The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)

Instant Favorite.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

A Major Disappointment

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Spoiled and pampered wealthy Manhattan socialite Norah Benson (a fine portrayal by Shirley MacLaine) discovers that her younger brother Joel (an excellent and convincing performance by Perry King) is possessed by the vengeful and malevolent spirit of a deceased Puerto Rican serial killer. Worried about her sibling's well being, Norah delves deep into the mysterious and frightening world of the religion Santeria to find a way to save Joel's soul before it's too late. Director Waris Hussein, working from an absorbing and incisive script by Matt Robinson and Irene Kamp, firmly grounds the fantastic premise in a thoroughly plausible everyday urban reality, with authentically gritty New York City locations, a clear delineation between the haves and the have nots, and a fascinating exploration of the basic theme of believers versus nonbelievers as well as a provocative examination of the pertinent issues of bigotry and ignorance. The scenes with the snobby Norah being forced to leave her fancy sheltered upper-crust surroundings and deal with various low class ethnic types that she would usually avoid having anything to do with give this picture a bitterly pungent sense of harsh socioeconomic realism. Moreover, a bold incest subplot and the genuinely alarming climax with Joel terrorizing Norah and her two children with a switchblade provide an additional jolting edginess, with the single most shocking and disturbing moment occurring when Joel makes his nephew Peter (extremely brave work by David Elliott) strip and dance nude on a table. The sound acting from the able cast keeps the movie on track, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Lovelady Powell as pragmatic psychiatrist Erika, Barbara Trentham as Joel's swinging hipster girlfriend Sherry, Miriam Cohen as helpful housekeeper Veronica, and Edmundo Rivera Alvarez as sage Santeria priest Don Pedro. Arthur J. Orwitz's sharp cinematography and Joe Raposo's syncopated shivery score are both up to speed. Recommended viewing for those seeking more unusual and adventurous fright fare.

Before The Exorcist showed up, there was this film about possession. However, this doesn't get even a quarter of the recognition The Exorcist gets and I think it should. I see no reason whatsoever this film shouldn't be on every horror fan's list of best films ever. It has all the elements necessary to make a good horror movie. To start with, it has a wonderful, well written story based on a book by Ramona Stewart. The film is very well paced. It is filled with suspense and atmosphere. There is a sense of dread from the moment the film starts. In fact, the sense of dread is so unrelenting, that right from the beginning you can tell something bad is going to happen. It's just a matter of time to wait. This film doesn't need blood and gore or loud jump scares, it actually has real terror. The characters are also very fascinating. The main character, Norah, seems to be a rich, uppity snob, she has an extreme amount of devotion to her family so you can't help but like her even if you don't want to. All of the acting is good, but the performance that stands out the most is David Elliott's. During the climax of the film, you feel sorry for his character as well as his sister. His performance is so convincing, that you actually believe he is being put under the abuse that Joel inflicts upon his character.The most infamous scene of the film is near the ending. I won't give too much detail, but things happen in this film that no filmmaker would even attempt to do today. If you have seen the film, you already know exactly what I am referring to. If you haven't, you will have to see for yourself. While what happens near the ending is upsetting to almost everyone who watches it, I think that's the whole point. A good movie will make the viewer feel something, and this movie certainly does that. It is more than just a controversial horror film, though. It touches on important subject matter such as racism, cultural differences, and class distinction. Overall, this film doesn't get anywhere near the recognition it receives. It is an underrated, shocking, and brutal film. I will recommend it every chance I receive.

"The Possession of Joel Delaney" is another of those interesting little films that's worthy of more attention than it probably usually gets. Despite the presence of the word "possession" in the title, it's not that much of a horror film, although it has some very creepy and uncomfortable moments. It's a deliberately paced thriller with a fair amount of social commentary and which gives the viewer a look into the religion of Santeria. A gorgeous Shirley MacLaine stars as Norah Benson, an affluent NYC resident who dotes on her devil may care younger brother Joel (Perry King, who gets an official "introducing" credit here). Soon into this story Joel starts acting out a lot, sometimes ranting in Spanish, and Norah discovers that an unkind spirit has taken over his body. Those with short attention spans may find their mind wandering as this story (scripted by Matt Robinson and Irene Kamp, based on a novel by Ramona Stewart) takes its time to play out, but some may find it fascinating as it takes a main character who's actually a little bit of a snob and forces her to enter a world that she may never have known had fate not intervened. Director Waris Hussein has a field day with all of the little details that go into telling this tale, and gets fine performances out of his cast. MacLaine is wonderful as a woman willing to do anything to help her tortured sibling, while King is completely convincing in delineating two different personalities. Among the supporting cast are David Elliott and Lisa Kohane as Norahs' children, Lovelady Powell as the psychiatrist, Barbara Trentham as Joels' lady friend, Miriam Colon as Norahs' maid, and Edmundo Rivera Alvarez as the occult expert to whom Norah turns for help. There are some truly macabre occurrences here, such as the sight of a severed head hanging by its hair, but the climax is some extremely twisted stuff; just the fact that it involves the possessed Joel making his young nephew strip naked is unnerving beyond belief. This may well leave a bad taste in the mouths of the audience. But overall the film is nothing if not intriguing and it delivers a reasonably effective, very '70s ending. Controvery aside (we all know there's no way something like this would be allowed today), this stands up as an absorbing enough viewing that relies on atmosphere and performance rather than special effects or spectacle. Seven out of 10.

This is essential 70's supernatural horror. The acting is all solid and the story is told remarkably well. The mythology is executed perfectly. Its well defined, but not so overly explained that all the mystery is rung dry. Joel and his family are very believable, which adds this "day-in-the-life" feeling to the movie. This makes the discomforting events that unfold all the more effective to the viewer. The suspense drew me in from the first minute and never let up. On top of that, the shock scenes are genuinely shocking even for the 70's. The ending may be a bit formulaic but the overall experience is in no way dampened by it. The only real problem I had with this film is the stiff, generic title that compelled me to hold off on watching it for too long.