William Friedkin
Also Known As: 윌리엄 프리드킨, 윌리암 프리드킨
Biography: 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.
Department: Directing
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Birthday: August 29, 1935
Deathday: August 07, 2023
Adult: No
Gender: Male
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Known For:
Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist
Overview: 2010 documentary on William Friedkin's 1973 horror classic, featuring the never before seen on set footage of cinematographer Owen Roizman.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-05-10
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The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't
Overview: On the 35th anniversary of the release of the landmark film "The Godfather," (March 15, 1972) we look back at the time and place of the film's conception and shooting.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2008-06-03
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Tatort Oper - Wie Filmemacher Oper machen
Overview: What happens when famous directors stage an opera? Eckhart Schmidt shows successful and failed attempts.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: de
Release Date: 2007-07-21
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Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
Overview: Documentary about the great 1940s horror movie producer Val Lewton, featured on the 2005 DVD release "The Val Lewton Horror Collection."
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2005-10-04
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Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock
Overview: Alfred Hitchcock often referred to his style of film making as "pure cinema" — using camera movement, editing, music and sound to tell stories that would be impossible in any other medium. This in-depth documentary allows directors such as William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro to examine the power and mastery of Hitchcock's cinematic style.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2008-10-07
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Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
Overview: The cry of gulls. The ticking of a clock. The clatter of a shower curtain, torn from its rod. In this workshop-like documentary, Academy Award-winning sound designers invite you to join them at their mix boards to investigate how Alfred Hitchcock employed sound design to tell his cinematic stories, whether making audience members leap from their seats in fright or crawl under them from excruciating suspense.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2008-10-07
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The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist
Overview: A behind-the-scenes retrospective made for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the classic horror film, The Exorcist. Includes interviews with Linda Blair and the other stars of the film, along with commentary from the director and writer on some of the deeper meanings behind the elements they used to terrify their audiences, and previously unreleased footage including make-up tests and deleted scenes.
Genres: Documentary TV Movie Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1998-06-13
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A Little Solitaire
Overview: William Friedkin on The Manchurian Candidate
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2004-07-12
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Miller's Tale
Overview: Miller's Tale is a personal journey into the life of playwright and actor Jason Miller and his relationship with his hometown, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Best known for his performance as Father Karras in The Exorcist, Miller experienced a brief but brilliant period of national acclaim, then curiously abandoned Hollywood to return to his hometown. After Miller died in a local bar Scranton, at the age of 62, filmmaker and fellow Scranton native Rebecca Marshall Ferris set out with her camera to find out why did this exceptional playwright, who achieved such phenomenal early success, never write a Broadway play again? And what happened to Miller in Hollywood that would make him run away from a promising acting career?
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2011-03-05
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Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
Overview: A intimate reflection at the making of and cultural phenomenon of one of the most popular and profitable horror films ever made, The Exorcist (1973).
Genres: Documentary Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2024-03-26
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Anatomy of a Chase
Overview: Thirty-five years after it was made, the climatic car chase scene in The French Connection is still jaw-dropping in its suspense and execution. Director William Friedkin recounts how he created one of the greatest action sequences ever.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-02-24
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Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange'
Overview: In this documentary, we follow Stanley Kubrick as he creates one of the most controversial films of all time, one that retains its power to shock audiences, even after 35 years. At the time of its release, A Clockwork Orange created a firestorm of controversy. Through interviews with collaborators, filmmakers, screenwriters and authors, we come to appreciate Stanley Kubrick as an artist unafraid to take risks and court controversy, committed unwaveringly to his single-minded goal: the highest artistic quality of his films.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-10-23
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Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
Overview: Actors, crew and executives who worked at Warner Bros. Pictures recall their days at the studio.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2013-01-15
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The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now
Overview: Friedkin and Roizman talk about the film's Georgetown locales, and side-by-side comparisons between the 1973 locations and their modern 2010 counterparts are examined.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-10-05
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Conversation with Fritz Lang
Overview: American director William Friedkin interviewed Austrian director Fritz Lang on February 21st and 24th, 1975. Lang died August 2nd, 1976.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1975-02-24
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The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Overview: Actor Martin Sheen narrates this newly produced, feature-length high definition documentary, touching on the film's timelessness and legacy before diving into the story of its development, production and release.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2013-10-01
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Filming “The Hunted”
Overview: Behind the scenes of The Hunted.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-08-12
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Pursuing “The Hunted”
Overview: Behind the scenes of The Hunted.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-08-12
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The Cutting Edge
Overview: Behind the scenes of The Hunted.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-08-12
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Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock
Overview: A short Universal promo regarding the works of Alfred Hitchcock.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-11-24
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The Exorcist Untold
Overview: An insight into one of the most groundbreaking horror films of all time; the infamous The Exorcist (1973).
