The Exorcist III (1990)

Director:

William Peter Blatty

Writers (WGA):

William Peter Blatty (screenplay)
William Peter Blatty (novel)

Release Date:

17 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Do you dare walk these steps again?

Plot:

A police lieutenant in Georgetown mourns the anniversary of a priest's death as a serial killer strikes.

Plot Keywords:

Killer | Serial Killer | Death | Washington D.C. | Priest

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Kinderman
Ed Flanders	...	Father Dyer
Brad Dourif	...	The Gemini Killer
Jason Miller	...	Patient X
Nicol Williamson	...	Father Morning
Scott Wilson	...	Dr. Temple
Nancy Fish	...	Nurse Allerton
George DiCenzo	...	Stedman (as George Dicenzo)
Don Gordon	...	Ryan
Lee Richardson	...	University President
Grand L. Bush	...	Sergeant Atkins
Mary Jackson	...	Mrs. Clelia
Viveca Lindfors	...	Nurse X
Ken Lerner	...	Dr. Freedman
Tracy Thorne	...	Nurse Keating
Barbara Baxley	...	Shirley
Zohra Lampert	...	Mary Kinderman
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Father Kanavan
Sherrie Wills	...	Julie Kinderman
Edward Lynch	...	Patient A
Clifford David	...	Dr. Bruno
Alex Zuckerman	...	Korner Boy (as Alexander Zuckerman)
Lois Foraker	...	Nurse Merrin
Tyra Ferrell	...	Nurse Blaine
James Burgess	...	Thomas Kintry
Kevin Corrigan	...	Altar Boy
Peggy Alston	...	Mrs. Kintry
John Durkin	...	Elderly Jesuit (as Father John Durkin S.J.)
Bobby Deren	...	Nurse Bierce
Jan Neuberger	...	Alice
Alexis Chieffet	...	Counter Attendant
Debra Port	...	Waitress
Walt MacPherson	...	Police Sergeant
David Dwyer	...	Second Police Officer
Danny Epper	...	Police Driver (as Daniel Epper)
William Preston	...	Old Man in Wheelchair
Chuck Kinlaw	...	Attendant
Demetrios Pappageorge	...	Casperelii
Nina Hansen	...	Little Old Lady
Shane Wexel	...	First Dream Boy
Ryan Paul Amick	...	Second Dream Boy
John Coe	...	Old Man in Dream (as John A. Coe)
Jodi Long	...	First Dream Woman
Kathy Gerber	...	Second Dream Woman
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Dream Blind Man
Jan Smook	...	Radio Man
Amelia Campbell	...	Young Girl in Dream
Cherie Baron	...	Nurse
Larry King	...	Himself
C. Everett Koop	...	Himself
Patrick Ewing	...	Angel of Death
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clinton Brandhagen	...	Young Boy in Dream (uncredited)
Michael Criscuolo	...	Mental Patient (uncredited)
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Satan (voice) (uncredited)
Fabio	...	Angel (uncredited)
Randy Aaron Fink	...	Student (uncredited)
Jeff Henry	...	Angel (uncredited)
Patt Noday	...	Hospital Ward Priest (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Manley Pope	...	Angel (uncredited)
John Thompson	...	John Thompson - Georgetown Hoyas Basketball Coach (uncredited)
Brad Waller	...	Asylum Inmate (uncredited)

Directed by
William Peter Blatty

Writing credits (WGA)
William Peter Blatty		(screenplay)
William Peter Blatty		(novel "Legion")

Produced by
Carter DeHaven	....	producer (as Carter De Haven)
Steve Jaffe	....	associate producer
James G. Robinson	....	executive producer
Joe Roth	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Barry De Vorzon		(as Barry Devorzon)

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Peter Lee-Thompson		(as Peter Lee Thompson)
Todd C. Ramsay		(as Todd Ramsay)
Thom Noble		(uncredited)

Casting by
Sally Dennison
Louis DiGiaimo		(as Lou Digiaimo)
Julie Selzer

Production Design by
Leslie Dilley

Art Direction by
Henry Shaffer

Costume Design by
Dana Lyman

Makeup Department
Michael Abrios	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Erin Brasfield	....	makeup artist
Greg Cannom	....	special makeup effects creator
Cydney Cornell	....	department head hair stylist
Mitch Devane	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Steve Frakes	....	crew: Cannom Creations
John Logan	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Dan Platt	....	crew: Cannom Creations
Mike Smithson	....	on set prosthetics coordinator
Brian Wade	....	on-set special makeup effects supervisor
Bill Forsche	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Shaun Smith	....	special makeup effects crew (uncredited)
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ronald Colby	....	production manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard W. Abramitis	....	first assistant director
Stephanie Fowler Adams	....	second second assistant director
Paul Baxley	....	second unit director
Sharon Gerhard	....	first assistant director: second unit
Sharon Gerhard	....	second assistant director
Norman Reynolds	....	special effects unit director

Art Department
Lisa De Alva	....	property mistress: second unit
Daren Dochterman	....	assistant to production designer
Tim Eckel	....	set designer
Douglas Fox	....	property master
John D. Kretschmer	....	lead man
Simon Murton	....	concept illustrator
Mick Rossman	....	scenic: North Carolina
Thomas Michael Ryan	....	gang boss
Jeffrey Schlatter	....	construction coordinator
Jonathan Smart	....	assistant property master
Michael A. Wells	....	propmaker
Randal Woodward	....	paint forman

Sound Department
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
Ron Bartlett	....	sound editor
Mike Chock	....	sound editor
David Chornow	....	sound mixer
Ezra Dweck	....	sound effects recordist
Nicholas James	....	sound editor
Oscar Mitt	....	assistant sound editor
Andrew Patterson	....	supervising adr editor
Ralph Stuart	....	first assistant sound editor
Richard Van Dyke	....	production sound mixer
Rick Mitchell	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Randy E. Moore	....	special effects crew
Larry Odien	....	mechanical effects
William Purcell	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Mat Beck	....	visual effects supervisor
Jon Bell	....	digital artist
Patric Kenly	....	animation camera operator
Jeff Matakovich	....	optical supervisor: Dream Quest
Abe Milrad	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunt coordinator
Dean Raphael Ferrandini	....	stunt double: Nicol Williamson
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Kurt D. Lott	....	utility stunts
Jim Stephan	....	stunts
Jim Stephen	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Waide R. Allen	....	electrician
Eric Bartsch	....	grip
Logan R. Berkshire	....	best boy grip
John Cambria	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Carrico	....	grip
Rory Robert Knepp	....	additional second assistant camera
David Knox	....	Steadicam operator
Gene Poole	....	key grip
David Renken	....	electrician
Lee Shapira	....	grip
R. Michael Stringer	....	gaffer: second unit
Rick Tiedeman	....	additional Steadicam operator
Jon R. Tower	....	gaffer
Ron Zarilla	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Craig Fincannon	....	casting: Wilmington, NC

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Lapper	....	costumer
Marina Marit	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Tim Craig	....	second assistant editor
Eric O. Schusterman	....	apprentice editor
Marcy Stoeven	....	assistant editor (as Marcy Stoeven Gibbens)
Adam Bernardi	....	additional editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Tyler C. Daum	....	captain

Other crew
Philip Chidel	....	production secretary
Sheldon Katz	....	production controller
Helen Pinkston	....	vfx script supervisor
James G. Robinson	....	presenter
Judi Rosner	....	production coordinator
Joe Roth	....	presenter
Joe Walser	....	production assistant
Melinda Eichberg	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Morgan Creek Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1991) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Exorcist 3" - Philippines (English title)
"William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Italy:VM18 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2002) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1991) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Georgetown University, Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

Some lobby cards show scenes that were cut from the film, such as a scene with a beheaded priest.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The movie suggests that Kinderman and Father Karras/Patient X were longtime friends, but they only met once in the original film, and their meeting could hardly be called cordial.

Quotes:

Patient X:[flashback from 'The Exorcist'] Take Me. Come into Me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psychoville: Ravenhill (#1.7)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Tubular Bells

Great movie; bogged down a bit by producer interference.

Taking a much different approach than the first two EXORCIST films will either infuriate or please viewers depending on their expectations, and there's just no use arguing with people on the merits of this film, because something can be said for those who love it AND those who hate it. However, I have huge admiration for the nerve it took William Peter Blatty to bring his distinct vision to the screen and take big chances with this film. The end result is never boring and it refuses to be stupid, even when it threatens to fall apart from all the overly-complicated plot weirdness. There's loads of subtext here, it's not nearly as dependent on FX and gore than the first film, it has creepy atmosphere to burn and delivers a few great shocks (including a now-legendary hospital corridor scene; though some of the most horrible things in this film are implied, not shown). The writing is very good, and there's smart dialogue and three-dimensional characters played by some first-rate actors. George C. Scott is wonderful (when isn't he?) in the lead, with Jason Miller, Brad Dourif (one of the most underrated actors ever), Ed Flanders, Scott Wilson and everyone else contributing heavily.

I heard the senseless exorcism climax (featuring Nicol Williamson) was added to the film later against Blatty's wishes so audiences wouldn't be "confused," which basically means the studio who financed it take the general viewing public as idiots.

Make sure to also check out Blatty's great THE NINTH CONFIGURATION (AKA TWINKLE, TWINKLE, KILLER KANE), also a pretty underrated movie. I noticed he hasn't returned to scripting/directing film since this was made, probably because it wasn't well received at the time, but it's nice to read other comments and see I'm not the only one who really enjoyed this film.

Score: 8 out of 10