William Friedkin

Born: 1935-08-29

William David Friedkin (August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023) was an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in the early 1960s, he is best known for his crime thriller film The French Connection (1971), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and the horror film The Exorcist (1973), which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Friedkin's other films in the 1970s and 1980s include the drama The Boys in the Band (1970), considered a milestone of queer cinema; the originally deprecated, now lauded thriller Sorcerer (1977); the crime comedy drama The Brink's Job (1978); the controversial thriller Cruising (1980); and the neo-noir thriller To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Although Friedkin's works suffered an overall commercial and critical decline in the late 1980s, his last three feature films, all based on plays, were positively received by critics: the psychological horror film Bug (2006), the crime film Killer Joe (2011), and the legal drama film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023), released two months after his death. He also worked extensively as an opera director from 1998 until his death, and directed various television films and series episodes for television. Description above from the Wikipedia article William Friedkin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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The Devil and Father Amorth

as Himself
Released: 2018-04-20

William Friedkin attends an exorcism with Father Gabriele Amorth, as he treats an Italian woman...

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Friedkin Uncut

as Self
Released: 2018-11-05

An introspective insight into the life and artistic journey of William Friedkin, an...

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The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist

as Self - Director
Released: 1998-06-13

A behind-the-scenes retrospective made for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic horror...

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Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Released: 2014-12-12

The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible...

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The History of 'Cruising'

as Self
Released: 2007-09-18

Part one of the making of William Friedkin’s 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it...

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Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

as Self
Released: 2023-10-05

A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, the last film of Alexandre O. Philippe...

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Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck

as Self
Released: 2013-04-28

A look at the life and work of legendary film producer Richard D. Zanuck.

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The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo

as Self
Released: 2007-01-01

Cinematographer John A. Alonzo was one of the driving creative forces in the resurgence of...

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I Am Alfred Hitchcock

as Self
Released: 2021-05-02

Interviews and archival footage weave together to tell the story of the Master of Suspense, one...

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A Decade Under the Influence

as Self
Released: 2003-04-25

A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of...

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Fellini of the Spirits

as Self
Released: 2020-08-31

2020 marks 100 years since the birth of Federico Fellini, the most prominent Italian director...

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Exorcising 'Cruising'

as Self
Released: 2007-09-18

Part two of the making of William Friedkin's 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it...

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A Fuller Life

as Self - Reader (segment "My Ballsy Yarns")
Released: 2013-08-28

Friends and admirers of iconoclastic film director Sam Fuller read from his memoirs in this...

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The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't

as Self
Released: 2008-06-03

On the 35th anniversary of the release of the landmark film "The Godfather," (March 15, 1972) we...

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Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy

as uncredited
Released: 2005-10-04

Documentary about the great 1940s horror movie producer Val Lewton, featured on the 2005 DVD...

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Anatomy of a Chase

as Self
Released: 2009-02-24

Thirty-five years after it was made, the climatic car chase scene in The French Connection is...

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In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy

as Self
Released: 2008-10-07

Films beget films. Filmmakers influence other filmmakers constantly. But the most influential...

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The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now

as Self
Released: 2010-10-05

Friedkin and Roizman talk about the film's Georgetown locales, and side-by-side comparisons...

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Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange'

as Self
Released: 2007-10-23

In this documentary, we follow Stanley Kubrick as he creates one of the most controversial films...

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The Exorcist Untold

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2023-12-11

An insight into one of the most groundbreaking horror films of all time; the infamous The...

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Fear in the Dark

as Self
Released: 1991-10-29

A short documentary on the history of the horror film narrated by Christopher Lee.

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The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style

as Self
Released: 2009-11-03

Documentary that features interviews with Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, Francis Lawrence,...

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The Visions of Stanley Kubrick

as Self
Released: 2007-10-23

A look at the visual design of the film The Shining (1980).

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Henri Langlois vu par...

as Self
Released: 2014-07-27

Thirteen filmmakers talk about Henri Langlois and their relationship with him.

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Sorcerers: A Conversation with William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn

as uncredited
Released: 2015-12-02

William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn discuss the production and the reception of Friedkin's...

