William Friedkin

William Friedkin

Directing
Born 1935-08-29 - Died 2023-08-07Chicago, Illinois, USA

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.

Movies (64)

Fellini of the Spirits
6.6

Fellini of the Spirits

2020Movie6.6
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
6.5

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

2014Movie6.5
The Devil and Father Amorth
5.1

The Devil and Father Amorth

2018Movie5.1
I Am Alfred Hitchcock
7.3

I Am Alfred Hitchcock

2021Movie7.3
Howard Hawks: American Artist
6.2

Howard Hawks: American Artist

1997Movie6.2
Friedkin Uncut
7.1

Friedkin Uncut

2018Movie7.1
Without Limits
6.6

Without Limits

1998Movie6.6
The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't
7.2

The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't

2008Movie7.2
A Decade Under the Influence
7.9

A Decade Under the Influence

2003Movie7.9
Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
6.0

Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001

2007Movie6.0
Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection
7.0

Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection

2001Movie7.0
Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock

Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock

2008Movie
Godard Made in USA

Godard Made in USA

2010Movie
A Fuller Life
6.6

A Fuller Life

2013Movie6.6
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
6.3

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

2013Movie6.3
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
7.4

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

2019Movie7.4
The History of 'Cruising'
7.7

The History of 'Cruising'

2007Movie7.7
Stanley Kubrick in Focus
5.3

Stanley Kubrick in Focus

2012Movie5.3
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist
7.4

The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist

1998Movie7.4
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
6.8

The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style

2009Movie6.8
Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock

Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock

2009Movie
Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange'
6.1

Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange'

2007Movie6.1
Henri Langlois vu par...
5.0

Henri Langlois vu par...

2014Movie5.0
Fear in the Dark
9.0

Fear in the Dark

1991Movie9.0
North by Northwest: One for the Ages
6.8

North by Northwest: One for the Ages

2009Movie6.8
Algren
6.0

Algren

2021Movie6.0
Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
6.2

Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001

2007Movie6.2
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
6.8

Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot

2013Movie6.8
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
6.7

Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of

2012Movie6.7
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock

Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock

2008Movie
Miller's Tale
7.1

Miller's Tale

2011Movie7.1
Shadows of Suspense

Shadows of Suspense

2006Movie
View from the Overlook: Crafting 'The Shining'
7.4

View from the Overlook: Crafting 'The Shining'

2007Movie7.4
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
6.8

In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy

2008Movie6.8
Filming “The Hunted”

Filming “The Hunted”

2003Movie
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist

Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist

2024Movie
Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders

Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders

2026Movie
Hollywood Halloween
8.0

Hollywood Halloween

1997Movie8.0
The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'
7.9

The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'

2000Movie7.9
Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album
9.0

Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album

1986Movie9.0
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
7.7

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

2003Movie7.7
Stringman: The Jack Nitzsche Story

Stringman: The Jack Nitzsche Story

2018Movie
Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman
7.5

Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman

2009Movie7.5
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
6.0

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

1998Movie6.0
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
10.0

The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2013Movie10.0
Exorcising 'Cruising'
6.5

Exorcising 'Cruising'

2007Movie6.5
Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
9.3

Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy

2005Movie9.3
Making the Boys
4.7

Making the Boys

2011Movie4.7
Return to the Genre

Return to the Genre

2016Movie
The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo
6.0

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

2007Movie6.0
Oscars, Actors and The Exorcist

Oscars, Actors and The Exorcist

1974Movie
Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic
6.5

Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic

2012Movie6.5
The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now

The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now

2010Movie
Conversation with Fritz Lang
7.1

Conversation with Fritz Lang

1975Movie7.1
Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist
6.0

Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist

2010Movie6.0
The Visions of Stanley Kubrick
6.9

The Visions of Stanley Kubrick

2007Movie6.9
Tatort Oper - Wie Filmemacher Oper machen

Tatort Oper - Wie Filmemacher Oper machen

2007Movie
The Cutting Edge

The Cutting Edge

2003Movie
Pursuing “The Hunted”

Pursuing “The Hunted”

2003Movie
A Little Solitaire

A Little Solitaire

2004Movie
Narc: The Friedkin Connection
9.0

Narc: The Friedkin Connection

2003Movie9.0
Anatomy of a Chase
4.0

Anatomy of a Chase

2009Movie4.0
Sorcerers: A Conversation with William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn
4.5

Sorcerers: A Conversation with William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn

2015Movie4.5
The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons

The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons

2022Movie

TV Shows (4)

The Simpsons
8.0

The Simpsons

1989Series8.0
Through the Night with...
7.9

Through the Night with...

2002Series7.9
100 Years of Warner Bros.
7.6

100 Years of Warner Bros.

2023Series7.6
Leçon de Cinéma
7.0

Leçon de Cinéma

2004Series7.0