Sidebar: Ennio Morricone, Magic, and Ecstasy

This is an addendum to my earlier blog about Exorcist II: The Heretic.

One of the best things about that unholy mess of a movie is the score by Italian maestro Ennio Morricone. And one of the best things about his score is the track “Magic and Ecstasy,” used mainly in the trailer I posted in my last blog. But here it is in its full glory:

What surprised me more than anything, when I did a little digging, was how many times this tune has been covered. The best known one is by the late Philip Charles Lithman, who performed as Snakefinger (sorry, YouTube won’t let you watch it here):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFuKZIBjyHA

And here’s a version by the Italian death-metal band Omicidio, another one that YouTube won’t let me embed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQj80_cHZ14

Not sick of it yet? Here’s a cover by New Jersey guitarist Leon Muhudinov that (you guessed it) YouTube won’t let me share:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUKzueAL0p8

But finally, here are some that are freed from YouTube’s deathly grasp! Wondering if it can be performed live? Here’s Nilbog, a horror film score tribute band, to prove it:

Here’s an atonal, cacophonous version by Edible Woman:

And here’s an almost punk cover by The Zag Men (now the Pine Box Boys):

And finally, what would a list like this be if it didn’t include one with a dog doing the vocals? Here’s David Furtado featuring Sasha:

There might be more out there that I just haven’t run across. And I find it astounding that something from what is generally regarded as the worst sequel of all time could inspire such a rich, almost underground life. It illustrates something that I’ve come to believe more and more: every work of art, however objectively “good” or “bad,” can inspire someone somewhere.

Stay tuned for more on the origin of my horror novel Dandelion, out October 1 from Falstaff Books. Pre-order from Amazon here, or support your local independent bookstore by pre-ordering from them!

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