Boorman and the Devil: Behind-the-Scenes of the “Non-Sequel”

From 1974 to 1981, three very distinctive genre films directed by John Boorman released in theaters. Zardoz, the first, was a trippy science fiction fable that has developed a following. The third film, Excalibur, was an Arthurian box office smash hit. The middle film is probably the most interesting from a behind-the-scenes perspective, because it was such a chaotic disaster. It was also allegedly cursed, but that would make sense, considering it was the sequel to another supposedly cursed film, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. Except, director John Boorman approached the film as an “answer” to the original film rather than a sequel. That certainly contributed to the notoriously hostile reaction to Exorcist II: The Heretic. Boorman and his surviving cast and crew look back on its difficult production and rough reception in David Kittredge’s fascinating documentary, Boorman and the Devil, which opens Friday in New York.

As every horror fan knows, the original Exorcist was a one of the biggest hits of its era. So many low budget movies were ripping it off, Warners wanted to make a sequel (in an era when sequels were rare), even though Friedkin and screenwriter-novelist William Peter Blatty were opposed. Boorman turned down the first film, considering it too dark. However, when the studio approached regarding the sequel, he found William Goodhart’s screenplay intriguing, because it incorporated the ideas of Jesuit mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Soon, Boorman and his ill-defined collaborator, Rospo Pallenberg took over scripting, penning a draft that was good enough to convince Linda Blair to reprise her breakout role of Regan MacNeil, despite her reservations.

Lee J. Cobb also agreed to return as Lt. Kinderman, but tragically died before production began, initiating the first of many ill-fated rewrites. It all became quite confusing, starting with just what Pallenberg’s role was supposed to be. (Technically, he was credited as 2nd Unit Director, but denied a screenwriting credit by the Writers’ Guild). As had happened on the first film, the “non-sequel” was beset with problems, including Boorman’s debilitating bout with a rare respiratory disease, giving raise to whispers of evil powers at work.

The results were widely considered a mess, which Boorman recut twice after its initial theatrical release. Much like Apocalypse Now and Blade Runner, there are multiple edits in circulation, each of which has its boosters and detractors. In retrospect, many fans and critics now admire its ambition, even if they do not consider it entirely successful.

Kittredge nicely puts the film in proper perspective. There were a host of ironies surrounding the production, which he and the commentators fully appreciate. To that end, he features extended recollections from all the right people (who were still available), including Boorman, Blair, Pallenberg, 2^nd assistant director Victor Hsu, cameraman Garrett Brown, Rose Portillo (the possessed “Spanish Girl”), and the late Louise Fletcher. It is safe to say they all have very vivid memories of the production.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Boorman and the Devil is the extent to which Blair has apparently come to terms (and, in an ironic way embrace) a film that she clearly considered a disappointing bait-and-switch during the time of production. Frankly, it is an unusually balanced doc, which gives credit to the good (such as Ennio Moricone’s score), while airing plenty of criticism of the resulting film. Highly recommended for horror fans, Boorman and the Devil opens this Friday (8/28) in New York, at the Quad.