Repossessed (1990)

I'm a fan of the parody subgenre and of course the horror genre, mixing both of them together really can make a beautiful combination. I'm probably going to be in the minority on this but I personally think this is another under the radar gem. This film believe it or not was one of the first parody films I've seen and it was also the first film with Lesile Nelson I've seen before the "Naked Gun" films.This to me is one of those parodies done right because it really feels like it's doing it's own thing which is what a good working parody should do. And yeah sure it's not on the same level as the "Naked Gun" films (first and second to be precise) or any other A level parody film out there but it's not trying to be, it's just trying to be plain fun.This film is an obvious jab to "The Exercist" and I think it's a very solid hit that leaves a mark. Not much I can really say about this film, I really like some of the physical sight gags which really made me chuckle like one really suttle one was seeing a bible vending machine which I don't think is too far off with the vending machines we have now where some sell random jewelry and romance novels. But of course there was that rocky like montage sequence, where we see Mayii train and gear up for the exorcism which I thought was funny and cool since I'm a fan of the Rocky films and I even like the lunch box that Mayii brings, I'll give you a hint it's another Stalone action film. That's one of the best things about the film it kinda homages Stalone's films a lot, the writer must've been a Stalone fan.Even some of the verbal gags are funny like the jabs on PMS, you got to admit whenever the female populace goes though it, they do act like their possessed. Or my favorite line "Freeze puke face!" The characters are really solid and a lot of fun. I really like subordinate villain Ernest Weller played by Ned Beatty whom is pretty much just a sleaze con artist that is cheating viewers out of their money with his church program and of course the devil possession situation is just another opportunity for money and ratings. It's obviously a parody on some of the TV church scams that were going on .But of course the main villain the Devil is the spotlight villain, played well by Linda Blair which is ironic since she was in "The Exercist". What really makes this version stand out for me is the scheme The Devil has which is to influence and create more followers by using the power of media. That's another thing the film does is it parodies on the issue of media manipulation.And the protagonists are also great. Anthony Stark as Father Luke is funny because he's good natured and always means to help but is always insecure, he's got some good lines.But the highlight of course of the whole film is Lesile Nielsen whom plays Father Mayii. I like his last name which is obviously two words run together. Not much to say for his character, Lesile as usual plays it straight as a good natured priest whom has became retired and reluctant due to the post trauma he's suffered from the last exorcism he's done. Which of course all the more wants you to win, hoping he'll find the courage and strength again. But other than that his character is hilarious he's got some great lines even some sight gags as well. Like seeing him watch a telethon of Weller's crooked Chirch program and he is expressing constant distaste and wearing a bunch of random masks to numb the pain of the program; though Mayii could've just turned to another channel but I guess nothing else was on and he didn't have cable.The exorcism which to me is the real highlight of this film. It was just hilarious just seeing Luke and Mayii just do their jobs while the Devil was just giving them more and more grief. Let alone seeing a cameo by Jesse Ventura and Gene do a wrestling cometary on the exorcism which really added to the humor more because I was a bit of a fan of the WWF at the time (the 80's and early 90's when WWF was actually still good).What all three of them go though in the exorcism is just really random and crazy almost like one big skit show. I won't give away too much two of my favorite moments were seeing the Devil just turn both Mayii into just random things and Luke is going along with it. Or even the "Devil with a Blue Dress" number which I thought was a lot of fun since I like that song.The only bad things about the film for me are that I do thing the middle of the film is just a bit on the slow side, but of course things pick back up around the third and final half so I can't complain too much. And of course some of the visual jokes as well as a few sight gags are kinda lame but same could be said for a lot of other comedies out there and there are more than enough hits to keep you satisfied.If your a fan of the parody subgenere as well as Lesile Neilson then I recommend giving this film a try, it's devilish fun.Rating: 3 stars

Nielsen continues his foray into the spoof genre with this parody of the Exorcist and evangelist TV.Linda Blair parodies he role as Regan in the classic horror and plays Nancy (great Joke) in this. Remember when parodies and spoofs stopped being funny for a while? This was definitely one of them.The marketers of this must of known they were sitting on a dog of a movie, because the original one sheet is a total rip off of The Naked Gun, and I bet they hoped that people would be fooled into seeing it.How wrong they were.Jokes are used and recycled over and over, Blair, as pretty as she is, is really just trying to gain some sort of comeback by flogging her defining role over hot coals, and Nielsen does his schtick very lazily, even resorting to pulling faces at the camera at one point.The sight gags are really poor, as is the soundtrack, and the support is pretty bland also.I didn't laugh once during the film, nor did any of the sight gags catch my attention.Its a poor, poor effort.

Repossessed (1990, Dir. Bob Logan) It's been some time since Father Jebedaiah Mayii (Nielsen) exorcised the devil from little Nancy Aglet (Blair), but now Nancy has grown up and has a family, the demon returns and repossesses Nancy. With Father Mayii unwilling to help, Father Luke Brophy (Starke) tries his best to help Nancy, even when TV's Ernest Weller (Beatty) plans to air the exorcism live on TV.Repossessed is one of the few spoof movies which actually focuses' on just one movie. Whilst there are a few jokes which only those who've seen the Exorcist would understand, Repossessed doesn't provide much to make it an excellent spoof movie.I hate Rock 'n' Roll! - Nancy Aglet (Linda Blair)

Low-budget, low-balled, overwhelmingly juvenile, though surprisingly tolerable "Airplane!"-like spoof of "The Exorcist", which was overdue in 1990 and--in light of the televangelist jokes--seems even more passé today. "Exorcist" star Linda Blair returns as a housewife named Nancy (in the previous film she was Regan, haha) whose body is taken over by a raucous, prankish Prince of Darkness; Leslie Nielsen is the befuddled priest. Writer-director Bob Logan seems to have earned the trust of his players, who go out on a limb trying to make this thing fly, but too many of the gags bomb out and the film's continuity is sloppy. It is nice however to see the normally put-upon Blair having a good time, dancing to "Devil With the Blue Dress On", and hamming it up in high spirits. ** from ****