venusboys3 Reviews

Super Dark Times (2017)

Pretty tense... until the end.

[8/10 · 18 July 2022]

I don't hate the ending, but right up until a certain door was entered... well, it was all a bit Schrodinger's cat, not really knowing the truth of much of it.

All across the board it was a well-made, well-acted movie.

I guess my main question is why the final moments of the movie chose to focus on a character who was... well, not the protagonist and not going to answer any of the questions that remained hanging.

Still, very much worth a watch... I'd put it on a double feature with Summer of 84, another 'kids on bikes' psychodrama/thriller/something.

Sweetheart (I) (2019)

Pretty good monster movie

[7/10 · 23 October 2020]

This was a decent update of a 'Creature From The Black Lagoon' sort of tale. It helps that the actress playing the primary character is likeable and believable. The character is clever and resourceful, never a frail victim in need of rescue, which is nice to see, but she's not some implausible super-waif who suddenly becomes an expert survivalist and fighter. There's not a lot of story, though there are some intriguing hints of a backstory... suggesting that the character we are watching is being transformed by her experiences on the island. There are some mildly gory bits, but it's not all that violent. The creature itself is a bit 'meh', but it will do. I'm giving it an extra star because I like the extra bit of mystery surrounding the character and her friends.

Castle of Evil (1966)

An enjoyably standard spookfest

[7/10 · 17 August 2019]

I only recently got a chance to see this again, last having seen it as a little kid. It's not breaking any new ground but I think it stands as a good example of the 'Old Dark House' variety spook movie. The technical aspects are the weak spot here, it's blandly lit and everything is presented in a matter-of-fact way... sucking out most of the atmosphere (but not all). The actors all do a good job with the minimal writing. I was particularly taken with Virginia Mayo who seemed to actually be enjoying it somewhat.

NO, it's not really scary... but it's got a mood to it and a few creepy moments that kept me watching... and frankly it's more entertaining that most of the bottom-shelf stuff I find on Amazon lately.

The Hatred (2018)

Nope... didn't get better as I watched

[3/10 · 7 July 2019]

I started this and was pretty much immediately put off. Heavy metal soundtrack over civil war soldiers, flat line delivery to cover up lack of acting skills... too many jarring anachronisms. If you're going to insist on putting your story in a different era, do some freaking research and have the money to spend on selling it to the audience. Otherwise, just change it to be modern day.

There wasn't much to this, it wasn't clever or scary or shocking or surprising... just a long slog to the end. Oh well.

Meridian (II) (2016)

I was into it, till he went into the cave...

[4/10 · 15 April 2019]

Style over substance. Great period setting, the guy playing the police captain was perfect for the part... and the setup was intriguing. But once he goes into the cave... meh! Like they didn't have a real idea, just the setup (see Yellowbrickroad). Also, the 'girl' was just mundane pretty... nothing weird or unearthly about how she looked... needed someone 'scary pretty'... Tilda Swinton or Amanda Plummer-ish.

Widows (2018)

Really good despite the caper

[8/10 · 21 December 2018]

The only parts of this movie that felt ordinary or weak were the actual scenes of the crimes. Those weren't anything special and the initial event that drives the plot forward felt a bit far-fetched when all is revealed. Just to pat. I would have been fine if they women had just called off their scheme, sold the notebook, and gone on with their lives for the last quarter of the film. The performances and the writing were at a much higher level than the conspiracy/heist elements.

Death by Invitation (1971)

A Hint of Jean Rollin

[8/10 · 9 December 2018]

This is a strange movie, in a good way. At times it reminded me of Jean Rollin's early vampire movies... but without the nudity to push the outre nature of the creatures. Like Rollin's films and some others of this era, there is no real attempt at realism... and even the plot is just there to string along moments that, for me at least, capture something much more mysterious than what's going on at the surface. Who or what is 'Lise'? Reincarnated witch? Demon? Possessed woman? The film doesn't bother with that trivia... she's just there, a friend of the daughter. I'm not entirely sure if the flashbacks to a witch trial might have been an afterthought, to provide clearer motivation for Lise's actions. The whole 'witch's revenge' plot doesn't gibe with Lise's 'Southern Tribes' story. Without the flashbacks I would have loved this movie even more! What's going on with the scene where Jake and Peter meet at the office... barely able to hear each other over the aggressively bland music Peter has playing? It's something right out of David Lynch.

