The Possession of Joel Delaney
Encyclopedia
The Possession of Joel Delaney is a 1972 horror film
starring Shirley MacLaine
and Perry King
, and directed by Waris Hussein
. It is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Ramona Stewart.
Because it was released during the early seventies and deals with possession, many reviewers compare it, some favorably, to The Exorcist
, which would come one year later. The film was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival
.
Norah is extremely protective of her brother, and it is subtly implied that theirs is not an ordinary siblings' relationship. Although there is no open allusion to incest
, their demeanor together catches the eye of other people attending the party, many of them mistaking Joel for Norah's younger lover.
The siblings have sensibly different, albeit somehow complementary mindsets; in contrast to Norah's upscale, self-compliant snobbishness, Joel is more of an adventurous, bohemian type and frequently goes on trips to exotic locations, the latest of which being Tangiers.
Two days after the party, Joel fails to attend a scheduled dinner at Norah's house. When she calls him, all she hears is exotic music playing in the background, followed by somebody breathing and making odd sounds into the phone. She tells her children Carrie and Peter to go ahead and eat, and heads over to her brother's seedy Spanish Harlem
apartment to find out about his delay.
Norah sees her brother, screaming hysterically and in handcuffs, dragged out by the police. She then learns that he tried to kill the building superintendent, Mr. Pérez (Aukie Herger), and is being taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Using the connections provided by her former husband Ted, a prominent surgeon
, she learns that Joel has been taken to the psychiatric ward for observation. At Joel's apartment, she finds the whole place in disarray and an eerie sign (a hand with stigmata
, a typical item in Santería
rites) painted in the wall of both the super's and his brother's flats. She also finds an unusually large switchblade knife.
Sherry arrives and dismisses the possibility of Joel being homicidal, although she admits to him having a "dark side". At the hospital, Joel claims not to remember the assault on the super. He insists that he did not take drugs but agrees to confess he did in exchange for leaving Bellevue and attending daily appointments with Dr. Lorenz.
In one session, Erika asks why someone from such an affluent background would want to live in the EEast Village
. Joel tells her he formed a strong bond with a young Puerto Rican named Tonio Pérez (the super's son, as it is later revealed).
At home, Joel behaves oddly. He asks Norah inappropriate questions about her sex life. He sneaks from his room and goes to a nearby nightclub where he finds Sherry intoxicated and flirting with other men. At her luxury high-rise apartment, Joel gets rough during their lovemaking.
The next day is his birthday and he invites Sherry to Norah's place for a small party, attended by Norah's kids plus Sherry and Veronica. Joel starts acting childishly, pretending he has found Sherry's lost earring. He then nearly burns Sherry's hair in the candles on the cake and spouts insults in fluent Spanish.
Norah goes to Sherry's apartment to return her other earring. To her horror she finds the girl's decapitated body on the bed and her head hanging from a huge plant. Detective Brady (Peter Turgeon) arrives to question her, asking whether Joel has any Puerto Rican friends.
It turns out the murder is similar to three others from the summer before in which the victims were found decapitated this way. The grisly deaths got little attention because the girls were Hispanic. The belief is that Tonio Pérez committed the crimes but he's been missing ever since. The investigation stalled when Pérez's neighbors in Spanish Harlem refused to cooperate. The detective insists on seeing Joel, who is taken away by the officer.
Norah goes to the library to look at articles about the Pérez murders. She calls home to speak to Veronica but finds out that the maid quit. Norah takes a taxi up to Spanish Harlem and implores Veronica to help her learn what's going on with her brother. Norah is given the name and address of Don Pedro (Edmundo Rivera Alvarez), owner of a store that sells paraphernalia for Santería
rituals. He asks her to bring one of Joel's belongings to his flat.
Norah brings a scarf belonging to Joel and finds Tonio's mother, who claims that Tonio is dead and his spirit has entered Joel's body. Mrs. Pérez admits that her son killed the other three girls and tells Norah that Tonio's father killed him when he found out.
Others arrive and the ceremony begins. All seem possessed by the spirit they're trying to channel. The ritual turns out to be a failure, though; according to Don Pedro, Tonio's spirit doesn't want to come out because Norah isn't a believer. She must return with Joel.
At home, she finds Joel screaming (again, in perfectly fluent Spanish) and barricaded inside. She takes the kids to Erika's apartment. Erika promises to deal with Joel. Norah rents a car and goes to her beach house. Erika's husband leaves for a business trip, unaware that Joel is standing outside of their apartment building.
