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EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING (2004) Director: Renny Harlin Hacktors: Stellan Skarsgard, Izabella Scorupco, James D'Arcy Cutting Remarks: This prequel to the 1973 vomit-fest has had a long, turbulent birth. Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader initially shot his version of the film, then Warner Bros ditched it and Renny Harlin took the reins, filming virtually a whole new movie. It's immediately apparent that, while Schrader's was a more cerebral affair, the film studio knew that audiences wanted possession, blood and mayhem. For once, they made the right decision.       While Harlin's film has been critically lambasted, it's nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests. Set in 1949, it sees Stellan Skarsgård as Lancaster Merrin, who was played by Max Von Sydow in The Exorcist. Having lost his priestly faith after witnessing Nazi atrocities during the Second World War, Merrin has become an archaeologist, visiting Nairobi to search for a demonic artefact in a buried church. Strangely enough, the moment he arrives, evil spreads through the region.       There are some surprisingly nasty moments here: not least a young boy being torn apart by hyenas in one prolonged sequence. It's certainly the franchise's most graphically violent instalment, but if an Exorcist movie should be measured by whether it re-visits you in bed at night, then here Harlin has failed. Still, the power of Christ compels you to give it a chance… DVD Extras: Renny Harlin's director's commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurete, a trailer and Dolby 5.1 or DTS. Release Date: March 2005. [Check it out at Amazon US] [Check it out at Amazon UK] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present