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2023-12-11
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Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic
Overview: The behind-the-scenes story of how "Casablanca" became an American film classic.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2012-03-27
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Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection
Overview: The exciting story of the making of William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), hosted by former NYPD detective Sony Grosso, who inspired the character of Buddy 'Cloudy' Russo, played in the film by actor Roy Scheider.
Genres: Documentary TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2001-09-25
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The Visions of Stanley Kubrick
Overview: A look at the visual design of the film The Shining (1980).
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-10-23
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View from the Overlook: Crafting 'The Shining'
Overview: An overview of the making of, and a look at the continuing popularity of, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-10-23
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Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Overview: The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible independent creator: a musical prodigy, an excellent painter, a master of theater and radio, a modern Shakespeare, a magician who was always searching for a new trick to surprise his audience, a romantic and legendary figure who lived only for cinema.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2014-12-12
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Stanley Kubrick in Focus
Overview: Spielberg, Soderbergh, Stone, Friedkin, Scorsese and others tell how Kubrick's directorial style influenced them and how his unique style was developed.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2012-11-30
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Peter Lorre : Derrière le masque du maudit
Overview:
Genres: Documentary TV Movie
Original Language: fr
Release Date: 2024-06-07
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Fear in the Dark
Overview: A short documentary on the history of the horror film narrated by Christopher Lee.
Genres: Documentary TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1991-10-29
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The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
Overview: Documentary that features interviews with Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, Francis Lawrence, William Friedkin, Guillermo Del Toro, John Carpenter and others as they discuss the films and style of the Master of Suspense.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-11-03
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North by Northwest: One for the Ages
Overview: A discussion of "North by Northwest" and its influence.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-11-03
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A Fuller Life
Overview: Friends and admirers of iconoclastic film director Sam Fuller read from his memoirs in this unconventional documentary directed by Fuller's only child, Samantha.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2013-08-28
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A Decade Under the Influence
Overview: A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-04-25
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The History of 'Cruising'
Overview: Part one of the making of William Friedkin’s 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it created.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-09-18
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Exorcising 'Cruising'
Overview: Part two of the making of William Friedkin's 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it created.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-09-18
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In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
Overview: Films beget films. Filmmakers influence other filmmakers constantly. But the most influential filmmaker of all time is Alfred Hitchcock.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2008-10-07
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Making the Boys
Overview: Before Prop 8, Milk or Will & Grace, before the AIDS epidemic, gay pride parades or the Stonewall uprising, "The Boys in the Band" changed everything. "Making the Boys" explores the drama, struggle and enduring legacy of the first-ever gay play and subsequent Hollywood movie to successfully reach a mainstream audience. Featuring anecdotes from the surviving cast and filmmakers, as well as perspectives by legendary figures from stage and screen, it traces the behind-the-scenes drama and lasting legacy of this cultural milestone.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2011-03-11
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Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
Overview: A profile of writer-director Billy Wilder
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1998-02-04
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The Devil and Father Amorth
Overview: William Friedkin attends an exorcism with Father Gabriele Amorth, as he treats an Italian woman named Cristina for the ninth time. Prior to filming, Cristina had purportedly been experiencing behavioural changes and “fits” that could not be explained by psychiatry, and which became worse during Christian holidays.
Genres: Documentary Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2018-04-20
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Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
Overview: Documentary about the work of film director Michael Curtiz.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2012-01-01
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Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
Overview: The magic and creation behind the making of William Friedkin's classic action film To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). It follows cast, crew and the director several years after the film sharing their experiences while working on the project, also including footage from the shooting, and they discuss in detail the conception of the most spectacular scenes filmed there and also the great debate about the different endings developed for the film.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2003-12-02
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Friedkin Uncut
Overview: An introspective insight into the life and artistic journey of William Friedkin, an extraordinary and offbeat director of cult films such as The French Connection, The Exorcist, Sorcerer, Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A. and Killer Joe. For the first time Friedkin opens up, guiding the audience on a fascinating journey through the themes and the stories that have influenced his life and his artistic career.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2018-11-05
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Putting it Together: The Making of the Broadway Album
Overview: In 1985, Barbra Streisand released "The Broadway Album," which remains one of her most popular records. Barbra's first television special on HBO debuted in 1986. The special—which combined an interview with director William Friedkin with documentary footage of Barbra in the recording studio making 'The Broadway Album' - was only 40 minutes long. The best of Broadway comes to life in the tour, as Streisand rehearses "Putting it Together," "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" and "If I Loved You." Also included is the music video for "Somewhere."
