William Friedkin
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.
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist
as Self - DirectorA behind-the-scenes retrospective made for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic horror...
Movie page
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
as SelfA look at the life and work of legendary film producer Richard D. Zanuck.
Movie page
The Devil and Father Amorth
as HimselfWilliam Friedkin attends an exorcism with Father Gabriele Amorth, as he treats an Italian woman...
Movie page
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible...
Movie page
Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
as uncreditedDocumentary about the great 1940s horror movie producer Val Lewton, featured on the 2005 DVD...
Movie page
The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo
as SelfCinematographer John A. Alonzo was one of the driving creative forces in the resurgence of...
Movie page
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
as SelfDocumentary that features interviews with Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, Francis Lawrence,...
Movie page
A Decade Under the Influence
as SelfA documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of...
Movie page
Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange'
as SelfIn this documentary, we follow Stanley Kubrick as he creates one of the most controversial films...
Movie page
The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't
as SelfOn the 35th anniversary of the release of the landmark film "The Godfather," (March 15, 1972) we...
Movie page
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
as SelfA lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, the last film of Alexandre O. Philippe...
Movie page
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
as SelfActor Martin Sheen narrates this newly produced, feature-length high definition documentary,...
Movie page
I Am Alfred Hitchcock
as SelfInterviews and archival footage weave together to tell the story of the Master of Suspense, one...
Movie page
Friedkin Uncut
as SelfAn introspective insight into the life and artistic journey of William Friedkin, an...
Movie page
Henri Langlois vu par...
as SelfThirteen filmmakers talk about Henri Langlois and their relationship with him.
Movie page
The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now
as SelfFriedkin and Roizman talk about the film's Georgetown locales, and side-by-side comparisons...
Movie page
Fellini of the Spirits
as Self2020 marks 100 years since the birth of Federico Fellini, the most prominent Italian director...
Movie page
North by Northwest: One for the Ages
as SelfA discussion of "North by Northwest" and its influence.
Movie page
Exorcising 'Cruising'
as SelfPart two of the making of William Friedkin's 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it...
Movie page
A Fuller Life
as Self - Reader (segment "My Ballsy Yarns")Friends and admirers of iconoclastic film director Sam Fuller read from his memoirs in this...
Movie page
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock
as SelfAlfred Hitchcock often referred to his style of film making as "pure cinema" — using camera...
Movie page
Putting it Together: The Making of the Broadway Album
as uncreditedIn 1985, Barbra Streisand released "The Broadway Album," which remains one of her most popular...
Movie page
Making the Boys
as HimselfBefore Prop 8, Milk or Will & Grace, before the AIDS epidemic, gay pride parades or the...
Movie page
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
as SelfActors, crew and executives who worked at Warner Bros. Pictures recall their days at the studio.
Movie page
The History of 'Cruising'
as SelfPart one of the making of William Friedkin’s 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it...
Movie page
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
as HimselfA intimate reflection at the making of and cultural phenomenon of one of the most popular and...
Movie page
Conversation with Fritz Lang
as SelfAmerican director William Friedkin interviewed Austrian director Fritz Lang on February 21st and...
Movie page
View from the Overlook: Crafting 'The Shining'
as SelfAn overview of the making of, and a look at the continuing popularity of, Stanley Kubrick's The...
Movie page
Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection
as SelfThe exciting story of the making of William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), hosted by...
Movie page
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
as SelfA profile of writer-director Billy Wilder
Movie page
The Visions of Stanley Kubrick
as SelfA look at the visual design of the film The Shining (1980).
Movie page
The Exorcist Untold
as Self (archive footage)An insight into one of the most groundbreaking horror films of all time; the infamous The...
Movie page
Fear in the Dark
as SelfA short documentary on the history of the horror film narrated by Christopher Lee.
Movie page
Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
as SelfThis documentary about "2001: A Space Odyssey" looks at some of the things that seemed fanciful...
Movie page
Hollywood Halloween
as HimselfHorror documentary with interviews to William Friedkin, Stan Winston, John McNaughton, Tom...
Movie page
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
as SelfDocumentary about the work of film director Michael Curtiz.
Movie page
Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman
as HimselfA documentary on the life and career of Victor Fleming, director of such iconic movies as The...
Movie page
The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'
as SelfA documentary on the production of The French Connection (1971).
Movie page
Miller's Tale
as SelfMiller's Tale is a personal journey into the life of playwright and actor Jason Miller and his...
Movie page
Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic
as SelfThe behind-the-scenes story of how "Casablanca" became an American film classic.
Movie page
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
as SelfFilms beget films. Filmmakers influence other filmmakers constantly. But the most influential...
Movie page
Sorcerers: A Conversation with William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn
as uncreditedWilliam Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn discuss the production and the reception of Friedkin's...
Movie page
Algren
as SelfAlgren will spotlight the hard-knock life and authentic creative legacy of one of the most...
Movie page
Godard Made in USA
as SelfDocumentary by Luc Lagier exploring Godard's career as a filmmaker, the production of Breathless...
Movie page
Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
as SelfThe cry of gulls. The ticking of a clock. The clatter of a shower curtain, torn from its rod. In...
Movie page
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
as HimselfThe magic and creation behind the making of William Friedkin's classic action film To Live and...
Movie page
Anatomy of a Chase
as SelfThirty-five years after it was made, the climatic car chase scene in The French Connection is...
Movie page
Shadows of Suspense
as SelfA documentary featuring film historians, directors and authors discussing the making of Billy...
Movie page
Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist
as Self2010 documentary on William Friedkin's 1973 horror classic, featuring the never before seen on...
Movie page
The Simpsons
as Dr. Kenneth Humphries (voice)Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday...
TV Show page
The Oscars
as Self (archive footage)An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The...
TV Show page
Through the Night with...
as SelfDurch die Nacht mit … is a German documentary film television series produced by ZDF for...
TV Show page
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as SelfA television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock featuring dramas, thrillers, and mysteries.
TV Show page
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies
as SelfTo commemorate the first century of American filmmaking, the American Film Institute embarked on...
TV Show page
100 Years of Warner Bros.
as SelfTracing a century of movie and TV history, these four documentary specials explore the...
TV Show page
