STARRING
George C. Scott - Lieutenant William F. Kinderman
Ed Flanders - Father Joseph Dyer
Jason Miller - Patient X / Damien Karras
Scott Wilson - Dr. Temple
Brad Dourif - James Venamun / The "Gemini Killer"
Genre - Horror/Mystery/Crime/Demons/Possession/Serial Killers
Running Time - 110 Minutes
PLOT
Set fifteen years after the original film, THE EXORCIST III centers around the philosophical Lieutenant William F. Kinderman who is investigating a baffling series of murders around Georgetown that all contain the hallmarks of The Gemini, a deceased serial killer. It eventually leads him to a catatonic patient in a psychiatric hospital who has recently started to speak, claiming he is the The Gemini and detailing the murders, but bears a striking resemblance to Father Damien Karras.
REVIEW
Despite the horror genre waning in popularity amongst the mainstream during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hollywood decided it was time to step back into the world of THE EXORCIST. In 1990, THE EXORCIST III was released to some decent success both critically and even financially. Based on William Peter Blatty’s sequel novel Legion, Blatty himself decided to adapt his novel into a screenplay. He also decided to direct the film himself to make sure his story was given the respect it deserved and be a truly serious sequel to the original unlike THE HERETIC.
Even in 2023, THE EXORCIST III is still the only other film in the series [besides the first] to be given massive praise for its tone, approach to the narrative, and even the overall production. Despite the studio wanting Blatty’s ending to be more akin to the ending of the original EXORCIST [which he was against, creating the need of a Legion Cut that’s closer to the novel’s conclusion], THE EXORCIST III is still a super solid flick that ought to get more love and attention than it actually does.
While there is still demonic activity and supernatural occurrences one would expect out of an EXORCIST movie, THE EXORCIST III is more in line with a crime procedural at times - sort of like SE7EN, FALLEN or even COPYCAT would do years later. The main narrative revolves around “The Gemini Killer”, a serial killer who is known to cut certain fingers or drain a victim’s blood as a trademark, along with desecrating religious statues by beheading them, painting them in blackface or adding sexual connotations that would disturb most people. The problem about all this is that it’s believed “The Gemini Killer” had been already found and executed for his crimes. And while at first this new series of murders seem like a copycat, this new killer is doing things the old “Gemini Killer” would do that only the police know about [the real modus operandi and trademarks were kept from the public].
This mystery really raises the creep factor of THE EXORCIST III, as we’re not sure what we’re really seeing or supposed to believe when it comes to “The Gemini Killer”. There’s obviously a possession going on with the same demon [Pazuzu] who had possessed both Regan and Karras. But is this man really Karras, or is he James Venamun? Is he both? Is he neither? Through Lt. Kinderman, who is a skeptic and doesn’t believe in any of the stories about demon possession and a previous exorcism, his slow belief about the supernatural is a great character arc and gets the audience invested to go along the ride with him as he starts to figure out the truth. The story of the storytelling and mystery is strengthened by personnel and patients at the psychiatric hospital, who all behave in strange ways for whatever reason, making you question if these people are all influenced by this evil or are just quirky as heck and are red herrings to throw off one’s scent. Everyone besides Kinderman and Dyer all seem like they’re hiding something from the Lieutenant, putting to question whether this is all really happening or something this evil presence is doing to confuse the detective along with the audience. Unlike the goofiness and overly ambitious script that plagued THE HERETIC, Blatty treats this whole scenario seriously - something that helped the original EXORCIST to achieve the status it did from all audiences [not just horror audiences]. We care about Kinderman and his investigation because he cares and doesn’t let anything strange or personal stop him from finding out the truth.
While the theatrical cut and the Legion Cut are similar in many ways, the real differences are how “The Gemini Killer” is presented and the endings themselves. In the Legion Cut, we don’t even get Father Karras at all, with James Venamun being the only real antagonist. This actually cements the narrative as more realistic, as Venamun is just a “normal” man who may know more things about the serial killings than one ought to. Or maybe he’s possessed after all. Or just plain crazy. There’s something supernatural going on in the theatrical version, but the Legion Cut makes you question it a bit more until the end.
