"The Exorcist: The Beginning also channels some of the soul sickness and desperation of the original, and rumbles with a real sense of fear and dread, while also anchoring itself with believable, sympathetic characters. It’s that true rarity: a horror film with substance." Erin Free FILMINK "In broad strokes Exorcist: The Beginning is a compelling story but the devil's in the details." Staci Layne Wilson HORROR.COM "...I had goose-bumps on my goose-bumps clear to the top of my head..." Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi BROOMFIELD ENTERPRISE "The Beginning surpasses both sequels, yet it still feels like a potboiler that regurgitates reliable jolts as if it were sticking to its own rites." Bruce Westbrook HOUSTON CHRONICLE

"The Beginning tries to be three films in one, but winds up lacking coherence or any identity of its own. However, it isn't horrible when taken as a simple horror flick." Ken Hanke MOUNTAIN XPRESS "This may be called The Beginning, but it probably spells the end of the franchise. There are a few good jolts, but it's more creepy than scary." Cherryl and Leigh Ann THEMOVIECHICKS.COM ""While it isn't entirely an unholy mess, Exorcist: The Beginning may well be the end of the series. No sequel has yet matched the original, which is forgivable, as few films have equalled its impact. Kerry Bashford NINEMSN REVIEWS "Harlin enlists an exotic array of wildlife to perform the devil's work - hyenas, ravens, bugs. Even butterflies are called up for demonic duty. But the human children are the ones you worry about." Sandra Hall SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

At A Glance

"Stellan Skarsgrd retains his credibility and portrays a tortured, complex soul with admirable complexity, which stands him in good stead when he forgives god and enlists him to exorcise the demons not only within the poor possessed victims, but himself, too." ..... Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE

