The Possession of Joel Delaney  (1972)

Theatrical Release Information:
The Possession of Joel Delaney

In this supernatural thriller, Norah Benson (Shirley MacLaine) is a wealthy woman living in Manhattan who keeps a close and protective eye on her brother Joel (Perry King), who has a flat in a rough section of the East Village. Joel is a frequent guest at Norah's home and loves her two children, but when he begins acting strangely and playing too rough with the kids, she wonders if something is wrong. When Norah doesn't hear from Joel for several days, she stops by his apartment to see if he's all right, just as he's being led away by police after attacking the custodian in his building. At first Norah and Joel's doctors think that drugs may be to blame, but when Joel's girlfriend Carrie (Lisa Kohane) is found murdered and beheaded, Norah learns that Joel has become involved with Santeria, a religion that mixes voodoo with Catholicism, and his interest in Santeria has brought him in contact with Tonio Perez (Jose Fernandez), a suspected serial killer. The Possession of Joel Delaney features an original score by Joe Raposo, best known for his very different work as a songwriter on the children's TV series Sesame Street. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide