Connect with us

Reviews

[TV Review] “The Exorcist” Is Worth a Watch…If You Stick Around For the Final Five Minutes

Published

on

The Exorcist Review

Let’s be honest here. No one was asking for a television adaptation of William Friedkin’s seminal 1973 horror film, itself an adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name. Alas, with the rise of horror television and the unexpected quality of similar shows like Hannibal, it seems hard to believe that it took this long for a network to greenlight a show like The Exorcist.

The Exorcist takes place in the same universe as the original film (as evidenced by a newspaper clipping seen that references the events of Friedkin’s film), and follows Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera), a progressive priest who is brought into the lives of the Rance family when matriarch Angela (the Geena Davis) surmises that her daughter Katherine (Brianne Howey) is possessed by a demon. It isn’t long before Tomas seeks the help of Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels), a veteran priest who is familiar with exorcisms.

Unfortunately for The Exorcist, there just aren’t enough new ideas on display to fully justify its existence. Possession stories have been done to death, and while it is admittedly going to be difficult to bring anything new to the table, The Exorcist doesn’t even try. Even the scares are predictable. There was a moment when Tomas is fixing the circuit breaker in the church’s basement only to turn around and OH MY GOD ANGELA IS STANDING RIGHT THERE. Jump scares such as these are lazy and not worthy of the source material.

As uninspiring as the scares are, nothing in The Exorcist is outright bad (the sound design is the most memorable part of the episode). The pilot, which was written by Jeremy Slater (The Lazarus Effect, last year’s Fantastic Four reboot) just has a “been there, seen that” air that pervades the whole thing. Director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) gets great performances from his cast. Davis and Herrera are the standouts, but Daniels has some impressive moments in his handful of scenes. Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) even pops up for a bit as the Rance patriarch, but almost little to no information is given about him or the brain damage that affects him.

There are some tidbits of backstory given to the characters (mostly Tomas) that plant the seeds of more character developments in future episodes, but the pilot is so focused on the possession aspect that most of the characters are relegated to background objects. Focusing so much on the possession aspect is not the wisest path for this series to take. If you’re going to adapt the most highly regarded possession film of all time, don’t try to replicate that film’s scenes. Give your audience something new to latch on to that will prevent them from thinking “the movie did this better.”

The pilot actually rushes through a lot just to get to the possession. For example, Angela approaches Tomas about her suspicions about 20 minutes into the episode. At this point the viewer has hardly seen anything that would lead a rational person to suspect demonic possession, so it seems downright silly that this woman would jump to this conclusion so hastily.

All of this being said, it’s worth sticking around for the final five minutes. They offer up a plot development that, while not entirely unpredictable, shows that the series has a few tricks up its sleeves that could make future episodes worth tuning in for. I wouldn’t say I’m hooked, but I’m intrigued.

One has to wonder what Fox is thinking airing The Exorcist on Friday nights. Friday is typically a television burial ground, but it can also provide an excuse for a network to renew a show with the lowest of ratings. This decision may bode well for The Exorcist, as it just barely makes you want to keep watching. It’s not must-see-TV, but it’s worth checking out.

The Exorcist premieres on Friday September 23rd at 9/8c on Fox.

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

Published

on

In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

Continue Reading