I loved The Exorcist, the original 1970's film. The Heretic was silly and completely forgettable, aside from Linda Blair in some flimsy nightgowns. I remember watching a Pre-Exorcist movie (and director's cut version of it, too) around 2000s, but it wasn't that great.

I avoided Exorcist III because I'd heard bad things about it. Boy was I wrong! Exorcist III is easily the best of the Exorcist sequels and pretty darn good horror film in its own right. It has a very gritty style and cinematic ambience, and has a slow-burn, atmospheric approach to psychological / religious horror. This is NOT a slasher film, there is minimal blood, no BOO moments, and aside from a slight Hollywood concession to the climax with some effects, this is a thinking film. I thought George C Scott was great in this, just like he was in The Changeling, another superb and under-rated horror film.

The film isn't perfect (for instance, I thought the "villain" explained too much; it should have been left a bit more ambiguous), but I would list it among my favorite 1990s horror films (along with more traditional horror comedies like Dead Alive, Army of Darkness, Frighteners, plus The Ninth Gate). I would say, though, that this is a film ripped out of its proper time. No way does Exorcist III feel like a 90s film. Everything about it, from slow narrative, long shots, grainy photography, world-weary cinematography, etc., screams 1970s. And as it should, because this is the true and only real sequel to Exorcist.

My 2 cents...