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(About Our Ads) "EXORCIST THE BEGINNING" (2004) (Stellan Skarsgärd, Izabella Scorupco) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Extreme Extreme Extreme Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor Heavy Extreme None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Moderate Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Horror: While investigating a long-buried but recently discovered Catholic church in remote Africa, a former priest turned archaeologist digs up more than he bargained for when the Devil seemingly shows up, prepared to do battle with him. PLOT: It's Cairo 1949 and Lankester Merrin (STELLAN SKARSGÅRD) is a fallen priest who lost his faith during WWII and now works as an archaeologist. He's approached by a stranger who informs him that a long buried Byzantine church has been found by the British army in the remote Turkana region of Kenya. The man wants Merrin to find and bring him a religious artifact before the British get their hands on it, but the former priest is more intrigued by the notion of a church buried in the region more than a thousand years before that form of religion arrived in the area. His interest piqued, Merrin arrives in the African country with young Father Francis (JAMES D'ARCY) who's been assigned by Major Granville (JULIAN WADHAM) of the British army to accompany him. There, he meets the local doctor, Sarah Novack (IZABELLA SCORUPCO), who's been trying to care for both the locals and various outsiders such as Jefferies (ALAN FORD). Learning that a plague apparently wiped out everyone there fifty years earlier, Merrin finally enters the church, only to discover the Crucifixion hanging upside down and he hears word that the previous lead archaeologist has gone mad. The locals swear the place is cursed with evil, but neither Merrin nor Sarah believes any of that. Yet, when various odd events occur, a kid is killed by hyenas and a local boy, Joseph (REMY SWEENEY), shows signs of being possessed, they start to rethink their position. As things progressively get worse and scarier, Merrin must not only come to grips with his troubled past, but also his lack of faith that's now left him in a precarious situation when he must battle the Devil himself. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of any of the previous "Exorcist" films, other horror pictures or anyone in the cast, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong violence and gore, disturbing images and rituals, and for language including some sexual dialogue. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: STELLAN SKARSGÅRD plays a fallen priest turned archaeologist who takes an offer from a stranger to retrieve a religious artifact from a long-buried church. He drinks, briefly kisses Sarah and then finds his faith in himself and God challenged and then reaffirmed when he must deal with the Devil himself. IZABELLA SCORUPCO plays the foreign doctor who works in the village and befriends Merrin. She briefly kisses him and drinks a bit. JAMES D'ARCY plays a young priest sent to accompany Merrin to the location of the buried church. REMY SWEENEY plays the young local boy who appears to become possessed by the Devil. JULIAN WADHAM plays the British military officer who's in charge of the area where the church is found. He eventually goes mad and becomes lethally violent. ALAN FORD plays a foreigner in the village who comes on to Sarah, is upset that she can't treat his worsening skin condition, drinks and uses strong profanity. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a quick look at the content found in this R-rated horror film. Profanity consists of at least 4 "f" words, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue (some of it explicit) is present, a possessed woman grinds away on a man's crotch (both are clothed and it's more of a violation than sexual) and a woman's bare breast is briefly and partially seen. Cleavage and a phallic drawing are also present. Violence consists of many people being killed by various means (supernatural and manmade) including shootings, stabbings and other lethal impact, while supernatural-based deaths and injuries also occur (including hyenas graphically attacking and killing a boy). Those and other scenes have extremely bloody, gory and gross results, while they and others (including all of the supernatural material and Devil possession - particularly late in the film) may be unsettling, suspenseful or downright scary to viewers. In addition, many scenes with sudden sounds, movements or revelations are intended to make viewers jump. Bad attitudes are present, some characters smoke or drink, and some tense family material involves news of a spouse's death and a woman delivering a stillborn (and bloody and maggot-covered) baby. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Some miscellaneous people drink in a bar where Merrin downs several shots of liquor. Merrin has drinks with Jefferies. Sarah has a drink. Merrin and Sarah drink. Jefferies drinks from a bottle and then tries to grab another from a closed bar. Miscellaneous people drink. BLOOD/GORE We see dried cuts on a priest's face from long ago. As he walks along, we then see a bloody foot and then more and more dead bodies on what appears to be a battlefield. Some of them are bloody and we see a severed head on the ground and a man lying on the ground, impaled by a sword through his chest (with bloody results there and on his face). We then see many bloody bodies hung upside down in crucifixion poses. A miscellaneous man has an empty eye socket in his head. We see some bloody animal carcasses in a meat market. Merrin accidentally cuts his hand on some glass, leaving a bloody cut on his palm. We see a WWII flashback where a dead man lies on the ground in the snow with blood around his head. We see blood dripping on the floor beneath a man who turns to talk to Merrin. The man has blood all over his chest and has carved something in his chest with a shard of glass that he then uses to slit his own throat (graphically seen with lots of blood coming out and then on him). He then falls to the floor and convulses before dying. Sarah spots Joseph petting something beneath a bed cover that has blood soaked in it. When she removes the cover, she suddenly sees a bloody and severed head (and then wakes up from her nightmare). Jefferies has progressively worsening lesions on his face that eventually become quite gory with green pus oozing from them (he also has rotten-looking teeth). We see some small lesions on Joseph's chest. We see blood floating up into an IV bag. We see some crows tearing flesh off a bloody, but still alive crow. A just delivered baby is dead, extremely bloody and covered with maggots crawling all over it. We see a needle going into young Joseph's arm (no blood, but the squeamish might not like the sight). We see bloody footprints on the floor leading over to Sarah who then realizes it's from her. There's blood on the towel wrapped around her, a great deal on her thighs and then some on her hand after she places it there (she then says that due to what the Nazis did to her in a concentration camp, there's nothing left there - meaning menstruation - to bleed). We see blood on a wall and counter where some human teeth are embedded. Joseph has a slightly bloody cut on his chest, while some men have bloody wounds (from suddenly broken fingers and a leg). We see another WWII flashback where the little girl is shot in the head, with blood around her as she lies dead in the snow. We see the bloody, gory and ravaged remains of a man (partially skeletal with huge holes in the body) strung up with a crow pecking at the eye socket. Granville shoots a local in the head execution style with bloody results. Granville wipes blood across his face from his bloody hands and then sees that a pinned butterfly has turned into a bloody crow. We see what looks like vomit flow out of a boy's mouth. Merrin finds flies and blood everywhere in Sarah's room where there are mad/demonic drawings on the walls, etc. The local tribesmen approach the British military who open fire on them with rifles and machine guns, mowing down some of them. The rest then clash, followed by hand to hand combat where many people on both sides are killed by knives, spears, bayonets and one man has his head split open with a hatchet (briefly seen but with very bloody results). We see many other bloody results (including blood spewing from a man's mouth). We see bloody footprints in a church and then more blood on the floor. We see a bloody trail in a cave and then see blood suddenly pooling up on a snowy path. A bloody body (with a hole in the chest) suddenly drops down in the way of someone. We suddenly see the girl (from the above flashbacks) whose head is very bloody. Lots of blood suddenly flows out onto the ground behind a person's head as they die. Merrin has various bloody cuts on his face. We see partially buried bodies in the sand following a sandstorm. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Jefferies makes unwelcome sexual advances (verbal) toward Sarah. Jefferies refers to the locals as "bloody savages" and "little buggars." The Devil obviously has both types of attitudes for the pain and suffering he inflicts upon others and his overall grand scheme. Joseph's brother does a bit of keep away with a trowel that Merrin gave him. After having killed a man and little girl, a Nazi threatens to shoot a boy if someone doesn't rat out others. The man does and the Nazi proceeds to shoot at least three men, execution style, in the head. We hear that the Vatican covered up a satanic incident in the past. A military man has racist attitudes toward the local tribesmen, calling them "bloody savages" and he shoots and kills one. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. In addition, Catholics and those who strongly believe in the Devil may find the film more disturbing and/or scary than those who don't. A local man suddenly starts to convulse and foam at the mouth before being taken away for medical attention. Merrin discovers a painting of Lucifer inside the partially excavated church as well as a statue of Christ on the cross that's been broken off at the base and is now hanging upside down. Father Francis suddenly sees that the cross in his room has turned upside down. He rights it and leaves, but we see its reflection in a mirror and it's upside down again. A clock suddenly stops on its own. A hyena suddenly leaps out of or from behind a well and seizes a monkey, killing it. More hyenas show up and surround Joseph and his brother, but they're paying no attention to the younger boy. One then jumps on the older brother and more join in on the attack, biting and tugging at him, resulting in quite a bit of blood. Merrin rushes in, grabs another man's rifle and fires several shots at the animals (hitting one), but the rest drag the bleeding and screaming boy away. A locked door opens and then closes by itself in a sanitarium. We see blood dripping on the floor beneath a man who turns to talk to Merrin. The man has blood all over his chest and has carved something in his chest with a shard of glass that he then uses to slit his own throat (graphically seen with