The Ninth Configuration
The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane) is a 1980 American psychological horror black comedy film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. It is the second installment in Blatty's "Trilogy of Faith" after The Exorcist (1973), and followed by The Exorcist III (1990). The film is based on Blatty's 1978 novel The Ninth Configuration, which was itself a reworking of his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! The initial 1966 publication of the novel featured an exclamation mark at the end of the title, while all subsequent publications saw it removed.
Plot
In the early 1970s, towards the end of the Vietnam War, a castle in the Pacific Northwest is used by the US government as an insane asylum for military personnel. Among the patients there is former astronaut Billy Cutshaw, who aborted a Moon launch and was dragged screaming from the capsule, suffering from an apparent mental breakdown.