William Peter Blatty is a great novelist, but he also makes for a very good director as well. His second and last directorial film [the first being the awesome 1980’s THE NINTH CONFIGURATION], Blatty is more subtle in his visual approach than William Friedkin or even John Boorman. Blatty’s style is more comparable to a 90s thriller - slow [but not dull], muted colors, and adding weird things in the background that make you focus on the entire shot rather than what is just happening in the foreground. I mean, there are people crawling on ceilings, morphing into multiple people and even that classic moment involving a nurse and a large pair of shears. And despite his arguments against filming it, I think the theatrical ending is shot pretty well for the most part. Honestly, THE EXORCIST III is more of an actor’s showcase where the characters are more important than the visuals. But Blatty does a good job and manages to direct a sequel that feels more connected to the first one than THE HERETIC ever did.
The cast is very solid. George C. Scott is pretty great as Lt. Kinderman, playing a gruff skeptic who finally starts to believe he’s way over-his-head with a situation he has no idea how to deal with until the end. I love how quiet his performance is at the start of the film, but turns a bit more hammy and over-the-top towards the end. It’s wonderful. Ed Flanders is also great as Father Dyer, bringing in some humor to a serious movie. His chemistry with Scott is awesome and you truly believe these two have been friends for decades. Scott Wilson is solid as Dr. Temple. Jason Miller is very good as the returning Father Karras, struggling with what happened to him at the end of the first film. But Brad Dourif is the main reason to watch THE EXORCIST III, as he steals every scene as “The Gemini Killer” James Venamun. Dourif is just captivating and commanding through his subtle body language, maniacal facial expressions and the strong reciting of his dialogue. He’s given more to say and do in The Legion Cut, being the best part of that version as well. Just a fantastic performance in a great sequel.
THE FINAL HOWL
SCORE
(9 out of 10)
Starring: Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Nanette Newman, Judith Baldwin, Peter Masterson, Tina Louise
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Science Fiction/Thriller
Running Time: 117 Minutes
Plot: Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.
Review:
Based on the Ira Levin novel, THE STEPFORD WIVES remains a relevant piece of social-horror, especially considering what the American Government has done to the rights of women in 2022 alone. The film angered many feminist groups back in the day due to its premise, but THE STEPFORD WIVES is a well-told tale of some men wanting to create a utopian world in which they control women in their own image to maintain their supposed power of the sexes - which is depressing considering how this mentality remains unchanged for a certain group of men in our current social climate. Really only a horror film due to its premise and the haunting final moments of the movie, this drama meanders in the middle portion of the film but still manages to keep you thinking through its strong social commentary. Not a stylish film at all, but the acting makes up for it - especially by lead Katharine Ross and scene-stealing standout Paula Prentiss as the best friend who sees what’s going on until it becomes too late.
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Scott Bairstow, Eric Mabius, Chad Lindberg, Dee Wallace, Tara Subkoff, Lisa Loeb, John Doe
Genre: Horror/Thriller/Crime
Running Time: 101 Minutes
Plot: A young man moves to a new town after experiencing a tragedy and becomes involved with a gang of Satan-worshiping teens who believe they have supernatural powers. But by the time he realizes he’s in too deep, it may be too late to escape.
Review:
If you take 1996’s THE CRAFT and add a male slant to it, you get BLACK CIRCLE BOYS - a film based on the true story of Ricky “The Acid King” Kasso, who [with two other teens] murdered his friend under the influence of LSD with many believing he was a Satan worshiper and using the friend as a sacrifice for power. If only the film itself was that interesting, as it’s barely a horror movie and more of a crime-drama with unlikable lead characters that will make you wish some evil power would just sacrifice all of them so we wouldn’t have to watch them for 100 minutes.
The film looks cheap and is paced so slow and languid that you’ll end up caring about anything else but this movie. The performances, especially by Scott Bairstow, Eric Mabius and Chad Lindberg are solid enough to keep your attention somewhat. And besides funny cameos by Donnie Wahlberg playing a gay drug dealer and Lisa Loeb played an angry woman named “Angry Woman”, there’s not much going on here. And I won’t even mention one of the worst endings I have ever seen for any film in any genre. Make a wish to Manon to forget this movie even exists and just watch THE CRAFT again.