Genres: Documentary Music TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1986-01-11
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Algren
Overview: Algren will spotlight the hard-knock life and authentic creative legacy of one of the most underrated writers of the twentieth century, Nelson Algren. Algren's brutally honest portrayal of the American underclass and his hard-nosed lifestyle became his pathway to compassion. Through interviews with Algren contemporaries, experts, and "literary soulmates," as well as through the photography of Algren's friends, Art Shay and Stephen Deutch, the film will tell his story. It will celebrate his tremendous contribution to and influence on American letters, and push Algren, champion of the marginalized, out from the margins.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2021-10-21
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Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
Overview: This documentary about "2001: A Space Odyssey" looks at some of the things that seemed fanciful in 1968, which don't seem quite as much anymore.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-10-23
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Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman
Overview: A documentary on the life and career of Victor Fleming, director of such iconic movies as The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.
Genres: Documentary History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2009-09-22
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Sorcerers: A Conversation with William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn
Overview: William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn discuss the production and the reception of Friedkin's movie 'Sorcerer'
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-12-02
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Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
Overview: A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, the last film of Alexandre O. Philippe explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography.
Genres: Documentary Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2023-10-05
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Henri Langlois vu par...
Overview: Thirteen filmmakers talk about Henri Langlois and their relationship with him.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: fr
Release Date: 2014-07-27
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Godard Made in USA
Overview: Documentary by Luc Lagier exploring Godard's career as a filmmaker, the production of Breathless and his influence and his relationship with American cinema.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2010-12-11
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Fellini of the Spirits
Overview: 2020 marks 100 years since the birth of Federico Fellini, the most prominent Italian director and one of the symbols of the insuperable cinematic heyday of mid-20th century. Fellini had always been a mysterious director, not only in his cryptic symbolism but also in his idiosyncratic, excessive mixture of psychoanalysis, Catholicism and faith in the mysterious. In this documentary, his relationship with the paranormal, luck and fate, alongside the coexistence of organized discourse and transcendence to the imaginary, is examined via friends, collaborators and distinguished fans (Friedkin, Gilliam, Chazelle). A great testimony to why rationalists and ideologists have a hard time with his work, ‘Fellini and the Spirits’ is an appropriate yet unexpected tribute.
Genres: Documentary Animation
Original Language: it
Release Date: 2020-08-31
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Howard Hawks: American Artist
Overview: A tribute of Howard Hawks by the British Film Institute.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1997-01-01
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Hollywood Halloween
Overview: Horror documentary with interviews to William Friedkin, Stan Winston, John McNaughton, Tom Holland and Ridley Scott.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1997-01-01
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Return to the Genre
Overview: An nnterview with director William Friedkin about The Guardian (1990)
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2016-09-27
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The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo
Overview: Cinematographer John A. Alonzo was one of the driving creative forces in the resurgence of expressionistic American movies of the late 1960s and '70s. Director Axel Schill's documentary explores Alonzo's work on key films of that era and beyond. Clips from Chinatown, Scarface, Internal Affairs and other movies accompany interviews with stars such as Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field and contemporary cinematographer Haskell Wexler.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2007-01-01
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Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
Overview: A look at the life and work of legendary film producer Richard D. Zanuck.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2013-04-28
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I Am Alfred Hitchcock
Overview: Interviews and archival footage weave together to tell the story of the Master of Suspense, one of the most influential and studied filmmakers in the history of cinema.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2021-05-02
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The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'
Overview: A documentary on the production of The French Connection (1971).
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2000-01-15
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Shadows of Suspense
Overview: A documentary featuring film historians, directors and authors discussing the making of Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity."
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-08-22
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The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons
Overview: A documentary film detailing the hunt for the holy grail of cinema: the legendary lost director's cut of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2022-07-01
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