The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)

Before The Exorcist, there was The Possession of Joel Delaney. Shirley MacLaine stars as Norah Benson, a New Yorker who puzzles over sudden changes in her brother's behavior. Joel (Perry King at his most frightening) has begun speaking Spanish and practicing strange rituals. In order to protect her family and save her brother, Norah must delve deep into the mysterious world of Santeria, where she begins to suspect that the spirit of a serial killer may be the reason for Joel's behavior. Fraught with occult tension throughout, The Possession of Joel Delaney is a masterful thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the unspeakable conclusion. Product Description

New DVD Cut or Not?

Anyone know if this new dvd has been cut or altered? I read somewhere that it was, however it has a longer run time than the UK version(also available here on Amazon)and that release is listed as uncut??? This is a great horror movie, I hope is was not cut for the dvd release as it would lose some of it's impact! September 8, 2008

a red rose in Spanish Harlem

Predating "The Exorcist", "Joel Delaney" is the story of wealthy, grating Manhattan socialite Norah Benson (Shirley MacLaine), whose relationship with her brither Joel Delaney (Perry King) is a mite too close. When not busy treating her maid like the furniture and attending the sort of party where someone exclaims that her butler was simply appalled she had taken the bus, Norah start to notice that Joel is acting strangely. Soon after, heads start to roll.

MacLaine is brilliant in this, forcing the audience to care for what is in essence a very unlikeable heroine: Norah is an inveterate snob, an egomaniac (she seems to think that everyone from her ex-husband to her ex-maid should drop everything to come to her aid immediately) and has a relationship with her brother that borders on incestuous. Shirley still draws you in, showing the basic goodness and humanity in Norah. A very young Perry King is also very good here, flitting from sweetness to madness in a blink.

Almost more of a paen to mid-seventies urban paranoia than a straight thriller, "PoJD" makes good use of New York of the era. Never before or since has the city looked more threatening, from the tony Upper East Side to the East Village and Spanish Harlem, this New York fairly drips with menace. This is the Anti- "Manhattan" June 4, 2008

Good Psycho Thriller

I have been wanting to see this movie for a very long time and finally came across a DVD-R that I could rent. I wasn't disappointed in this film at all. Throughout the film you see the mental deterioration of Joel DeLaney, brilliantly played by Perry King, that ultimately climaxes at the beach house where Shirley MacLaine takes her children to try to escape from the possessed King.
This film reminded me a lot of Cape Fear. If you liked that movie you would enjoy this movie. I'm not a huge MacLaine fan but she does an honorable job in this film and MAJOR kudos has to go out to David Bennett who, at the age of 12(?), is asked to do a scene completely naked in front of other cast members and crew. This is something I know I could never have pulled off now let alone at that age. You can actually see true fear in his face during the scene.
Over-all this movie was not the best film I've ever seen BUT I absolutely would recommend getting this movie and adding it to your collection, it is worth owning. May 3, 2008

AN UNUSUAL HORROR TALE.....

Shirley MacLaine plays Nora, an aloof, privileged, divorced mother of two living in Manhattan. She's kept herself emotionally and socially distant from people and things she considers beneath her status. But when her beloved younger brother Joel (Perry King) begins having a severe and frightening personality change after moving into an apartment previously inhabited by a now deceased young serial killer, she's forced to confront realities she's hardly prepared to deal with. Then murders similar to the serial killer's occur. Racial undertones (the killer was Puerto Rican) and the occult blend somewhat uneasily in the film, but this is balanced by the truly creepy atmosphere, the acting and some disturbing sequences that made my skin crawl. The final sequence at the beach house is shocking. This is a horror film that is not for all tastes. For instance, there's a hint or two that Nora's feelings for Joel may go beyond just brother & sister. Also Nora's character is not your usual horror film heroine. She isn't very sympathetic. She's spoiled, indifferent and used to getting her way. So it's no surprise to find she's way in over her head right off the bat. MacLaine and King are good and make the often questionable material engrossing to watch. All in all, an interesting adult horror film from 1972 with potent social and supernatural themes. Definitely worth a look. April 13, 2008

Haunting thriller

Shirley MacLaine in one of her scariest (and compelling) roles. She's a Manhattan socialite and single mom living with her two kids. Her brother (played by Perry King) moves into an apartment once rented by a Puerto Rican teen murderer, and suddenly he begins acting as if possessed by the dead murderer. Things become unbearable for MacLaine as she tries to protect her kids (and herself) while trying to figure out what's going on with King. It's made even scarier because MacLaine has lived a sheltered, pampered life - up to then. The ending takes place in a deserted beach house, and it's one not to be forgotten soon after seeing it. Lots of people object to the gross-out final scenes (myself included), but the build-up to them is done grippingly and with a great deal of suspense. A fine thriller, and it's surprising to see it's not on DVD yet. May 16, 2006

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