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Making the Boys

as Himself
Released: 2011-03-11

Before Prop 8, Milk or Will & Grace, before the AIDS epidemic, gay pride parades or the...

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Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of

as Self
Released: 2012-01-01

Documentary about the work of film director Michael Curtiz.

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Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'

as Himself
Released: 2003-12-02

The magic and creation behind the making of William Friedkin's classic action film To Live and...

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Miller's Tale

as Self
Released: 2011-03-05

Miller's Tale is a personal journey into the life of playwright and actor Jason Miller and his...

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Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001

as Self
Released: 2007-10-23

This documentary about "2001: A Space Odyssey" looks at some of the things that seemed fanciful...

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View from the Overlook: Crafting 'The Shining'

as Self
Released: 2007-10-23

An overview of the making of, and a look at the continuing popularity of, Stanley Kubrick's The...

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Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot

as Self
Released: 2013-01-15

Actors, crew and executives who worked at Warner Bros. Pictures recall their days at the studio.

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The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

as Self
Released: 2013-10-01

Actor Martin Sheen narrates this newly produced, feature-length high definition documentary,...

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Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic

as Self
Released: 2012-03-27

The behind-the-scenes story of how "Casablanca" became an American film classic.

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Algren

as Self
Released: 2021-10-21

Algren will spotlight the hard-knock life and authentic creative legacy of one of the most...

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Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock

as Self
Released: 2008-10-07

Alfred Hitchcock often referred to his style of film making as "pure cinema" — using camera...

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Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman

as Himself
Released: 2009-09-22

A documentary on the life and career of Victor Fleming, director of such iconic movies as The...

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The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'

as Self
Released: 2000-01-15

A documentary on the production of The French Connection (1971).

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Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

as Self
Released: 1998-02-04

A profile of writer-director Billy Wilder

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North by Northwest: One for the Ages

as Self
Released: 2009-11-03

A discussion of "North by Northwest" and its influence.

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Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock

as Self
Released: 2008-10-07

The cry of gulls. The ticking of a clock. The clatter of a shower curtain, torn from its rod. In...

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Shadows of Suspense

as Self
Released: 2006-08-22

A documentary featuring film historians, directors and authors discussing the making of Billy...

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Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist

as Self
Released: 2010-05-10

2010 documentary on William Friedkin's 1973 horror classic, featuring the never before seen on...

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Conversation with Fritz Lang

as Self
Released: 1975-02-24

American director William Friedkin interviewed Austrian director Fritz Lang on February 21st and...

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Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist

as Himself
Released: 2024-03-26

A intimate reflection at the making of and cultural phenomenon of one of the most popular and...

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Hollywood Halloween

as Himself
Released: 1997-01-01

Horror documentary with interviews to William Friedkin, Stan Winston, John McNaughton, Tom...

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Peter Lorre : Derrière le masque du maudit

as Himself (archive)
Released: 2024-06-07

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Godard Made in USA

as Self
Released: 2010-12-11

Documentary by Luc Lagier exploring Godard's career as a filmmaker, the production of Breathless...

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Putting it Together: The Making of the Broadway Album

as uncredited
Released: 1986-01-11

In 1985, Barbra Streisand released "The Broadway Album," which remains one of her most popular...

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Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection

as Self
Released: 2001-09-25

The exciting story of the making of William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), hosted by...

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The Simpsons

as Dr. Kenneth Humphries (voice)
First aired: 1989-12-17

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday...

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100 Years of Warner Bros.

as Self
First aired: 2023-05-25

Tracing a century of movie and TV history, these four documentary specials explore the...

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Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Self
First aired: 1955-10-02

A television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock featuring dramas, thrillers, and mysteries.

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AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

as Self
First aired: 1998-06-23

To commemorate the first century of American filmmaking, the American Film Institute embarked on...

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Through the Night with...

as Self
First aired: 2002-05-10

Durch die Nacht mit … is a German documentary film television series produced by ZDF for...

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Leçon de Cinéma

as Self
First aired: 2004-03-20

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