tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post4150516722895998333..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: the Directors: William FriedkinAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-87520013579891168422017-03-26T16:26:22.025-04:002017-03-26T16:26:22.025-04:00I love his Tales from the Crypt episode. Need to c...I love his Tales from the Crypt episode. Need to check that one out again. Thanks for the comment.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-11306898812679188032017-03-24T08:20:03.211-04:002017-03-24T08:20:03.211-04:00Friedkin also did great TV stuff in the 1980s and ...Friedkin also did great TV stuff in the 1980s and 90s...<br />Take a look at "Nightcrawlers" (from "The Twilight Zone" in 1985) and "On a Deadman's Chest" (from "Tales from the Crypt" in 1992)!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-13796865740897861212015-05-04T18:56:44.976-04:002015-05-04T18:56:44.976-04:00Glad you're such a fan of his work. I love a l...Glad you're such a fan of his work. I love a lot of it too. And Killer Joe... man, that's such a fucked up movie, but I do really love it. Matthew McConaughey is so perfect in it.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-15210882571061513132015-05-01T15:37:35.750-04:002015-05-01T15:37:35.750-04:00So I've seen Killer Joe and my thoughts are: ....So I've seen Killer Joe and my thoughts are: ....?///!///?.... It was either one of the worst films I ever saw or it was a great film. Either way I loved it (this sounds sick). The third act and Matthew were great. I feel the need to go to KFC. I really want to see Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A., Jade, Rules of Engagement, The Hunted (is it better than First Blood?) and especially Bug, The French Connection and Sorcerer ASAP.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00059813680559966539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-91586955060946965402013-05-22T21:56:55.535-04:002013-05-22T21:56:55.535-04:00Love these posts! Friedkin is someone I need to se...Love these posts! Friedkin is someone I need to see more of, but at least the three I have seen all made your "masterful" list. I've got Bug queued up soon on Netflix Instant, so I'm looking forward to that.Erichttp://twscritic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-49439864755870246422013-05-19T11:34:08.148-04:002013-05-19T11:34:08.148-04:00I never knew that either! But you know, Rodriguez&...I never knew that either! But you know, Rodriguez's Roadracers is very thematically similar to Jailbreakers, so that makes perfect sense. (For the record, Roadracers is Rodriguez's personal favorite film of his, and is MUCH better than Jailbreakers.)<br /><br />Thanks for this info!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-88973076724181431872013-05-19T11:32:19.765-04:002013-05-19T11:32:19.765-04:00Cruising still gets a lot of shit, but I thought i...Cruising still gets a lot of shit, but I thought it was remarkable. Definitely polarizing. <br /><br />Ha, well, you check out Jade and Rules of Engagement, and I'l hunt down The Celluloid Closet. That sounds like my kind of doc.<br /><br />Your comments about Killer Joe are So. True. It's almost as if we shouldn't like it, and feel bad for doing so. But it's just so... appealing. But how?Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-8059149719261369012013-05-19T11:29:29.756-04:002013-05-19T11:29:29.756-04:00Even though it's dated now, it definitely does...Even though it's dated now, it definitely does still stand out. Great stuff there.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-28648776570880576392013-05-18T10:45:06.067-04:002013-05-18T10:45:06.067-04:00Oh, and while I was looking up Jailbreakers, I fou...Oh, and while I was looking up Jailbreakers, I found that it was part of a 10 episode TV series called Rebel Highway where each episode was a standalone full-length movie. Here's a list of the directors:<br /><br />Robert Rodriguez<br />Uli Edel (Christiane F; Baader Meinhof Complex)<br />John Milius<br />Joe Dante<br />John McNaughton<br />Allan Arkush (Rock 'n Roll High School)<br />Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary)<br />William Friedkin<br />Ralph Bakshi<br />Jonathan Kaplan<br /><br />What the what?! I'd never heard of this till now...I'm betting the quality wasn't overly high on most of the episodes, but that's a pretty interesting list of names.Bob Turnbullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02243657105760780425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-5130452844550073392013-05-18T10:32:40.189-04:002013-05-18T10:32:40.189-04:00This is a great post...I just started reading Frie...This is a great post...I just started reading Friedkin's memoir, so I've been wanting to dive into some of his other work. This will help a great deal...<br /><br />I can't freaking wait for Sorcerer (well, I've been waiting for decades, so I guess a little while longer can't hurt). I expect it'll come to the Lightbox here in Toronto, but if not I'll be ecstatic to pick up the BluRay. Wages Of Fear is all kinds of awesome, so I'm really curious to see how Friedkin spins it. Your comments make me even more so.<br /><br />I also need to see Cruising straight away. One of the documentaries I saw at the recent Hot Docs Film Festival was called "Interior. Leather Bar." and it's supposed to be an attempt to recreate the missing 40 minutes of footage from that film (ie. the stuff they had to cut). It ends up being very different than you would expect, but it made me need to see Cruising.<br /><br />I've also long wanted to The Boys In The Band. Have you seen the great documentary The Celluloid Closet? It's a history of gays and lesbians in film (anyone interested in any kind of documentary on film should see it) and Boys In The Band is a central and pivotal film that gets a lot of discussion. It does look like it'll be a tad slow (not in the good way), but I've been to track it down.<br /><br />I'd had no interest in Jade or Rules Of Engagement until now. You're gonna make me watch them aren't you? Damn it.<br /><br />I'm slightly curious about Jailbreakers simply because it stars Shannen Doherty. I'm not a shallow person, but I always thought she was exceedingly attractive.<br /><br />Killer Joe is great because it makes you feel so very awful for having enjoyed it. You feel a bit defiled after watching it. Emile Hirsch almost ruins it for me, but the rest is so grimy and grubby and slimy and slovenly that it more than makes up for him.Bob Turnbullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02243657105760780425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-15262387345782739712013-05-18T10:13:35.092-04:002013-05-18T10:13:35.092-04:00Wow, I had no idea that Friedkin directed "Se...Wow, I had no idea that Friedkin directed "Self Control". I always thought that video stood out from the pack back in the 80s (it'll feel extraordinarily dated now, but I loved it then).Bob Turnbullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02243657105760780425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-89621535529785385822013-05-15T16:02:13.616-04:002013-05-15T16:02:13.616-04:00Friedkin AND Blair... wow man. And it was your FIR...Friedkin AND Blair... wow man. And it was your FIRST. TIME. Seeing it?! What a way to see a great film, you know?<br /><br />I've actually never been scared by it either. Disturbed, yes; mortified, sure; but I suppose not exactly scared. Either way, I love everything about it.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by again!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-86045934512929380602013-05-15T15:54:06.558-04:002013-05-15T15:54:06.558-04:00Thanks for the congrats!!