No, not all the acting is great... but I think that barely matters. The two leads are great at conveying the ambiguities of their characters. Even the guy playing Peter never quite crosses over into the ridiculous overacting I was anticipating.

This is one of those movies for the patient, who can sift the gold from the ashes and appreciate the intent rather than the execution. In the moments of this movie where it works, it really is something special.

Hereditary (2018)

Strange and Haunting

[9/10 · 25 June 2018]

I watched this last night and it kinda freaked me out. NOT, because of the plot and events... which familiar stuff to anyone who has watched a lot of horror films... but because of the way it does things... the raw emotions on display and the pacing that defies Hollywood convention. It's disturbing in how it removes certain comfortable cinematic standards to amp up the horror. Most of the horror here is expressed between the characters... not running from some rubber monster. It takes risks, I'm sure a number of viewers saw comedy where I saw horror... saw bad acting where I saw performances I'm not used to seeing in American films. This isn't an overtly 'BOO!' scary movie... no jump scares... it's a slow build to a haunting feeling that stuck with me till... well, it's still with me. It's not for everyone, I saw it alone because I knew my friends aren't horror fans and wouldn't 'get it'. But it's above and beyond what I hoped for going in (knowing pretty much nothing about it).

Anyway, great horror movie... if you love horror movies like The Haunting, The Witch, The Invitation... things without overt in-your-face monsters and BOO! moments.

The Devil's Business (2011)

The Dumbwaiter, reimagined by Dennis Wheatley

[7/10 · 22 April 2018]

I don't get why so many here are accusing this film of 'ripping off' Kill List. It's obviously and occult version of Harold Pinter's play The Dumbwaiter... given an occult twist. One of the characters is even named 'Pinner' as a nod to its inspiration. In truth, the earlier parts of the movie, that more closely resemble that play, are a lot creepier than the later, bloodier, bits. Still, it's a good show and kept me entertained all the way through. It is very minimal... just a few (good) actors and a couple of filming locations... but what need would it have for more? As it is it makes perfect sense without a bunch of unnecessary bloat to dilute its story.

I'd be quite interested to see what it's creators make next.

Nightworld: Door of Hell (2017)

Atmospheric but weak remake of The Sentinel

[3/10 · 19 March 2018]

I was going along with it for a while, but at some point this movie, despite its good looks, started to ring false. It baits the viewer along with a series of moody moments in a baroque old house... nothing really happening except for jump-scare dreams and some implausible sex. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before under better conditions. Nothing is explained until the exposition dump near the end... followed by some running around and a very unscary demon-lady (you know she's a demon because they use a 'scary' voice for her). The final scene of Nightworld might have worked better for me if I didn't know it was borrowed wholesale from Carnivale.

This is basically a remake of a 70's movie called The Sentinel (which was, in turn, based on a book). Not that the original is anything amazing, but at least its better written and acted.

I'd say skip Nightworld, or just watch the last 15 minutes and you'll get the gist. Maybe track down The Sentinel and give that a watch.

The Hatchet Man (1932)

A Fascinating Tale Of Tradition And Honor

[8/10 · 14 December 2017]

I'm sure everyone has to mention the most obvious thing about this movie, that nearly all the characters are Chinese played by non-chinese actors. But this is no Charlie Chan with silly accents. None of the actors engage in cheap stereotypes. There's nothing here that's anywhere near as embarrassing as Mickey Rooney's Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's... or, much more recently, Johnny Depp's version of Tonto in The Lone Ranger. The story itself depicts the Chinese American community in a generally favorable light... despite its focus being on the Tongs of San Francisco's Chinatown. Robinson's Tong assassin is an honorable and admirable man, despite his profession.

