Don't Be Afraid to Exorcist III

Ah, the Exorcist.

Let's be honest, the Exorcist is one of the greatest horror films of all time.  Now, I've never seen part 2, but from what I've heard, it was pure garbage.  Thanks to my good friend Netflix, The Exorcist III had magically made its way to the top of my queue and arrived at my house last night.  At first, I was worried for The Exorcist III, because the original is such a huge act to follow and part 2 was a huge flop...but at the same time I was hopeful, because William Peter Blatty, who wrote the novel and screenplay for the original, was at the helm for part III.  Here's a trailer:

The Exorcist III is based on the sequel novel to the original Exorcist, called Legion. 

Before I had seen it, I had only one question : Is it going to be exactly the same movie as the Exorcist?

I mean, how many different movies can be made about exorcisms...there's only so many ways they can go, right?

But I can say with confidence, the answer is a surprising : No.

What I really liked about the movie is that it tips its hat to the original, and gives you little tidbits that tie them both together, but other than that, it's its own film.

Basically, the movie takes place 15 years since the death of Damian Karras.  Father Dyer, who had given Karras his last rights in the original, and the police lieutenant who was there, go to see the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" on the anniversary of Karras's death every year.  Dyer and the lieutenant Kinderman, are good friends and have almost an odd couple-esque type of banter.

Kinderman has been investigating the crimes of the Gemini Killer, who was a notorious serial killer who was supposedly dead.  However due to a recent string of murders that feature the Gemini Killer's unique MO, Kinderman begins to doubt that the Gemini Killer is truly dead.  The crimes are also religiously driven, which some deaths being crucifixions or having to do with religious figures....and also people who's names begin with a "K".
The deaths are also pretty gruesomely described, however very little gore is really seen.
This part especially creeped me out:

Kinderman, perplexed by all of this, finds out that Father Dyer is in the hospital and makes a stop to visit him...shortly after, he finds out that Father Dyer is murdered, also in the same manner as The Gemini Killer's victims. Including the double "L" at the end of words

How did the killer know that that was a movie they both saw together?!

The hospital then gets put into a lockdown, because as Kinderman reveals, only a small select few knew the real MO of the Gemini Killer, and not the one released to the press as a way to weed out the fakes.

While the hospital is in lockdown, Kinderman is told that a patient in the psych ward room 11, "Patient X", has no identity, and was found 15 years ago near the scene of Karras's death, and claims he is the Gemini Killer. What shocks Kinderman the most is that the patient looks identical to Damian Karras:

What are the chances?! This patient X, goes back and forth between looking like Karras and then looking like the real Gemini Killer, and describes killing all of his victims. It turns out he uses the senile dementia patients in the hospital to carry out his deeds...

like this one...
ahhhh!!!

Another priest, Father Morning, comes in to save the day and perform an Exorcism, but it goes horribly wrong and he almost dies. But along with Kinderman, they are able to save Karras's soul and give him a proper burial.

There were a few weirdo moments...like this one....

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in a heaven where Fabio isn't:

how'd Fabio get in there and get such primo camera time?

Anyway, I actually really enjoyed this movie. I mean, it wasn't gory or bloody, but it was like a cool CSI episode mixed in with a supernatural horror movie. If you were scarred from The Exorcist II: The Heretic, I would say don't be afraid to give Exorcist III a shot...


Lastly, I just wanted to leave you with this...BIGGEST EXORCIST III FAN EVER: