French Connection director highlights “challenging time” for the future of world cinema.
Us director William Friedkin is to deliver the Cinema Masterclass at the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22). Filmmakers to previously give the masterclass include Martin Scorsese, Nanni Moretti, Wong Kar-wai, Quentin Tarantino, Marco Bellocchio, Philip Kaufman and Jacques Audiard.
Accepting the invitation, the director of The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973) said: “This is the most challenging time I can recall for the future of world cinema. There are massive changes coming for production and exhibition, more than I’ve experienced in over 50 years.”
He added it would be “an honour to share my thoughts and ideas with an audience at Cannes, the home of world cinema.”
Friedkin, who won the Oscar for Best Director in 1972 for The French Connection, is also known for features including Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in La (1985), Rampage (1987), The Guardian (1990), Bug (2006) and Killer Joe (2011).
The Masterclass, which...
Us director William Friedkin is to deliver the Cinema Masterclass at the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22). Filmmakers to previously give the masterclass include Martin Scorsese, Nanni Moretti, Wong Kar-wai, Quentin Tarantino, Marco Bellocchio, Philip Kaufman and Jacques Audiard.
Accepting the invitation, the director of The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973) said: “This is the most challenging time I can recall for the future of world cinema. There are massive changes coming for production and exhibition, more than I’ve experienced in over 50 years.”
He added it would be “an honour to share my thoughts and ideas with an audience at Cannes, the home of world cinema.”
Friedkin, who won the Oscar for Best Director in 1972 for The French Connection, is also known for features including Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in La (1985), Rampage (1987), The Guardian (1990), Bug (2006) and Killer Joe (2011).
The Masterclass, which...
- 4/4/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
This month's film Book Club choice is a study of director William Friedkin that spends as much time on the failures as the successes...
Some films catch your attention for reasons other than being good. Cruising (1980) has stuck in my memory for years. It’s very weird. Al Pacino plays a cop who works undercover in New York’s gay club scene, tracking down a serial killer. Or possibly more than one serial killer; it's difficult to tell in the darkness, the double bluffs, and the uncomfortable and unclear nature of the action. Few critics liked it, even less people went to see it, and William Friedkin wrote and directed it. When I think of Friedkin's work I think of Cruising as much as I think of The Exorcist, or The French Connection. How could the same person have made these films?
Clagett's book embraces the failures as much as the successes,...
Some films catch your attention for reasons other than being good. Cruising (1980) has stuck in my memory for years. It’s very weird. Al Pacino plays a cop who works undercover in New York’s gay club scene, tracking down a serial killer. Or possibly more than one serial killer; it's difficult to tell in the darkness, the double bluffs, and the uncomfortable and unclear nature of the action. Few critics liked it, even less people went to see it, and William Friedkin wrote and directed it. When I think of Friedkin's work I think of Cruising as much as I think of The Exorcist, or The French Connection. How could the same person have made these films?
Clagett's book embraces the failures as much as the successes,...
- 4/14/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Legendary director William Friedkin has just been given a lifetime achievement award at the Venice film festival, but he is still making big, critically acclaimed movies, such as last year's Killer Joe. He looks back on his career, and the film he considers his best, 1977's Sorcerer
On a hot, sticky Tuesday in Venice, the American film director William Friedkin sauntered from his hotel to see an exhibition of paintings at the nearby Doge's Palace. There, he stood in front of Manet's L'Evasion de Rochefort, which depicts the flight of the man who challenged Napoleon III. He saw the little boat packed with indistinguishable figures and the mighty sea churning all around. It struck him that the painting summed up what he thinks of the world: that we're stuck on a boat, at the mercy of nature. Possibly it has something to say about his own career too.
Friedkin is...
On a hot, sticky Tuesday in Venice, the American film director William Friedkin sauntered from his hotel to see an exhibition of paintings at the nearby Doge's Palace. There, he stood in front of Manet's L'Evasion de Rochefort, which depicts the flight of the man who challenged Napoleon III. He saw the little boat packed with indistinguishable figures and the mighty sea churning all around. It struck him that the painting summed up what he thinks of the world: that we're stuck on a boat, at the mercy of nature. Possibly it has something to say about his own career too.
Friedkin is...
- 9/5/2013
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
In a recent interview with New York Times writer Dave Itzkoff, iconoclastic filmmaker William Friedkin sat down to reflect on his diverse career, which spans 19 feature films since the mid-60s. Friedkin, 77, didn't have a breakout until 1970 with "The Boys in the Band," a campy gay farce that actually still plays well today. The next year, Friedkin would go on to win Best Picture for one of his many masterpieces, "The French Connection," and a filmography chock-full of controversial classics from "The Exorcist" to "Cruising" followed. With the huge success of "French Connection" and "Exorcist," the 70s were Friedkin's heyday. Until recent years, with his wonderfully disturbing adaptations of Tracy Letts' southern gothic plays "Bug" and "Killer Joe," the director was churning out lackluster efforts such as "Rampage" and "The Guardian." His film maudit "Sorcerer" (1977), the notoriously thwarted action adventure starring Roy Scheider, is now enjoying a repertory revival with a new print.
