It's hard to find a good follow-up to The Exorcist, and this one isn’t an exception to that rule. The other sequels were truly awful, so bad that I believe they ended up being recreated. However, this installment was pretty good; it felt like a genuine continuation of the original film. It created a sense of unease, seemed thoughtful, and stood out in its own right. Still, it went too far—it didn’t hold back enoug…

The film’s strengths come from William Peter Blatty’s writing and direction, as well as the casting choices, particularly Brad Dourif and George C. Scott; however, problems arise due to studio interference – specifically a rushed exorcism scene added at the last minute with a replacement priest. It's telling that Burton’s Father Lamont from *Exorcist II: The Heretic* is more memorable than Nicol Williamson’s Father M…

This sequel manages to live up to the quality established by Blatty’s initial script! While working my way through the 'Exorcist' film series (I own a DVD set containing both versions of the original and the two prequels I haven’t gotten around to watching yet), I was interested in seeing William Peter Blatty return to directing, after his earlier success with ‘The Ninth Configuration.’ It’s fascinating considerin…