Norah comes back from the beach with her children and finds Erika's decapitated head on a cabinet above the refrigerator. Joel is standing nearby with a knife. Now uniformly possessed by his Spanish-speaking persona, he keeps them captive and subjects them to both physical and psychological torment. He taunts them by graphically cutting open a fish the kids caught. Joel puts on music and orders them all to dance.
He orders the boy to strip. In the kitchen he tries to force Carrie to eat dog food before slashing her neck slightly. Benson and the police arrive and Norah yells at them not to shoot. They can only watch what's happening through the glass doors. Norah lunges at Joel to stop him, but he gives his sister a passionate kiss (again hinting at incest).
Norah tells the kids to run out of the house. Joel goes after them and is shot by one of the officers. His sister runs to his side but it's too late. As she cradles him in her arms, something seems to overcome her. Norah picks up the knife and holds it up toward the cop, now seemingly possessed.
wrote about the film and that particular scene, claiming that today it would earn the film an NC-17 rating. The VHS tape was released uncensored in 1998. The new Region 1 DVD reflects an altered version. The film was blasted by critics for the nude scene and the unconvincing script used. It would also be the first movie for Perry King
and the last horror film Shirley MacLaine
made.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
and Perry King
Perry King
Perry Firestone King is an American television and film actor. King played the role of Cody Allen on the detective series Riptide from 1983 to 1986.-Early life:...
, and directed by Waris Hussein
Waris Hussein
Waris Hussein is a British-Indian television director and film director best known for his many productions for British television....
. It is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Ramona Stewart.
Because it was released during the early seventies and deals with possession, many reviewers compare it, some favorably, to The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, which would come one year later. The film was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival
22nd Berlin International Film Festival
The 22nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 23 June to 4 July 1972.-Jury:* Eleanor Perry * Fritz Drobilitsch-Walden* Francis Cosne* Rita Tushingham* Tinto Brass* Yukichi Shinada* Julio Coll* Hans Hellmut Kirst...
.
Plot
Norah Benson, a wealthy Manhattan socialite, and her younger brother Joel Delaney attend a party being given by Norah's friend Dr. Erika Lorenz. Joel's girlfriend Sherry appears later on during the party.Norah is extremely protective of her brother, and it is subtly implied that theirs is not an ordinary siblings' relationship. Although there is no open allusion to incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, their demeanor together catches the eye of other people attending the party, many of them mistaking Joel for Norah's younger lover.
The siblings have sensibly different, albeit somehow complementary mindsets; in contrast to Norah's upscale, self-compliant snobbishness, Joel is more of an adventurous, bohemian type and frequently goes on trips to exotic locations, the latest of which being Tangiers.
Two days after the party, Joel fails to attend a scheduled dinner at Norah's house. When she calls him, all she hears is exotic music playing in the background, followed by somebody breathing and making odd sounds into the phone. She tells her children Carrie and Peter to go ahead and eat, and heads over to her brother's seedy Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
apartment to find out about his delay.
Norah sees her brother, screaming hysterically and in handcuffs, dragged out by the police. She then learns that he tried to kill the building superintendent, Mr. Pérez (Aukie Herger), and is being taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Using the connections provided by her former husband Ted, a prominent surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, she learns that Joel has been taken to the psychiatric ward for observation. At Joel's apartment, she finds the whole place in disarray and an eerie sign (a hand with stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
, a typical item in Santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
rites) painted in the wall of both the super's and his brother's flats. She also finds an unusually large switchblade knife.
Sherry arrives and dismisses the possibility of Joel being homicidal, although she admits to him having a "dark side". At the hospital, Joel claims not to remember the assault on the super. He insists that he did not take drugs but agrees to confess he did in exchange for leaving Bellevue and attending daily appointments with Dr. Lorenz.
In one session, Erika asks why someone from such an affluent background would want to live in the EEast Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. Joel tells her he formed a strong bond with a young Puerto Rican named Tonio Pérez (the super's son, as it is later revealed).
At home, Joel behaves oddly. He asks Norah inappropriate questions about her sex life. He sneaks from his room and goes to a nearby nightclub where he finds Sherry intoxicated and flirting with other men. At her luxury high-rise apartment, Joel gets rough during their lovemaking.
The next day is his birthday and he invites Sherry to Norah's place for a small party, attended by Norah's kids plus Sherry and Veronica. Joel starts acting childishly, pretending he has found Sherry's lost earring. He then nearly burns Sherry's hair in the candles on the cake and spouts insults in fluent Spanish.
