Midnight Video | Review by Dan Taylor
Leila
hasn't been the same since her boyfriend
came back from Africa and introduced her
to Satanic rites involving undulating nubiles,
blood-filled chalices, demon statues, hippie
freaks and the crazy strains of bad acid
rock. When the car she's driving crashes
and she tries to twist off the head of her
Harry Nillson-esque boyfriend, everybody
starts to think that maybe Leila is wired
a little wrong.
Brother John wants Richard
to keep his distance from Leila and even
visits an old family friend (Paul Naschy),
a reverend who collects odd and bizarre
artifacts and books: "It's my greatest
love," he says, "collecting anything
that's unusual."
It isn't long before John
learns not to be such a buttinski and gets
his head twisted around like a 50-cent top
before he gets stuffed in a poolhouse closet.
Which was something I didn't see coming.
A tough cop investigating
the murder – and some subsequent head-twistings
– isn't sure that Naschy's priest isn't
responsible for the murders. He's athletic-looking
and collects weird books, so that makes
him an obvious suspect, right?
Or is it the creepy-looking,
bathing-suit fondling, nude-photo-snapping
chauffer who looks like a buff Alister Crowley?
Unfortunately, EXORCISM takes
its sweet old time getting to more naked
Satantic rites – featuring more guitar
and some big ol' Eurobush – as well
as what we've all tuned in for, The Exorcism
Scene.
Naschy suggests that he wrote
EXORCISM before the more famous EXORCIST,
but that's a tough claim to swallow after
seeing the final fifteen minutes where Naschy
works his anti-Satan mojo on the possessed
Leila and fights off a vicious German Shepherd
(played by "Gero").
A fun, zany take on exorcism
flicks where just about every guy has some
sort of 70s facial hair.
