The Exorcist III (1989)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

William Peter Blatty

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

17 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Do you dare walk these steps again?

Plot:

A police lieutenant in Georgetown mourns the anniversary of a priest's death as a serial killer strikes.

Plot Keywords:

Killer | Serial Killer | Priest | Decapitation | Crucifixion

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Kinderman
Ed Flanders	...	Father Dyer
Brad Dourif	...	The Gemini Killer
Jason Miller	...	Patient X
Nicol Williamson	...	Father Morning
Scott Wilson	...	Dr. Temple
Nancy Fish	...	Nurse Allerton
George DiCenzo	...	Stedman (as George Dicenzo)
Don Gordon	...	Ryan
Lee Richardson	...	University President
Grand L. Bush	...	Sergeant Atkins
Mary Jackson	...	Mrs. Clelia
Viveca Lindfors	...	Nurse X
Ken Lerner	...	Dr. Freedman
Tracy Thorne	...	Nurse Keating
Barbara Baxley	...	Shirley
Zohra Lampert	...	Mary Kinderman
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Father Kanavan
Sherrie Wills	...	Julie Kinderman
Edward Lynch	...	Patient A
Clifford David	...	Dr. Bruno
Alex Zuckerman	...	Korner Boy (as Alexander Zuckerman)
Lois Foraker	...	Nurse Merrin
Tyra Ferrell	...	Nurse Blaine
James Burgess	...	Thomas Kintry
Kevin Corrigan	...	Altar Boy
Peggy Alston	...	Mrs. Kintry
John Durkin	...	Elderly Jesuit (as Father John Durkin, S. J.)
Bobby Deren	...	Nurse Bierce
Jan Neuberger	...	Alice
Alexis Chieffet	...	Counter Attendant
Debra Port	...	Waitress
Walt MacPherson	...	Police Sergeant
David Dwyer	...	Second Police Officer
Danny Epper	...	Police Driver (as Daniel Epper)
William Preston	...	Old Man in Wheelchair
Chuck Kinlaw	...	Attendant
Demetrios Pappageorge	...	Casperelii
Nina Hansen	...	Little Old Lady
Shane Wexel	...	First Dream Boy
Ryan Paul Amick	...	Second Dream Boy
John Coe	...	Old Man in Dream (as John A. Coe)
Jodi Long	...	First Dream Woman
Kathy Gerber	...	Second Dream Woman
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Blind Dream Man
Jan Smook	...	Radio Man
Amelia Campbell	...	Young Girl in Dream
Cherie Baron	...	Nurse
Larry King	...	Himself
Dr. C. Everett Koop	...	C. Everett Coop (as C. Everett Koop)
Patrick Ewing	...	Angel of Death
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clinton Brandhagen	...	Young Boy in Dream (uncredited)
Michael Criscuolo	...	Mental Patient (uncredited)
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Satan (voice) (uncredited)
Fabio	...	Angel (uncredited)
Randy Aaron Fink	...	Student (uncredited)
Jeff Henry	...	Angel (uncredited)
Patt Noday	...	Hospital Ward Priest (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Manley Pope	...	Angel (uncredited)
John Thompson	...	John Thompson - Georgetown Hoyas Basketball Coach (uncredited)
Brad Waller	...	Asylum Inmate (uncredited)

Directed by
William Peter Blatty

Writing credits (WGA)
William Peter Blatty		(novel "Legion")
William Peter Blatty		(screenplay)

Produced by
Carter DeHaven	....	producer (as Carter De Haven)
Steve Jaffe	....	associate producer
James G. Robinson	....	executive producer
Joe Roth	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Barry De Vorzon		(as Barry Devorzon)

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Lee-Thompson		(as Peter Lee Thompson)
Todd C. Ramsay		(as Todd Ramsay)
Thom Noble		(uncredited)

Casting by
Sally Dennison
Louis DiGiaimo		(as Lou Digiaimo)
Julie Selzer

Production Design by
Leslie Dilley

Art Direction by
Henry Shaffer

Makeup Department
Michael Abrios	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Erin Brasfield	....	makeup artist
Greg Cannom	....	special makeup effects creator
Cydney Cornell	....	hair designer
Mitch Devane	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Steve Frakes	....	crew: Cannom Creations
John Logan	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Dan Platt	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Mike Smithson	....	on set prosthetics coordinator
Brian Wade	....	on-set special makeup effects supervisor
Bill Forsche	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Shaun Smith	....	special makeup effects crew (uncredited)
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ronald Colby	....	production manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman Reynolds	....	special effects unit director

Art Department
Lisa De Alva	....	property mistress: second unit
Daren Dochterman	....	assistant to production designer
Tim Eckel	....	set designer
Douglas Fox	....	property master
John D. Kretschmer	....	lead man
Simon Murton	....	concept illustrator
Jeffrey Schlatter	....	construction coordinator
Jonathan Smart	....	assistant property master
Michael A. Wells	....	propmaker
Randal Woodward	....	paint forman

