The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It will center around the real-life murder case of Arne Johnson, but the story was previously adapted via the TV movie The Demon Murder Case, featuring Kevin Bacon. The upcoming Conjuring sequel will once again follow Ed and Lorraine Warren, self-proclaimed demonologists. But, this time, they'll be working to help prove the innocence of Johnson, a real Connecticut man who stabbed his landlord to death after an altercation in 1981. What made this case so notable was that then-19-year-old Johnson claimed he wasn't responsible for his crime; he said he had been possessed by a demon.
The Warrens had previously been contacted to help 11-year-old David Glatzel, whose family was concerned he himself was a victim of demonic possession. According to Johnson (who was the boyfriend of Glatzel's sister) and others present for a series of attempted exorcisms on the boy, he challenged the demon and told it to leave Glatzel be. Supposedly, this caused the demon to transfer from Glatzel's body to Johnson's. So, when Johnson killed his landlord soon after, his defense was that he couldn't truly be blamed for the murder.
This "Devil Made Me Do It" case (as it was dubbed), is certainly a good fit for The Conjuring franchise. But, funnily enough, this story was already tackled in a 1983 TV movie entitled The Demon Murder Case. Starring a strikingly young Kevin Bacon as Kenny Miller (a character based on Johnson), the NBC program jumps into the story when Brian Frazier (based on Glatzel, played by Charlie Fields) starts exhibiting signs of possession. The film also follows Brian's sister, Nancy (based on Johnson's girlfriend) - who's dating Kenny - as they briefly stay in the Frazier home before procuring an apartment of their own. And, of course, their eventual landlord meets a tragic, untimely demise.
The Demon Murder Case also depicts exorcism attempts by the church and the Harris' (based on the Warrens who inspired The Conjuring's universe) to help cleanse young Brian of - as the movie states - the 42 different demons residing within him. The film later dives into Kenny's court proceedings, where he's ultimately found guilty of manslaughter and sent to prison. The main demon antagonist, who seems to run the show for the satanic spirits, is referred to as "The Beast." Brian describes him at the beginning of the film as looking like a severely injured burn victim, sporting legs with hoofs "like a deer."
For its time, The Demon Murder Case may have been a tad scary and is eerie and tense in certain scenes. But, by today's standards, especially with more modern horror films - like those in The Conjuring franchise itself - it doesn't hold up, which extends to its editing and special effects. The writing and acting leave a lot to be desired too, and the film doesn't have much zip. But, it still tackled a notably infamous case during a time period when possession/Devil-related movies had been all the rage for the last decade or so. It was a good idea for a horror movie overall, but it's great The Conjuring 3 will be able to portray the story with better special effects and a much higher budget.