So with that out of the way, this was a pretty great story and Robinson's character is complex. He wants to be free of his violent past as an assassin for the Tong, he wants to acclimate to life in the U.S. and be a good citizen... but he's also tied to tradition and sworn oaths. It's was less formulaic than I'd expect, I wasn't quite sure where it was leading till I was 3/4 through it. Seeing as it's pre-code it's not as overtly moralistic as later films. It looks great too. There are some nice sets and costumes and Ms. Young was particularly elegant. It's not a happy story, but it's entertaining and unusual. I'm kind of surprised someone hasn't remade it, with a less controversial cast.

XX (2017)

A cut above the rest...

[8/10 · 22 October 2017]

I watched this with a friend tonight for our October horror movie night and was quite impressed. It's pretty clever all the way through, doesn't fall into the trap of many horror anthologies of playing for laughs or going too heavy on the gore. There is some good gore in this, but not a lot and nothing gratuitous... it's in service to the story, not the goal of the story, if that makes sense. It also didn't strain at its budget and try to pull of FX that weren't really necessary to the stories... as it often does, this lack of visual spectacle ended up making each story more intimate and focused on the characters.

The first segment was quite intriguing and I really liked how it resisted giving a simple/dumb explanation for what's going on. It sent my head to some odd places, thinking about food and our need to eat. My wasn't as pleased with it as I was, I think she wanted more exposition/explanation. I was surprised that it was based on a story by Jack Ketchum because it was less visceral and more cerebral than most of his stories... creepy and weird.

The second segment was much more humorous, but just as sinister in its way... being as it's about the pressures put on women of a certain class of society. The scene at the end with all the children and their mothers spilling into the house... their clothes and costumes and hair... it was hilarious and horrific at the same time. Again, my friend didn't particularly care for that segment but I think she didn't see the horror in it.

The third segment was the most overtly 'horror-movie' fare.It's about some campers who pick the wrong place to spend the night. Well done but nothing too surprising about it. It was my least favorite segment by far, but my friend liked it best.

The fourth segment was very clever indeed. It's a sequel of a sort to a famous horror film of the 60s... though it also serves as an alternate ending to the film. I wonder how many people will pick up on its hints as to that provenance... and I'm not sure it matters. My friend wouldn't have picked up on it if I hadn't pointed it out to her. It's also the segment I'd most like to go on about... but that would be hard to do without massive spoilers.

There wasn't a bad segment in this, IMO. The third one was a bit average, but still not bad. The animated segments between the stories were fun too... a bit like lighter-hearted Brothers Quay shorts.

Super (I) (2010)

A cure-all for those of us sick of Hollywood superheroes!

[9/10 · 21 August 2017]

I was skeptical going into this... mostly because Kick-Ass hadn't fulfilled it's promise (or what I'd read into it's previews as a promise) to let the air out of the superhero genre and show it's vigilante justice feet of clay. In the end that movie was a celebration of the same crap it ought to have condemned, or at least left a bit more ambiguous.

SUPER is pretty much everything I'd hoped Kick-Ass would have been. It's brutal and violent and its heroes are less-than-sane, or even all that smart. There is humor to it, dark humor, but it's layered over something closer to a horror movie, except you're on the side of the psychopath doing the bloodletting.

The end is still a bit implausible/saccharine/familiar for me... but I've got really nihilistic tastes.

All-in-all SUPER is pretty great, especially if you've had your fill of the Hollywood caped crusaders and want something to freshen the air a bit.

Judas Ghost (2013)

Not much to it

[5/10 · 5 August 2017]

I've been watching a lot of these 'ghost chaser' type movies lately... a lot of them are first person and often feature a group of amateurs who aren't really expecting much to happen... then get in over their heads. Judas Ghost differs in that the protagonists are supposedly seasoned professionals who have dealt with many verified hauntings along an established spectrum of difficulty/danger. In that way they're more like the academics in Ghostbusters than the dumb college kids in The Blair Witch Project. Also, seeing as the supernatural is an established and 'known' thing going in for these characters it does away with any chicanery of verisimilitude... it's pure fantasy from the get-go. The 'psychic' character is as powerful and reliable as their technology. Their techniques are scientific and magical. In a way, it's a bit more like a low-powered superhero movie or an episode of Dr. Who. And like Dr. Who, it felt a lot like a low budget TV show.

All in all, it wasn't very interesting and certainly not suspenseful or scary. Not particularly gory either. The writing is adequate but pedestrian. The acting is good enough. The special effects are TV quality and, again, adequate. It would be passable as a standard episode of some second-string occult show like Friday The 13th: The Series but as a movie? It's pretty weak stuff.

The Dunwich Horror (1970)

Weird and Creepy!

[8/10 · 20 May 2017]

This movie has something of a reputation as a stinker, but having watched just watched it again I am not sure why that is.

It does stick fairly close to the story, up to a point. The main deflection is that Wilbur Whately is the primary villain, whereas in the story... well, he wasn't such a looker to be picking up naive students and he checks out early on. Still, I think the movie made a good choice in keeping Wilbur around and giving him a creepy allure. His motivation here is more about getting revenge on the townies who mocked him than it is getting into Sandra Dee (literally). Not that Sandra Dee's character was in the story at all.

One complaint will probably be that we don't get to see much of the monster and what we do get at the very end is... well, kind of silly looking. Up to that final moment though, I was very happy with how they chose to depict things. Cthulhu creatures are weird, and still defy even the best CGI as far as I'm concerned. They're as much about presence and atmosphere as they are oogy looking tentacled thingies. This movie keeps it scarier by not showing it and instead opting for colored filters and distorted lenses.

As filmed versions of Lovecraft's stories go, I'd say this is one of the better ones... along with Roger Corman's other Lovecraftian film of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (Titled 'The Haunted Palace' because?). It captures more of the Lovecraft's weird atmosphere than other attempts, which often eschew atmosphere in favor of graphic gore and sex and bug eyed monsters.

You Are Your Body/You Are Not Your Body (2014)

Fascinating, strange... and kinda creepy

[9/10 · 10 April 2017]

I kinda love this movie. It hit all the right notes for me, all the way through. When I stumbled across it it was labeled as 'horror'... and maybe it is. It certainly has a lot in common with the sort of horror films I enjoy. But I think it's open to interpretation, and some of those interpretations might not find any horror in it at all. Which, again, is something I really like about it. There are certainly no jump scares or bug-eyed monsters, no gore, and moments of overt physical menace. This movie is so thoroughly OFF the reservation of usual commercial cineplex fare that it defies a lot of easy comparisons. The most likely one is probably David Lynch, but that's probably more because of the ambient music and some of the performances. It's an odd story but it's not nearly as opaque many of Lynch's films.

The budget is obviously minuscule, but I don't see where it would have been improved by more cash. The cast is quite good, visually interesting and convincing. The writing is what really sold me, the script is relatively free of clichés and obvious filler and presents a deeper understanding of religion that I'd have expected.

Caveats are that it is slow, does not follow familiar pacing and story arcs, is filmed in black & white... and, again, is low-budget. All of these are bonuses as far as I'm concerned, but I realize that other tastes exist that might find it intolerably 'dull' and unclear.

I'd really like to find that these people have made/are making other films of this quality, so that I can watch them.

Monstrosity (1963)

This is actually pretty great!

[10/10 · 16 October 2016]

Monstrosity/The Atomic Brain would make a great entry into any festival of 'Atomic Horror'. Sure, the budget is zero and the acting is poor... but the plot is pure gonzo and seldom dull. The writing is a notch above what you'd usually expect from such a thing. Mad Dr. Frank and his zoo of brain transplant experiments are being funded by a crazy old lady hoping for second chance at life in a young, attractive body. Her greedy and lecherous boy toy goes shopping for suitable donors. There's already a zombie girl and a dog man roaming the property and soon there's a cat woman as well. Things don't go as planned of course when Dr. Frank realizes just how vicious old Mrs. March is. Great twist ending that leaves things more open-ended than movies like this tend to do.

