Blatty didn’t like people referring to the book as a sequel — and as a writer who wanted his work taken seriously, it’s hard to fault him — but there are several recurring characters, and possession is definitely a big theme. Having said that, there’s not really an exorcism per se, and that was the real hurdle the studio wanted to get over — then they could capitalize on the Exorcist name good and proper.

But nearing the end of filming, Blatty wasn’t interested in listening to “constructive criticism” from the folks at Morgan Creek. He’d already made some pretty extensive changes to the book’s narrative in adapting the script (a doctor character and loads of Gemini Killer backstory are gone) and it’s only the last couple of reels that are substantively different.

Given how serviceable the final cut of the film is, I can’t really blame anybody for how things turned out. Any studio exec looking at Blatty’s original cut couldn’t help but be disappointed. Blatty didn’t want his film taken away from him. Now both versions are available, so it’s water under the bridge, I guess.

Well, that returns it to the tone of the first half.

¯_(ツ)_/¯

Only thing that makes sense to me is that keeping Marsan alive prevented McAvoy from having sole control of the info (and thus maximizing whatever profits he hopes to get out of it, which is why he wanted Marsan dead.) But that seems like a colossally stupid risk when there are much simpler ways to neutralize him. Or more simply: so much of what they do in scenes like that feels “performative,” like they’re acting out what they they want the other party to know about them (“Look, I’m helping him!”) to the point that the acting becomes more important than the purpose. Which is another reason it felt so Burn After Reading-ish to me: spies playing games that are completely unnecessary for everyone involved.

‘ the movie’s climactic setpiece involves the spies using the youth protesters as cover to escape:’

One plot point that confused me-isnt in Theron’s characters best interest that Marsans character die? Giving up the list means giving her away to the UK as a Russian double agent? (though she was of course an , ugh, American triple agent.)

‘I could enjoy on a dumb-nonsense level,’

Jason Goes to Hell is the high point of the series for me-complete insanity, a bizarre mash up of magical horror action film AND probably the most iconic ending of the series.

I still prefer it to the directors cut but man does that whole movie go nuts in the last 10 minutes.

‘You know the iconic ending that is the whole reason we’re remaking this movie? Yeah we need to change that.’

Ryder and Slater blow up themselves and the students.

‘Blatty wanted to call it Legion in order to mitigate that issue. That’s what the novel’s called anyway, ‘

Isnt Legion not a true Exorcist sequel though? I thought thats why they had to do so much contorting to make it into Exorcist 3?

I think I’ve got it up.