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60-451: Exorcist II: The Heretic is a 1977 American supernatural science fiction horror film directed by John Boorman and written by William Goodhart. It is the second installment in The Exorcist film series and the sequel to The Exorcist (1973), and stars Linda Blair , Richard Burton , Louise Fletcher , Max von Sydow , Kitty Winn , Paul Henreid , and James Earl Jones . It was

120-475: A succubus who is a doppelgänger of Regan. The taxi crashes into the Georgetown house, killing the driver, but Tuskin and Sharon survive; at the front of the house Sharon sets herself on fire. Although Lamont initially succumbs to the succubus, he is brought back by Regan and attacks her doppelgänger while a swarm of locusts deluges the house, which begins to crumble around them. However, Lamont manages to kill

180-415: A connection with its audience. Here I saw the chance to make an extremely ambitious film without having to spend the time developing this connection. I could make assumptions and then take the audience on a very adventurous cinematic journey". Linda Blair agreed to reprise her role of Regan MacNeil for Exorcist II , but refused to wear demon make-up (a double was used for the brief flashback scenes depicting

240-442: A demonic Regan). Max von Sydow was persuaded by Boorman to reprise the role of Father Merrin; he was initially reluctant to return because of his concerns over the negative impact of the first Exorcist film. Kitty Winn signed on to reprise the role of Sharon Spencer for Exorcist II after Ellen Burstyn flatly refused to return as Chris MacNeil. Boorman contacted William O'Malley to reprise his role as Father Joseph Dyer from

300-582: A film that generally receives a warmer response from its audience than this terribly misjudged sequel." In a 2005 interview, Boorman remarked: It all comes down to audience expectations. The film that I made, I saw as a kind of riposte to the ugliness and darkness of The Exorcist  – I wanted a film about journeys that was positive, about good, essentially. And I think that audiences, in hindsight, were right. I denied them what they wanted and they were pissed off about it – quite rightly, I knew I wasn't giving them what they wanted and it

360-477: A psychiatric institute by Dr. Gene Tuskin. Regan claims that she remembers nothing about her ordeal in Washington, D.C., but Tuskin believes that her memories are repressed. Father Lamont visits the institute, but his attempts to question Regan about the circumstances of Merrin's death are rebuffed by Tuskin, who believes that Lamont's approach would do Regan more harm than good. In an attempt to plumb her memories of

420-472: A rate of 100 a day); original film editor John Merritt quitting the production (he was replaced by Tom Priestley ), and stars Kitty Winn and Louise Fletcher both suffering from gall bladder infections. Blair said in one interview that Pallenberg directed a lot of the film as well as did rewrites. Pallenberg was credited as the second unit director and a "creative associate". The Heretic was Warner Bros.'s largest day and date launch, opening in 725 theatres in

480-401: A relatively low-budget affair: "What we essentially wanted to do with the sequel was to redo the first movie... Have the central figure, an investigative priest, interview everyone involved with the exorcism, then fade out to unused footage, unused angles from the first film. A low-budget rehash — about $ 3 million — of The Exorcist , a rather cynical approach to movie-making, I'll admit. But that

540-503: A second DVD was made available in standard packaging on November 3, 2009. Additionally, the film is available as part of "The Complete Anthology" set, which features all five films of the franchise , and was released on DVD on October 10, 2006. The film was released on Blu-ray for the first time in both an individual set and as part of the Blu-ray release of "The Complete Anthology" on September 23, 2014. On September 25, 2018, Scream Factory,

600-695: A sequel written by a man named William Goodhart and I was really intrigued by it because it was about goodness. I saw it then as a chance to film a riposte to the first picture. But it had one of the most disastrous openings ever – there were riots! And we recut the actual prints in the theatres, about six a day, but it didn't help of course and I couldn't bear to talk about it, or look at it, for years. As of October 2023, Exorcist II: The Heretic holds an 11% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 65 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Hokey mystical effects, lousy plotting, and worse acting directly tarnishes

660-427: A spiritual gift that would one day be shared by all people, thought people like Kokumo and Regan were forerunners of this new type of humanity. In a vision, Merrin asks Lamont to watch over Regan. Lamont and Regan return to the old house in Georgetown. The pair are followed in a taxi by Tuskin and Sharon, who are concerned about Regan's safety. En route, Pazuzu tempts Lamont by offering him unlimited power, appearing as

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720-589: A story further along, but it's another to deny the original, no matter what you thought of it. I thought it was something even less than good, but this new film, which opened yesterday at the Criterion and other theaters, is of such spectacular fatuousness that it makes the first seem virtually an axiom of screen art. Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film zero stars out of four and declared it "the worst major motion picture I've seen in almost eight years on

