The Last Exorcism

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The Last Exorcism
The Last Exorcism Poster.jpg
Directed by Daniel Stamm
Produced by Eric Newman
Eli Roth
Marc Abraham
Thomas A. Bliss
Written by Huck Botko
Andrew Gurland
Starring Patrick Fabian
Ashley Bell
Iris Bahr
Music by Nathan Barr
Cinematography Zoltan Honti
Editing by Daniel Stamm
Studio Strike Entertainment
StudioCanal
Arcade Pictures
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release date(s)
  • August 27, 2010 (2010-08-27)
Running time 87 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1.8 million[2][3]
Box office $67,738,090[3]

The Last Exorcism is a 2010 American found footage supernatural horror film directed and edited by Daniel Stamm. It stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, and Louis Herthum.[4]

The film follows a disillusioned evangelical minister, who after years of performing exorcisms decides to participate in a documentary chronicling his last exorcism while exposing the fraud of his ministry. After receiving a letter from a farmer asking for help in driving out the devil, he meets the farmer's afflicted daughter.[5][6]

Contents

Plot [edit]

The Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with his wife and son. Marcus, who lost his faith after the birth of his ill son, is accustomed to performing fake exorcisms on "possessed" individuals. He agrees to take part in a documentary designed to expose exorcism as a fraud, working with a film crew consisting of producer/director Iris Reisen (Iris Bahr) and cameraman Daniel Moskowitz (Adam Grimes). He chooses an exorcism request sent by farmer Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum), who claims his live stock is being slaughtered by his daughter Nell (Ashley Bell) who is possessed.

After listening to the details of the case, Marcus claims Nell is possessed by a powerful demon named Abalam. Prior to the exorcism, Marcus bamboozles the family into believing he is driving out a demon. After the ritual, Marcus and his film crew leave, believing they have cured her of a mental state that was misdiagnosed as a possession. That night, Nell appears in Marcus' motel room, apparently unwell. Marcus takes Nell to the hospital for tests, which conclude that Nell is in perfect physical condition. Marcus goes to see Louis' former pastor, Joseph Manley. Manley informs Marcus that he has not seen Nell for two years. In the morning, Louis takes Nell home, but chains her to her bed after she slices her brother Caleb's (Caleb Landry Jones) face with a knife. That night, the crew finds a drawing of a dead cat.

Nell steals their camera and goes into her father's barn, where she stabs a cat to death while filming it with a camera. She returns to the house and approaches Marcus with the camera, and just as she's about to make contact, the crew stop her. The crew then discovers two more of her paintings. The first depicts Marcus standing before a large flame, holding up a crucifix. The second shows the dead bodies of the crew: Marcus being consumed by the flame in the other picture, Iris hacked to pieces with an ax, and Dan decapitated. When everyone learns Nell is pregnant, Marcus accuses Louis of incest, which he denies, insisting that Nell is a virgin and has been defiled by the demon. The crew has a confrontation with Nell, who slashes Marcus's hand with a pair of scissors and flees. The crew decides to leave; when they see Nell sitting on the porch, Marcus approaches her and she tackles him. Louis is about to kill Nell with his shotgun, while Nell is begging him to. To keep Louis from killing her, Marcus gives him hope by deciding to attempt another exorcism.

Marcus confronts the entity, Abalam, who agrees to release Nell only if Marcus can remain silent for ten seconds. Abalam begins breaking Nell's fingers as it counts aloud. After breaking three of her fingers, Marcus yells for Abalam to stop. Abalam then asks Marcus if he wants a "blowing job." Marcus realizes that a demon would know the actual name of the sex act and concludes that Nell is not a demon, but a very disturbed girl. Nell anguishes over losing her virginity to a boy named Logan, resulting in her mental breakdown rather than possession. Marcus arranges for Pastor Manley to come to the house, and leaves. On their way home, Marcus and the crew meet Logan, who explains that the only contact he had with Nell was a brief conversation 6 months ago at a party held at Pastor Manley's home. Logan admits that he is gay and therefore did not have sex with her. Marcus realizes that Pastor Manley was lying about having not seen Nell for two years. He returns to the Sweetzer farmhouse, where they find numerous occult and countercultural symbols on the walls, and Nell and Louis missing.

