Underrated Horror Movies: Exorcist III

I have long believed Exorcist III to be one of the most underrated horror films of all time. It's part horror and part who-done-it and has fine acting performances from George C. Scott and the always fantastic Brad Dourif.

George C. Scott is Lt. Kindermann, a Georgetown detective on the case of a serial killer targeting religious leaders. (Scott takes over the role of Kindermann from Lee Cobb.) The extreme nature of the murders isn't the worst part, however. The murders strongly resemble those of the Gemini Killer. The problem is, Gemini Killer died fifteen years prior to these murders.

Kindermann's investigation leads him to a mental hospital where he finds "Patient X", portrayed by Jason Miller. (Miller played Father Damian Karras in the original Exorcist.) Kindermann is astonished at the patient's resemblance to his friend Father Karras, who was presumed dead after Reagan McNeil's exorcism. And it is here we discover something truly sinister is going on as Patient X is now possessed by the same demons vanquished from Reagan. As fans of the first film will remember, these demons are quite the motherfucker to get rid of.

Brad Dourif plays the possessed version of Patient X and once again completely nails it. Imagine Chucky on PCP and this is what Dourif's performance was like. It's beyond chilling and one of the creepiest performances I have ever seen in a horror film. Dourif makes his demonic possession look real and so intense you can feel the hatred these demons have for God. It will bring chills up your spine.

Now, we all know a mental patient isn't leaving the hospital to commit murders. So obviously the demons are jumping into other bodies to carry out the murders and returning to their host in the mental ward who may or may not be Father Karras. This makes catching a killer a bit difficult, wouldn't you think? But Kindermann persists and with the assistance of Father Dyer (another returning character from the original) they chip away at the demon's hold on Patient X. Father Dyer is played here by Ed Flanders who takes over the role from William O'Malley. Flanders is brilliant, especially in the scenes he shares with Scott.

Also providing fantastic performances in smaller roles are Nicol Williamson and Nancy Fish.

Exorcist III is a suspenseful and creepy movie. It has just enough gore to give viewers an idea of how malevolent the demons are. The acting is fantastic. It is truly a sin how underrated this movie is and how few people have actually seen it. Do yourself a favor and check your local used DVD store for this film. You won't be disappointed. After all, Jeffrey Dahmer claimed this film as his all-time favorite. If that doesn't make you want to see it...

Pay close attention for cameos from Larry King, Fabio and Samuel L. Jackson.

Exorcist III was written and directed by Willam Peter Blatty.


Thanks for reading, it is much appreciated. I hope your Halloween season has been fun. And as always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.


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One Hell Of A Good Curse

In Curse of Chucky everyone's favorite evil doll gets back to what he does best: being a dick and killing people. It steers away from the camp and comedy which dominated the two previous films, Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky. In Curse, Chucky once again gets nasty.

Sarah and her wheel-chair bound daughter Nica live in an old country home. Sarah spends her days painting and heavily medicated (The reason for the latter is explained later.) while Nica dreams of leaving. One afternoon a mysterious package shows up for Sarah containing Chucky. There is no return address or accompanying letter. And almost on cue, Chucky begins saying his famous, child-friendly quips. Of course, neither woman is impressed and Chucky is thrown in the garbage. Later that night, Sarah commits suicide. Allegedly.

The following day, Nica's remaining family descends upon her -- sister Barbie, brother-in-law Ian and niece Alice. Also among the group are Alice's nanny, Jill and Nica's former priest, Father Frank. After a dinner of lovingly prepared vegetarian chili, bad things start to happen. And I am not talking about heartburn.

One of the coolest things about Curse of Chucky is Brad Dourif's real life daughter, Fiona, plays Nica. (Fans of the series know Brad as the voice of Chucky.) She's charming as a young woman who is innocent and sheltered but also tough and determined. Her war of words with Chucky near the end of the film is fantastic. As you undoubtedly noticed, I said that was one of the coolest things. The other very cool thing about this movie is Brad Dourif appears as Charles Lee Ray for the first time since the original film, Child's Play. Since Charles Lee Ray was killed in Child's Play, his appearance in this film should have your "twist senses" on overload.

Nica's house guests are annoying and sometimes just downright fucktarded. Barbie is a bitch who lacks subtlety and is horrible at hiding things. Ian is an unmotivated doofus. Alice is far to whiny for a girl her age and Jill is just fucking stupid. The only tolerable one among them is Father Frank and sadly he gets the least amount of screen time. (That's the only blatant plot hint I am giving you.) The guests try to settle in but as it goes with these movies, people start dropping one by one. There is distrust and paranoia. And well, you know how all that goes in these movies.

Although Ian's character is a doofus, he does give the best line of the film: "It's just a doll. What's the worst that could happen?" As always, Chucky delivers his sarcastic comments and straight-up asshole one-liners we have all grown to love.

Fans of the series who tolerated the previous two films as I did will love this one. (Although Jennifer Tilly was wonderful in Bride and Seed.) Oh FYI, that's another hint. Not a plot hint, but you know damn well there will be another sequel. Curse is one hell of a fun movie and horror fans and fans of Chucky all need to get the popcorn ready, grab a beverage, turn the lights off and enjoy this movie! If the characters weren't so annoying it would have been an "A" for sure. However, points get deducted when I actually want to see people die. So Curse of Chucky gets a solid "B".

Oh let me give a big P.S. -- watch through the end credit. Just sayin...


There will be many more horror related entries to come as Halloween draws near. Thanks for reading this one. If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.



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