780-430: A subsidiary of Shout Factory , released Exorcist II: The Heretic on Blu-ray in a newly commissioned two-disc "Collector's Edition". The set includes the theatrical cut, a shorter alternative version of the film, new interviews with Linda Blair and editor Tom Priestly, as well as commentary tracks from director John Boorman and project consultant Scott Bosco. This two disc set also got a Region B release by Arrow Video in

840-450: A succubus is often depicted as a beautiful seductress or enchantress , rather than as demonic or frightening. The male counterpart to the succubus is the incubus . The term derives from Late Latin succuba "paramour" from succubare "to lie beneath" ( sub - "under" and cubare "to lie"), used to describe this being's implied sexual position relative to the sleeper's position. The English word "succubus" dates from

900-411: A suggestion that a devil would carry out two methods of impregnating women - the first, to steal the sperm out of a dead man and deliver it into a woman. If a demon could extract the semen quickly, the substance could not be instantly transported to a female host, causing it to go cold. This explains his view that succubi and incubi were the same demonic entity, only to be described differently based on

960-457: A way that was on one level farcically stupid and on another level absolutely unforgivable. Everyone involved in this, apart from Linda Blair, should be ashamed for all eternity." Christopher Porterfield wrote in Time Magazine , "Most sequels offer more of the same. This one offers less of the same. But what remains is twaddle. In truth, the only synthesis in the film is between the ludicrous and

1020-421: Is a female demon or supernatural entity in folklores who appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity . According to some folklore, a succubus needs semen to survive; repeated sexual activity with a succubus will result in a bond being formed between the succubus and the person; and a succubus will drain or harm the man with whom she is having intercourse. In modern representations,

1080-571: Is a laughable horror [...] It should be Exorcised out of the theatres." Bernard Drew wrote in The San Bernardino Sun , "it is ridiculous — hopelessly confused, and incomprehensible. Upon who's [ sic ] feet to lay the blame for this disaster I do not know [...] There's blame enough for everybody involved in this." Spanish film critic Fernando Trueba's review in El País called Exorcist II "a stupid and useless film, whose mere existence

1140-455: Is able to reach telepathically inside the minds of others; she uses this to help an autistic girl to speak as she waits to see Tuskin. Tuskin and her staff are shocked, but the girl's mother is too overjoyed to care, and despite Tuskin's attempt to keep them in the office to figure out what happened, insists on going home so the girl's father can hear her as well. Father Merrin, who belonged to a group of theologians that believed psychic powers were

1200-429: Is difficult to justify." Leslie Halliwell described the film as a "highly unsatisfactory psychic melodrama which [...] falls flat on its face along some wayward path of metaphysical and religious fancy. It was released in two versions and is unintelligible in either." Leonard Maltin described the film as a "preposterous sequel [...] Special effects are the only virtue in this turkey". Steven Scheuer wrote, "This may be

1260-430: The qarînah ( قرينة ) is a spirit similar to the succubus, with origins possibly in ancient Egyptian religion or in the animistic beliefs of pre-Islamic Arabia . A qarînah "sleeps with the person and has relations during sleep as is known by the dreams". They are said to be invisible, but a person with " second sight " can see them, often in the form of a cat, dog, or other household pet. "In Omdurman it

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1320-570: The Academy Award for Best Actress for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), accepted the part. Principal photography began at Burbank Studios on May 24, 1976, with a budget of $ 11 million (the film ultimately cost $ 14 million to make). Although Boorman wanted to film the majority of the film on location (including Ethiopia and The Vatican ), many of his plans proved to be impossible, resulting in key exterior scenes having to be filmed at

1380-684: The Book of Job ; it's God testing the good. In this sense, Regan ( Linda Blair ) is a modern-day saint — like Ingrid Bergman in Europa '51 , and in a way, like Charlie in Mean Streets . I like the first Exorcist , because of the Catholic guilt I have, and because it scared the hell out of me; but The Heretic surpasses it. Maybe Boorman failed to execute the material, but the movie still deserved better than it got." Author Bob McCabe's 2000 book The Exorcist: Out of

1440-728: The Catholic Church . Before his death, he confessed of his sins and died repentant. According to the Kabbalah and the school of Rashba , the original three queens of the demons, Agrat bat Mahlat, Naamah, Eisheth Zenunim, and all their cohorts give birth to children, except Lilith. According to other legends , the children of Lilith are called Lilin . According to the Malleus Maleficarum , or Witches' Hammer , written by Heinrich Kramer (Institoris) in 1486, succubi collect semen from men they seduce. Incubi, or male demons, then use

