The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths, major reveals, or plot twists**

Following the events of The Last Exorcism, Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) is alone and frightened. After a psychiatric evaluation, Nell is sent to a home for troubled teenage girls. Frank Merle (Muse Watson) is the caretaker of the home, and Frank dismisses Nell’s demonic possession as trauma from a troubled past.

Nell tries to outrun her dark past, but the demon refuses to give up on his pursuit of Nell’s spirit. Abalam will stop at nothing to possess Nell’s body, but a tempting offer forces Nell to make a decision that will change her life forever……..

 Ashley Bell takes the honor for best performance again in the sequel. Although, Nell’s character is too one-dimensional this time around. In the first film, Bell was able to bounce back and forth between the innocent, pure teen, and this raging psychopath. In the sequel, Bell doesn’t have the freedom to show her talents, because for the VAST majority of this film, Nell is stuck in one gear as this frightened and panicky mess of a person.

The Last Exorcism featured some nice twists, turns, and thrills towards the end. The sequel? Not a chance. I had trouble keeping my eyes open throughout the movie, because Part II is so painfully boring. We KNOW Abalam is back, and we know he’s real, so the constant “Is Abalam back? Is he real?” teasing didn’t make any sense at all.  If you didn’t watch The Last Exorcism, the teasing MIGHT fool you, but I’m one of the people, who took the time to watch The Last Exorcism, and yeah, I know Abalam is real. So yeah, if you're looking progress in this story, you should look somewhere else.

Part II Completely drops the found-footage style, so there’s no sense of realism. On top of that, Part II uses this schizophrenic technique of randomly inserting archived footage from the first film for flashbacks. And to make things worse, Part II shackles Bell into a one-dimensional role with a “I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON!” character, so Bell doesn’t have a chance to show off her true talents. Plus, Louis Herthum (Nell’s dad) is the only returning cast member from the first film with a physical appearance here. The other cast members from the first film only appear in the archived footage used for flashbacks.

The Last Exorcism Part II is an excruciatingly boring sequel that’s void of any tension, suspense, or thrills. The tacky and cheap CGI is hard to ignore, the story is stuck in standstill mode, and you’ll see one too many unintentionally funny moments here. Believe me, I’m 100% serious, when I say this, I’m shocked Part II received a theatrical run, because a straight-to-video release would’ve been more appropriate for this one. Congratulations Part II. Now you’re free to join the crowded group of unnecessary and poor quality horror sequels!

Rating: 1/10

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The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Following the events of The Last Exorcism, Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) is alone and frightened. After a psychiatric evaluation, Nell is sent to a home for troubled teenage girls. Frank Merle (Muse Watson) is the caretaker of the home, and Frank dismisses Nell’s demonic possession as trauma from a troubled past.

Eventually, Nell is accepted into the inner circle of teens at the home, and Nell catches the eye of a potential boyfriend named Chris (Spencer Treat Clark). Nell is finally at peace with her new happy life, but everything changes after a series of eerie warnings from random strangers. Nell is forced to relive a deadly nightmare, because the demon Abalam is back to possess Nell.

With no other options, Nell puts all of her faith in Cecile (Tarra Riggs), a nurse, who cared for Nell at the hospital. As a member of a secret order dedicated to stopping demons, Cecile receives help from the leader, John Calder (David Jensen) and his assistant, Jeffrey (E. Roger Mitchell). Nell clings to a second chance to vanquish a returning Abalam once and for all, but the crafty demon offers Nell an irresistible proposal…….

 Ashley Bell takes the honor for best performance again in the sequel. Although, Nell’s character is too one-dimensional this time around. In the first film, Bell was able to bounce back and forth between the innocent, pure teen, and this raging psychopath. In the sequel, Bell doesn’t have the freedom to show her talents, because for the VAST majority of this film, Nell is stuck in one gear as this frightened and panicky mess of a person.

The Last Exorcism featured some nice twists, turns, and thrills towards the end. The sequel? Not a chance. I had trouble keeping my eyes open throughout the movie, because Part II is so painfully boring. We KNOW Abalam is back, and we know he’s real, so the constant “Is Abalam back? Is he real?” teasing didn’t make any sense at all.  If you didn’t watch The Last Exorcism, the teasing MIGHT fool you, but I’m one of the people, who took the time to watch The Last Exorcism, and yeah, I know Abalam is real.

A few noticeable plot holes are another problem here. Okay, so Gwen (Julia Garner) is another troubled teenage girl living in the home with Nell, and she’s obviously working with Abalam. A girl in the house has a violent seizure one night, and while all the other girls are terrified (including Nell), Gwen is the only one smiling. One night Nell’s father shows up out of the blue, and Gwen murders him. Gwen confirms her demonic status, when her eyes turn black all around. Eh, okay, If Gwen is working with/for Abalam, then why did she spend so much time toying with Nell? I don’t get it.

And Gwen murdering Nell’s father leads me to another dilemma: How did Louis (Nell’s father) find her? Remember, at the end of the original, Louis is tied up, while the cult is performing the ritual on Nell. So how did he escape? They never bother explaining Louis’ whereabouts, or how he found Nell. So frustrating.

