Exorcist II: The Heretic (Collector’s Edition) – Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

Today with "franchise films and sequels" I think that the goal is not to have them stray from whatever formula they feel made the earlier pictures work. So, I am not so sure that today they would accept a shift away from Micheal Meyers to an evil Irish mask maker.

After 40 years of Michael being the face of that series, you're probably right but I think if Halloween had been made in the last few years, they might have been able to transition to a series of different scary movies each year.

I think you are right that we see some of this with TV shows but I think they take far more risks with TV these days than they do with movies. Basically with TV and all the streaming stuff they actually do seem to be pursuing new ideas to create new content. With movies they seem to only want to recycle content...unless you get an Amazon or Netflix backing you then again they seem interested in original content...literally filling the space vacated by motion pictures.

Unfortunately, I can't argue with that.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The problem was, if they wanted to have a "Halloween" franchise with different stories, they should have started with Halloween II. By having the second film as a continuation of the first, they set the pattern, so audiences expected another continuation with Part III. If they'd used the story for "Season of the Witch" as Halloween II, it might have worked.

They're sort of doing this now with the core of the Conjuring series (excluding the spinoffs). Each film is following a different "case" of the Warrens, with the Warrens themselves as the only real link between the films.

I think The Conjuring idea of covering different cases from the Warrens is interesting and a good one. Funny that they are stuck calling all of the films in the main series The Conjuring as a better name for the series would be something like The Warren Files...but maybe that's more a TV name. I have not watched any of the Annabelle or The Nun spinoffs but they seem to want to keep rolling with those as well.

I think it is always kind of interesting how they approach a sequel or in today's terms it seems "building a universe" which seems to mean they will make as many films as possible that relate to just about anything in a previous film.

I thought the shift to Irish mask maker after two Micheal Myers films was perfect timing to shift away from the whole Haddonfield side of Mike's stalk and kill yarn. But hey, who am I to say?

 

[Malcolm R]

Funny that they are stuck calling all of the films in the main series The Conjuring as a better name for the series would be something like The Warren Files...but maybe that's more a TV name

The Warren Files was listed a working title for the film prior to release.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The Warren Files was listed a working title for the film prior to release.

Ha, they probably felt like The Warren Files would make people think it was a film about an accountant or tax collector!

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Here's a cool interview with John Boorman...

https://lwlies.com/interviews/john-boorman-lost-lord-of-the-rings-script/

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

At least Boorman redeemed himself with Excalibur.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

Here's a cool interview with John Boorman...

https://lwlies.com/interviews/john-boorman-lost-lord-of-the-rings-script/

Very interesting, and frank, conversation. Thanks for sharing.

 

[titch]

Here's a cool interview with John Boorman...

https://lwlies.com/interviews/john-boorman-lost-lord-of-the-rings-script/

Marvellous, candid interview. He's got nothing to prove and doesn't have to worry about what he says. Robert Harris will like the David Lean quote.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Ellen Burstyn was the best thing in The Exorcist and without her it doesn’t make sense and was doomed from the get go.

I believe that Burstyn was asked and either was not available or turned it down. I do think Burstyn would have been better to have in a sequel to The Exorcist than Linda Blair...who honestly could have been left out of a sequel entirely or had a minor part.

In truth the actual sequel to The Exorcist is Blatty's film wrongly titled Exorcist III...it should be called Legion. It may be the third in the series of films but it is actually the follow-up to The Exorcist.

 

[Lord Dalek]

In truth the actual sequel to The Exorcist is Blatty's film wrongly titled Exorcist III...it should be called Legion. It may be the third in the series of films but it is actually the follow-up to The Exorcist.

Oh really? I thought Exorcist II was actually called "The Ninth Configuration".

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Oh really? I thought Exorcist II was actually called "The Ninth Configuration".

Well, yes the astronaut in The Ninth Configuration is meant to be the one Regan says “You’re gonna die up there.” to...so I think the proper way to put it in today’s terms is “It’s in the same universe.”

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, the reaction to The Exorcist was this:



Not quite the reaction The Heretic got...

This is a fun watch...

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

And here is Friedkin letting loose on The Heretic...

 

[Noel Aguirre]

As an aside Hereditary is really good and Toni Collette’s performance reminded me of Burstyn’s.