Marcus and the crew wander into the woods, where they see a large fire and a congregation of hooded cultists, led by Pastor Manley. Louis is tied up and gagged while hooded figures pray around an altar, atop which Nell is bound. She gives birth to an inhuman child, while her father watches helplessly. Manley throws the child into the fire, which causes the fire to grow rapidly as demonic roars emanate from within. At that moment, Marcus' faith is resolved as he grabs his cross and rushes towards the fire to combat the evil. Iris and Daniel are discovered; Iris is tackled by a member of the congregation, who kills her with an axe. Caleb decapitates Daniel and the camera cuts out.

Cast [edit]

Production [edit]

The Last Exorcism was directed by German independent filmmaker Daniel Stamm and produced by Eric Newman, Eli Roth,[19] Marc Abraham, and Thomas A. Bliss. The film was shot using shaky camera, it was also shot in 'found footage' style (Stamm has previously directed A Necessary Death, another 'found footage' film).[20] Strike Entertainment and StudioCanal hold the theatrical rights.[21]

Release [edit]

The film was slated to be a part of the South by Southwest Film Festival 2010.[22] However, on February 12, 2010, Lionsgate purchased the rights for the US Distribution[23] and pulled the film from the SXSW fest and set the release of the film for August 27, 2010.[24]

The film had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival on June 24, 2010[25] and was here introduced by Eli Roth and Daniel Stamm. Members of the cast were also introduced on stage, Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Iris Bahr, and Tony Bentley.[26] The Last Exorcism was the last screened film on August 30, 2010, on the Film4 FrightFest 2010.[27]

Bloody Disgusting hosted the screening of the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International[28] and the second screening on 24 July 2010 is narrated by Eli Roth.[29]

Poster controversy [edit]

In the UK, a poster image for the film showed a young girl, wearing a blood-spattered dress, bent over backwards below a crucifix. This poster received 77 complaints, the complainants describing it as "offensive", "distressing", and "unsuitable for public viewing". Two people also claimed the girl in the poster seemed to have suffered a sexual assault, a complaint which was not upheld. Despite this tiny number of complaints, the Advertising Standards Agency decided that the image could not be used on a publicly visible poster since that was an untargeted medium but was acceptable on the back cover of Cineworld magazine.[30][31]

Viral campaign [edit]

The Last Exorcism used Chatroulette as the medium of its viral campaign involving a girl who pretends to unbutton her top seductively, then stops and turns into a monster. At the end, the URL of the film's official website is flashed on screen.

Home media [edit]

The Last Exorcism was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 4, 2011. The Blu-ray includes the DVD of the film and a digital copy as well.[32]

Reception [edit]

Critical [edit]

The Last Exorcism has received generally positive reviews from critics, garnering a 73% "Fresh" rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 148 reviews, with the site's consensus being "It doesn't fully deliver on the chilly promise of its Blair Witch-style premise, but The Last Exorcism offers a surprising number of clever thrills."[33] The film received a 63 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34] At Yahoo! Movies the film holds a B- based on twelve reviews.[35]

Box office [edit]

The Last Exorcism opened at #2 at the U.S. box office the weekend of August 27, 2010, behind Takers. It grossed $20,366,613 from 2,874 theaters in its first three days.[36] The Last Exorcism had a budget of $1.8 million.[3] The film remained in the top five, falling to number four in its second weekend. The film went on to gross $41 million domestically and $26.7 million foreign to total $67.7 million worldwide.[3]

Awards and nominations [edit]

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2011 People's Choice Award Favorite Horror Movie Nominated
Independent Spirit Award Best First Feature Daniel Stamm
MTV Movie Award Best Scared-As-Shit Performance Ashley Bell
Empire Awards Best Horror Won

Sequel [edit]

Main article: The Last Exorcism Part II

On August 23, 2011, The Hollywood Reporter announced that a sequel was in the works.[37] On April 20, 2012, an audition sheet revealed the film's full title as Beginning of the End: The Last Exorcism II.[38] The film was directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly,[37] with Damien Chazelle (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench) providing the screenplay.[39] Ashley Bell reprises her role as Nell.[37] On January 2, 2013, the poster for the film was released, revealing the final title to be The Last Exorcism Part II.[40] The film is again produced by Eli Roth.

