The Ninth Configuration (1980)

Director:

William Peter Blatty

Writers:

William Peter Blatty (novel)
William Peter Blatty (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 February 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

How Do You Fight A War Called Madness?

Plot:

A new commanding officer arrives at a remote castle serving as an insane asylum for crazy and AWOL U.S...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Insane Asylum | Army | Marine | Murder

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Stacy Keach	...	Col. Vincent Kane
Scott Wilson	...	Capt. Billy Cutshaw
Jason Miller	...	Lt. Frankie Reno
Ed Flanders	...	Col. Richard Fell
Neville Brand	...	Maj. Marvin Groper
George DiCenzo	...	Capt. Fairbanks
Moses Gunn	...	Maj. Nammack
Robert Loggia	...	Lt. Bennish
Joe Spinell	...	Lt. Spinell
Alejandro Rey	...	Lt. Gomez
Tom Atkins	...	Sgt. Krebs
Steve Sandor	...	1st Cyclist (Stanley)
Richard Lynch	...	2nd Cyclist (Richard)
Gordon Mark	...	Sgt. Gilman
William Lucking	...	Highway Patrolman

Also Known As:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane

Runtime:

118 min | USA:99 min (re-issue version) | USA:140 min (combined extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | 70 mm 6-Track | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Ninth Configuration

Trivia:

William Peter Blatty has said that he considers this movie to be the true sequel to The Exorcist (1973); Capt. Cutshaw is the same astronaut whom Regan warns "You're gonna die up there" in "The Exorcist".

Quotes:

[Captain Cutshaw stands up, interrupting church services]
Captain Cutshaw: Infinite goodness is creating a being you know, in advance, is going to complain.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from The Exorcist (1973)

Soundtrack:

Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life

Aren't the hidden gems wonderful?

Well, well, well. At last a rating I can fully agree with. Yes, the Shawshank Redemption was very good. But this is a hidden classic. If you're one of those people (like me) who loves to be taken completely by surprise by a movie, this is the one for you. The IMDB rating says it all: VERY few people know about this one, but those who do are nearly unanimous: this is outstanding storytelling. First time viewers, be warned: be patient. Let it happen. You won't know where it's going at first. Your patience will be rewarded, I assure you - it all comes together, culminating in a bar-room brawl that is an absolute textbook piece of tension-building. And then, you'll want to rewind it and watch it all over again, to pick out all the clues that slipped by you the first time through. Quentin Tarantino, eat your heart out: THIS is how it's supposed to be done.