Film

The Exorcism
Director: Joshua John Miller
Miramax and Outer Banks Entertainment
In Theaters: 06.21

I have a theory that Nicolas Cage is appearing in real movies again because Hollywood made a deal with the devil, giving him Russell Crowe in exchange for Cage. It may sound implausible, but I challenge you to watch The Exorcism and not see some merit in the hypothesis.

Tony Miller (Russell Crowe, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) is a washed-up star looking for a big comeback. Tony got a lot of bad press during a battle with alcoholism while his wife was in the hospital dying of cancer, and his fall from grace was a big one. When he lands a leading role in a horror film-a loose remake of The Exorcist called The Georgetown Project-he may have found the vessel he needs to get his career and his life back on track. He does feel a tad uncomfortable about the fact that he got offered the role after the actor who was originally cast was killed in a mysterious accident on set, but hey, a job is a job, right? As shooting on the film gets underway, Tony struggles to remember his lines, and his daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins, the Fear Street trilogy), who gets a job on set as a production assistant, notices strange aspects of his behavior, particularly at night, including muttering “Make way for the demon Moloch” in Latin. When Lee speaks to the film’s religious consultant, Father Conor (David Hyde Peirce, Frasier, The Perfect Host) he helpfully offers the following insight: “I wonder if what you’re describing points to some kind of stuff.” Lee begins to question whether her father’s rapid decline points to a relapse into old addictions or something more malevolent.

The Exorcism is co-written and directed by Joshua John Miller, son of the late playwright and actor Jason Miller, best remembered by cinephiles for playing Father Damien Karras in The Exorcist in 1973. This film is clearly inspired by the hype in the ‘70s involving the possibility that the productions of The Exorcist and The Omen were plagued by strange and unexplainable supernatural occurrences, and may have even been cursed. It’s a highly intriguing jumping off-point, and almost 50 minutes of the 95-minute runtime are genuinely compelling. The bulk is this is merely setting up a big third-act conclusion, however, and it’s a set-up for a payoff that never comes. The final third of The Exorcism is so rushed and slapdash that it’s clear that the studio took an “if this can’t be good, at least it can be short” approach to post-production, and it’s just a lot of rushed nonsense that doesn’t lead to any satisfactory ending or even a remotely involving climax. 

Crowe throws himself into his performance with gusto, and he’s so well cast as an actor who has fallen from grace due to a bad reputation that when the movie is on track, it’s enthralling to watch him. Sadly, he further he falls into his seeming possession, the less interesting the performance becomes, and by the end, I simply didn’t care. Simpkins is effective as Lee, and Hyde Peirce is such a delightful presence he’d almost make the film worth recommending if his character wasn’t given such a short shift. Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan, Zodiac) has some memorable moments as Peter, the egotistical and abusive director of The Georgetown Project, but Sam Worthington (Avatar, The Debt) is given so little to do that one wonders if a big chunk of his performance ended up on the cutting room floor. Goldberg’s character pretentiously describes The Georgetown Project as “a psychological drama wrapped within in the skin of a horror movie,” and there’s a strong feeling that The Exorcism itself is going for something similar, along with an element of satire. The fact remains that whether the movie being released isn’t the one that Miller set out to make, or he simply wrote himself into a corner and couldn’t find a way out, it ends up failing on every level. By the end, it’s not scary, it’s not dramatic and it’s not clever. The Exorcism may never have had the potential for greatness, yet it certainly could have been much more than a major chore to finish watching. It ranks among the biggest duds of the year, and far from being a comeback for Crowe. The release of this film in the same year that his great classic, Gladiator, is getting a long-awaited sequel without him is a depressing embarrassment. –Patrick Gibbs

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An intriguing story worth knowing

The story in Mallari is based on a horrific true story, which I will get back to. However, I can say that in this movie, we become familiar with Father Severino Mallari. He was a 19th-century priest during the Spanish occupation.

Unfortunately for the people in his parish in Pampanga, he descents into madness and kills people. A lot of people!

All supposedly in an attempt to help his ailing mother live longer.

In the story told in this movie, we get several stories that interlink three generations of the Mallari family. From Juan Severino in 1812 to Johnrey in 1948, and finally Jonathan, in 2023.

