Watch The Possession of Joel Delaney For Free

Why so much hype?

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

This seems to be a virtually forgotten film charting the realistic possession of a man by an evil spirit - forgotten, no doubt, in the hype that surrounded the release of THE EXORCIST which came out shortly after this did. It's a shame, as THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY is a well-acted film with a down-to-earth approach. The lack of special effects or makeup help to give this film a realistic edge and the possession of Joel is far more believable - and thus quietly chilling - than that of Regan in THE EXORCIST. All that happens is that he starts talking with a Spanish accent, a simple bit of dubbing which has a really spooky effect.The slow pacing is used to build up suspense and give us a chance to get to know the characters before plunging them into the depths of horror. To be honest, sometimes the lack of action means that this film gets bogged down in too much talk, but things are turned around in the final, taut twenty minutes in which Benson and her children are taken hostage by the possessed man. The degradation of the children and the threat of violence towards them makes this very tense and uncomfortable viewing and an unexpected surprise when considering the rest of the film.The acting from leads MacLaine and King is very good. Perry King (CLASS OF 1984) in particular is excellent in the dual role of a nice, shy young man and a possessed, ruthless killer who has no moral scruples. MacLaine may not be a likable character but you can see where she is coming from and her character, while flawed, is a human one. Watch out for an out-of-place cameo from Michael Hordern as a doctor.This isn't a particularly gory film, although there are a few shocking scenes of decapitated heads and bodies. Where it does succeed and become interesting is in the portrayal of the Puerto Ricans in New York and their religion and beliefs; the ritual in which they attempt to draw the spirit from Delaney's body is an immensely powerful one, building from nothing into a screaming frenzy. This may not be a brilliant film but it's worth a look for fans of gritty, '70s-style realism.

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.

With a friend of mine telling me that I only had the weekend to watch this film before he traded it in on Monday.Due to this,I made sure to clear my weekend,so I would get plenty of time,to see this controversial film.The plot:Norah Bensin is shocked when she gets a phone call from the police,telling her that they have arrested her brother (Joel Delaney),for attempting to murder his landlord.When Benson gets her brother out on bail,she starts to notice that Joel seems to be acting very strangely.This is due to Delaney being very menacing and taunting,to her and the rest of their friends and family.As police start discovering that there is someone going round beheading girls (including a girl,that Joel had been dating)Norah starts to get nervous,that a friend-who Joel keeps talking to,is having a very bad influence on him.Sadly for Benson,she discovers that Joels "Friend" was shot dead six months ago.Although,he has left something very nasty behind..View on the film:I feel that this is a film of two halves-With the first 50 minutes of the film,disappointingly,taking a bit too long to really get the characters and the story going.With the pleasantly improved second half,I was very shocked at how extreme some of the scenes looked.The things that shocked me the most were, the children getting threatened with a very real sharp knife next to their throats,and the very uncountable full-nudity shots of the boy getting forced to undress by Delaney,which I am certain would not be passed by any film ratings board now.An interesting moment in the film is an exorcism (a scene that the actors clam is of a real exorcist.)The whole scene is well shot in a very raw,almost documentary look,with very intense performances from all the participants.Final view on the film:A slow opening hour,saved by a pretty gripping second half.

The Possession of Joel Delaney is interesting for the fact that it's a horror film starring Shirley Maclaine, but the interesting elements end there unfortunately. The film focuses on Maclaine's character and her brother Joel Delaney. Joel begins acting strangely after a phone call and she decides to take him in to help him get over it. However, strange events continue to occur and she soon discovers a link between her brother and a serial killer who terrorised the city years earlier. The film certainly could have been interested and indeed there are films with similar plots that are really good; but this one just doesn't have enough excitement and the fact that it's pretty much impossible to care for any of the main characters doesn't really help it. The plot takes in the idea of mixing two different cultures but it never really comes off, mostly because it's too hard to care about it. The acting is mostly lacklustre and even the central actress doesn't stand out, which is a shame considering she is the only interesting thing about the film. It drones on for about an hour and a half (seems like longer) and builds up to the ending, which is not interesting and rather distasteful. I have no problems with bad taste, but it just doesn't fit here and feels included only to provide a talking point. This is a film best left in obscurity!