Three decades ago, cinema audiences all around the world had the pants scared off them by the 1973 horror flick "The Exorcist". There's no doubt that the film left its mark on society. The star, Linda Blair was placed under the protection of security guards by the studio due to threats on her life, religious groups protested at the outrage and welfare groups went on a verbal rampage over the production company using a child for the lead role. It seemed that "The Exorcist" had, like its lead character Regan, heads spinning either in repulsion or in sheer disbelief. The fact that the priest was obviously Catholic attracted the ire of the Vatican and then there was the ending where both Regan and Father Merrin were almost killed off by the demonic force. Of course special effects have moved on a long way since the early 1970's but in those days, this was pretty terrifying stuff. By todays standards "The Exorcist" is pretty laughable but the film is, never the less considered a classic. Since 1973 there have been so many 'horror' films that it would take pages to list them all but it's fair to say that, after you get over the initial shock their all much of a muchness. That's not to say they weren't enjoyable, but let's face it, how much can the ordinary cinemagoer take? Which begs the question, "just how many sequels can we cinemagoers take"? Having already endured two sequels to the original "The Exorcist", "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977) and "The Exorcist III" (1990), both of which weren't up to scratch, it may come as a surprise that another has been produced. Well, not a sequel, but rather a prequel, for "Exorcist: The Beginning" takes us back to WW2 and Father Lancaster Merrin's first dice with the devil. When it came to making this prequel it seems things did not run all that smoothly. Before director Renny Harlin came on the scene, director Paul Schrader had already completed his interpretation for Warner Bros. Not impressed with what he had offered by way of a finished project, Warner Bros now turned to Harlin. The result of his work is "Exorcist: The Beginning". Harlin is a man with a liking for the horror genre and proud of it. "I am a huge fan of the horror genre," Harlin says. "I’m known for my action films, but I started in horror and it is a genre that I’ve always loved and admired." When asked about what the attraction was with making another espisode in the story of the Exorcist Harlin points out that "the original Exorcist is one of the most famous horror films ever made. It’s one of my favorite films," he noted, "so when this opportunity came across my path, I just couldn’t pass it by." So why a prequel? "In doing a prequel, I tried to set up a lot of those unanswered questions that are posed in the original," Harlin said. "There are a lot of open plotlines that are never explained, including a comment about an exorcism that Merrin had performed years ago in Africa. I wanted to make it so that if you watch this film and then watch The Exorcist, the original naturally follows, as if it were the sequel. I wanted to really find the way into people’s minds and hearts, to give them an experience that would satisfy them as well as horrify and surprise them." Harlin's task wasn't an easy one. All filming of took place on giant sets at the world famous Cinecittà Studios in Rome. Here the illusion that we are in Holland, Cairo and Africa has been captured well. "Creating the feeling that you are in the middle of Africa is not that easy when you’re actually just a hundred yards away from the closest pizza place," Harlin said. To get the feel he required Harlin called on the expertise of production designer Stefano Ortolani. After extensive research, Storaro and his crew constructed the church, the mosaics and the canyon featured in the setting. Just to give readers an idea of the magnitude of the tasks performed by Ortolani and his crew; such as constructing a canyon measuring 262 feet by 197 feet in size which at its highest point reaches 33 feet; the mosaics which featured in the church were created from a cast of an original plain Roman mosaic floor, from Villa Adriana in Tivoli near Rome and then hand painted by an artist flown in from England; the dome of the Byzantine church was supported by a steel structure which allowed room to accommodate the electricians and their lighting equipment which was essential to capture the varying moods during shooting. Lighting was a very important factor as Harlin explained. "My main goal was to create a film that is very dark in its mood, and offers a lot of shadows and dark places in the basic frame where the audience’s mind can wonder what is in that area that they don’t see," he said. "Creating that dark feeling was very key for me in the film." Harlin says a lot of credit for the mood captured in "Exorcist The Beginning" must go to famed Italian cinematographer, the three time Academy Award winner Vittorio Storaro. "Having Vittorio was instrumental in our bringing something quite frightening, and quite beautiful, to the screen." Looking back, Storaro recalls, "Renny was looking for the best possible way to emotionally represent the moment of Merrin’s introduction into this story. I tried to understand how through the light I could represent this conflict with himself. It’s a kind of connection between reality and something that is above reality, something that is spiritual." To get the look he needed for the demon that Merrin confronts, Harlin called in famed makeup effects supervisor Gary Tunnicliffe who "was charged with designing make up effects and constructing many of the film’s intricately detailed props, including puppets and religious idols, as well as giving life to a pack of menacing mechanical beasts." Gary says there is a big difference between the perquel and the original when it comes to special effects. "The Exorcist is required watching for effects guys," enthuses Tunnicliffe. "It has stood the test of time so well because it hits you on both a cerebral and a physical level. There are horror films that just hit you in the gut, and there are horror films that hit you in the mind. The Exorcist has that two-punch." So what was the brief given to Tunnicliffe by Harlin for the demon? "Renny felt very strongly that the look of the demon should harken back to Linda Blair," Tunnicliffe recalls. "It’s the same demon who is possessing, so while we never know what this creature looks like in its natural state, once it manifests into a human being, there needs to be something about the makeup that you feel familiar with." And there is a parallel between your work and that of Dick Smith who worked on the original, isn't there? "We used the traditional, tried and true foam latex appliances," Tunnicliffe said. "So it’s exactly the same kind of makeup in its creation and build that Dick used, although I employed a slightly different paint and the contact lenses are more comfortable than the contact lenses would have been back then. But it’s basically 1970s technology. And a lot of those techniques were created by Dick Smith. So if it looks good it’s a tribute to him, really." And is there any one part of your work that really stands out in your mind? "I’m very proud of the work we did on the hyenas," he says. "Obviously it’s very difficult to get real hyenas to safely attack anybody. In fact, it’s difficult to get hyenas to do absolutely anything apart from just lie there and sleep." To reveal the efforts Tunnicliffe and his team went to would really 'let the hyena out of the bag' but needless to say, those who see "Exorcist The Beginning" will be suitably shocked when they see the hyena's in action. Finally a little trivia for the film buffs. Just after shooting started in Rome, Renny Harlin was knocked down by a car and suffered a broken leg. "I had to shoot the entire movie on crutches with a cast on my leg, which was definitely tough and frustrating", Harlin revealed. Two other actors were chosen for the part of Father Lancaster Merrin. Liam Neeson and Ryan Phillippe signed on for the role but it went to swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård who does an admirable job. Crew Bytes "Exorcist The Beginning" was .......
directed by Renny Harlin ["A Nightmare on Elm Street IV", "Die Hard 2: Die Harder ", "Cliffhanger" and "Deep Blue Sea"]; screenplay by Alexi Hawley ["Chasing Shadows", "Nightbird", "The Program" and "The Greatest Player"]; story by William Wisher ["Terminator 2: Judgment Day", "Die Hard With a Vengeance", "Broken Arrow" and "The 13th Warrior"] and Caleb Carr ["The Alienist", "The Angel of Darkness", "The Devil Soldier" and "The Lessons of Terror"]; costume design by Luke Reichle ["Diggstown", "The Scout", "A Simple Wish" and "The Michael Richards Project"]; special makeup effects supervisor by Gary Tunnicliffe ["Dracula 2000", "Children of the Corn 2", "Hellraiser 3" and "Cyborg Cop"]; edited by Mark Goldblatt ["The Last Boy Scout", "Armageddon", "Starship Troopers" and "Pearl Harbor"]; cinematography by three time Academy Award winner Vittorio Storaro ["The Last Emperor", "Reds", "Bulworth" and "Tango"]; original music by Trevor Rabin ["Armageddon", "Remember the Titans", "Deep Blue Sea", "Enemy of the State" and "Gone in 60 Seconds"] produced by James G Robinson ["Major League", "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls"] and Guy McElwaine ["The Towering Inferno", "ET", "Basic Instinct" and "The Big Chill"]. Casting About "Exorcist The Beginning" stars .......
Stellan Skarsgård ["Breaking the Waves", "Good Will Hunting", "The Hunt For Red October" and "King Arthur"]; Izabella Scorupco ["The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby", "The Ice House", "The Canterville Ghost" and "Master and Commander"]; James D'Arcy ["Vertical Limit", "GoldenEye" and "Reign Of Fire"]; Julian Wadham ["The Secret Agent", "The English Patient", "High Heels and Low Lifes" and "A Different Loyalty"]; Andrew French ["Let's Stick Together", "The Tailor Of Panama", "Doctor Sleep" and "Beyond Borders"]; Ralph Brown ["Impromptu", "The Pope Must Die", "Amistad" and "Mean Machine"]; Ben Cross ["Chariots Of Fire", "The Unholy", "Young Blades" and "She Me and Her"]; David Bradley ["Seeing Things", "Blow Dry", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Nicholas Nickleby"] and Remy Sweeney ["Exorcist: The Beginning"] as Joseph. The Story

