R.I.P William Friedkin (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey D]

RIP, William. French Connection and To Live And Die In L.A. are awesome. I find it interesting that Hackman was older than he when they worked together.

 

[joshEH]

Painful. He outlived the majority of his contemporaries, but his firebrand nature always made him come across twenty years younger than he was. Grateful that he snuck in one final feature, as well as for the countless hours of hilarious ranting he has commended to YouTube-posterity. I may have to put on Sorcerer and crank it up tonight. And that upcoming 4K UHD of The Exorcist is gonna be profoundly powerful now.

 

[Mark-P]

I guess now we’ll never know whether or not he approved the French Connection re-edit.

 

[Harry-N]

My first experience with Mr. Friedkin's work was with THE EXORCIST. At the time of its release, it was one of those water-cooler discussion films among those who'd seen it, and it put the film at the top of the list of must-sees for the rest of us.

I was a young twenty-something, still unattached and living at home when some friends and I managed to get tickets to a late showing on a Friday night, probably something like 10:15pm or 10:30pm. Even though we arrived at the theater in plenty of time, the only seats available together were in the second row. Big screen, second row, EXORCIST. Yah.

Well it scared the hell out of me, and lucky me, I got to go home alone as the parents were at the summer cabin some 90 minutes away. The lonely house got to me after seeing that movie and off I drove through the countryside to the cabin. All I could find on the radio was eerie organ music! Unforgettable experience, still, to this day.

Next up was a showing on HBO back in the early 80s of SORCERER. Knowing it was from Friedkin, I was a bit hesitant to watch it, and found it rather confusing as a story. The prints I've seen since all have location subtitles at the start, but this print on HBO did not, so I couldn't tell that the initial shooter and the bombers weren't all in the same place. Repeated viewings of that old HBO tape made me a fan of the film and I later bought it on a 4:3 LaserDisc and the initial 4:3 DVD. Bother were pretty bad in the video department. The recent Blu-ray was a revelation in terms of color and composition and the movie was better than ever. I bought both the Digibook and the stand-alone Blu-ray. Heck. I think I even bought a remastered DVD of it too!

Sometime in the 90s, we were in a video store that specialized in LaserDiscs, going out of business and selling former rental discs cheap. We picked up a FRENCH CONNECTION on the basis of familiarity with at least the title and reputation of the movie. When it came time to watch it, I was largely unimpressed on that first viewing. But like Friedkin's other films it stayed with me and ultimately I actually did a transfer of that LaserDisc onto a DVD. Unsatisfied with that effort, I went out and bough the later Blu-ray after Friedkin fixed the color palette.

RIP, Mr. Friedkin, and thanks for the great work.

 

[Matt Hough]

This was a surprise! Very sad to see such a talented filmmaker leave us, but he leaves behind plenty of pleasurable entertainment for us to enjoy. I just a few nights ago revisited To Live and Die in L.A. for the first time in many years and found it even better than I remembered. R.I.P.

 

[SD_Brian]

I recall not being all that favorable to it because I didn't think it was a patch on the original The Wages of Fear. But that's not really giving it a fair shot. I probably should take another look at it; it's been 46 years since I've seen it, after all.

It's been a while, but I remember being engrossed by Sorcerer while watching it. When it was over, however, I found myself asking the question, "Why couldn't they have just flown in some more-stable explosives and used a helicopter to deliver them?"

Friedkin's movies could be great but they could also be maddening, with gaping plot holes and/or overly-ambiguous endings. His post-Exorcist filmography had some ups and several downs, but his movies were always worth a look. RIP.

 

[Joe Wong]

RIP Mr Friedkin.

The final 20 minutes of The Exorcist is still one of the most exciting and compelling sequences I've ever watched.

 

[Sam Favate]

I always enjoyed hearing him talk about film, on the many extras for his films on disc and in the wonderful Warner Bros. documentary You Must Remember This.

He was obviously a huge talent that left his mark on film and contributed greatly to (IMO) the best period of movies ever, the 1970s.

The French Connection remains one of my favorite films of all time, and The Exorcist is still the scariest movie ever made. He tapped into fears so primal (especially for Catholic school kids who saw it before they were ready to see it) that it always will be.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I guess now we’ll never know whether or not he approved the French Connection re-edit.

If you would watch the documentary Leap of Faith which is about the making of The Exorcist, you would come away thinking there is no way he would make that re-edit at this late date.

It’s a fine documentary on sale at iTunes for $4.99. It runs about 103 minutes is in 4K without any HDR. The documentary was filmed in 2019, but I think it was held up by the pandemic.

 

[Robert Saccone]

I highly recommend his autobiography: The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir. I read it when it first came out and now I am thinking I should revisit it again. Also looking forward to picking up Leap of Faith. In no way would he have ever supported Disney's censoring of The French Connection.

 

[Michael1]

How interesting that Friedkin chose to do a remake (or a new version, if you will) of THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL when there is not only the 1954 theatrical film but also a 1988 TV movie directed by Robert Altman, with a cast that included Eric Bogosian, Jeff Daniels, Brad Davis, and Peter Gallagher.

 

[maxfabien]

When Friedkin was on, he was about as good as it gets. The French Connection, The Exorcist, Sorcerer, Cruising, To Live And Die In L.A. and Bug are all fantastic movies.

Also "The Boys in the Band" a wonderful film.

 

[Michael1]

Agreed about THE BOYS IN THE BAND. I think that movie's reputation has only improved with time, so I'm a little surprised it wasn't mentioned more favorably and more prominently in Friedkin's obits.

