Other Titles • Exorcist II: The Heretic • Exorzist II - Der Ketzer (1977)
Synopses for Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
1.
Richard Burton stars as exorcist Father Philip Lamont in John Boorman's sequel to THE EXORCIST. The cleric, who is struggling with his faith, is investigating the death of Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow), who was killed in the course of exorcising the Assyrian demon Pazuzu from Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair). Although now seemingly normal, Regan continues to be monitored at a psychiatric institute by Dr. Gene Tuskin (Louise Fletcher). In an attempt to plumb her memories of exorcism, Dr. Tuskin has hypnotized the girl, to whom she's linked by a "synchronizer" and is so overcome by "witnessing" Regan's memory of the event that Lamont has to rescue her. After a tour of the Georgetown house where the exorcism took place, Lamont returns to be coupled with Regan by synchronizer. The priest is spirited to the past by Pazuzu to observe Father Merrin exorcising a young boy, Kokumo (Joey Green), in Africa. Learning that the boy developed special powers to fight Pazuzu, who appears as a swarm of locusts, Lamont journeys to Africa, defying his superior, to seek help from the adult Kokumo (James Earl Jones).
(15 votes)
2.
The Intensely Hypnotic Sequel Continues the Legacy of Fright!
John Boorman (Deliverance, Excalibur) directs this fearful follow-up about a demonic spirit's determined quest to reclaim the soul of Regan (Linda Blair) four years after her original exorcism and the battle waged against evil by obsessed priest Richard Burton and hypnotherapist Louise Fletcher.
(15 votes)
3.
When it was released in 1977 The Exorcist II: The Heretic was virtually laughed off the screen. A much-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning original, it turned out to be an unintentionally hilarious mishmash and received such terrible reviews that director John Boorman yanked it out of cinemas. He reedited it, cutting eight minutes in hopes of getting the story (written by William Goodhart) to the point of coherency--but to no avail. The film remains a kind of reverse gold standard for sequels. It's still a ridiculously overacted, although at times visually haunting, movie. Richard Burton stars as a troubled priest (something of a speciality of his) who is brought in to follow up on the case of Linda Blair, who is institutionalised, still troubled by her encounter with the devil (who wouldn't be?). By the time they confront Satan's minion in the final struggle, you'll be rooting for evil to win. --Marshall Fine
(15 votes)
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