How The GREATEST Horror Movie Sequel Was Almost Ruined
Legion Or Theatrical, The Exorcist III Is Still The Greatest Horror Sequel
Despite the best efforts of the studio to undermine Blatty's attempts at an adaptation of Legion, The Exorcist III is still an inimitable piece of cinema - regardless of which version you're watching. The eccentric, more Hollywoodised aspects of the theatrical cut do create something of a tonal dissonance, but they also aren't without their charm. Although his casting came at the expense of Dourif, Jason Miller poses a powerful reminder of just how exhilarating a performer he was, embodying the possessed Karras devilishly before landing a heavy emotional blow by bringing his human form to the surface. Equally, there is plenty to admire on a technical level when it comes to the exorcism scene, which entails plenty of face-peeling, hellish action, even if it belongs in a totally different movie.
The Legion cut, conversely, has the disadvantage of not being a perfect recreation, with cinematographer Gerry Fisher's crisp compositions being muddied by the (sadly necessary) use of VHS dailies. Through it all, however, Blatty's voice shines through, matching the lyrical, reflective prose of the Legion novel, which is delivered expertly by the likes of Scott, Ed Flanders and Dourif. In that sense, both versions of The Exorcist III are perfectly imperfect, unable to quite maintain the highs of Friedkin's lofty original, but succeeding all the same.
It's a testament to Blatty that, even when his film was taken away in a different direction, its seemingly significant flaws feel minute. In the end, it's okay that we don't have a pristine version of Legion. Is it a loss? Absolutely, but focusing too heavily on what we were deprived of runs the risk of forgetting the beauty Blatty was able to share. In The Exorcist III, we have a film that embodies all the anguished and yet hopeful theological introspection that made Blatty's writing so enchanting. It haunts, chills and thrills, but only so much as it loves, consoles, and mourns. Whichever version you watch, flaws or no flaws, The Exorcist III is Blatty through and through, which is to say it's thoroughly human.