Joshua John Miller was "not prepared for the experience" of directing a movie.
Joshua John Miller has directed The Exorcism
The 49-year-old actor has taken the reins on 'The Exorcism' - which stars Russel Crowe and is inspired by the 1974 classic horror of 'The Exorcist' that featured his father Jason Miller - but was taken aback by how "fraught" the whole thing was for him and now feels "more prepared" for next time.
He told The AU Review: "Let’s just say I have a lot more guile than before this process. I think that’s more rooted in optimism about film. I still feel that cinema is the path forward, and not all these streaming things, you know? I actually want to shoot on film for my next movie. I believe in cinema. I don’t believe in Hollywood. And I think there’s a distinct difference.
"I was not prepared for this experience, to be honest. It was fraught for me. I think I learned a lot, and I’m more prepared than ever for the next."
In the movie, a troubled actor begins to unravel while shooting a horror film and Josh recalled that he couldn't exactly remember when he first saw the uncut version of the 'The Exorcist' - which starred Linda Blair as a demonically possessed child - but still believes it is a "perfect" example of its genre.
He said: "I think I first saw it on television, so it was obviously heavily edited. I saw it a couple of times when I was a kid. It was exciting and weird and scary. The uncut version? I wonder when the first time I saw it was…
"I know I saw the re-issue, and the new cut that (William) Friedkin had done that came out in the late 90s or early 2000s. I didn’t think that was as good as the original. But I got to see it on the big screen, and that was cool. It still remains one of my favourite movies. And I don’t say that in a biased way. It just happens to be, I think, a perfect film. I think it’s challenging in the way it deals with faith and the fear of the unknown. I think it’s also a weird allegory for divorce and the fallout of the family unit. It has layers."
'The Exorcism' is due for release on June 21.
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