13 Comments
Oct 31Liked by Ray Banks

Haven't seen this (I vaguely remember portions of Exorcist III), but really enjoyed this commentary on a movie I now REALLY don't want to watch (Richard Burton, Ned Beatty - and James Earl Jones and the nails - notwithstanding).

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Every time someone doesn't watch Exorcist II, an angel gets its wings. Something something Pazuzu's petals something.

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Nothing that features this stone cold Halloween banger could ever be considered a total failure: https://youtu.be/olqEJ6kHT84?si=-c1dTdNwvAaLqKtZ

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And it is a crying shame that this isn't the actual opening theme! I think it's buried somewhere in the end credits. Between this and Suspiria, 1977 was a good year for jazz-funk horror themes.

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Has there ever been a nation more adept at being funky in weird time signatures than the Italians?

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NO. But I would like to offer Greece as a potential contender. It's more prog, but it's DEMIS ROUSSOS / VANGELIS PROG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_UYHqWfJk

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Man, that whole album is a big favourite. A warped quasi-religious prog banger of the highest order.

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I had no idea it even existed until last year, and it was described as Demis Roussos prog rock concept album about Revelations called 666. I couldn't listen to it fast enough.

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One of those rare pieces of art that lives up to its description.

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“The Exorcist would take that central premise and ruin Christmas for audiences nationwide” Not much has made me laugh today but this line did. Thanks!

I’ve never managed to make it more than a half hour in this one and I saw BOTH “prequels.” Maybe someday.

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I don't blame you. I didn't see The Exorcist for a loooong time (it wasn't available over here until the late '90s) and even then it was scarier than I thought it was going to be. I can't even leave the Blu-ray menu up for very long ... And I remember absolutely zilch about the prequels, other than I think I preferred the Schrader one.

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The original is undeniable. One of those horrors that was scary even on network TV at least when I was a kid. It still gets me. Just coming across a photo of Blair in the makeup in an article still freaks me out. That’s my exact memory of the prequels. Schrader’s was better but really only remember Skarsgard looking pained.

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Great post. I will remember footnote 10 for a long time.

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