1500-401: The archangel Samael. The four original queens of the demons were Lilith , Eisheth Zenunim , Agrat bat Mahlat , and Naamah . A succubus may take a form of a beautiful woman, but closer inspection may reveal deformities of her body, such as bird-like claws or serpentine tails. Folklore also describes men being forced to perform the act of cunnilingus . In later folklore, a succubus took

1560-526: The doppelgänger by beating open its chest and pulling out its heart. In the end, Regan banishes the locusts (and Pazuzu) by enacting the same bullroarer ritual attempted by Kokumo to get rid of locusts in Africa (although he failed and was possessed). Outside the house, Sharon dies from her injuries and Tuskin tells Lamont to watch over Regan. Regan and Lamont leave while Tuskin stays to answer police questions. Neither William Peter Blatty nor William Friedkin ,

1620-585: The New York metropolitan area. A key scene of a sleepwalking Regan about to wander off a rooftop was filmed in New York City, atop 666 Fifth Avenue (where the studio's offices were then located). With no stunt person and no special effects, the shot showed actress Linda Blair's feet on the edge of the building with Fifth Avenue down below. Scenes were also filmed at Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey. Boorman

1680-495: The Shadows contains a chapter on the film in which Linda Blair said it was "one of the big disappointments of my career," and John Boorman commented: "The sin I committed was not giving the audience what it wanted in terms of horror... There's this wild beast out there which is the audience. I created this arena and I just didn't throw enough Christians into it". McCabe offered no one answer as to why Exorcist II failed: "Who knows where

1740-683: The UK in October 2024. Including both versions of the film, there are a total of 5 commentary tracks in this release. Supernatural film The film genre is part of several hybrid genres , including supernatural comedy films, supernatural horror films , supernatural religious films, and supernatural thriller films. Ghosts in cinema date back to the era of World War II, with post-war romantic comedies frequently featuring apparitions. Initially, these supernatural entities were portrayed more as entertainers rather than frighteners. Notable examples include: By

1800-556: The United States and Canada and set an opening weekend record for the studio. with $ 6.7 million, but poor word of mouth dramatically hampered its performance. The film eventually grossed $ 30,749,142 in the United States, turning a profit but still disappointing in comparison to the original film's gross. The film received a strongly negative response. Reports indicated that the film inspired derisive audience laughter at its premiere in New York City. William Peter Blatty claimed to have been

1860-514: The Warner Bros. backlot. Even the MacNeil house in Georgetown had to be replicated in the studio because the filmmakers were refused permission to film at the original house. The filmmakers also had to replicate the infamous "Hitchcock Steps" adjacent to the MacNeil house, as they were refused permission by Washington city officials to shoot scenes by the real steps. There were also two weeks of filming in

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1920-399: The battle between good and evil would center on human consciousness —with the specific idea that, within the framework of Catholic theology , human consciousnesses could be brought together as one through technology, although this would also result in conflict between those who sought good and evil. Sam O'Steen initially agreed to direct the film, but never officially attached himself to

1980-424: The blame ultimately lies? Boorman's illness and constant revising of the script can't have helped, but these events alone are not enough to explain the film's almighty failure. Boorman has certainly gone on to produce some fine work subsequently... When a list was compiled for The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made , Exorcist II: The Heretic came in at number two. It was beaten only by Ed Wood 's Plan 9 from Outer Space ,

2040-455: The exorcism, and specifically the circumstances in which Merrin died, Tuskin hypnotizes Regan, to whom she is linked by a "synchronizer", a revolutionary biofeedback device used by two people to synchronize their brainwaves . After a guided tour by Sharon of the Georgetown house where the exorcism took place, Lamont returns to be coupled with Regan by the synchronizer. The priest is spirited to

2100-481: The first film. However, O'Malley was busy and could not take up the part, and the character of Father Dyer was changed to Father Philip Lamont. Jon Voight , David Carradine , Jack Nicholson and Christopher Walken all were considered for or offered the part of Father Lamont, who John Boorman initially conceived as a younger priest in awe of Father Merrin's writings. As mentioned in Variety , Voight initially signed on for

2160-407: The first person to start laughing at the theater in which he saw the film, only to be followed by the other patrons ("You'd think we were watching The Producers "). William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist , recalled hearing a story in which angry audience members at Exorcist II ' s first public performance began chasing Warner Bros. executives down the street within the first ten minutes of

2220-607: The first's chilling legacy." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Exorcist II: The Heretic was originally released on VHS in the United States. The Laserdisc was exclusively released in Japan. A VHS reissue was released in the US on December 4, 1992, by Warner Home Video . It was first released on DVD format on August 6, 2002, in Snapcase packaging, while