"It rates fairly high on both the Scare-O-Meter and Gross-Out Scale, with an early hyena attack guaranteed to have you flinching in terror." Glenn Lovell SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

Father Lankester Merrin thinks that he has already glimpsed the face of Evil. In the years following WW2, Father Merrin has been haunted by the memory of his parishioners who suffered unspeakable crimes at the hands of the German invaders. Because of this Father Merrin has lost faith. Not only in his fellow human beings but in the God he once loved and worshiped. In 1949 he leaves Holland and travels to Ciaro where he is approached by an antique collector who persuades him to join a British archeological team working in the Turkana region of Kenya. Here it seems they have uncovered a Christian Byzantine Church which somehow is in perfect condition. But even stranger is the fact that the church was built centuries before christianity came to the region. When Merrin arrives at the site he is joined by Father Francis who has been sent from Rome by the Pope. Merrin enters the site and makes a disturbing and shocking discovery. What he will soon to discover is that beneath the church, something much older sleeps, waiting to be awoken. Lancaster Merrin is about to come face to face with Evil. In a place where Evil was born. Can a man who has lost his faith, abandoned his God, rediscover his conviction and find the strength to defeat such a powerful, evil force? Lancaster Merrin must not fail those who depend on him again. The Verdict "If you are old enough to remember the impact "The Exorcist" made in 1973 then it's worth having a look at "Exorcist The Beginning". It would be easy to say that there is a lot of predictibility in this film but with 'horror' films constantly bombarding the bigscreen that would be an easy cop-out. The fact is we've seen so many special effects of recent times it's all becoming a little ho-hum. But, having said that, "Exorcist The Beginning" is worth having a look at. Will suit the curious and those who like the genre. Enough shocks to grab your attention. Good fill-in flick!" The Cast

Stellan Skarsgård Izabella Scorupco James D'Arcy Remy Sweeney Julian Wadham Andrew French Ralph Brown Ben Cross David Bradley Alan Ford Antonie Kamerling Eddie Osei Israel Aduramo Patrick O'Kane James Bellamy Cecilia Amati Matti Ristinen Lidia Darly James Paparella Silvio Jimenez Hernandez Yemi Goodman Ajibade Michel Leroy John Sesay Sayoh Lahai Alessandro Casula Roberto Purvis

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Father Merrin Sarah Father Francis Joseph Major Granville Chuma Sergeant Major Semelier Father Gionetti Jeffries Lieutenant Kessel Emekwi Jomo Bession James Little Dutch Girl Medieval Priest Sebutuana's Wife Boy in Market Stricken Turkana Worker Turkana Shaman Tribesman in Hospital Turkana Warrior #1 Turkana Warrior #2 Preacher with Pazuzu Corporal Finn

The Crew Directed by Renny Harlin Original movie "The Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty Story by William Wisher and Caleb Carr Screenplay by Alexi Hawley Produced by Guy McElwaine & James G Robinson Original Music by Trevor Rabin Cinematography by Vittorio Storaro Film Editing by Mark Goldblatt Casting by Pam Dixon Production Design by Stefano Maria Ortolani Art Direction by Marco Trentini & Eugenio Ulissi Set Decoration by Carlo Gervasi Costume Design by Luke Reichle Run Time 113 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Warner Brothers - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved