Introduction -- Chronology -- Filmography -- Harold Lloyd master seminars with William Friedkin / American Film Institute, -- William Friedkin interview / Gerald R. Barrett -- Tense situation: William Friedkin in an interview with Ralph Appelbaum -- The Cruising controversy: William Friedkin vs. the gay community / Edward Guthmann -- Harold Lloyd master seminars with William Friedkin / American Film Institute, -- William Friedkin: auteur of the dark / Alex Simon -- Harold Lloyd master seminars with William Friedkin / American Film Institute, -- Cruising with Billy / Alex Simon -- Exorcissing the past: a retrospective with William Friedkin / Ian Johnston -- William Friedkin: why Sorcerer's spell refuses to die / Alex Simon -- Exorcist director: it worked because "I made that film as a believer" / Stephen Galloway -- A discussion with William Friedkin: "I see a diminishing of all art forms these days" / Sven Mikulec -- "I never thought my films would find a large audience": William Friedkin interviewed / A. J. Goldmann -- We need an exorcist! / Maureen Dowd -- No sympathy for the devil: The Exorcist director William Friedkin looks back / Kory Grow -- Index.
Summary:
"Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin (b. 1935) is best known for his critically and commercially successful films The French Connection and The Exorcist. Unlike other film school-educated filmmakers of the directors' era, Friedkin got his start as a mailroom clerk at a local TV station and worked his way up to becoming a full-blown Hollywood filmmaker by his thirties. His rapid rise behind the camera from television director to Oscar winner came with self-confidence and unorthodox methods. Known for his gritty and auteurist style, Friedkin's films tell the story of a changing America upended by crime, hypocrisy, the occult, and amorality. Although his subsequent films achieved varying levels of success, his cultural impact is undeniable. William Friedkin: Interviews collects fifteen articles, interviews, and seminars spanning Friedkin's career. He discusses early influences, early successes, awards, and current projects. The volume provides coverage of his directorial process, beliefs, and anecdotes from his time serving as the creative force of some of the biggest films of the 1970s and beyond-from his early days in Chicago, to his run-ins with Alfred Hitchcock, to firing guns on set and witnessing an actual exorcism in Italy. Through previously unpublished and obscure interviews and seminars, the story of William Friedkin's work and life is woven together into a candid and concise impression for cinephiles, horror junkies, and aspiring filmmakers alike. Readers will gain insight into Friedkin's genius from his own perspectives and discover the thoughts and processes of a true maverick of American cinema"-- Provided by publisher. "Collected interviews with the Academy Award-winning director of the critically and commercially successful films The French Connection and The Exorcist"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.