Exorcist II: The Heretic

Exorcist II: The Heretic continues the story of Regan MacNeil four years after the exorcism that freed her. Now a teenager, she is troubled by strange dreams that raise the question of whether the demon Pazuzu has returned. Father Philip Lamont, a Jesuit sent by the Vatican, investigates the death of Father Lankester Merrin and consults Dr. Gene Tuskin, a psychiatrist who works with children. Their inquiry leads Lamont to Africa, where he seeks out a man who survived possession by the same demon as a boy, in the hope of understanding what is happening to Regan. The film was directed by John Boorman, who also produced it, from a screenplay by Rospo Pallenberg and William Goodhart. It followed Boorman's Zardoz and came between that film and Excalibur in a directing career that had included Point Blank, Hell in the Pacific and Deliverance. Richard Burton plays Father Lamont, with Linda Blair returning as Regan, Louise Fletcher as Dr. Tuskin, Max von Sydow as Father Merrin, Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer and Paul Henreid as the Cardinal. Made by Warner Bros. Pictures on a budget of 14 million dollars, it took about 31 million dollars worldwide. Reception was weak: on IMDb it holds 3.8 out of 10 from around 31,000 votes, on TMDB 4.5 out of 10 from 819 votes, while a critics' rating stands at 3.5 out of 10 from 69 reviews, placing it below even the modest audience scores.