Starring: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Naomi Nishida, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Tetsuro Tamba, Tamaki Miyazaki
Genre: Horror/Comedy/Musical
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Plot: The Katakuri family has just opened their guest house in the mountains. Unfortunately their first guest commits suicide and in order to avoid trouble they decide to bury him in the backyard. Things get way more complicated when their second guest, a famous sumo wrestler, dies while having sex with his underage girlfriend and the grave behind the house starts to fill up more and more.
Review:
The HAUSU of the early 2000s, THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS is a surreal and odd horror-musical that you won’t forget after watching it. Focusing on a dysfunctional family who run a motel in the middle of nowhere, they receive guests who check in but unfortunately don’t check out due to them randomly dying in different ways. While the narrative is amusing and escalates as the film reaches its end [how many bodies can one family bury in a single location], the movie is really focused on Takashi Miike’s visual style and musical compositions that will undoubtedly put a smile on your face. Stop-motion animation, cartoonish and green screen images [including a cool volcano scene] bring out the playfulness to hide a pretty dark narrative.
The actors all bring something different and really seem to be into their roles, making the film as fun to watch as them being in it. Plus, I’m down for any movie that involves dancing zombies and musical numbers that make me feel like I’m on an acid trip that I don’t want to bring myself out of. I’ll also never see an uvula the same way again, so thanks for that, Mr. Miike. But seriously, if you enjoy batshit insane movies that playfully blend horror with funny musical numbers, THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS fits the bill.
Starring: Jeff Daniel Phillips, Sheri Moon Zombie, Daniel Roebuck, Jorge Garcia, Richard Brake, Cassandra Peterson
Genre: Horror/Comedy/Fantasy
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Plot: Herman and Lily’s crazy courtship takes The Munsters on a hauntingly hilarious trip from Transylvania to Hollywood.
Review:
After that trailer failed to make any sort of positive perception, Rob Zombie’s take on THE MUNSTERS was a film I wasn’t really looking forward to despite the fact that I like his movies more than most in the horror community. Learning that the movie would go straight to Netflix [as well as home video and digital] instead of theaters was also a sign for the worst. Yet despite the majority of negative takes on the film, which is not surprising considering who the director is, I decided to take a chance on it and fear for the worst. And while I don’t think THE MUNSTERS is a good movie, I don’t think it’s as bad as many are claiming it to be.
The good stuff out of the way - Zombie is still a very good, stylish director who definitely has an aesthetic and style that pleases the eye. While many critiqued the film for looking cheap, it didn’t bother me since the original TV series looked cheap anyway. I liked the colors of the film [the greens and blues pop out nicely] and the music video style of certain segments [actors in the foreground with wacky graphics behind them] is pretty cool. I also thought the added film grain after-the-fact [the film was obviously filmed digitally] was a nice touch.
The actors are also game for whatever Zombie wants them to do. Daniel Roebuck is the standout as The Count, really embodying that character. Jeff Daniel Phillips has the Herman Munster mannerisms and his laugh down, but his voice was a bit off for me. Sheri Moon Zombie was gonna play Lily Munster no matter what and she’s fine, even if her one note performance becomes quite dull by the end of the film. I also enjoyed Richard Brake not playing a scumbag for once in an against-type role.
As for the rest, what a mess. THE MUNSTERS barely has a story, if you can call it that. The first half of the film deals with Herman and Lily’s courtship, which is the strongest aspect to the narrative. It could have made for a good hour-long TV special or something that we could watch during Halloween season. But unfortunately, there’s 50 more minutes that just meander through moments needed to lead into the family living at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Zombie should have gotten a screenwriter or two because some of the dialogue is a bit cringe and the dad jokes don’t always land or are mostly unfunny. I get the TV show is camp and cheese, but I felt Zombie tried too hard with a lot of it. His heart was in the right place as a true fan of the source material, but sometimes that’s not enough to make a project worth recommending as an annual watch.
I think if Zombie was just hired as a director and let people he trusted to write the story, THE MUNSTERS could have been a winner. But the film was a good first half and a pretty dull second half mainly due to its screenplay. That being said, I don’t think it’s his worst film [that would still be 2016’s 31]. But I don’t see myself taking the time out to watch this again, which is unfortunate because this could have built a cool updated franchise for beloved characters.
