The Exorcist III

This one's a thousand times better than the weenie Exorcist II: The Heretic they made in 1977. [28 Sep 1990, p.6]

Dread this thick stays with you, long after the shock of projectile vomit and masturbation by crucifix has worn off. Read full review

What's shocking about The Exorcist III is that it's a civilized albeit undemanding entertainment, more Hitchcock than Hellraiser. [20 Aug 1990]

Few people love William Friedkin, John Boorman, and Paul Schrader as much as I do, but in my book, of the six or so films that have tried to turn that tortured title into a continuing franchise, Blatty’s The Exorcist III is the best, hands down. Read full review

Exorcist III may not have the visceral impact of the first film, but it gives viewers far more than they had any reason to expect. Read full review

With the exception of an unnecessary spectacular climax, this is a restrained, haunting chiller which stimulates the adrenalin and intellect alike. Read full review

It probably misses the point to complain that a movie about satanic possession gets a little ridiculous towards the end. But The Exorcist III is such a witty, chilling treat until its final sequences that the complaint stands. The problem may be that no explanation of the film's diabolical events can possibly be as convincing or scary as the events themselves. [20 Aug 1990, p.F10]

The Exorcist III doesn't completely work but offers much more than countless, less ambitious films. [20 Aug 1990, p.F6]

This may sound like heresy, but The Exorcist III is a better and funnier (intentionally) movie than either of its predecessors. Read full review

Since The Exorcist was one of the most frightening films ever and Exorcist II one of the goofiest, chances favored The Exorcist III to fall somewhere in between, though not nearly far enough up the scale to rival the original. Read full review

It is unsparing when it comes to gruesome descriptions and ominous characters, but it's got more giggles than goose bumps. The Exorcist III isn't about to scare anybody. Read full review

You strain to hear mumbled dialogue at times, and there's no sense trying to making sense of it -- but Exorcist III is not half-bad terrible psychological thriller junk entertainment. [18 Aug 1990, p.C3]

Exorcist III asks for the dark recesses of your imagination. It's not an intense stomach-churner, but is more menacing to the mind of the beholder. [18 Aug 1990, p.1D]

Eventually, Blatty's cat-and-mouse game with the viewer gets a little tiresome, and his own story, by definition, leads to a corner: an all-out, free-for-all exorcism finish that seems a bit dated now. Read full review

The major fault in Exorcist III is the house-of-cards plot that is constantly collapsing. Read full review

Exorcist III is as gory, convoluted -- and deafening -- as any Nightmare on Elm Street sequel. [21 Aug 1990, p.C4]

The Exorcist III isn't crudely exploitative so much as it's just unendurably pretentious. [24 Aug 1990, p.4]

More moronic than demonic. [20 Aug 1990]

The Exorcist III has the feel of a nightmare catechism lesson, or a horror movie made by a depressed monk. Read full review