[StBernard] Locally shot 'Last Exorcism' gets new life on DVD starting today

[Westley Annis]

Locally shot 'Last Exorcism' gets new life on DVD starting today
Published: Tuesday, January 04, 2011, 10:00 AM
 By Mike Scott, The Times-Picayune 
The low-budget horror film with the working title "Cotton" didn't attract
much attention back in the summer of 2009 when it showed up to shoot at a
rural St. Bernard Parish spread.

For most locals, it was just another in a long line of productions making
good use of the state's tax incentives for filmmakers.
One title change and a well-received screening at the Sundance Film Festival
later, and "The Last Exorcism" wasn't flying beneath anyone's radar anymore.
Released into theaters on Aug. 27, it made the most of its buzz, raking in
more than $20.4 million on its opening weekend and a worldwide haul of $62.5
million overall. (Read my original "Last Exorcism" review.)
Not bad for a film shot for less than $2 million.
Today (Jan. 4), "The Last Exorcism" makes its debut on DVD and Blu-ray,
giving locals a chance to delve deeper into the world created by director
Daniel Stamm and his cast of then-fresh faces.
For those who somehow missed it, Stamm's surprisingly effective creepout is
a faux documentary about a charlatan preacher who moonlights as an exorcist.
Tired of preying on people and their beliefs, he decides to give up the
exorcism game. First, though, he'll give up his secrets, inviting a film
crew along to document what he says will be his last job. That job, down at
the Sweetzer farm, somewhere in the swamps south of New Orleans, turns out
to be far more than he bargained for.

The real secret to the film's success is in its lead performances, including
Patrick Fabian as the Rev. Cotton Marcus, and, more importantly, newcomer
Ashley Bell as the young woman he's called upon to save.
Without her unforgettably eerie, goosebump-raising performance -- which goes
back and forth between a naive sweetness and demonic rage -- it's doubtful
"The Last Exorcism" would be nearly as effective.
In an interview just before opening weekend, Stamm said he stopped
auditioning actresses for the role immediately after seeing Bell -- who was
only the second person he auditioned. That makes the audition footage on the
Blu-ray edition of the film probably the most interesting of all its extra
features.
Unfortunately, I was sent only a DVD copy, which doesn't include the
footage, so I wasn't able to review it for this article. Still there are
plenty of features there for the die-hard fan, including a 20-minute
making-of featurette, titled "The Devil You Know, " in which the cast and
filmmakers talk about, among other things, the importance of the Louisiana
location to the story.
Also included is a commentary track featuring Stamm, Fabian and Bell;
another featuring producer Eli Roth ("Hostel"); and a "Real Stories of
Exorcism" featurette.
Among the least conventional of the bonus features: a "protection prayer."
Sure, go ahead and snicker. But after you watch the movie ...
____________________
THE LAST EXORCISM
3 stars, out of 4
Snapshot: A low-budget faux horror documentary about a minister-charlatan
who invites a film crew to document one of his smoke-and-mirrors exorcisms.
This time, though, things aren't quite as phony as they appear.
What works: This film is all about the performances, and Patrick Fabian and
Ashley Bell deliver.
What doesn't: The breathless, go-for-broke last act is intense, but it
leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
Starring: Fabian, Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Tony Bentley.
Director: Daniel Stamm. Rating: PG-13, for violent content and terror, some
sexual references and thematic material. Feature running time: 1 hour 27
minutes. DVD extras: Commentary tracks, making-of featurette, "Real Stories
of Exorcism" featurette. Blu-ray extras: DVD features, plus audition
footage, theatrical trailer.