The new documentary Boorman and the Devil unravels the epic failure of Exorcist II: The Heretic.
On paper, it looked like it was going to be another blockbuster… The sequel to the biggest film of all time. Its young Academy Award-nominated star returning along with her much-lauded co-star. Not one, but critically acclaimed actors added to the cast. A red-hot director is taking over for the original director. Yet, Exorcist II: The Heretic stands as one of the biggest box office failures (along with Heaven’s Gate) of the second half of the twentieth century.
Boorman and the Devil, the new documentary by David Kittredge, peers behind the curtains of 1970s New Hollywood lore to investigate how it all went sideways. This film could also be called Good Intentions are the Road to Ruin. The most fascinating aspect is how many of the participants, including director John Boorman, stars Linda Blair and Louise Fletcher, and a host of other crew, are transparent not just about its failure but how that came about.
The documentary excels at not just giving us the failure of the picture but setting the context in which it was created, and the choices were made to add Boorman, Fletcher, and Richard Burton into the mix. Through the making of Exorcist II: The Heretic, we get a look at the rise of New Hollywood, Boorman’s career ascent, the troubled Burton, and so much more that plays into the who’s, what’s, where’s, and why’s of it all.
This is not a love letter or some sort of reassessment of the much-maligned sequel. Kittredge’s doc understands it is an objectively bad film. It does, however, understand there is a difference between a bad film and a fascinating failure, which Exorcist II: The Heretic very much so is. In fact, it does set the context of Boorman’s career, filled with many such swing-for-the-fences misses in his career (Zardoz, anyone?). That sort of provocative nature is ultimately what gets him hired and the film’s undoing. Though the blame is not just on the director and his writer, Rospo Pallenberg (which the cast and crew were especially spiteful of, with good reason). The film does give a picture of the entire production not only being rushed (because of the nature of the deal that was made) but opposing opinions within the cast and crew about the film that should be made.
All of which is charted wonderfully and very entertainingly by the film. Boorman and the Devil will not change anyone’s mind about Exorcist II: The Heretic; it will have them wanting to rewatch the sequel because of the tumultuous production and abject failure. In that regard, the documentary is a huge success.
Boorman and the Devil is in theaters starting August 28th at The Quad in NYC. Opening Wider In Various Cities on September 4th, Including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, and More.
The new documentary Boorman and the Devil unravels the epic failure of Exorcist II: The Heretic.
On paper, it looked like it was going to be another blockbuster… The sequel to the biggest film of all time. Its young Academy Award-nominated star returning along with her much-lauded co-star. Not one, but critically acclaimed actors added to the cast. A red-hot director is taking over for the original director. Yet, Exorcist II: The Heretic stands as one of the biggest box office failures (along with Heaven’s Gate) of the second half of the twentieth century.
Boorman and the Devil, the new documentary by David Kittredge, peers behind the curtains of 1970s New Hollywood lore to investigate how it all went sideways. This film could also be called Good Intentions are the Road to Ruin. The most fascinating aspect is how many of the participants, including director John Boorman, stars Linda Blair and Louise Fletcher, and a host of other crew, are transparent not just about its failure but how that came about.
The documentary excels at not just giving us the failure of the picture but setting the context in which it was created, and the choices were made to add Boorman, Fletcher, and Richard Burton into the mix. Through the making of Exorcist II: The Heretic, we get a look at the rise of New Hollywood, Boorman’s career ascent, the troubled Burton, and so much more that plays into the who’s, what’s, where’s, and why’s of it all.
This is not a love letter or some sort of reassessment of the much-maligned sequel. Kittredge’s doc understands it is an objectively bad film. It does, however, understand there is a difference between a bad film and a fascinating failure, which Exorcist II: The Heretic very much so is. In fact, it does set the context of Boorman’s career, filled with many such swing-for-the-fences misses in his career (Zardoz, anyone?). That sort of provocative nature is ultimately what gets him hired and the film’s undoing. Though the blame is not just on the director and his writer, Rospo Pallenberg (which the cast and crew were especially spiteful of, with good reason). The film does give a picture of the entire production not only being rushed (because of the nature of the deal that was made) but opposing opinions within the cast and crew about the film that should be made.
All of which is charted wonderfully and very entertainingly by the film. Boorman and the Devil will not change anyone’s mind about Exorcist II: The Heretic; it will have them wanting to rewatch the sequel because of the tumultuous production and abject failure. In that regard, the documentary is a huge success.
Boorman and the Devil is in theaters starting August 28th at The Quad in NYC. Opening Wider In Various Cities on September 4th, Including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, and More.
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