Repossessed (1990)

Directed by:

Bob Logan

Mediocre AIRPLANE-style spoof of THE EXORCIST stars Linda Blair as Nancy Aglet, a cheerful, happily married housewife who becomes possessed (for a second time) by Satan after his spirit flies out of her TV set and enters her body. She does the usual things, like spitting up split pea soup (literally this time) and doing head spins. Leslie Nielsen is Father Mayii, a goofy clergyman who tries to save her (with help from Anthony Starke as the novice Father Brophy) and Ned Beatty shows up as a phony Jim Bakker-type televangelist complete with a Tammy Faye lookalike wife (Lana Schwab) and a pink poodle named Foo Foo. There are twice as many bad gags as good ones, but good-natured, enthusiastic performing by Blair, Nielsen and Beatty keep it mildly enjoyable throughout. It was the director/scripters third Blair project, following the underrated drama/comedy UP YOUR ALLEY (1988) and the speciality tape HOW TO GET REVENGE (1989). Supposedly, many of the direct EXORCIST references had to be removed because teenagers didn’t understand them! Instead, other targets, everything from workout facilities to PMS to music videos (Nielsen has a funny musical number immitating Michael Jackson, Elton John and Robert Palmer) to then-current pop culture topics (the Oliver North scandal, Pee Wee Herman's theater incident, Rob Lowe's sex tape, Sean Penn's temperament) are lampooned, though this works better when it's at sticking to parodying organized religion. The Pope even shows (in his "Pope-Mobile") up at one point!

Father Brophy

"Did you know that the Christian religion has over a billion followers?"

Satan

"Big deal, so does the Wheel of Fortune!"

There are lots of cameo appearances in this one; bodybuilder Jake Steinfeld, critic Army Archerd, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura, wrestling MC "Mean" Gene Okerlund and conservative radio/TV commentator Wally George all appear as themselves. Scream Queen Melissa Moore (SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE 2) has a funny topless scene and this also marked the film debut of exploitation queen Julie Strain.

★★