So, director/writer Paul Schrader was in charge of directing a money stealing prequel that had actually a point to begin with (explaining the previous exorcism Father Merrin had done in "The Exorcist"), and the producers didn't like his so-called "psychological horror" approach. They re-shot the movie with Renny Harlin, the guy from that shark movie where they ate Samuel Jackson in a hilarious way.
Not nice. Not nice at all.
But, the movie is entertaining. I had a good time with it, even in the dumbest parts. It had a nice directing flair. And, if anything, it made me even more anxious to see Schrader's take.
Sure, the end result is so uncompromising it hurts, an awkward combination of Indiana Jones and "The Omen", nothing that even resembles the poignant tone of the Friedkin classic (I never found it really disturbing, but the way, but I love it anyway), but Harlin is not one to take his job too seriously and makes a formula movie endurable through some overdone but exciting camera-work. The final third of the movie is an enormous nod to "Evil Dead" and the rest of it has some rather effective scenes. The acting is correct and Vittorio Storaro sure can film a landscape. It has also classic cheesy moments like Father Merrin painting a cross on his forehead and getting up with a "I kick ass for the Lord" expression on his face before fighting the Demon. Hilarious bit.
I don't know, I didn't think I would like it, but I did. I'm almost positive that the original version is a hundred times more worth seeing and I look forward to the DVD edition, though.
P.S.: has anyone noticed how easily a protagonist in this kind of movies is convinced to open graves? A religious man, even an ex-religious man, would think twice before digging on supposedly sacred ground, but this guy just goes ahead and does it. The movie is campy enough so that you don't have to worry about this kind of detail, but I just felt like pointing it out.
Not nice. Not nice at all.
But, the movie is entertaining. I had a good time with it, even in the dumbest parts. It had a nice directing flair. And, if anything, it made me even more anxious to see Schrader's take.
Sure, the end result is so uncompromising it hurts, an awkward combination of Indiana Jones and "The Omen", nothing that even resembles the poignant tone of the Friedkin classic (I never found it really disturbing, but the way, but I love it anyway), but Harlin is not one to take his job too seriously and makes a formula movie endurable through some overdone but exciting camera-work. The final third of the movie is an enormous nod to "Evil Dead" and the rest of it has some rather effective scenes. The acting is correct and Vittorio Storaro sure can film a landscape. It has also classic cheesy moments like Father Merrin painting a cross on his forehead and getting up with a "I kick ass for the Lord" expression on his face before fighting the Demon. Hilarious bit.
I don't know, I didn't think I would like it, but I did. I'm almost positive that the original version is a hundred times more worth seeing and I look forward to the DVD edition, though.
P.S.: has anyone noticed how easily a protagonist in this kind of movies is convinced to open graves? A religious man, even an ex-religious man, would think twice before digging on supposedly sacred ground, but this guy just goes ahead and does it. The movie is campy enough so that you don't have to worry about this kind of detail, but I just felt like pointing it out.