Five priests, two lay people, a bishop, but no nuns? According to Andy Griffith, it's a confrontation between the devil and the human race, alleged possession of Kevin Bacon who has been ordered to kill due to the demon inside a young boy (Charles Fields) that brings controversy among the church. The film starts with Bacon being taken to court then begins to flashback where the possession story is explained from the beginning, the issues it raises between Bacon and his girlfriend Liane Langland, and struggles in the church which includes priest Eddie Albert and several others, the boy's mother (Joyce Van Patten) and a married couple who are experts on demonic phenomena (Griffith and Beverly McKinsey).
A convoluted and very disturbing film, it could create nightmares just from the sounds coming out of the little boy alone, so horrific and difficult to listen to, and going on endlessly during his scenes. The film also has too many very bizarre close-ups, going close into the various possessed characters faces that it becomes distracting and eerie. Some audiences are going to find this impossible to watch, but it's hard to resist simply because of that cast. It's a rare opportunity to see McKinsey in a role off of daytime, made between her stints as Iris on "Another World" and "Texas" and Alexandra on "Guiding Light". But sadly, not a likable film in any nature, and if you're looking for an interesting follow-up to "The Exorcist", this one seems even more disturbing and creepy.
A convoluted and very disturbing film, it could create nightmares just from the sounds coming out of the little boy alone, so horrific and difficult to listen to, and going on endlessly during his scenes. The film also has too many very bizarre close-ups, going close into the various possessed characters faces that it becomes distracting and eerie. Some audiences are going to find this impossible to watch, but it's hard to resist simply because of that cast. It's a rare opportunity to see McKinsey in a role off of daytime, made between her stints as Iris on "Another World" and "Texas" and Alexandra on "Guiding Light". But sadly, not a likable film in any nature, and if you're looking for an interesting follow-up to "The Exorcist", this one seems even more disturbing and creepy.