 

[Carl David]

Been watching the 80s Twilight Zone and only yesterday did I watch the "Nightcrawler" episode without knowing who directed it.

Upon seeing the opening credits "Directed by William Friedkin" was like "Wow didn't know he directed anything in this series".

A great episode from a great director.

Thought Killer Joe was a brilliant return to form from the veteran.

There are still a few films of his I want to see and will probably do so in the next few weeks.

Bug & Rampage are two I have yet to see but here good things about.

RIP.

 

[questrider]

Big loss. RIP

Loved The French Connection, The Exorcist, To Live and Die in L.A., Blue Chips, and Bug. Bug is a total trip. Never seen Sorcerer but have been meaning to for many years now.

Here's a long-form interview from 2016 with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast (nearly 2.5 hours):

Episode 684 - William Friedkin — WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

Director William Friedkin is a consummate storyteller, which explains why he tells such an entertaining story of his own life, rooted in three recurring themes: faith, fate and film. Within that story, William tells Marc about the making of The French Connection and The Exorcist, the failure and res

www.wtfpod.com

 

[The Drifter]

RIP WF. Just heard the sad news about his passing. Amazing film director that was responsible for a lot of great & iconic movies over the years. Just some memories of his films:

The Exorcist: I was way too young to see this when it was first released. After hearing about this film over the years, I finally saw this when it was re-released to theaters in Fall 2000. Wow. Very powerful, disturbing, and grotesque film that definitely deserved the accolades it generated over the years. I also completely understand why it was so controversial as well.

Sorcerer: Amazing film, and IMHO was superior to the movie it was based on (Wages of Fear). More back-story was given to the characters in Sorcerer - and, IMHO this re-make was much more tense than the original.

The French Connection: Incredible & iconic NYC crime drama. The car chase is definitely one of the best in cinema.

To Live & Die in L.A.: Excellent film, and I liked the '80's vibe/tone/music. Visually, the film was incredible as well - especially the panoramic scenes of L.A. Making the story-line about counterfeiting (instead of drugs/robberies/etc.) gave the film a uniqueness that makes it stand out among the many other crime dramas from the era.

Bug: One of Friedkin's best, even though it's a small film with an independent vibe/tone. The action only takes place primarily in one long-term-stay motel room, some scenes outside the motel, and 1 or 2 brief scenes in a restaurant. Extremely creepy & disturbing - the film's effectiveness relies 100% on the performances - which are excellent.

Spoiler: SPOILER

The ending scenes when the room is completely covered in aluminum foil was truly bizarre & unexpected.

The Birthday Party (1968): Based on a Harold Pinter Play & definitely more of a HP Pinter film than a WF one. However, Friedkin did a great job directing this. Very slow-burning story about a mysterious stranger (Robert Shaw) who rents a room in a seaside boarding house - on the English coastline. Highly recommended to both Pinter & Friedkin fans.

 

[Sam Favate]

Good piece in today’s NYT on the Exorcist and Friedkin. Lots of comments from him of which I was unaware.


https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/...ytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

[WillG]

Good piece in today’s NYT on the Exorcist and Friedkin. Lots of comments from him of which I was unaware.


https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/...ytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

While made some great contributions to film it probably should be said that he could be pretty ruthless in his methods. There was the story that in the Exorcist where Ellen Burstyn was thrown back from Regan’s slap she was pulled back using a rope. Burstyn complained that it was too much and he told her that he would go easier, but then yanked her even harder in the next take which apparently led to chronic back issues for Burstyn. Was also known to have fired guns on set to get desired reactions. Made Mercedes McCambridge (voice of possessed Regan) chain smoke, chug whiskey and drink raw eggs to the voice sound the way he wanted. Another incident showed with Freidkin not getting the reaction he wanted from William O’Malley (Father Dyer) from Karrass’s death. So he said something to O’Malley like “do you trust me” got a yes response to which Friedkin slapped him across the face as hard as he could. On the French Connection he apparently ordered the crew to cause a traffic jam on one of the NYC bridges to get a shot he wanted and apparently filmed the famous car chase without permits and with little regards for safety. I guess you can’t argue with the results he got and not to speak ill of the dead but a lot of stuff you couldn’t do today

 

[Robert Crawford]

While made some great contributions to film it probably should be said that he could be pretty ruthless in his methods. There was the story that in the Exorcist where Ellen Burstyn was thrown back from Regan’s slap she was pulled back using a rope. Burstyn complained that it was too much and he told her that he would go easier, but then yanked her even harder in the next take which apparently led to chronic back issues for Burstyn. Was also known to have fired guns on set to get desired reactions. Made Mercedes McCambridge (voice of possesses Regan) chain smoke, chug whiskey and drink raw eggs to the voice sound the way he wanted. Another incident showed with Freidkin not getting the reaction he wanted from William O’Malley (Father Dyer) from Karrass’s death. So he said something to O’Malley like “do you trust me” got a yes response to which Friedkin slapped him across the face as hard as he could. On the French Connection he apparently ordered the crew to cause a traffic jam on one of the NYC bridges to get a shot he wanted and apparently filmed the famous car chase without permits and with little regards for safety. I guess you can’t argue with the results he got and not to speak ill of the dead but a lot of stuff you couldn’t do today

Most of those incidents Friedkin talked about in the documentary Leap of Faith. Old time directors used some of those same techniques.

 

[WillG]

Most of those incidents Friedkin talked about in the documentary Leap of Faith. Old time directors used some of those same techniques.

Yeah productions back in those days were a lot more wild Wild West. But Harvey Weinstein like practices were more commonplace as well