William Friedkin’s The Exorcist is regarded as one of the best horror movies ever filmed and is a really outstanding picture. Excellent acting, a strong storyline, and a nuanced and thought-provoking examination of religion, doubt, and the essence of evil all contribute to the film’s high quality. The film is also genuinely scary, thanks to its disturbing imagery and suspenseful atmosphere.
However, Exorcist II: The Heretic, the follow-up to The Exorcist, was a huge failure. Although it was released four years after the first movie, it had a complex and unclear narrative, and both reviewers and viewers gave it a bad review. Friedkin publicly voiced his disgust for the sequel and freely admitted that it was among the worst things he had ever seen.
William Friedkin Absolutely Hated the Exorcist II: The Heretic
The first Exorcist‘s director, William Friedkin, has been outspoken about how much he detests the follow-up, Exorcist II: The Heretic. Friedkin detested the sequel so much because it differed so greatly from the first movie. While the follow-up was more of a psychological thriller, the first Exorcist was a pure horror movie. Friedkin felt that the sequel betrayed the spirit of the original film and that it was simply not a good film.
The sequel has a variety of other issues in addition to its tone change. The characters lacked depth, the narrative was confused and incomprehensible, and the special effects were out of date. As a result, both reviewers and viewers alike overwhelmingly condemned the movie. William Friedkin also stated,
“‘We just finished Exorcist II, would you like to have a look at it?’’And I don’t know why, but I went into the room and I sat through maybe 40 minutes of it. It’s the worst piece of sh— I’ve ever seen. It’s a f—ing disgrace. That’s the worst 40 minutes of film I have ever seen, really, and that’s saying a lot.”
This statement was given by William Friedkin in an episode of The Movies That Made Me.
William Friedkin felt that the failure of the sequel was the primary reason why he was unable to find work for several years. Despite the failure, The Exorcist still remains one of the most acclaimed and influential horror films ever made. It is regarded as a genre classic and has received praise for its innovative visual effects, eerie atmosphere, and unwavering representation of demonic possession.
The Exorcist: A Hollywood Masterpiece
At the time of its premiere, The Exorcist was the highest-grossing horror movie ever, both critically and financially. Numerous directors have credited it as an inspiration, and it has been repeatedly parodied and taunted. The movie is a cultural milestone, and everything from music videos to TV series has used its famous visuals as a reference.
It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, along with many other awards and nominations. It earned a massive $428.2 million at the box office against a minimal budget of $12 million. It is a masterpiece of horror cinema, and it continues to be enjoyed and admired by audiences today. William Friedkin also received very high praise for his work on the project and for bringing it to fruition.
Source: The Movies That Made Me
