THE LAST EXORCISM

Take “The Exorcist”. Now, remove all the gimmicky crap. Once that’s done, blend the result in with “The Blair Witch Project” and you have “The Last Exorcism”.

This is quite an interesting movie. Shot “documentary” style, it tells the story of a Preacher, Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), who occasionally performs exorcisms (or “deliverances” as they are called in some circles) and yet has no personal belief in demonic possession.

We spend a little time with the Reverend here, getting to know his family and seeing him preach to his congregation. At some point he goes through his mail and picks out the exorcism request that appears to intrigue him the most. It’s going to be a profitable venture. Or so he believes.

He travels to Louisiana with the film crew to meet the so-called “possessed” girl (the ambidextrous Ashley Bell) and her family. After counsel with the girl’s father, our hero agrees to the exorcism. As he is preparing for the rite, Marcus reveals to the documentary film crew that he wires certain things in the room to move on cue. Also, he opens a secret panel on the back of his cross to show that it is rigged to emit smoke when a hidden button is pushed. He’s going to give the family a show they’ll never forget.

To say too much more here would be doing you a disservice. Suffice it to say that this is a dark, fascinating thriller - well worth seeing and adding to your DVD library.

One of the extras is a short piece featuring interviews with folks who’ve actually been exorcised. We are warned at the beginning of this feature that demonic voices are played back from actual recordings and that we should pray the “Protection Prayer” (also one of the features) prior to watching this segment.