Score: 2 Howls Outta 4 (5 out of 10)
Since I don’t have as much time to write longer reviews than I used to, I figured I would just post shorter reviews for horror/cult films that I feel deserve your attention.
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, Michael J. Pollard, Alastair Duncan, Alum Armstrong, Pete Postlethwaite, Ian Dury
Genre: Horror/Science Fiction/Serial Killers/Supernatural/B-Movie
Running Time: 90 Minutes
SCORE - 3 Howls Outta 4 (7 out of 10)
Plot: In a flooded future London, Detective Harley Stone hunts a serial killer who murdered his partner and has haunted him ever since. He soon discovers what he is hunting might not be human.
Review:
Directed by the man who brought us the 1981 slasher classic THE BURNING, Tony Maylam’s 1992 sci-fi/horror film SPLIT SECOND is a solid B-movie that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Take some atmosphere and aesthetics from BLADE RUNNER [including star Rutger Hauer], add some monster action like PREDATOR and ALIEN, put them all together and you have this cult flick that’s not perfect but has enough going for it to make it watchable.
SPLIT SECONDS’s dark and gritty dystopian set pieces create an atmosphere that Batman would feel more than comfortable living in. With the main character being an out-of-control detective who has burned more than a few bridges in his professional life, his stories of this serial killer, he’s obsessed with being more than human, creates this level of paranoia and mistrust throughout the film. It’s also helped by Maylam’s direction, as he keeps the killer’s appearance hidden for much of the film, so you’re left wondering if the killer is just really creative with his murders or is something more supernatural. While Maylam keeps the death sequences off-screen, the aftermath of these events are pretty gory, which makes up for it. And the action scenes, for the most part, are directed well despite the obviously low budget. Unfortunately, the final act seems like it was directed by someone else, as it feels rushed and doesn’t conclude the film in any impactful way.
What makes SPLIT SECOND worth the watch is Rutger Hauer as Harley Stone, who acts like a badass and recites dialogue that would only sound cool coming from him. He fleshes out your generic hard knocks detective with charming quirks, like drinking tons of coffee while stirring it with random pens he borrows from other detectives. Hauer also portrays paranoia well, while coming across convincingly as a man obsessed with his work, not caring if he lives or dies apprehending his target.
Rutger has some comical moments with the supporting cast as well, especially Alistair Duncan who plays Dick Dirkin - the by-the-book nerdy detective who starts becoming more reckless and gritty as the hunt for the killer deepens. Rutger also has some nice rapport with Kim Catrall, who is there to play the damsel-in-distress but has her moments to shine.
While I did expect SPLIT SECOND to wow me more than it actually did, considering how many of my friends have recommended this film to me, I did have fun with this flick. Despite its modest budget and disappointing finale, it had good action, memorable gory moments and actors who seemed to be having a blast making a silly sci-fi B-movie.
Starring: Clint Howard, Olivia Hussey, David Warner, Jan-Michael Vincent, Sandahl Bergman, David Naughton
Genre: Horror/Comedy/Mystery/Thriller
Running Time: 84 Minutes
SCORE - 1.5 Howls Outta 4 (4 out of 10)
Plot: Young Gregory Tudor sees his local ice cream man murdered and later grows up to inherit his business, opting to inject gruesome ingredients—including human body parts—into his frozen confections. When one of the neighborhood boys goes missing, the local kids suspect Gregory and band together to get to the bottom of things.
Review:
ICE CREAM MAN is a really odd film that one would think would be better considering the cast. But it never really comes together due to so many different tones, weird character choices and the fact that the movie never knows if it wants to be a scary movie or a PG-13 teen adventure film in the vein of THE GOONIES, STAND BY ME or THE MONSTER SQUAD. There are even moments where the creepy and murderous Ice Cream Man is given moments where we’re left to sympathize with how people see and treat him, despite the fact that he kills people and uses their body parts in his ice cream servings. I was never sure what I was supposed to be getting out of this film, if anything at all.