The way this is filmed reminded me a good bit of Night of the Living Dead. With it's make-do sets and lack of glamour. Parts of it could be seen as awkward and unintentionally humorous... but the basic concept is gruesome and the script is lean enough to stay on focus. There's not a lot of filler. I rated it a 10 just to counter some of the ridiculously low votes it's received. But I sincerely feel that it's got a lot going for it compared to other horrors that might look better and have bigger stars but are comparatively vacant on ideas and carry-through.

This is definitely going on my re-watch list.

Before I Wake (2016)

Interesting ideas played out poorly

[3/10 · 3 October 2016]

I've enjoyed Mr. Flannegan's movies before this one. But right from the start Before I Wake got on my nerves. You've got the perfect couple living in an amazing house without any visible means of support. What do they do for work? The kid is ridiculously adorable mini-Bieber with a cutie-pie pout and way of speaking. Perfect perfect perfect. It's pure Hollywood fantasy.

Then there's the usual holes in the think-through of the basic concept. Like, how did the people at the orphanage (or wherever the kid was staying between foster parents) not know about his weird powers? How come no one ever thought to take him to some doctors/scientists to figure out what was going on? (The Exorcist got this part right and was all the scarier for it) How come 'let them go' results in just one release? (though we see multiples coming loose from the roots). How come the wife seems oh so fine with the situation as it stands at the end of the movie?

I get that this is a fantasy movie... but if EVERYTHING is unbelievable/implausible then the fantasy elements are lessened and just more of the same nonsense.

Yes, the movie is well made, the acting is fine. My gripe, as usual, is with the writing... with the way the characters don't behave like real people. Except for a bit of spooky stuff this could have been kids movie about a magical boy living in a magical land full of magic. So my end opinion is, 'Ick!'

Abattoir (2016)

A Very Haunted House

[9/10 · 21 September 2016]

Like a lot of my favorite horror films, Abattoir is far from perfect... BUT, it more than makes up for its shortcomings with its ideas and follow through. The heroine of the film says at one point that she loves old things. She's sentimental and the way she dresses had me thinking, for a moment at the beginning of the film, that this was all set in the 40s. It's not, but it is about the past. About holding on too hard to things we really should let go of. It actually reminds me a lot of a recent book by Stephen King, though not in any specifics, just general theme. Also, there a bit of Thomas Ligotti to its underlying cosmology, and I enjoyed that aspect of it a lot.

The dialogue is pretty odd in places... and the movie doesn't try too hard for plausibility regarding its two main protagonists, their careers and connections. I wish it had been a bit less surreal in those early scenes to heighten the contrast with what comes later. What does come later does not disappoint. This is a movie about a haunted man building a VERY haunted house. He has his reasons and they are dark. This isn't really a gory movie but it's gruesome and weird, it's not full of jump scares but its ideas are haunting.

Definitely NOT for everyone, it takes some patience to make it through the first half of the film and a bit of willing disbelief for some of the things its characters do, but for myself it was well worth it.

31 (2016)

These Clowns Are All Talk And Not Enough Bite

[5/10 · 19 September 2016]

I had no anticipation or information about this movie going in... except for it being a Rob Zombie movie and my enjoyment of all his other movies so far. None of them are perfect but none of them are boring, all of them bring something interesting to the table. Not so much with 31 though... One thing I've generally liked with Zombie's movies is that, unlike a lot of horror films such as Hostel - which promise all sorts of transgressive horrors only to bait and switch with some relatively tame eyeball gouging, Zombie's movies generally follow through on their threats. I never feel safe in his movies (except I'm pretty sure Mrs. Zombie's characters will survive to the final frame). Unfortunately, 31 let all the air out of that balloon dog for me. It didn't ever come close to crossing any lines of standardized horror. Oh sure, Its clown's show up and promise all sorts of vile entertainments... but they never materialize. Instead, we get some badly filmed fight scenes and routine kills that could be out of any war/crime/fantasy film. There's little or no suspense, barely any atmosphere outside of the clowns' initial entrances and Malcolm McDowall's nonsensical prattling. The movie takes its time building up 'Doomhead' but what is he but another loudmouthed guy in a clown suit? I assume he'd go down just as easily to a well-aimed blow to the head. There's really nothing special about him except for the amount of time he gets on screen. He even does the loathsome 'golf clap' routine that should be forever banished to Cliché-land. When the clowns do get their hands on someone they're not likely do do anything surprising at all... just stab them and move on. Unless something nastier was edited out of the version I saw... which I kinda doubt.

