Horror History: The Exorcist III – Lost Head Morph Exorcism Scene
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In 1990 Exorcist author William Peter Blatty get into the director’s chair to adapt his 1983 novel and sequel to The Exorcist, Legion, for the big screen. However, from script to screen things didn’t go exactly as he’d planned.
Exorcist III, as it came to be known, was set over a decade after the original film and thankfully ignored the events of the incredibly terrible 1977 sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic. Starring George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson, and Brad Dourif, the film was originally titled Legion, but studio executives of Morgan Creek felt that the title would be unrecognizable to fans and wanted instead to go with something more commercial friendly. As a result re-writes and re-shoots were ordered, and in the end an exorcism sequence was tacked on to the film’s ending. While Blatty states that he is happy with what was released, he’d love to give his original vision a whirl. Sadly, Morgan Creek claims all of the original cut footage has been lost.
Upon its release the film was met with mixed reviews from both critics and audiences alike, but with the passage of time it’s aged like a fine wine. Filled with truly creepy moments, stand-out performances from George C. Scott and Brad Dourif, and quirky moments featuring Patrick Ewing and Fabio as angels, Exorcist III has lots of bang for your buck. Not to mention the fact that it’s home to one of the single most effective and jarring jump scares ever put to film.
So that brings us to the trailer released for the film. We see trailers all the time containing footage not seen in theatres, but when it comes to Exorcist III, we really missed out on a tasty moment that was omitted from the final exorcism scene. You can dig on a bit of it in the rare trailer below.
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How do you feel about the blending of horror and Western genres?
- Love it, the combination is thrilling!
- It's interesting but not always executed well.
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- Not a fan of horror or Westerns.