The direction by Paul Norman is just as odd, as Norman seems confused as to what he wants to express with ICE CREAM MAN. If he’s going for a comedy, it doesn’t work because the film isn’t all that funny. If he’s going for horror, that doesn’t work because there’s nothing about the film that’s creepy or scary. And if he’s focused on making this a teen adventure, that doesn’t work either because the kids aren’t all that interesting enough to invest in them. The film isn’t all that stylish or interesting to look at either, looking like your standard 90s direct-to-video feature. The film is also oddly paced [those flashback moments ruin the flow in the film’s last act] and it cuts away from the murder scenes, which would have bumped up my rating if I was allowed to see at least some cool gore here and there. Considering Norman was a pretty prolific adult movie director, he sure had no idea how to complete the money shot with this flick.
What keeps ICE CREAM MAN from being totally terrible are the actors, who all seem to be having fun in their roles no matter how small and/or quirky they are. Clint Howard is the best thing here, giving this villain role so many layers that you’re torn on how to feel about the Ice Cream Man. And that’s not a terrible thing because, what could have been a one-note character, Howard makes into a three-dimensional human being who clearly feels justified and damaged in believing what he’s doing is right. While the other actors don’t really get to shine as much as Howard does, at least they all add memorable moments to the film. David Naughton is a cheating husband. David Warner is a priest who is the father of one of the teens. Olivia Hussey is oddly playing an older, kooky nurse in an amusing role. And Jan-Michael Vincent plays a cop - at least I think he is considering he looks like he would rather be somewhere else. I know the actor was dealing with substance abuse at the time, but Vincent doesn’t even bother trying to hide his lack of enthusiasm here. Lee Majors II makes me wish his father was in this film instead. And the younger actors are fine, although I’m not sure why one of them was forced to wear a fat suit or pillow. Did the film really need a kid pretending to be overweight? Oh, those Hollywood stereotypes!
Starring: Claudia Jennings, Sam Gilman, Douglas Dirkson, Clyde Venture, Don Baldwin
Genre: Thriller/Action
Running Time: 88 Minutes
SCORE - 2.5 Howls Outta 4 (6 out of 10)
Plot: Desiree lives deep in the swamp and supports herself and her siblings by poaching. Ben and deputy Billy hope to get a little sexual comfort from the “Cajun swamp rat” when they catch Desiree trapping ’gators, and give chase. Desiree outsmarts them but Billy accidentally shoots Ben and tells his sheriff dad that Desiree did it. Ben’s dad and sons join them in the search party and quickly get out of control. Soon the hunters become the hunted as Desiree exacts her revenge for their violence against her family.
Review:
1974’s GATOR BAIT is an exploitation drive-in movie that doesn’t come close to reaching the heights of films that inspired it, like 1972’s DELIVERANCE - nor is it as upsetting and controversial to watch like later films such as 1977’s I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. However, there’s something oddly charming about this low budget flick that makes it worth a look for 1970’s cinema lovers.
GATOR BAIT is definitely a film that would never fly in today’s society, as it’ll probably offend those ready to cancel anything they can get their minds on. This movie has incest, misogyny, humorous exchanges about raping and sexually assaulting women and depicting backwoods folk as toothless, dumb, violent and just horny all the time. Even the police are corrupt, which will make modern audiences probably root for the female lead and her family by default. Those looking for good taste and progressive themes will probably want to steer away from this one.
Considering the film’s themes, however, GATOR BAIT is fairly tame and almost PG-13 compared to other films just like it. While the acts committed in this movie are kind of gross, there’s a vibe of fun surrounding it all that makes you feel both dirty and entertained at the same time. It kind of plays things like your typical rape-revenge movie, where the good guys suffer but get their vengeance while the bad folk suffer both physically and emotionally. It’s a simple science and GATOR BAIT pulls it off fairly well, even if it does drag at points in its short runtime.
The direction by Beverly and Ferd Sebastian isn’t going to win any awards, but it does the job fine. The cinematography is competent, the soundtrack is actually quite good, and the pacing is done well enough for the film to never wear out its welcome. And the acting isn’t the greatest, but that’s part of the charm with GATOR BAIT. Former Playmate of the Year (1970) Claudia Jennings is really the most memorable person in this film. She looks fantastic in every frame of celluloid she’s in, with her Daisy Dukes and her shotgun making her look like a woman you don’t want to mess with. I do find it funny that, in this world, the men are dirty and not really all attractive while all the women look like they got hired from a modeling agency. There must be something special in that swamp.
