I’m not surprised that “ The Exorcist” has gone the television-series route. Heck, for what it's worth, I wasn’t surprised when it happened to “The Omen”. However, “Damien” only lasted a season and never effectively expanded upon its already existing fan base. With its handful of testing-the-water episodes, will “Exorcist” meet the same truncated fate?
The Fox series, produced by Jeremy Slater and commencing 9/23, takes a slow-burn approach to evil's ascent, with matters growing more sinister with each installment, underscored by the familiar good-vs-evil thread.
I always thought that a Father Lankester Merrin prequel series would have worked splendidly, if only based on Rennie Harlin's "The Beginning" and Paul Schrader's "Dominion", but in this instance, we have newcomers, Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) and Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels) getting involved in the demonic action, with Geena "The Fly" Davis playing a continuing, anguished character named Angela Rance, whose family falls victim to the burgeoning terror.
I always thought that a Father Lankester Merrin prequel series would have worked splendidly, if only based on Rennie Harlin's "The Beginning" and Paul Schrader's "Dominion", but in this instance, we have newcomers, Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) and Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels) getting involved in the demonic action, with Geena "The Fly" Davis playing a continuing, anguished character named Angela Rance, whose family falls victim to the burgeoning terror.
There much anticipation for intense scares with this one, with Fox publicizing a "parental discretion advised" angle, but it seems unlikely the series will match the original William Friedkin adaptation for shocks (the other films, though effective in their own ways--and yep, that includes John Boorman's "Heretic"--never came close to striking the original's jarring mark), so we can only hope an emphasis on William Peter Blatty's intense perception of faith defines the show.
Anyway, considering the no-holds-barred approach of shows like "American Horror Story", my hunch is "Exorcist" will still try to freak folks out. We'll see how it goes and what impact it has among older fans, if they do, in fact, tune in. As was the case with "Damien", I'll be watching, hoping and above all, praying for the best outcome with this one.
