In July I read William Peter Blatty’s Legion, a follow-up to the wildly popular The Exorcist, set 12 years later. I enjoyed the novel and decided to add its film adaption, billed as The Exorcist 3, to my list at Netflix. Despite some good moments, it isn’t up to snuff, although the author wrote the screenplay and directed the movie. The best aspect of the novel is Lt. Kinderman, the detective who frequently spouts Yiddish. He is portrayed by George C. Scott, who fails miserably, a rare glitch in an otherwise distinguished career. Blatty did not give him any Yiddish dialogue, which was probably wise. The novel is existential mystery. The film begins that way but veers toward the same horror as the original. One key character, a doctor, is eliminated entirely, another, an exorcist, is added to dreadful effect. Nicol Williamson is entirely wasted in the part, as is Scott Wilson in his. Reading the contributors’ comments at IMDb, one states that Blatty was forced by the studio to go the way of the first film. That would explain its failure. How amazing is it that someone of the stature of Blatty was not allowed to make the work he wanted? My favorite part of the film is a dream sequence in which former NY Knicks’ center Patrick Ewing and male model Fabio appear as angels. Other than that, all I can say in the film's favor is that there are a few scares that made me jump. On a scale of five, two. It is rated six of ten at IMDb, although one contributor rated it ten and insists it's infinitely superior to the original. I see it as vastly inferior.
After yesterday's banner day, there was very little action at the floating book shop this afternoon. My thanks to Jack of Chase bank, who purchased a couple of spy novels, and to the Russian gentleman who bought two books in his native language.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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