I might read more from the author, since I sorta wanted more of this one. I’d rather have just reread Legion but this is significantly shorter than Legion so it has a leg up there. It has a long-lived cult following for a couple of reasons. It will make no sense to the mainstream reader who demands that a story. 2012 95m Movie. Scenes move from intelligent to insane within a single paragraph, frustrating -- even angering -- the reader. He isn't afraid to question faith in hopes of strengthening his belief. Can Colonel Kane provide proof of an afterlife? And it did in this case too. The Ninth Configuration approached the problem via what I call "the mystery of goodness": if we are reducible to matter without spirit, to soulless atomic structures, then we ought to be always rushing blindly and irresistibly to serve our own selfish ends. In this cult classic, an unhinged Army psychiatrist takes charge of a mental hospital and encourages his patients to act out their bizarre fantasies. It is excessively melodramatic, and doesn't hang together. It may have been unformed, unfinished and lacking a plot (so the author now claims), but it was funny. Sent to a converted castle in the Pacific Northwest used by the U.S. government as a psychiatric institution for military personnel who fought in the Vietnam War, the unorthodox psychiatrist, Colonel Kane, has a lot on his plate already, trying to figure out whether the inmates feign insanity or not. The Ninth Gate. He delivers a well-written and devastating story with such vividly memorable characters, focusing on mental illness wrapped around religious discourse and anti-war sentiments with perhaps even a touch of allegory sprinkled in for good measure. I remember having the VHS of the film version back in the day. Things happen that have no bearing on anything else,… It is a meditation on God and perhaps more on the complexity of humanity and the line walked between good and evil. It's a short book & I read almost half of it. The book and film were written and directed by the writer of The Exorcist. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. It’s all of the mopey existentialism of Legion mixed with comedy best described as “bad improv comedy impressions of mental patients”. The Ninth Configuration is an often confusing story concerning the effects of a new 'doctor' on an institution for crazed military men which manages to effectively tie itself together in the end. Can a person be good if they have committed bad d. If you are looking for a Blatty novel that rivals Exorcist or Legion, sorry folks, but you will have to keep looking. William Peter Blatty's "The Ninth Configuration" is one of these books for me where I just could not put it down and ended up finishing it in one sitting. The Ninth Configuration, sometimes titled Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane after the 1960s novel that served as the story’s prototype, serves as something of a spiritual successor to The Exorcist. If you know anything about William Peter Blatty, he is a master story teller. 2007 83m Movie. Kane, however, doesn't much act like a psychologist and Cutshaw, the astronaut, doesn't appear to be entirely batty. It's almost as if Blatty used this book as a testing ground for the ideas he would later explore in his best work. Sent to a converted castle in the Pacific Northwest used by the U.S. government as a psychiatric institution for military personnel who fought in the Vietnam War, the unorthodox psychiatrist, Colonel Kane, has a lot on his plate already, trying to figure out whether the inmates feign insanity or not. Deliciously twisted romp in the Cuckoo's Nest! It happened to me after I finished 1984, with the Road, and a handful of books between. A suspense horror film set in a small coastal town where, after a series of gory murders commited by mobs of townspeople against visiting tourists, the corpses begin to come back to life. When it ended I had this sad feeling that we have when a nice, well written story ends. The Ninth Configuration’s story, in terms of plot points, is incredibly threadbare. Amazon.com: The Ninth Configuration: Scott Wilson, Stacy Keach, George DiCenzo, Ed Flanders, Moses Gunn, David Healy, Neville Brand, Tom Atkins, Robert Loggia, William Lucking, Richard Lynch, Jason Miller, Stephen Powers, Alejandro Rey, Steve Sandor, Tom Shaw, Joe Spinell, William Peter Blatty: Movies & TV Recovered and released in 2016 under its original title, this is the definitive cut of the film based on his novel "Legion". I was a teenager when I read the original many years, ago and I don't know if it would hold up now, but I enjoyed it then. The Ninth Configuration was released in 1980 and has generally received positive reviews. Grounded with a desk job by incompetent superiors, a clever CIA agent retires and writes a tell all memoir that will embarrass his bosses, prompting him