2280-421: The form of a siren . Throughout history, priests and rabbis , including Hanina ben Dosa and Abaye , tried to curb the power of succubi over humans. However, not all succubi were malevolent. According to Walter Map in the satire De nugis curialium ( Trifles of Courtiers ), Pope Sylvester II (999–1003) was allegedly involved with a succubus named Meridiana, who helped him achieve his high rank in

2340-778: The funniest film to come along in ages; William Goodnart once wrote a Broadway comedy, I think this is his second. The dialogue invites hoots of derision and audience catcalls, and director John Boorman strives to be intellectually scary and only succeeds in turning a former shocker into a current piece of schlock." Russell Davies wrote in The U.K. Observer , "From the start the film is either unbearably silly or incomprehensible, and finally both at once." Ruth Batchelor's review for The Los Angeles Free Press stated, "I never thought I'd appreciate Billy Freidkin because I didn't like The Exorcist very much, but Exorcist II: The Heretic makes The Exorcist numero uno look like Citizen Kane [...] This movie

2400-526: The job." John Simon wrote, "there is a very strong probability that Exorcist II is the stupidest major movie ever made," and Jack Lewis wrote in the Daily Mirror : "It's all too ludicrous to frighten and the only time you're likely to hide your head will be in shame for watching it." Donald McClean wrote in The Bay Reporter , " Exorcist II gives us something to sink our teeth into. It's unintentionally

2460-410: The last film to feature veteran actor Paul Henreid . Set four years after the previous film, the film centers on the now 16-year-old Regan MacNeil , who is still recovering from her previous demonic possession . Exorcist II: The Heretic was released in the United States on June 17, 1977, by Warner Bros. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and is often considered to be one of

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2520-528: The late 14th century. The succubus is also known as the earth wanderer. As depicted in the Jewish mystical treatise Zohar and the medieval Jewish satirical text Alphabet of Ben Sira , Lilith was Adam 's first wife, who later became a succubus. She left Adam and refused to return to the Garden of Eden after she mated with the archangel Samael . In Zoharistic Kabbalah , there were four succubi who mated with

2580-431: The mid-1940s, the narrative began to shift, portraying ghosts and the supernatural in more sinister contexts. Some films from this era merged the ideas of religion and the supernatural. The late 1950s through the 1970s witnessed a surge of low-budget supernatural/horror films. During the 1980s and beyond, ghost stories continued to evolve and appeal to the masses. Succubus A succubus ( pl. : succubi )

2640-524: The original, writing in The New Yorker that Exorcist II "had more visual magic than a dozen movies." Kim Newman commented that " Exorcist II doesn't work in all sorts of ways... However, like Ennio Morricone 's mix of tribal and liturgical music, it does manage to be very interesting." Director Martin Scorsese asserted, "The picture asks: Does great goodness bring upon itself great evil? This goes back to

2700-421: The past by Pazuzu to observe Merrin exorcising a young boy, Kokumo, in Africa. Learning that the boy developed special powers to fight Pazuzu, who appears as a swarm of locusts, Lamont journeys to Africa, defying his superior, to seek help from the adult Kokumo. Kokumo has become a scientist studying how to prevent locust swarms. Lamont learns that Pazuzu attacks people who have psychic healing abilities. Regan

2760-457: The production. British filmmaker John Boorman signed on to direct, stating that "the idea of making a metaphysical thriller greatly appealed to my psyche". Years earlier, Boorman had been considered by Warner Bros. as a possible director for the original film, but he turned the opportunity down as he found the story "rather repulsive". However, he was intrigued with the idea of directing a sequel, explaining that "every film has to struggle to find

2820-462: The role but left in April 1976 when "differences about the role could not be resolved". He was replaced with Richard Burton signing on for the role. The role of Dr. Gene Tuskin was originally written for a man, with Chris Sarandon and George Segal both considered. When the sex of the character was changed, both Ann-Margret and Jane Fonda were under consideration. Louise Fletcher , who had just won

2880-492: The same movie". Exorcist II was beset by numerous problems during production. Boorman contracted a case of San Joaquin Valley Fever (a respiratory fungal infection), which canceled production for over a month (a costly delay). Other problems included footage being oversaturated and necessitating reshoots; the rapid deaths of locusts imported from England for the film's climactic scenes (2500 locusts were shipped in and died at

2940-506: The screening. Friedkin saw half an hour of the film: "I was at Technicolor and a guy said 'We just finished a print of Exorcist II , do you wanna have a look at it?' And I looked at half an hour of it and I thought it was as bad as seeing a traffic accident in the street. It was horrible. It's just a stupid mess made by a dumb guy – John Boorman by name, somebody who should be nameless, but in this case should be named. Scurrilous. A horrible picture." Friedkin later said that this sequel diminished

