The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)

Directed by

Waris Hussein

Genre

drama film, horror film, thriller film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 45m

Rated

R

Rating

5.6 of 10 from 37 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A wealthy New York City divorcee tries to help her brother who starts acting strangely. She discovers he has become possessed by a serial killer who terrorized Spanish Harlem.

tenseuneasyslow-burnurbanbleakdisturbingpsychologically intensegritty

What happens

The Possession of Joel Delaney is a 1972 supernatural horror film directed by Waris Hussein and starring Shirley MacLaine and Perry King. It is based on the 1970 novel of the same title by Ramona Stewart. The plot follows a wealthy New York City divorcee whose brother becomes possessed by a deceased serial killer who committed a series of gruesome murders in Spanish Harlem. Originally developed by producer Martin Poll and his production company, Haworth Productions, Poll abandoned the project shortly after filming began, due to creative differences with actress Shirley MacLaine. Following Poll's departure, British producer Lew Grade of ITC Entertainment overtook the project. Principal photography took place in New York City and London during the winter of 1971, on a budget of $1.5 million. The Possession of Joel Delaney was released theatrically in the United States by Paramount Pictures in May 1972, and subsequently entered competition at the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival. It received a theatrical release in the United Kingdom shortly after, in August 1972. The film received mixed reviews from critics, though its theme of possession subsequently resulted in parallels being drawn by critics to The Exorcist, released a year later. In the intervening years, the film has been the subject of film criticism surrounding its themes of social inequality, as well as familial relationships and incest. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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