In the horror genre, when Hollywood has a major hit, it doesn’t wait to capitalize on it. Many franchises began that way, including Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween, just to name a few. So when The Exorcist came out and shocked audiences and studio executives with its massive box office haul, a sequel was inevitable.
What no one was prepared for was 1977’s Exorcist II: The Heretic. The film is a colossal misfire, a financial and critical disaster that nearly cost director John Boorman his career. The new documentary, Boorman and the Devil, explores the making of the film.
John Boorman Took Exorcist II: The Heretic in a Bold, Bizarre Direction
Director John Boorman was an interesting choice from the start. Having helmed films such as Point Blank (1967) and Deliverance (1972), he was given free rein by Warner Bros. The sequel’s blind bidding clause, which had theaters falling all over themselves to show the film, locked in months of guaranteed theatrical showings.
Boorman’s good friend Stanley Kubrick, who directed The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey, among other iconic films, advised him to rinse and repeat the original, only with more gore, violence, and bloodshed. However, Boorman went the artsy route, creating something he described as “maybe a bit excessive.” That might be one of the greatest understatements in the history of cinema.
Boorman and the Devil writer-director David Kittredge is determined to leave no stone unturned in Boorman and the Devil. There were times when watching that I wondered if there was actually too much information being thrown at the viewer. However, Kittredge’s obvious love for the material quickly made those moments vanish, leaving us with a lot to take in.
As the documentary progressed, I found myself wondering how the film was made and whether it even should have been made. Both questions are warranted.
The Exorcist II: The Heretic Cast and Crew Share Their Stories
There are some interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits shared, including Boorman opening up about the toll the film took on him. He became seriously ill during filming, forcing the shoot to shut down for about five weeks. Physically, he was a mess, but mentally he was probably even worse.
The Exorcist star Linda Blair, who returned only for a substantial amount of money and what she thought might be an interesting film, has some of the best observations. They are quite funny at times, but the humor takes a back seat when the real danger she is in is discussed. Shockingly, Blair could have died after not being properly secured while shooting at the top of a tall building in high winds.
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It was also revealed that actor Richard Burton, who played Father Philip Lamont, was often late, drinking, or both. He would leave the set promptly at 6:00 PM every day, even if they were still shooting. Louise Fletcher, who played Dr. Gene Tuskin, was simply in awe that the film ever got finished.
Amazingly, despite misfires, script issues, technical malfunctions, illnesses, and cast problems, Exorcist II: The Heretic somehow got finished. But the chaos didn’t end when production wrapped.
A sneak preview sparked outrage among fans, who were furious at feeling deceived by what they had just seen. They even pointed out the film execs sitting in the back, then chased them into the street. As a result, Boorman made changes to try to salvage it, but it was too late.
Boorman and the Devil Reexamines One of Horror’s Most Infamous Sequels
Kittredge does a solid job of assembling the story into one big, complete puzzle that tells a tale so ridiculous it’s hard to believe it all happened. He neither condemns the film nor praises it as a masterpiece. Exorcist II: The Heretic is a weirdly put-together art film that has issues from start to finish, including the dialogue and the characters. Not to mention, unlike the first classic film, the sequel is not really a horror movie.
When I first saw Exorcist II years ago, I was one of those fans who felt cheated and dismissed it as a terrible film. While it’s still not a good film, it’s easier to see today that it took a lot of big, bold swings. Unfortunately, it had too many misses. Even The Exorcist director William Friedkin called it “the worst piece of sh— I’ve ever seen. It’s a f—ing disgrace…”
Boorman and the Devil is an entertaining, informative documentary that offers the audience a chance to see the infamous sequel in a new light. The film opens in select theaters on Sept. 4 via Yellow Veil Pictures.