References [edit]

  1. ^ "The Last Exorcism << British Board of Film Classification". British Board of Film Classification. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2011-08-23. 
  2. ^ Fritz, Ben (August 26, 2010). "Movie projector: 'Avatar' re-release a wild card as 'Takers' and 'Last Exorcism' debut". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
  3. ^ a b c d The Last Exorcism (2010). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
  4. ^ Lionsgate Plans 'The Last Exorcism' for August. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  5. ^ Lionsgate's 'The Last Exorcism' to Premiere at the LA Film Festival. DreadCentral.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  6. ^ Bloody Girl is Having a Bad Day in the Eli Roth Produced ‘Cotton’. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  7. ^ Late Summer Debut for Last Exorcism
  8. ^ Afm '09: First Ever Images From Eli Roth's 'Cotton'!!
  9. ^ Hi-Res Look at Creepy Possessed Girl in Eli Roth's 'Cotton'!
  10. ^ First Look: First Photo from Eli Roth's Exorcism Film Cotton
  11. ^ Trailer Debut: Lionsgate's The Last Exorcism
  12. ^ Back-breaking One Sheet Debut For 'The Last Exorcism'!
  13. ^ Two New Images: The Last Exorcism
  14. ^ The Last Exorcism Goes Viral – Visit the Church of St. Marks Online
  15. ^ The Devil Finds New Host in 'The Last Exorcism' Trailer Debut!
  16. ^ Viral Marketing Campaign Begins For 'The Last Exorcism'
  17. ^ 'Cotton' to Be Shown to Sundance, Full Casting Released
  18. ^ Wicked New One-Sheet: The Last Exorcism
  19. ^ Eli Roth talks “Cabin Fever” Blu-ray, “Last Exorcism,” “Funhouse” remake and more!. Fangoria.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  20. ^ Prepare Yourself for 'The Last Exorcism'. FearNet.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  21. ^ Two New Stills: The Last Exorcism. DreadCentral.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  22. ^ Possession at Full Mass in New Hi-Res 'Last Exorcism' Images
  23. ^ Lionsgate Acquires Us Rights for The Last Exorcism
  24. ^ Lionsgate Attends The Last Exorcism This August
  25. ^ LA Film Festival Premieres 'The Last Exorcism', Other Genre Fare
  26. ^ BC Catches Up With 'Producer' Eli Roth at the 'Last Exorcism' Premiere
  27. ^ 'Hatchet II' Opens, 'Last Exorcism' Closes Film 4 FrightFest Film Festival!
  28. ^ Bloody Disgusting Hosts Special San Diego Comic-Con Screening of 'The Last Exorcism'!
  29. ^ SDCC '10: BD Hosts Special Comic-Con Screening of 'The Last Exorcism'!
  30. ^ The Last Exorcism poster banned. Movies.UK.MSN.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  31. ^ http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2010/11/Optimum-Releasing-Ltd/TF_ADJ_49299.aspx
  32. ^ "The Last Exorcism Blu-ray Announced". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2010-10-29. 
  33. ^ The Last Exorcism Movie Reviews, Pictures. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  34. ^ The Last Exorcism Reviews, Ratings, Credits. Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  35. ^ The Last Exorcism (2010). Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  36. ^ Weekend Box Office Results for August 27-29, 2010. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  37. ^ a b c "The Last Exorcism Sequel Has a Director". 
  38. ^ "Last Exorcism II full title revealed". KnowTheArtist.com. 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-23. [dead link]
  39. ^ "The Last Exorcism Sequel Planned". ComingSoon.net. 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2011-08-23. 
  40. ^ "Poster for The Last Exorcism Part II Revealed". 

External links [edit]
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