The movie William Friedkin called the “worst piece of shit I’ve ever seen”
We’ve all sat through movies that left us scratching our heads, wondering how such cinematic monstrosities made it onto the big screen. Then there are those films that evoke such strong reactions they’re impossible to ignore, works that become talking points in and of themselves. This particular sequel to one of the most renowned horror movies ever made managed to stir passions and emotions from the very man who helmed the original masterpiece.
Imagine being responsible for crafting an iconic piece of cinema, a film that sends chills down the spine of anyone daring enough to watch it, caused mass faintings in the cinema and was outright banned. Now imagine watching a sequel to that same movie, only to find it so unbearably terrible that you can’t help but proclaim it the worst you’ve ever seen. Such was the experience of legendary director William Friedkin, who sadly passed away on Monday, August 7th, 2023.
When appearing on an episode of The Movies That Made Me podcast, Friedkin recounted a hilarious story about watching Exorcist II: The Heretic. He shared: “I was at the Technicolor lab, colour timing something, and one of the timers said, ‘We just finished Exorcist II. Would you like to have a look at it?'” Intrigued, Friedkin decided to give it a go.
He recalled: “I sat through maybe 40 minutes of it. It’s the worst piece of shit I’ve ever seen”.
Coming from the director of the original, this was no small statement. To emphasise his disappointment, Friedkin lamented: “It’s a fucking disgrace”.
But what makes this all the more astounding is the incredible cast involved in the sequel: Richard Burton, Max von Sydow, Louise Fletcher, Linda Blair, and James Earl Jones. Such esteemed actors being part of what Friedkin labelled as “the worst 40 minutes of film” is truly a testament to John Boorman’s failure.
Exorcist II: The Heretic was helmed by Boorman, a name known for some significant cinematic ventures such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Excalibur, and Hope and Glory. With such a record, one would anticipate a sequel of comparable stature to its predecessor – unfortunately, as it turned out, not all stories find their magic the second time around.
While Friedkin had strong reservations about Exorcist II, his own cinematic contributions are nothing short of astounding. Apart from The Exorcist, his repertoire boasts of the thrilling The French Connection, which saw him clinching the ‘Best Director’ Oscar, the gripping To Live and Die in LA, Sorcerer, and the incredibly controversial Cruising. Later in life, Friedkin returned to his low-budget, indie roots with the visceral and powerful Bug and 2011’s Killer Joe, which famously had a scene that “did for fried chicken what Jaws did for sharks”.
As the film world mourns the loss of Friedkin, his candid reflections on Exorcist II: The Heretic remind us just how much of a rarity the director was. In an industry that requires fake smiles and the veneer of praise for anything churned out by the machine, he never wavered in his own convictions and made it perfectly clear, in as concise terms as possible, what he thought of an artist or their creation.
