Legion: An Exorcist III Fanedit

Review by adrift — December 31, 2011 @ 9:53 pm

Its been a long time since I’ve seen the original, and I’ve forgotten more of it than I remember. So watching this version was like watching it fresh. The editing is very very good. I was looking for seams or jumps that felt out of place, but I really couldn’t find any, and the pace of the edit was very smooth, even if I thought the story itself was slightly illogical.

Overall, and this really has nothing to do with the edit itself, I think the film is still a bit of turkey. Its an interesting idea as far as supernatural detective thrillers go, but it doesn’t quite work. Its not a very scary film seeing as the subject matter is about demons and serial killers and whatnot, and I never believe in George C. Scott’s character as an active detective (he’s just too old for the part). Kinderman and Father Dyer’s rapport and back and forth is believable and fun to watch, but that’s really the best part of the film for me. Also I can’t watch Brad Dourif and not think of the other character’s he’s played. Wish they had flashed back to Jason Miller most of the time.

So, the edit deserves a 9/10, but the actual film is still confusing and forgettable and deserves maybe a 4 or 5 out of 10.

Review by DwightFry78 — April 20, 2011 @ 12:04 am

This is, pure and simple, one of the most amazing fanedits I’ve seen, if only because absolutely NOTHING in it indicates that this is fanedited. I could have sworn this played in theaters, and I could have sworn this played in theaters back in 1990, as even the new opening credits have that optically printed feel, while most fanedit credits feel like homemade, albeit many of them very good, digital addendums. Speaking of credits, the ENTIRE closing credits crawl appears to have been retyped, every single word, just to cut out Nicol Williamson’s name and add some acknowledgements (any time, BTW!). Some meticulous work. Spicediver is not only an excellent editor, but even more of a perfectionist than I am.

As for the movie itself: I think the theatrical cut is a mess, and I think that even this version is flawed as cinema. It has some very interesting elements, but too much misplaced humor (“HIS GODDAMN NOSE IS BROKEN!!!” You’ve gotta be kidding) and Blatty’s limited directorial skills, much inferior to his talent as a writer and thus producing a mix of good moments and embarrassing ones (the scares could have been filmed by Ed Wood, and that dream sequence has to be a prank. It HAS to be a prank) keep it from exploring its many possibilities. The worst offenders could have been easily excised, but that’s not what this edit is about. It’s not how Spicediver wants the movie, it’s how he thinks Blatty would want it. And in that respect, this is a huge triumph, not to mention that, warts and all, it’s far superior to the theatrical. I particulsarly liked the simple but very effective way the ending was resolved. In this case, less is truly more.

Technically, this was flawless. Perfect video, perfect audio, indistinguishable from a store-bought official release. The menu is just a still of the cover, I think at least some music and a chapters menu would have been nice, but those are minor quibbles anyway. Extras are a nice trailer and some text links.

This said, I see no reason to not give this one a full 10/10. Great, very professional stuff.

Review by T-HOPE — April 6, 2011 @ 10:57 am

I saw this fanedit yesterday.

I just loved the added quick shot of the decapitated priest, taken from the infamous promo card. Well done!

It has been a while since the original, and I’m really tempted to watch that one now also to compare to this cut. However, since it’s been a while, it’s hard to compare. But I can say 2 things:

1) This is an exciting fanedit. I watched it with pleasure, and I loved the extra stuff that I noticed and remembered compared to the official Exorcist 3 movie (for example the decapitated priest).

2) I now understand why the studio wanted an exorcism. The original way, Kinderman just shooting father Karras/Gemini Killer, is not a big pay off. It doesn’t have a big impact or doesn’t feel like big finale. It’s just a simple ending. This way, it feels more unrelated to the original Exorcist. It feels more like a (supernatural?) thriller instead of a horror movie. Which was probably the intention Blatty wanted it to be. Now again, I must say that’s it’s been a long time ago since I watched the official Exorcist 3 movie, so I will have to watch that one again to do a decent compare to this fanedit.

Too bad we probably never get the real director’s cut as fthe footage has been lost (according to the movie studio), but this fanedit gives us a glimpse at what could have been. It’s a good effort. Right now I would rate it 8/10. Might change to 9/10 after I have seen the official Exorst 3 movie again.

Review by TheVigilante — April 5, 2011 @ 8:53 am

Dynamite edit.

For everyone who knew there was a great movie just beneath the surface in Exorcist III this edit is probably as close we’ll ever get to Blatty’s original vision.

The opening works perfectly.

The tightened scenes throughout are justified.

The Father Morning/Exorcism scenes are not missed.

The new ending is more than satisfying.

The dialogue changes/reconstructions work well. Fans who know this movie inside out may find them slightly jarring on first viewing but I’m sure this will fade with more viewings.

The extra scare shot during the murder of Father Kanavan is worth the download alone.

All in all, one of the most satisfying, worthwhile and competent edits I’ve found on this site. As much as I enjoy the original I can’t see myself watching it anymore, Spicediver’s edit is indispensable.

Review by FatherMerrin — March 29, 2011 @ 1:06 pm

This outstanding edit brings to life the film that should of been. This edit removes all unnecessary scenes and as a result the film flows better and actually now makes much more sense.

Added footage involving the priest in the church put a massive smile on my face and gave the scene the extra shock it needed. The added footage where Kinderman first meets Gemini/Karras makes that scene finally work.

The only added footage I wasn’t 100% convinced by is the scene at the end where the Gemini says “I have dreams of a rose…” and it fades in & out of some dream footage. For me it had the effect of making the scene feel like 2 separate scenes. But William Pete Blatty was also very keen on this type of editing, so it is actually in keeping of the style of the movie.

All the removal of Exorcist/possession subplots did nothing but enchance the film and how Spicediver handled the Nurse Possession at the end which simple and brilliant.

Finally and most importantly, the ending. Having seen some previous attempts to correct the ending on youtube I was quite apprehensive. Those cursed bug eyes seem to be a problem no-one could solve. Well… Spicediver has succeeded where everybody else has failed! The ending not only works it is also haunting in a way I think Mark Kermode described when he saw the original Legion.

The big bonus for me is that this film from start to fininsh actually felt different from the Exorcist III. I can’t explain why but Spicediver’s version has a different air to it and as as result it’s like watching a whole new movie. Instead of watching the same movies with corrections, like most edits are.

As an Exorcist fan Spicediver’s edit of The Exorcist is in all likelyhood the closet I’m ever going to get to seeing Legion. Whether it will appeal to anyone outside the Exorcist or Horror community I don’t know, but this is a fine piece of work that should be scene by all edit fans.