Both Johnrey and Jonathan have the ability to see and move across time. Well, sort of, you’ll have to watch the movie to know the ins and outs of their gift as “travelers”. For the record, I liked this part as it gave the story an extra edge.

What I did not like was the crazy chronology of the storytelling, the repetition of both scenes (in part due to the time travel aspect) and the same CGI “horror faces” that were anything but scary. Well, to me anyway.

For the record, only Severino is based on a real person. His descendants are fictional.

“Guys like you need to get beaten up”

I am not sure how successful the first entry was, but nevertheless, a sequel to “King of Prison” titled “The Prison War” did come two years later, and with an evidently bigger budget. Lee Sol-gu who played the King in the first movie gave his stead to the even more impressive physically Shin Yoo-ram, while the cast is almost completely different, with the exceptions of Lee Hyun-woong who reprises his role as Wai-wai and Kim Min-V as KTX.

This time the action is much more intense and actually starts from the beginning, as Kang Tae-ho creates an explosive mixture. King Beom-teol is here once more and is still the King, but his dominance is more challenged than ever. First from the Mess Sergeant, who works in the kitchen and thus has access to knives, and secondly from a cell filled with immigrants from China, who seem to be particularly violent. When Gi-cheol, the number two of a gang opposing the one Mess Sergeant belongs to enters Beom-teol’s cell and Gwang-ho enters Mess Sergeant’s cell, all hell breaks loose, with the King frequently finding himself under attack.

As the Christians in prison find themselves persecuted and the authority of the chaebol chairman in control of the prison and the head of the security department goes too far, the situation becomes even more dire, and the battle for the new King becomes more intense than ever.

As I mentioned before, the focus this time is more on action than the previous entry. However, this does not mean that the realistic premises are not here once more. On the contrary, the boredom associated with life inside and the value of food is highlighted once more, as much as the fact that people in prison frequently end up becoming friends, even though they have very little in common. The differences between those who were involved with organized crime and the ones who don’t is also showcased, as much as that the older ones are the one in charge, and the younger ones are treated as rookies. There is a sexual offender present once more, who is, once more, used for laughs, while the homosexual relations are not omitted either. Thankfully, the jokes having to do with the toilets are rather toned down.

On the other hand, the concept of religion inside the prison is a new concept, implemented both for comedy and for drama, while the hierarchy of each cell also gets its focus. Furthermore, the corruption of the higher ups is even more stressed, to the point that their authority gets challenged more than ever. Lastly, Gi-cheol adds an intense sense of drama to the movie, that is definitely a plus for the narrative.

Regarding the action, it is framed for both impression and drama. Beom-teol is the King and the most powerful guy in prison, but his opponents are many and cunning, resulting in a series of fights he has to battle on his own against scores of enemies. Expectedly, this leads to multiple injuries for him and the occasional punishment by the corrupt authorities. Mess Sergeant proves a worthy opponent, particularly in terms of cunningness, although the reemergence of KTX balances the whole thing to a point. The real fight, however, begins when Gwang-ho takes over and the Chinese get involved, with chaos essentially ruling the whole prison and action taking over the narrative.

The fights, as in the previous film, follow realistic paths for the most part, without any particular exaltation, dictated by the fact that the majority of the protagonists are middle-aged. The brutality, though, is definitely here once more, particularly after the point when a number of inmates get their hands on various weapons.

The cinematography follows realistic paths, with the claustrophobic setting of the prison being communicated quite eloquently. The editing results in a relatively fast pace, that does become too slow, though, on occasion, while at 111 minutes, the movie somewhat overextends its welcome, particularly during the overlong finale.

Shin Yoo-ram as Beom-teol is definitely a force for the movie, with him demanding fear and respect with every movement. That his acting is quite measured is definitely a tick in the pros column, although, as with the previous movie, if Don Lee was in the role the whole thing would be rather better. Kang In-sung as Gi-cheol presents a truly tragic figure convincingly, while Sung Nak-kyung as Mess sergeant highlights his transformation brilliantly. Yoo Sang-hoon as Gwang-ho is also good as one of the central villains here.

“King of Prison 2: The Prison War” although not staying as far away from usual prison films as its predecessor, it is actually a better film, much more well-shot and entertaining.