In the warning signs of a bad film, the strongest possible warning is that it sat finished and undistributed for years. Oh, sure, it's a bad sign if they released it in mid-January, a worse sign if they try to sneak it into theaters without sending out screeners to critics, and a still worse sign if the director asked to have his name removed from the credits. But the fact that the studio has millions invested in a film and won't even release it is the worst sign of all. So if these cultural lepers think something stinks, it must be really obvious.
Comedies have to be funny, and horror films have to be scary.
While this film is well photographed and more intelligent than the reviewers led you to believe, it ain't scary. Moviegoers hated it every bit as much as the critics. End of story. Winona is admitted because she has expert knowledge of the situation, having once hosted Satan, until she herself was exorcised. They and Satan begin in a very businesslike fashion, like lawyers gathered to hammer out a plea bargain, as they have many times before.