lots of blood coming out and then on him). He then falls to the floor and convulses before dying. A window in Sarah's place suddenly opens and we then see a hyena pass by in the shot. She then slowly walks through her place at night and spots Joseph petting something beneath a bed cover that has blood soaked in it. When she removes the cover, she suddenly sees a bloody and severed head (and then wakes up from her nightmare). Sarah awakens to find Jefferies in bed with her, upset that she seemingly threw away a necklace he gave her (but nothing sexual occurs or occurred). Young Joseph, who's seemingly possessed, tells a man, "He's coming for you" (said in a creepy fashion). Joseph's bed suddenly moves and then begins violently shaking. Merrin slowly makes his way through the mostly buried church at night, looking around for clues. He then opens a crypt of sorts and finds a hidden passageway down through a cave. He nearly falls off a precipice, his lantern goes out and when he relights it, he suddenly sees a huge, demonic statue (and a large swarm of flies are suddenly around him). A just delivered baby is dead, extremely bloody and covered with maggots crawling all over it. We see a demented man seemingly outside Sarah's place looking in. Sarah hears something in her place, the lights go out and she then slowly walks through her place with just a candle for illumination. A boy seems to dart by and she continues her slow and hesitant walk. We see a wrapped dead infant being placed on a lit funeral pyre. The locals, believing Joseph to be possessed, tie him to a bed, cut open his shirt, place leeches on his body and prepare to sacrifice him (a witch doctor of sorts raises a large knife above him), while one holds a knife to Sarah's throat to prevent her from intervening. Before the killing happens, however, the bed begins to shake, a man's fingers are bent backwards and break, while another man's leg suddenly breaks (all with bloody results). The men then flee the room, with one pushing Father Francis out of the way. A Nazi threatens to shoot a boy if someone doesn't rat out others. The man does and the Nazi proceeds to shoot at least three men, execution style, in the head. A man goes crazy and holds a gun to his head. He then imagines (and we see) a butterfly crawling out of his mouth and then back in. He then puts the barrel of his pistol in his mouth and pulls the trigger (we hear the shot but don't see the impact). A huge and all-encompassing sandstorm sweeps across the village. Merrin finds flies and blood everywhere in Sarah's room where there are mad/demonic drawings on the walls, etc. The sight of a person possessed by the Devil (with demonic eyes, a crazed look, bloody cuts on the face and body, and a demonic, wheezy and raspy voice) might be quite unsettling and/or scary to viewers. Merrin then has various encounters with the Devil in that body that climbs along walls and ceilings and bends in ways that a normal body shouldn't go. Merrin makes his way through a dark tunnel, slowly looking for a person possessed by the Devil. He ends up crawling through a very small tunnel and his lantern goes out. When he relights it, the Devil is suddenly there and lashes out at him, scratching his arms and face. He throws holy water onto the Devil, causing it pain. The Devil produces a forked tongue out of a woman's mouth. The Devil holds a child, seemingly ready to break the boy's neck. Merrin enlists a young boy (who looks scared) to help him in his exorcism of the Devil. They then see the possessed person wildly running down a cave tunnel toward them. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Rifles/Knives/Hatchets/Bayonets/Spears: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others. See "Violence" for details. Some large statues hold swords, spears and the like. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Get the f*ck out of here," "Whore" (man and woman), "Bloody savages," "Little buggars," "What the hell are you doing (in here)?" and "You idiot." James does a bit of keep away from Joseph with a trowel that Merrin gave him. JUMP SCENES A seemingly dead man suddenly grabs another man's hand. The sudden flight of birds as well as sudden music might startle some viewers. A hyena suddenly leaps out of or from behind a well and seizes a monkey, killing it. The sudden sight of a severed and bloody head might startle some viewers. Sudden sounds might startle viewers. A sudden musical cue might startle some viewers. The sudden sound of a radio coming on might startle some viewers. A sudden sound might be startling. A boy is suddenly grabbed and yanked down through an opening. A bloody body (with a hole in the chest) suddenly drops down in the way of someone. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful, ominous and scary music occurs in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 4 "f" words (1 used sexually), 1 slang term for male genitals ("c*ck"), 2 asses, 2 hells, 1 crap, 1 damn and 1 use each of "G-damn" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY When Sarah enters a bar, Jefferies tells her that his invite to his room is still open and that maybe she can check him out as he "has this swelling in the evening" (meaning an erection) and wonders if she could "put something on it." She then replies about a muzzle. We see some crudely drawn drawings that may partially show a woman's bare breast (among many other things). Sarah deals out some tarot-type cards, one of which shows a male figure with a large phallic object sticking up from his crotch. The camera briefly focuses on Sarah's cleavage, representing Merrin's point of