- 5/8/2013
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
The filmography of celebrated director William Friedkin is a colorful one indeed. First-year film buffs will, of course, point to classics like The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973), while the more seasoned of the celluloid-obsessed will rattle off titles like Sorcerer (1971), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Blue Chips (1994), Rules of Engagement (2000), and Bug (2006) -- and the hardcore completists will also cite The Boys in the Band (1970), The Brink's Job (1978), Rampage (1987), and The Hunted (2003). Hell, I even saw the guy's 1990 arbor-related horror flick The Guardian! Like, love or hate the individual films, but there's no denying that, as a whole, they represent a rather eclectic storyteller. Most directors find a...
- 9/11/2012
- Screen Anarchy
William Friedkin on the set of The Exorcist William Friedkin brought us The French Connection and The Exorcist, two obvious conversation topics when chatting with the Oscar-winning director, but on top of that there is so much more he's brought to the table worthy of discussion and your attention. In Part One of this interview I featured our conversation pertaining to Friedkin's new film Killer Joe. In Part Two we're rewinding the clock back to the early '70s and discussing The French Connection and whether or not Howard Hawks (The Big Sleep) really did give him the push to direct the film and what he did to get Gene Hackman mad for his Oscar-winning performance as Jimmy Doyle. We discuss The Exorcist and I ask about the rumored television show and if he's ever seen any of the sequels. We talk about his lawsuit over the rights to Sorcerer,...
- 7/26/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Emile Hirsch and William Friedkin on the set of Killer Joe
Photo: Ld Entertainment Anyone paying attention to film knows the name of William Friedkin. The Chicago-born director is best known for The French Connection with its iconic chase sequence and The Exorcist, a film Friedkin frequently avoids referring to as a horror film and more as an exploration of faith and yet, nevertheless, it's often considered one of the best horror films ever made, if not the best. While these are certainly Friedkin's best known films there is more to his career than just two feature films and he's bringing another one to theaters this year with Killer Joe, an Nc-17 rated darkly comedic thriller based on the Tracy Letts stage play starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon and Thomas Haden Church. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2011 and...
Photo: Ld Entertainment Anyone paying attention to film knows the name of William Friedkin. The Chicago-born director is best known for The French Connection with its iconic chase sequence and The Exorcist, a film Friedkin frequently avoids referring to as a horror film and more as an exploration of faith and yet, nevertheless, it's often considered one of the best horror films ever made, if not the best. While these are certainly Friedkin's best known films there is more to his career than just two feature films and he's bringing another one to theaters this year with Killer Joe, an Nc-17 rated darkly comedic thriller based on the Tracy Letts stage play starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon and Thomas Haden Church. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2011 and...
- 7/25/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
William Friedkin, the director of The French Connection, The Exorcist, Rampage, Sorceror and now Killer Joe, popped round recently to talk about his career, his passions and, um, fried chicken... and here's the full, unedited, worryingly long podcast interview for you to enjoy at your leisure.A word of warning, however: you'll probably enjoy this special podcast more a) if you've already watched Killer Joe and b) if you've already watched To Live And Die In L.A. There is a big To Live And Die In L.A spoiler mentioned at the 38th minute (or so), so if you want to jump four minutes after you hear the words 'To Live And Die In L.A.' then please do so - we've pointed out the particular moment in the SoundCloud stream below.P.S. Here's the link to our iTunes page, the link to our SoundCloud account and finally our RSS feed,...
- 6/29/2012
- EmpireOnline
Cool thing about today's "What I Watched" column is you can watch the film I watched right now for free... Rampage (1987) In preparation for my William Friedkin interview I watched his 1987 legal thriller Rampage centered on a man (Alex McArthur) who goes on a brief killing spree and the district attorney (Michael Biehn) seeking the death penalty for his crimes. If I was to try to say anything to convince you to watch this film I would say do so not only because it is damn good, but because McArthur's portrayal of the killer reminded me so much of Kevin Spacey in David Fincher's Seven and Biehn's closing argument is quite bold and risky in an attempt to ratchet up the tension. I don't want to say much else because it could spoil it, but the overall theme of the picture and the ultimate takeaway is quite fascinating. The...
- 6/17/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Subject: Michael Biehn, 53-year old American actor (turned writer and director)
Date of Assessment: March 2, 2011
Positive Buzzwords: Intensity, ability to speak wordless volumes, James Cameron
Negative Buzzwords: Lack of star power, James Cameron
The Case: Upon initial contemplation of this week's subject, the first question that springs to mind is this: What the hell ever happened to Michael Biehn? Such an involuntary reaction is based upon an assumption that Biehn's a relatively lost visage of the 1980s; but anyone who's been paying attention would realize that Biehn's been (for the most part) working steadily as an actor even though his big-time blockbuster roles have long since ceased to exist. Naturally, he came from humble beginnings by steadily landing a lot of television work, including both regular series (even an "ABC Afternoon Special") and made-for-tv movies before moving into feature films. Upon arrival within the celluloid realm, Biehn initially appeared to...
