Its cringe-worthy final 20 minutes notwithstanding, Schrader’s original take on Father Merrin’s return to the faith after confronting a demon in East Africa certainly did not deserve to be shelved by Morgan Creek president James G. Robinson, who was reportedly incensed by the lack of head-spinning and pea-soup-spewing, and it certainly did not deserve to be replaced by Renny Harlin’s quickie hack-job. The low-key, psychological approach to the material works quite well during the first hour, generating an unnerving sense of dread and digging deep into issues of guilt and faith. Unfortunately, though, it starts unraveling in the second half, leading to a profoundly anticlimactic climax that was most likely its commercial death knell. (DVD)