3000-439: The semen to impregnate human females, thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children, despite the traditional belief that they were incapable of reproduction. Children so begotten— cambions —were supposed to be those that were born deformed, or more susceptible to supernatural influences. King James in his dissertation titled Dæmonologie refutes the possibility for angelic entities to reproduce and instead offered

3060-586: The tormented sexes being conversed with. The second method was the idea that a dead body could be possessed by a devil, causing it to rise and have sexual relations with others. However, no mention has been found of a female corpse being possessed to elicit sex from men. A Buddhist scripture regarding prayer to Avalokiteśvara , the Dharani Sutra of Amoghapāśa , promises to those who pray that "you will not be attacked by demons who either suck your energy or make love to you in your dreams." In Arabian mythology ,

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3120-536: The unintentionally comic." Vincent Canby , writing in The New York Times , was similarly dismissive: Given the huge box-office success of the William Peter Blatty⁠ ⁠–⁠ ⁠William Friedkin production of The Exorcist , there had to be a sequel, but did it have to be this desperate concoction, the main thrust of which is that [the] original exorcism wasn't all it was cracked up to be? It's one thing to carry

3180-408: The value of the original, and called it "the worst piece of crap I've ever seen" and "a freaking disgrace." He later added: "That film was made by a demented mind." Variety wrote, " Exorcist II is not as good as The Exorcist . It isn't even close." BBC film critic Mark Kermode stated " Exorcist II is demonstrably the worst film ever made. It took the greatest film ever made and trashed it in

3240-797: The woman knocks over lit candles, setting the place ablaze, and a candle inadvertently sets fire to her dress as well, killing her. Afterward, Lamont is assigned by the Cardinal to investigate the death of Father Lankester Merrin, who had been killed four years earlier in the course of exorcising the Assyrian demon Pazuzu from Regan MacNeil . The Cardinal informs Lamont that Merrin is facing posthumous heresy charges because of his controversial writings, as Church authorities are trying to modernise and do not want to acknowledge that Satan exists. Regan, although now seemingly normal and staying with her guardian Sharon Spencer in New York City, continues to be monitored at

3300-527: The worst films ever made . Despite earning over $ 30 million domestically against a $ 14 million production budget, the negative reception meant that the next film in The Exorcist series would not come until The Exorcist III in 1990. Philip Lamont, a priest struggling with his faith, attempts to exorcise a possessed woman in Latin America who claims to "heal the sick". However, the exorcism goes wrong and

3360-623: The worst sequel in the history of film." Danny Peary dismissed Exorcist II as "absurd." In his 1984 book The Hollywood Hall of Shame , Michael Medved called the film "a thoroughly wretched piece of work," and added, "Richard Burton is a laugh a minute." Edward Margulies called the film a "calamitious, head-scratching, sequel" and "a rollicking mess," and wondered, "whatever possessed them?" The Blockbuster Entertainment Guide to Movies & Videos gave this film its lowest possible rating and dismissed its story as "the expected demonic shenanigans." In contrast, Pauline Kael preferred Boorman's sequel to

3420-402: The writer/producer and the director, respectively, of the original The Exorcist , had any desire to involve themselves in an Exorcist sequel. This was because they had filed lawsuits against both the studio and each other over profits, credits, and Blatty being barred from post-production during the first film. According to the film's co-producer Richard Lederer, Exorcist II was conceived as

3480-422: Was a really foolish choice. The film itself, I think, is an interesting one – there's some good work in it – but when they came to me with it I told John Calley , who was running Warner Bros. then, that I didn't want it. "Look", I said, "I have daughters, I don't want to make a film about torturing a child", which is how I saw the original film. But then I read a three-page treatment for

3540-508: Was the start". Playwright William Goodhart was commissioned to write the screenplay, titled The Heretic ; he based it around the theories of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (the Jesuit paleontologist/archaeologist who had inspired the character of Father Merrin in Blatty's novel The Exorcist ). Goodhart's screenplay took a more metaphysical and intellectual approach compared with the original film. Here,

3600-489: Was unhappy with Goodhart's script and asked Goodhart to do a rewrite incorporating ideas from Rospo Pallenberg . Goodhart refused, and so the script was subsequently rewritten by Pallenberg and Boorman. Goodhart's script was being constantly rewritten as the film was shooting, with the filmmakers uncertain as to how the story should end. Linda Blair recalled: "It was a really good script at first. Then after everybody signed on they rewrote it five times and it ended up nothing like

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