Date of Assessment: March 2, 2011
Positive Buzzwords: Intensity, ability to speak wordless volumes, James Cameron
Negative Buzzwords: Lack of star power, James Cameron
The Case: Upon initial contemplation of this week's subject, the first question that springs to mind is this: What the hell ever happened to Michael Biehn? Such an involuntary reaction is based upon an assumption that Biehn's a relatively lost visage of the 1980s; but anyone who's been paying attention would realize that Biehn's been (for the most part) working steadily as an actor even though his big-time blockbuster roles have long since ceased to exist. Naturally, he came from humble beginnings by steadily landing a lot of television work, including both regular series (even an "ABC Afternoon Special") and made-for-tv movies before moving into feature films. Upon arrival within the celluloid realm, Biehn initially appeared to...
- 3/1/2011
- by Agent Bedhead
DVD Playhouse December 2010
By
Allen Gardner
America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...
By
Allen Gardner
America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...
- 12/20/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
By Todd Gilchrist
On April 27, Tombstone arrives on Blu-ray. The film, one of two competing efforts to chronicle the life of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, encountered almost historic problems when the film’s original writer-director, Kevin Jarre, was fired from the production, and replced by George P. Cosmatos. Thankfully, all of that behind-the-scenes drama ultimately had little impact on the film’s commercial success, not only beating Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp to screens nationwide, but raking in a tidy $60 million at the box office.
Last week, in conjunction with its upcoming Blu-ray release, Hollywood News caught up with one of the film’s co-stars, Michael Biehn, to discuss the drama that swirled around the production. In addition to talking about the tone and atmosphere of that tumultuous set, Biehn explained how he approached playing the film’s most formidable villain, Johnny Ringo, and offered a few suggestions for which...
On April 27, Tombstone arrives on Blu-ray. The film, one of two competing efforts to chronicle the life of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, encountered almost historic problems when the film’s original writer-director, Kevin Jarre, was fired from the production, and replced by George P. Cosmatos. Thankfully, all of that behind-the-scenes drama ultimately had little impact on the film’s commercial success, not only beating Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp to screens nationwide, but raking in a tidy $60 million at the box office.
Last week, in conjunction with its upcoming Blu-ray release, Hollywood News caught up with one of the film’s co-stars, Michael Biehn, to discuss the drama that swirled around the production. In addition to talking about the tone and atmosphere of that tumultuous set, Biehn explained how he approached playing the film’s most formidable villain, Johnny Ringo, and offered a few suggestions for which...
- 4/23/2010
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Hollywoodnews.com
Disclaimer: This article may contain sarcasm; irony and “LOLs” proceed with caution.
The Final Chapter (read Part 2 here)! We have Howard the Duck, Freejack and Shyamalan flicks on the list; these are never good signs. Nonetheless we are bringing it all to you in full-color and in 3-D. (Ed. Note: Due to the economy, 3-D has been dropped and will be replaced by Smell-o-vision — check for your scratch and sniff cards in about 4-6 weeks.) Best Sound went to rage-zombie veterans Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke, leaving Mark Weingarten who worked on Rejuvenatrix in the dust. The Sound Editing section contains one too many references to Ron Silver, and at least two references to a Roger Corman film.
The visual effects category pulled on our heartstrings this year due to the loss of Stan Winston, who was noted en memoriam along with other heroes, Vampira, Leonard Rosenman and Charles H. Schneer...
The Final Chapter (read Part 2 here)! We have Howard the Duck, Freejack and Shyamalan flicks on the list; these are never good signs. Nonetheless we are bringing it all to you in full-color and in 3-D. (Ed. Note: Due to the economy, 3-D has been dropped and will be replaced by Smell-o-vision — check for your scratch and sniff cards in about 4-6 weeks.) Best Sound went to rage-zombie veterans Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke, leaving Mark Weingarten who worked on Rejuvenatrix in the dust. The Sound Editing section contains one too many references to Ron Silver, and at least two references to a Roger Corman film.
The visual effects category pulled on our heartstrings this year due to the loss of Stan Winston, who was noted en memoriam along with other heroes, Vampira, Leonard Rosenman and Charles H. Schneer...
- 2/26/2009
- by Heather Buckley
- DreadCentral.com
Love it or hate it, the Ufc knows what they're doing. With professional boxing fractured and star-less, the Ufc has stepped in as the de facto leader in dudes-pummeling-dudes entertainment. A big reason for this is Ufc President Dana White, who has masterfully shepherded the sport of Mma into the big time. The Ufc is packaged so precisely that it's hard not to be entertained by the product. One large feather in the cap of Dana White and company is The Ultimate Fighter, the SpikeTV Ufc reality show which features established Mma stars coaching up-and-comers in a season long tournament. The seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter debuts Wednesday, April 2 on SpikeTV and features a brand new format.
This season will feature middleweight fighters (171-185 lbs.), though the coaches are both light heavyweights. Current light heavyweight belt holder Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will coach one team, with contender Forrest Griffin coaching the other.
This season will feature middleweight fighters (171-185 lbs.), though the coaches are both light heavyweights. Current light heavyweight belt holder Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will coach one team, with contender Forrest Griffin coaching the other.
- 3/27/2008
- by BuddyTV
- buddytv.com
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