Norah goes to Sherry's apartment to return her other earring. To her horror she finds the girl's decapitated body on the bed and her head hanging from a huge plant. Detective Brady (Peter Turgeon) arrives to question her, asking whether Joel has any Puerto Rican friends.
It turns out the murder is similar to three others from the summer before in which the victims were found decapitated this way. The grisly deaths got little attention because the girls were Hispanic. The belief is that Tonio Pérez committed the crimes but he's been missing ever since. The investigation stalled when Pérez's neighbors in Spanish Harlem refused to cooperate. The detective insists on seeing Joel, who is taken away by the officer.
Norah goes to the library to look at articles about the Pérez murders. She calls home to speak to Veronica but finds out that the maid quit. Norah takes a taxi up to Spanish Harlem and implores Veronica to help her learn what's going on with her brother. Norah is given the name and address of Don Pedro (Edmundo Rivera Alvarez), owner of a store that sells paraphernalia for Santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
rituals. He asks her to bring one of Joel's belongings to his flat.
Norah brings a scarf belonging to Joel and finds Tonio's mother, who claims that Tonio is dead and his spirit has entered Joel's body. Mrs. Pérez admits that her son killed the other three girls and tells Norah that Tonio's father killed him when he found out.
Others arrive and the ceremony begins. All seem possessed by the spirit they're trying to channel. The ritual turns out to be a failure, though; according to Don Pedro, Tonio's spirit doesn't want to come out because Norah isn't a believer. She must return with Joel.
At home, she finds Joel screaming (again, in perfectly fluent Spanish) and barricaded inside. She takes the kids to Erika's apartment. Erika promises to deal with Joel. Norah rents a car and goes to her beach house. Erika's husband leaves for a business trip, unaware that Joel is standing outside of their apartment building.
Norah comes back from the beach with her children and finds Erika's decapitated head on a cabinet above the refrigerator. Joel is standing nearby with a knife. Now uniformly possessed by his Spanish-speaking persona, he keeps them captive and subjects them to both physical and psychological torment. He taunts them by graphically cutting open a fish the kids caught. Joel puts on music and orders them all to dance.
He orders the boy to strip. In the kitchen he tries to force Carrie to eat dog food before slashing her neck slightly. Benson and the police arrive and Norah yells at them not to shoot. They can only watch what's happening through the glass doors. Norah lunges at Joel to stop him, but he gives his sister a passionate kiss (again hinting at incest).
Norah tells the kids to run out of the house. Joel goes after them and is shot by one of the officers. His sister runs to his side but it's too late. As she cradles him in her arms, something seems to overcome her. Norah picks up the knife and holds it up toward the cop, now seemingly possessed.
Controversy
One of the more controversial elements of the film is its ending. The next several shots show a thirteen year old boy dancing and walking about the room naked (including full frontal nudity). In the March 5, 2004 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen KingStephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
wrote about the film and that particular scene, claiming that today it would earn the film an NC-17 rating. The VHS tape was released uncensored in 1998. The new Region 1 DVD reflects an altered version. The film was blasted by critics for the nude scene and the unconvincing script used. It would also be the first movie for Perry King
Perry King
Perry Firestone King is an American television and film actor. King played the role of Cody Allen on the detective series Riptide from 1983 to 1986.-Early life:...
and the last horror film Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
made.
Cast
- Shirley MacLaineShirley MacLaineShirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
- Norah Benson - Perry KingPerry KingPerry Firestone King is an American television and film actor. King played the role of Cody Allen on the detective series Riptide from 1983 to 1986.-Early life:...
- Joel Delaney - Michael HordernMichael HordernSir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
- Justin - David ElliottDavid ElliottDavid Elliott is a British-born art gallery and museum curator and writer about modern and contemporary art.After studying history at the University of Durham, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art Elliott worked as an exhibitions officer at the Arts Council of Great Britain, after...
- Peter Benson - Lisa Kohane - Carrie Benson
- Barbara Trentham - Sherry
- Lovelady Powell - Erika
- Edmundo Rivera Álvarez - Don Pedro
- Teodorina Bello - Mrs. Pererz
- Robert Burr - Ted Benson
- Míriam Colón - Veronica
- Ernesto Gonzalez - Young Man at Seance
- Aukie Herger - Mr. Perez
- Earle HymanEarle HymanEarle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
- Charles (as Earl Hyman) - Marita Lindholm - Marta Benson