view. Sarah states that after her husband learned what the Nazis did to her in a concentration camp, her husband never touched her again (meaning sexually). When a priest mentions something about nuns being possessed in the past, Merrin replies that orgies involving goats doesn't make them possessed, just horny. While bent over, Sarah shows quite a bit of cleavage in her nightgown. Merrin and Sarah share a few sensuous kisses, but are interrupted before anything else happens between them. We briefly see a baby being pulled from a mother's spread legs as it's born. We see Sarah's bare back as she disrobes to shower. As she steps into the shower, we see a brief glimpse of the side of her bare breast. Later, we see her in a towel that's wrapped low across her chest. Possessed by the Devil, a woman opens her shirt to reveal her cleavage to Merrin, hoping to tempt him. She then says, "What's the matter Merrin, don't you want to f*ck me anymore?" Moments later, the Devil makes the woman say, "You want to shove your rotten c*ck up her juicy ass." The possessed woman is then on top of the man (both are clothed), grinding away on his crotch. SMOKING A few minor or miscellaneous characters smoke in a few scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Sarah states that after her husband learned what the Nazis did to her in a concentration camp, he never touched her again (meaning sexually). A woman learns that her husband is dead (but little is made of that then and then never again in subsequent scenes). We briefly see a miscellaneous mother grieving over her stillborn child. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The Devil. Religion. Exorcisms. We see that Sarah is a concentration camp survivor (she has a number tattooed on her arm). Losing one's faith. VIOLENCE We see a WWII flashback where a dead man lies on the ground in the snow with blood around his head. A Nazi then holds a gun to a little girl's head and we hear the shot, but don't see any impact. After a bad dream or flashback, Merrin thrashes out in a room, accidentally breaking a mirror. A hyena suddenly leaps out of or from behind a well and seizes a monkey, killing it. More hyenas show up and surround Joseph and his brother, but they're paying no attention to the younger boy. One then jumps on the older brother and more join in on the attack, biting and tugging at him, resulting in quite a bit of blood. Merrin rushes in, grabs another man's rifle and fires several shots at the animals (hitting one), but the rest drag the bleeding and screaming boy away. We see blood dripping on the floor beneath a man who turns to talk to Merrin. The man has blood all over his chest and has carved something in his chest with a shard of glass that he then uses to slit his own throat (graphically seen with lots of blood coming out and then on him). He then falls to the floor and convulses before dying. A man is supposedly killed (we don't see the impact). We see a flashback to WWII where people are thrown out through windows, a person or people are kicked on the street and the above girl is shot in the head again (we see her falling to the street). The locals, believing Joseph to be possessed, tie him to a bed, cut open his shirt, place leeches on his body and prepare to sacrifice him (a witch doctor of sorts raises a large knife above him), while one holds a knife to Sarah's throat to prevent her from intervening. Before the killing happens, however, the bed begins to shake, a man's fingers are bent backwards and break, while another man's leg suddenly breaks (all with bloody results). The men then flee the room, with one pushing Father Francis out of the way. We see another WWII flashback where the little girl is shot in the head, with blood around her as she lies dead in the snow. A Nazi threatens to shoot a boy if someone doesn't rat out others. The man does and the Nazi proceeds to shoot at least three men, execution style, in the head. Merrin pushes Father Francis up against a wall while angry and wanting answers. Granville shoots a local in the head execution style with bloody results. The local and military men then struggle. A man goes crazy and holds a gun to his head. He then imagines (and we see) a butterfly crawling out of his mouth and then back in. He then puts the barrel of his pistol in his mouth and pulls the trigger (we hear the shot but don't see the impact). A person swings something at another person, apparently killing them (we don't see the impact). The local tribesmen approach the British military who open fire on them with rifles and machine guns, mowing down some of them. The rest then clash, followed by hand to hand combat where many people on both sides are killed by knives, spears, bayonets and one man has his head split open with a hatchet (briefly seen but with very bloody results). We see many bloody results (including blood spewing from a man's mouth). A man shoots another man just as that second man impales the first with a spear (both are dead). After drawing a cross on his forehead, Merrin grabs a possessed person by the head and presses his head there, causing the Devil pain. The Devil then blasts Merrin backwards. A boy is suddenly grabbed and yanked down through an opening. As Merrin relights a lantern, the Devil is suddenly there and lashes out at him, scratching his arms and face. He throws holy water onto the Devil, causing it pain. Merrin grabs and squeezes a possessed person, ordering the Devil out. The Devil pushes Merrin down some cave steps. Lots of blood suddenly flows out onto the ground behind a person's head as they die. Reviewed August 19, 2004 / Posted August 20, 2004