Exorcist II: The Heretic (Exclusive Series) (HBO Max)

Initial release date: June 17, 1977

Studio: Warner Brothers

Tagline: The evil lives on ... can it be stopped?

Plot: Owing to his experience with exorcisms, Father Lamont is chosen by his superiors to investigate the death of Father Merrin, who died during the exorcism of young Regan MacNeil. Lamont finds Regan under the psychiatric care of Dr. Tuskin. By hypnotizing the girl, he is able to learn that Merrin previously exorcised the same demon from a boy in Africa. Hoping for answers, Lamont travels to Africa in search of the formerly possessed individual.

Cast

Linda Blair - Regan MacNeil

Richard Burton - Father Philip Lamont

Louise Fletcher - Dr. Gene Tuskin

Max von Sydow - Father Merrin (newly filmed flashbacks for the sequel)

Kitty Winn - Sharon Spencer

Paul Henreid - The Cardinal

James Earl Jones - Older Kokumo

Ned Beatty - Edwards

Barbara Cason - Mrs. Phalor

Writer: William Goodheart

Director: John Boorman

Rated R (117 min)

Last year for my Halloween edition of the Exclusive Series, I took a look at the 1973 classic 'The Exorcist.' And, nothing can ever beat the original masterpiece.

So, this year, as part of my current Halloween marathon, I'm taking a look at the next two installments of the series: the 1977 and 1990 movies and saving the prequel for next Halloween season. The 1977 and 1990 installments have been sort of forgotten over the years. And, a couple of nights ago, I watched 'The Exorcist II: The Heretic,' which has received majorly negative reactions from both critics and fans during its initial theatrical run. All I can say is I hope the 1990 sequel is decent because 'The Heretic' isn't that good ...

Now, I knew this sequel wouldn't be as good as the original since like I said before, nothing can ever beat the original. The plot of showing how the Regan character is a few years after the first film's events would've worked if done right and the Church investigating the death of Father Merrin can be a little intriguing.

The rest of the sequel really does drag along and can be on the slow-moving side. Sure, there were a few times that the 1973 film was on the slightly slow side. But, the filmmakers still made it rather interesting, scary and tense. 'The Heretic' has maybe one or two scary moments and that's really it ...

So, overall, 'Exorcist II' did have a potentially intriguing plot, it was just executed wrong.

If you dare to check it out, 'The Exorcist: The Heretic' can currently be streamed on the HBO Max streaming platform, along with the 1973 original!

Here are some interesting little tidbits for 'Exorcist II: The Heretic':

• The original cast and crew of 'The Exorcist' was very much opposed to a sequel. William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty actually met to discuss ideas at one point, but when they failed to develop a suitable premise, they abandoned the project. Both Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn turned down repeated offers by the studio, though Blair eventually agreed to return when presented with what she considered a good script ... before the script was majorly changed.

• However, according to Blair, due to various rewrites the script ended up a total mess. By that point, however, she was contractually bound to a sequel, and unable to drop out of the project.

• Blair refused to be subjected to the make up she wore in the first film. In flashback scenes, the possessed Regan was played by a double. And you can easily tell that it was a different actress playing the possessed Regan.

• Stanley Kubrick turned down the offer to direct. When John Boorman accepted, Kubrick warned him that the only way an 'Exorcist' sequel would succeed is if it were to be more graphic and horrific than the original.

• The original opening night version of this film was so poorly received that the audience at a Hollywood Blvd. theater actually threw things at the screen to express their disgust when it was over.

• William Peter Blatty, author of the original novel, reportedly had to stifle his own laughter upon viewing the film at the premiere.

• Boorman pulled the film out of theaters twice to do some more editing.

• Blair was already in the midst of her drug habits and constantly tuned up late to shooting, to the point where she actually considered it an achievement that she was only 20 minutes late one day.

• Although widely regarded as a flop, the film was actually the only one of the sequels/prequels to show a profit on its theatrical release despite being a major under-performer and a critical embarrassment to the studio. The film's critical reception was so bad that plans for a second sequel wouldn't come out for thirteen years by another studio and not by Warner.

• The production was refused permission to film at just about every location they asked for (including the house from the first film), leading to them having to recreate everything on the studio back-lot and inflating the $9 million budget all the way up to $14 million.

• The film was rushed into production because Fox released the 'Exorcist'-inspired 'The Omen,' which got good reviews and was a smash hit.

• 'The Heretic' was WB's largest day and date launch, opening in 725 venues in the US and Canada, and set an opening weekend for Warner's with $6.7 million but poor word of mouth hampered its performance. The film eventually grossed $30 million domestically, turning a profit but still disappointing in comparison to the original film's gross.