The carnies themselves had the potential for being the sort of interesting protagonists I'd pull for... and I DID like that they weren't just a bunch of squealing teenagers (Meg Foster especially was fascinating to look at. Older women like her are so seldom allowed on screen in heroic roles). But they're mostly reduced to just goofing around and swearing at each other... maybe it was just bad improv because the writer couldn't think of what to do with them?

This is BY FAR the least interesting thing I've seen come from Mr. Zombie. I'm still a fan of his previous films, I'll still watch whatever he makes next... but this one is the bottom dweller. Not that it's such a bad generic horror movie, as just that alone it's fairly average... but it's certainly a bad Rob Zombie horror movie. And being that, it's pretty disappointing.

Observance (I) (2015)

Genuinely Creepy!

[8/10 · 26 August 2016]

I'll go ahead and say this was one of those horror films, like Alien, Absentia, AM 1200, Banshee Chapter, The Corridor, etc... that is very Lovecratian without overtly rehashing any of that author's stories.

Also, a LOT of folks are not going to have the patience for this movie... it's slow... most of the plot is suggested rather than overtly displayed... there's no real gore or nudity (though one scene nearly made me puke)... and the end is open to interpretation. For the people, like me, who do get into stuff like this... subtle horror that will stay with me for days afterward... Observance is a damn fine little film. I wasn't aware of its tiny budget until after I'd watched it... and for me it didn't show. I think horror often works best on this intimate scale anyway.

Tangerine (2015)

Best movie I've seen this year...

[9/10 · 2 August 2016]

My friend put me on to this, with no mention at all of what it was about... so totally unexpected. What I really liked about Tangerine is that it didn't pull its punches. None of the main characters are 100% hero or villain... everyone is sad/funny/cruel/kind at some point. I can't say I'd want to hang out with ANYONE in this movie... but they're all presented as complex characters, people, which is great.

I can see why John Waters liked it, it does remind me a bit of his earlier films with their various crazed characters in crazed worlds... though Tangerine feels much more real and gritty than any of those Waters films, which were heavy with fantasy.

Anyway, it's excellent... I hope it garners a huge following and we start getting more films like this and less superhero trash.

Cell (I) (2016)

Pretty good zombie film

[8/10 · 18 June 2016]

First off... I didn't read the book and don't care if the movie differs, is better/worse, about actually about magical ponies or whatever.

Second... I LIKED the ending. It was damn near perfect. This is a HORROR movie! Not some Power Rangers fantasy flick... go watch more of the churned out Marvel drivel if that's what you yearn for.

So, from what I can see... that covers the two main complaints I've seen... that it doesn't have a happy ending and it's not exactly like the book (as if any movie ever is).

Things I liked about this movie: 1. It's pretty brutal. Unlike stuff like The Walking Dead, these characters don't waste time wringing their hands over stuff. No long conversations in faux-dramatic tones. 2. Samuel Jackson plays a regular guy... no speechifying or witty turns of phrase or jacked up angry rants. He's almost boring. Good for him. 3. A character I thought unlikely to die... died. That always makes me happy. Horror shouldn't play favorites. Also, it was a realistic portrayal of what one good blow to the head can do to a person... none of this 'just knocked out' nonsense. 4. Like I already mentioned... the end. It was bleak. It was sad. It was horrifying. Good. 5. It never made much of an attempt to explain what was going on. Weird stuff happened, kept happening, then it was over. No big scene of exposition where it was all made clear. Good.

