Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

User Rating:

3.5/10   

Director:

John Boorman

Writers:

William Peter Blatty (characters)
William Goodhart (written by)

Release Date:

17 June 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's four years later...what does she remember?

Plot:

A girl once possessed by a demon finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, a priest investigates the death of the girl's exorcist.

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Girl | Priest | Locust | Africa

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Linda Blair	...	Regan MacNeil
Richard Burton	...	Father Philip Lamont
Louise Fletcher	...	Dr. Gene Tuskin
Max von Sydow	...	Father Merrin
Kitty Winn	...	Sharon Spencer
Paul Henreid	...	The Cardinal
James Earl Jones	...	Older Kokumo
Ned Beatty	...	Edwards
Belinda Beatty	...	Liz (as Belinha Beatty)
Rose Portillo	...	Spanish Girl
Barbara Cason	...	Mrs. Phalor
Tiffany Kinney	...	Deaf Girl
Joey Green	...	Young Kokumo
Fiseha Dimetros	...	Young Monk
Ken Renard	...	Abbot

Also Known As:

Exorcist 2: The Heretic (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Exorcist 2 (International: English title) (informal alternative title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:X (Banned until 1983) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:15 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Glen Canyon, Utah, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When the role of Dr. Tuskin was still written as male, Chris Sarandon, George Segal, and David Carradine were considered. John Boorman passed on Sarandon, and George Segal's salary demands were too high. When the decision was made to make Dr. Tuskin a woman, the screenwriter suggested Jane Fonda or Ann-Margret before Boorman decided upon casting Louise Fletcher.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Regan wakes up in hospital, she removes the IV needle from her arm, but in subsequent shots, there is no IV drip bag stand next to her bed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[pre-release version]
Father Lamont: [narrating] Father Lanchester Merrin died in Georgetown near Washington, D.C. while attempting to exorcise a 12-year-old child, Regan MacNeil.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "E! True Hollywood Story: Curse of the Exorcist" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Lullaby of Broadway

A Brilliant, Lousy Film

Inside this terrible film is an excellent film screaming to get out. There are moments of real power and and frightening beauty, but they are drowning in sludge. One wonders if this mixture is a result of conflict amongst those making the film, or of Boorman simply not being able to keep his grasp of a vision.