmmaker Tony Scott.

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