Part II takes a dog chasing his tail in circles approach to storytelling, and the finale? Egads it’s awful. So Nell is seeking the answer to one big question: How do I stop Abalam? Well after Cecile’s voodoo magic fails, she calls in the rest of the team (Calder and Jeffery) for Plan B. I was expecting some grand shocking surprise, but Part II delivers another deflating gut punch at the end, because Plan B is another freakin’ exorcism. That’s right, Calder’s big plan is another exorcism.

Let me get this straight. Calder and this secret order followed Nell’s story, they know all about her, and they know an exorcism didn’t work the first time around, so why would you try another exorcism again? Well, I guess the caged chicken (the planned vessel to contain the demon, after a successful exorcism) counts as a change, but it’s a disappointing finale either way you look at it. Part II leads you to believe they’re building towards a different solution to finally take care of Abalam, but you’re forced to sit through a dull movie and wait for an underwhelming and unsatisfying “grand finale.”

Sorry, but I couldn’t feel the SHOCK with Nell finally embracing Abalam. To give you a brief explanation, the attempted exorcism on Nell failed, so Calder makes the tough choice to give Nell a lethal dose of morphine, because killing Nell is the only surefire way to stop Abalam and free Nell. Nell, realizing she’s seconds away from death, accepts Abalam’s help, and Nell uses Abalam’s powers to kill Calder, Jeffery, and Cecile. After escaping the failed exorcism, Nell returns to the home, kills Frank, and Nell uses her new powers to burn down the house, killing all the girls inside. You know something, if Part II didn’t bore me to tears, I might’ve felt something during Nell’s rampage……but Part II bored me to tears.

A demon in love? Yep. Apparently, Abalam fell in love with Nell, and without Nell, Abalam is lost and “powerless.” Wow. Nice way to completely destroy the mystique for an evil demon, who can‘t function without his targeted victim, because he‘s too lovesick. Seriously, at times I got the feeling Part II was trying to agitate the audience, and the heartbroken demon is a shining example of some head-shaking moments throughout this one.

Part II Completely drops the found-footage style, so there’s no sense of realism. On top of that, Part II uses this schizophrenic technique of randomly inserting archived footage from the first film for flashbacks. And to make things worse, Part II shackles Bell into a one-dimensional role with a “I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON!” character, so Bell doesn’t have a chance to show off her true talents. Plus, Louis Herthum (Nell’s dad) is the only returning cast member from the first film with a physical appearance here. The other cast members from the first film only appear in the archived footage used for flashbacks.

The Last Exorcism Part II is an excruciatingly boring sequel that’s void of any tension, suspense, or thrills. The tacky and cheap CGI is hard to ignore, the story is stuck in standstill mode, and you’ll see one too many unintentionally funny moments here. Believe me, I’m 100% serious, when I say this, I’m shocked Part II received a theatrical run, because a straight-to-video release would’ve been more appropriate for this one. Congratulations Part II. Now you’re free to join the crowded group of unnecessary and poor quality horror sequels!

Rating: 1/10

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The Last Exorcism (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no major plot reveals, twists, or surprises**

Living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) takes a trip to the small town of Ivanwood, Louisiana to perform an exorcism on a teenage girl named Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell).

Joined by the team of his director/producer, Iris (Iris Bahr) and the camera man, Daniel (Adam Grimes), Cotton is met with resistance from Nell’s brother, Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones), but Nell’s devout father Louis (Louis Herthum) is more than willing to cooperate. But Cotton’s mission to expose the conspiracy behind faux exorcisms takes a turn for the worst, when Cotton is forced to confront the real demon within Nell.

Ashely Bell delivers the best performance here. Bell’s ability to randomly switch gears between this innocent country girl, and this deranged and creepy possessed victim is remarkable. Rest of the cast is decent at best, but Bell steals the show, easily.

Don’t expect any groundbreaking changes for exorcism horror films in The Last Exorcism. Nell spends a lot of time hopping around like a feral creature, you have the predictable and over the top exorcism scene at the end with the demon using Nell as a vessel, and torturing her body by breaking bones and the usual contortions. You'll see a l lot of "been there, done that" moments here, so don't get your hopes up for too many refreshing changes.

But The Last Exorcism deserves credit for some effort in the attention to details department. Cotton gives an in depth explanation for the tricks used during an exorcism by showing all the little gadgets and magic tricks behind the chaos. And The Last Exorcism is able to maintain a sense of realism as a found-footage film. It feels like you’re watching a documentary, as Cotton and his crew interview numerous people throughout the film, and the “TURN THAT CAMERA OFF!” moments help pull everything together. Also, there’s a little wink to The Exorcist at the beginning, if you pay close attention. Cotton uses The Exorcist’s mainstream popularity as an example for the Vatican justifying the usage of exorcisms.

Patience is crucial with The Last Exorcism, because things don’t kick into high gear until the thirty-six minute mark. I’ll give The  Last Exorcism credit for playing some mind games with the audience. Nell IS possessed by a demon, and it’s more clear and obvious as the story progresses.