to go on the run and elude them. In an old castle in Washington, a counselor tries to help a group of possibly malingering, possibly actually mentally unstable soldiers. It is excessively melodramatic, and doesn't hang together. This book is not funny. It can barely be considered a novel, it's so disjointed and undeveloped. If you're a fan of the mystery and thriller genre and young adult books, recent months have brought a bevy of great reads to your shelves! A troubled psychiatrist takes command of a military asylum filled with insane soldiers in this creepy only-in-the-’70s oddity written and directed by William Peter Blatty (THE EXORCIST). After a bad gambling bet, a schoolteacher is marooned in a town full of crazy, drunk, violent men who threaten to make him just as crazy, drunk, and violent. Robin Thicke rides a bicycle around New York City in this video. The movie adaptation is almost identical, with Blatty command. Too much over-the-top crazy, I guess to set the scenes, but it was making me crazy to read about it, lol. He was an Astronaut, and apparently aborted a mission. Blatty avoids didacticism and lets the contradictory philosophical debates battle each other out within the context of the story and the conflicted characters; namely, Cutshaw and Colonel Kane. It is definitely worth a read...A bit confusing at first...but if you stick with it I thin. Amateur reviewers were more impressed with The Ninth … There’s a stillness I experience on completing a great book that defies description. HD. The second twist was something that came out of blue. I couldn't agree more with this statement. The Island of Dr. Moreau. I was a teenager when I read the original many years, ago and I don't know if it would hold up now, but I enjoyed it then. Use the HTML below. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. The Ninth Configuration is set in a remote castle which the US government is using as a military asylum. This is a very deep look at both sanity vs. insanity and how those who are insane are treated. More and more, as Kane and Cutshaw engage in intense theological debates over the existence of God and evil, the troubled scientist finds himself at a dead-end, in need of a brilliant but reckless plan to determine the root of the soldiers' complex mental breakdowns. The Ninth Configuration is set in a remote castle which the US government is using as a military asylum. Directed by (1) Writing credits (2) Cast (28) Produced by (3) Music by (1) Cinematography by (1) Film Editing by (4) Production Design by (1) Art Direction by (1) Set Decoration by (1) Costume Design by (1) Second Unit Director or Assistant Director (1) Art Department (2) Sound Department (14) Special Effects by (1) Stunts (5) Camera and Electrical … Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? But author Blatty has such a massive amount of information to spell out, it all works as a rollercoaster with plenty of thrills. 2014 140m Movie. svg-skull. At times,I even felt irritated. I almost don't want to say anything about it because it's such a unique film. View production, box office, & company info. There he attempts to rehabilitate the patients by letting them act out their craziest fantasies and desires. My favorite book of all time is The Exorcist and over the years I've been trying to accumulate and read all of Blatty's work and this story was an interesting surprise. I had no idea where I was going to end up, which made the ending even better! After the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, a music professor staying at an old mansion is dragged into a decades-old mystery by an inexplicable presence in the mansion's attic. William Peter Blatty-Wikipedia. The Ninth Configuration is an often confusing story concerning the effects of a new 'doctor' on an institution for crazed military men which manages to effectively tie itself together in the end. And it wasn't out of place. 2018 93m Movie. He took several concepts and examined them from all angles-things we all think and wonder about. This book presents an interesting journey into the human mind,and so at places we get much confused. Welcome back. 16, 2015 The Ninth Configuration is as idiosyncratic today as it has ever has been, and perhaps more so now. (It's streaming on Prime.) svg-skull. Atmospheric Books for Those of Gothic Inclination... 45 New YA Mysteries and Thrillers You Won't Be Able to Put Down. Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane, later re-titled The Ninth Configuration tells the headache inducing story of a military psychologist who is sent to a military nut house to deal with some military psychos who were supposed to go into space, but suddenly became crazy. More and more, as Kane and Cutshaw engage in intense theological debates over the existence of God and evil, the troubled scientist finds himself at a dead-end, in need of a brilliant but reckless plan to determine the root of the soldiers' complex mental breakdowns. Still struggling with his inner demons, Kane is particularly intrigued by the psychotic former astronaut, Captain Cutshaw, whose metaphysical enquiries trigger a feverish recurring nightmare. There is some thought-provoking, believable and sometimes hilarious dialogue in here. But, I just wasn't feeling it. A great and absorbing read that I am bound to revisit in the future. This book was a huge disappointment to me. It seems slapped together quickly and to be honest I had a bit of culture shock. Thanks for the recommendation, D. An interesting read for a millenial like myself. You may also like. The Ninth Configuration first published by Little White Lies, as the eighth part of my Cinema Psychotronicum column “You’re going to die up there.” In William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, whose script William Peter Blatty has adapted from his own 1971 novel, the possessed 12-year-old Regan (Linda Blair) creepily directs these words at an astronaut in attendance at her actress mother’s house party – and … Resplendent watercolor animations and understated images of daily life meld to yield a meditation upon Vietnam's turbulent history through the figure of the Mekong River. In 1978, Blatty adapted his novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane into a film titled The Ninth Configuration, and in 1980 he wrote, directed, and produced a film version, which focused on the question of the existence of God. It is loaded with stunning scenes, images, symbolism, scares and emotionally devastating moments and it leaves me both uplifted and sad yet so intellectually stimulated I want to discuss it because there is a LOT to talk about once it's over.It also has some brutal violence and the nastiest bar fight ever filmed. I've always been a fan of brevity, and Blatty does not disappoint. As a story,this looks better to me than 'th. If you know anything about William Peter Blatty, he is a master story teller. It is also a deep look at God and how he interacts with his creation. It's such a wonderfully rare feeling to pick up a book and from the very first page you are instantly hooked. The book got me in this intriguing rush, I wanted to find out what was going to happen but didn’t want the story to end as well. Blatty is a terrific writer, and he excels with dialogue. Can a person be good if they have committed bad deeds? This book is a horrible mess. I first read it almost thirty years ago, and saw the movie. 29 of 33 people found this review helpful. The arty The Ninth Configuration is one of those “mindbenders” that doesn't flex the mind so much as rather cause temporary brain paralysis from being so terribly boring and nutso. That bad book was Twinkle, Twinkle "Killer" Kane. When Kane (Keach) gets annoyed, enthusiastic or is dealing with a difficult issue he doesn't simply deadpan it he communicates what is happening within the character despite the constraints needed for the role. Then a bar fight. So, The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle "Killer" Kane) is a film about a patient at an asylum for members of the military (which, may i add, is a bloody castle). In a wealthy and isolated desert community, a sound expert is targeted as the prime suspect of a series of brutal murders of local suburban housewives who were attacked and mutilated in ... See full summary ». Online reviewers have written 134 reviews, giving The Ninth Configuration (1980) an average rating of 65%. The author should have just moved on. One of the films I’m completely obsessed about is now out on BluRay - William Peter Blatty’s extraordinary drama The Ninth Configuration. The Ninth. The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane) is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. What if the magic is gone? Refresh and try again. This baby is quite peculiar. Nick Riganas. While the novel does deal explicitly at times about the existence of God and can be very serious at times, there is also a lot of humor to be found especially in the witty dialogue. Here lay the story, character, and concept seeds of the Exorcist. He is clearly dedicated to helping the inmates in any way he can using every means at his disposal and wisely the character is not played as being detached and totally unemotional. 1980 R English 118min. In a world full of predictable cookie-cutter narratives and contrived ideas, Blatty has given us a film that asks timeless, universal questions about who we are and why we do the things we do. Start by marking “The Ninth Configuration” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Was this review helpful to you? 1977 99m Movie. It's such a wonderfully rare feeling to pick up a book and from the very first page you are instantly hooked. But this isn't horror. 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