Sound Department
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
Ron Bartlett	....	sound editor
Mike Chock	....	sound editor
David Chornow	....	sound mixer
Ezra Dweck	....	sound effects recordist
Nicholas James	....	sound editor
Oscar Mitt	....	assistant sound editor
Andrew Patterson	....	supervising adr editor
Ralph Stuart	....	first assistant sound editor
Richard Van Dyke	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Randy E. Moore	....	special effects crew
Larry Odien	....	mechanical effects

Visual Effects by
Mat Beck	....	visual effects supervisor
Jon Bell	....	digital artist
Patric Kenly	....	animation camera operator
Jeff Matakovich	....	optical supervisor: Dream Quest
Abe Milrad	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Dean Raphael Ferrandini	....	stunt double: Nicol Williamson
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Kurt D. Lott	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Waide R. Allen	....	electrician
Eric Bartsch	....	grip
Logan R. Berkshire	....	best boy grip
John Cambria	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Carrico	....	grip
Rory Robert Knepp	....	additional second assistant camera
David Knox	....	Steadicam operator
Gene Poole	....	key grip
David Renken	....	electrician
Lee Shapira	....	grip
R. Michael Stringer	....	gaffer: second unit
Rick Tiedeman	....	additional Steadicam operator
Jon R. Tower	....	gaffer
Ron Zarilla	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Craig Fincannon	....	casting: Wilmington, NC

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Lapper	....	costumer
Marina Marit	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Tim Craig	....	second assistant editor
Eric O. Schusterman	....	apprentice editor
Marcy Stoeven	....	assistant editor (as Marcy Stoeven Gibbens)

Transportation Department
Tyler C. Daum	....	captain

Other crew
Philip Chidel	....	production secretary
Helen Pinkston	....	vfx script supervisor
James G. Robinson	....	presenter
Judi Rosner	....	production coordinator
Joe Roth	....	presenter
Joe Walser	....	production assistant
Melinda Eichberg	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Morgan Creek Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1991) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Exorcist 3 (Philippines: English title)
Exorcist III: Legion (USA) (working title)
The Exorcist 3 (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Exorcist III: Legion (USA) (trailer title)
William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2002) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1991) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Georgetown University, Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

Favorite film of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

Goofs:

Continuity: The size of the bandage and the tape across James Venamun's nose changes size several times.

Quotes:

Patient X: I still hear from her occasionally, screaming. I think the dead should shut up, unless there's something to say.

Movie Connections:

References Child's Play (1988)

"I believe..."

The first 'true' and so far best sequel to the amazing 1974 original sees George C. Scott stepping into the role of Detective Kinderman (played by the late Lee J. Cobb in the original) who is investigating a series of homicides in Georgetown. The homicides, grisly in nature, follow the M.O. of the Gemini killer, a man convicted and sent to death in the electric chair 15 years ago. Several characters return this time around from the original film including Kinderman, Father Dyer (Ed Flanders) and Damian Karras again played by Jason Miller.

First up I'll talk about the acting. The cast did a bloody good job in their roles. Scott gives a tour de force performance where he mixes grandfatherly likability with someone who is clearly struggling with demons of his own. It is clear why this man is one of the best character actors of the silver screen. The few scenes that he shared with Father Dyer were played so well you really thought they had been lifelong friends. The other acting coup was getting Brad Dourif to play the Gemini killer. He proves here that he will always be more than the voice of our favorite pint-sized plastic doll from hell. His character spends the film being shackled in a cell but yet is able to convey a sense of menace few can provide with the help of other actors, props and settings. Jason Miller returns also as the 'body' of Father Karras and swaps back and forth the role with Dourif. The Kinderman / Karras / Gemini scenes are the highlight of the film. The actors go full bore at each other and turn what could have become boring exposition scenes into film highlights.

William Peter Blatty stepped up to the plate and directs this time around. He took a book he wrote, Legion and tweaked it into the screenplay for part 3. I believe, but am not positive, that the exorcism at the end of the film in not in the book. Unfortunately I haven't read it since just before the movie came out and can't remember. The direction here is done very well for his second film. He sets up a chilly atmosphere when needed the most and steps aside to let the actors do their thing. Fairly straight-forward he lets the story role without flashy visuals getting in the way, signs of a true writer. The story is character driven with a few creepy moments but I had wished the atmosphere had been a little denser with scares at the end though. This effort comes closest to the original.

The music score is a bit light with many of the better scenes given over strictly to audio effects. A little bit disappointing but doesn't affect things too badly.

In the end you have a good sequel with a character driven script and a bunch of top notch actors ripping it up. Unfortunately I thought the ending was a bit rushed with the inclusion of the exorcism is just a little out of place. What for most of the film seems like a classic example of the walk-in of an 'old soul' suddenly becomes a possession story. But you got to give the distributors what they want I guess.