Things I didn't like about this movie: 1. I think it could have been a bit longer... it seemed like it needed a bit more time for us to cozy up to the characters. Not a big complaint... just... it was pretty fast paced and felt like it could have been slower.

That's it... 5 to 1 in favor. I enjoyed it all the way through, some parts were tense and had me going, the end was creepy and weird and bleak.

Southbound (2015)

A for effort!

[7/10 · 28 May 2016]

I went into this movie blind... all I had was the poster image to go by and from that I wasn't expecting much. Some weird satanic cult in the desert by the looks of it. And maybe it was...

What I liked: This movie is made up of several barely overlapping stories, all taking place along an isolated desert road. The road/town has a malevolent Nightvale/Silent Hill vibe to it at times, with a hint of David Lynch. It creates a good bit of atmosphere with a minuscule budget.

Also, the movie pretty much refuses to play nice and explain itself. Suggestions of a cult or cults... or is it some sort of limbo for damned souls? All the stories are joined in their middles... with vaguely hinted pasts and non-committal futures. Picture postcards of folks having a really bad time. It won't work for a lot of viewers but I love that sort of thing... tales that aren't so neatly packaged and require some supposition on the part of the audience.

What I didn't like: This movie did not have a whole lot of gore and FX. Most of what it did have was decent... but, there are some creatures in this that are VERY creepy when they're lingering blurs in the distance... but up close they're like bad heavy metal cover art. Most of this shows up in the last 20 minutes of the movie and, while it certainly wasn't bad by normal horror movie standards... it felt out of place and unnecessary in what was otherwise a fairly subdued piece of work... as if the filmmakers felt they needed something 'big' for the final section.

I rated this an 8 because it really did seem to be aiming for something off the well-beaten path and for the most part I think it took me there.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Surprisingly fun

[6/10 · 16 April 2016]

I think I tried watching this movie when I was a teenager. I was hoping for horror and gore of course... or at least more of the same as the original Exorcist. Instead I got this wackadoodle fantasy story about magical children and demons trying to destroy them. Lots of spectacle and overwrought acting. It didn't work for me at all and I probably didn't pay much attention to it... I might even have fallen asleep. So, flash forward a decade or so and I see it on TCM and decide to give it a second shot, if for no other reason than to laugh at an infamous turkey of a movie. Surprisingly, I liked it. Yes, it's still the same crazy-ass movie I saw as a kid... but I've changed and am much more willing to glean the gold from the ashes. Boorman made some wonderfully kooky movies, some worked better than others but ALL of them were trying to be something more than the average. Exorcist 2 is NOT the original, in a lot of ways it stands apart and I suspect if it had been an Italian production with different stars that made no reference to the original it would be considered a minor classic. Not that it's a great movie, not at all. It's got some bad dialogue and badly delivered dialogue. The sets are a 70s sort of weird... more scifi and disco influenced I suspect. And it's not really a horror movie at all. Instead it's a mystical epic... concerned with psychic kids and evil spirits and pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo and gadgets. I think it would make a fun double-feature with another wild 70s movie, The Visitor. Also packed with some famous actors and also kooky as can be. But my enjoyment of Exorcist 2 didn't come from how bad it was. I don't think it would work as an MST3K subject. I liked it because, despite its flaws, I could see through to the story it was telling and it's a compelling tale... full of bizarre imagery and mythic implications. I'm sure most people of the time would have preferred a by-rote rehash of the original horror film... instead they got this spiritual and futuristic epic that was free of most all the salacious and 'naughty' bits of the original. It was also pretty much free of Catholic superstition and Christian imagery. The story it's telling leaves all that behind in favor of something strikingly new. That, more than anything, is why I think it has the awful reputation it does. But seen outside the limiting context of being a sequel to a famous horror film I believe it delivers on being an interesting and compelling tale of its own. Give it a shot.