The Bible ...In the Beginning (1966)

An adaptation of the Book of Genesis, beginning with the void (prior the creation of the Earth) and ending with the story of Abraham. After well-groomed Adam and Eve discover shame things take a major dive. The utterly ridiculous Noah section is extra embarrassing for the film's director because he stars as the beardy boat-builder; it's John Huston, who provides the voice of God, too. The majority of the first half is wretched stuff. Things get a little better thereafter, and there's even a few scenes that have some merit (the Tower of Babel, Sodom, etc) but overall it's a disaster of... er... epic proportions. Further adaptations were planned but, mercifully, none were made.

2 renamings out of 5

The Changeling (1980)

An old-fashioned haunted house story, the like of which is almost extinct these days. George C. Scott plays a man in the wake of tragedy. While trying to put his painful past behind him he moves into an aged Victorian house that has an equally tragic past of its own.
Scott is a seasoned actor able to project a believably strong but damaged demeanour. He stars alongside his wife, Trish Van Devere.
The camera moves knowingly through the old house, giving it life and making it a character in the story. When the spookiness is turned to maximum it sent chills running the length of my spine more than once.

4 rhythmic somethings out of 5

Firestarter (1984)

A young Drew Barrymore is the titular starter of fires in this adaptation of a Stephen King novel. She’s the product of a union between two government test subjects and has inherited some unusual traits that make her a danger to herself and to the officials that want her in custody.
It resembles an early 80’s Cronenberg film, which was both a plus and a handicap because it filled me with hope that it could match his pacing but left me even more disappointed than I may have been normally when that didn't happen. It begins to fall apart in the second act and fails to get it back on track again before culminating in a rather dodgy ending.

2 fireballs out of 5

The Exorcist III (1990)

Wisely ignoring the events of Exorcist II (1977), part three takes place fifteen years after the original. It’s written + directed by William Peter Blatty, the author of the novel that started the series. What does a writer know about directing a film? A hell of a lot, it seems. He creates a tightly woven eerie film that's packed with tension, psychological terror and some excellent dialogue.
Brad Dourif is simply amazing as the psychotic vessel.
Studio interference forced a new ending that's abrupt and unnecessary. Had Blatty been allowed to retain the original footage he shot it surely would've been more in keeping with the aesthetic, and potentially could've made part three have almost equal the original film's reputation.

4 invitations to the dance out of 5