As I said before, The Last Exorcism won’t raise the bar for horror Exorcism films, and you’ll see a few corny, predictable moments here. Still, with some help from Ashley Bell’s outstanding performance, a handful of twists, surprises, thrills, and a sinister cliffhanger, The Last Exorcism is better than your annual Hollywood exorcism film.

Rating: 7/10

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The Last Exorcism (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) has a change of faith after the premature birth of his ill son, Justin (Justin Shafer). Motivated by the need to provide a living for Justin and his wife, Shanna (Shanna Forrestall) Cotton, against his will and new found beliefs, continues to perform faux exorcisms on “victims” until the tragic death of a child during another exorcism changes his mind.

After the Vatican opens an academy to train exorcists, Cotton embarks on a mission to expose exorcisms as a hoax. With help from his director/producer, Iris (Iris Bahr) and the camera man, Daniel (Adam Grimes), Cotton plans to record a detailed documentation showing the “smoke and mirrors” behind the scenes side of exorcisms to prevent another tragic death.

Cotton randomly selects an open letter from a small farming family in Ivanwood, Louisiana for the project. In Ivanwood, Cotton uses a possessed teenage girl named Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) as his first test subject. Cotton is met with some resistance from Nell’s brother, Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones), but Nell’s devout father, Louis (Louis Herthum) is more than willing to cooperate.

Cotton basks in the glory of exposing the conspiracy after acquiring the recorded footage of Nell’s staged exorcism, but an unexpected dilemma interrupts Cotton’s moment of joy. Frightened and visibly shaken, Nell arrives at Cotton’s motel room one night, and after careful observations over the next few days, it’s clear the demon within Nell is very real. Time is running out as Cotton struggles to comprehend the bizarre situation, because an unavoidable confrontation with Abalam (the demon within Nell) will force Cotton to make a series of moral decisions that will change his life forever.

Ashely Bell delivers the best performance here. Bell’s ability to randomly switch gears between this innocent country girl, and this deranged and creepy possessed victim is remarkable. Rest of the cast is decent at best, but Bell steals the show, easily.

Don’t expect any groundbreaking changes for exorcism horror films in The Last Exorcism. Nell spends a lot of time hopping around like a feral creature, you have the predictable and over the top exorcism scene at the end with the demon using Nell as a vessel, and torturing her body by breaking bones and the usual contortions. Plus, I can’t forgot about the non-believer (Cotton) seeing “the light” after a few spooky encounters with the demon.

But The Last Exorcism deserves credit for some effort in the attention to details department. Cotton gives an in depth explanation for the tricks used during an exorcism by showing all the little gadgets and magic tricks behind the chaos. And The Last Exorcism is able to maintain a sense of realism as a found-footage film. It feels like you’re watching a documentary, as Cotton and his crew interview numerous people throughout the film, and the “TURN THAT CAMERA OFF!” moments help pull everything together. Also, there’s a little wink to The Exorcist at the beginning, if you pay close attention. Cotton uses The Exorcist’s mainstream popularity as an example for the Vatican justifying the usage of exorcisms.

Patience is crucial with The Last Exorcism, because things don’t kick into high gear until the thirty-six minute mark. I’ll give The  Last Exorcism credit for playing some mind games with the audience. Nell IS possessed by a demon, and it’s more clear and obvious as the story progresses.

But they throw a monkey wrench in towards the end, because you’re lead to believe Nell’s unexpected pregnancy is causing all the problems. So believing his work is done, Cotton leaves Nell’s fate in the hands of Ivanwood’s local pastor. Pastor Manley (Tony Bentley) agrees to watch over Nell…..but Pastor Manley is hiding a deadly secret. Cotton and his team find out the truth behind Nell’s lie (Nell lied about having relations with a local boy), so Cotton returns to the Sweetzer farm.

After discovering a series of satanic symbols written on the walls inside the house, it’s revealed Pastor Manley is actually the leader of an evil cult. Nell’s demonic baby is delivered and tossed into a roaring fire, causing the flames to explode into a demonic entity. With his faith instantly restored, Cotto rushes towards the flame with his cross raised high in the air to fight the demon. Iris and Daniel try to escape, but Iris is hacked to her death by an axe wielding manic from the cult. Daniel is running by himself until he runs into Caleb. Here, it’s revealed Caleb is a member of the cult, and Caleb slits Daniel’s throat to end the movie.

Jaw-dropping stuff. The Last Exorcism throws out so many twists and turns during the finale. Just when you think it might be over, Cotton rushes back to the house to save the day, and the cliffhanger at the end is wonderful.

As I said before, The Last Exorcism won’t raise the bar for horror Exorcism films, and you’ll see a few corny, predictable moments here. Still, with some help from Ashley Bell’s outstanding performance, a handful of twists, surprises, thrills, and a sinister cliffhanger, The Last Exorcism is better than your annual Hollywood exorcism film.


Rating: 7/10

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Or take a trip into world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in my book of short stories, also only $0.99-  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

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