The Exorcist screening...Thanks for the congrats!!<br /><br /> The Exorcist screening was great. Friedkin was there as well to introduce and do a Q&A with Linda Blair. Both were wonderful. <br /><br /> As far as the movie itself: I enjoyed it. The sound design was awesome, as were the performances and cinematography. The exorcism scene was amazing! Though I was never scared (but I was disturbed at times), I can see why it's considered as one of the scariest films ever.<br />Jonathan Welchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90382591516174822842013-05-14T14:01:12.570-04:002013-05-14T14:01:12.570-04:00I hadn't seen many of his older films before r...I hadn't seen many of his older films before researching this post, but as I made my way through his films, I was stunned by how different they were. Very very odd career, for better or worse.<br /><br />I'm seriously pumped for the Sorcerer rerelease. I know he's been working hard on it.<br /><br />Bob Clark, ha, jesus. From Black Christmas to Porky's to... Baby Geniuses.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-40929799954606931402013-05-14T13:57:45.508-04:002013-05-14T13:57:45.508-04:00Thanks!
He's had a diverse career indeed. He...Thanks! <br /><br />He's had a diverse career indeed. He really isn't afraid to tackle any genre or subject. And I respect that.<br /><br />I'm with you all the way on The French Connection - I suppose it's too... slow for some younger viewers today...? I'm not sure. But damn, it is such an immensely engaging film, I love it to death.<br /><br />Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-8173982090645535782013-05-14T13:55:36.711-04:002013-05-14T13:55:36.711-04:00I love Killer Joe for the exact reasons you mentio...I love Killer Joe for the exact reasons you mentioned - it's greasy, its characters are ignorant as hell... it's just a damn different film.<br /><br />DEFINITELY check out The French Connection when you can. It's '70s filmmaking at its finest.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-77767368717719933152013-05-14T13:53:33.408-04:002013-05-14T13:53:33.408-04:00Nice man, glad you dug it. Movies like that simply...Nice man, glad you dug it. Movies like that simply were not made in American in 1971. It really pushed things to the edge.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-10347248489690502492013-05-14T12:13:22.056-04:002013-05-14T12:13:22.056-04:00What a strange, strange career. I know a lot of fi...What a strange, strange career. I know a lot of filmmakers—the majority of them through history, probably—tend to genre-hop a lot (whether from choice or necessity, probably usually the latter), but when you lay out Friedkin's filmography like that, somehow it looks odder than most such filmmakers' oeuvres would. Well, apart from Bob Clark's, maybe. THERE's a truly baffling career for you...<br /><br />Can't wait for the Sorcerer reissue. I saw it on the big screen about ten years ago (with Friedkin in attendance), and have been bummed ever since that there's no good home video release.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-26478043635859941152013-05-14T11:03:30.338-04:002013-05-14T11:03:30.338-04:00I was going to write and say that I'd just see...I was going to write and say that I'd just seen The Exorcist and The French Connection, but then I remembered that he also directed Blue Chips and Jade. Those aren't really that exciting, though Nolte makes the former interesting. He's had such a diverse career. <br /><br />I love The French Connection and am still amazed when younger movie fans are underwhelmed by it. Beyond the car chase, it's also just a great police film. Hackman has rarely been better. I like the Exorcist and admire what Friedkin did with it, but I'm still a little cold towards it. It's been a while since I've seen it, so that might be part of it. Nice job!Dan Heatonhttp://ptsnob.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-72934134742494333422013-05-14T03:38:42.379-04:002013-05-14T03:38:42.379-04:00I'm woefully unfamiliar with Friedkin's wo...I'm woefully unfamiliar with Friedkin's work, having only seen "The Exorcist" and "Killer Joe" - both of which I loved - so this is a very helpful document to help me investigate the rest of his filmography (though I somehow wasn't aware that he directed "The French Connection" until now!).<br /><br />"Killer Joe" is a great, greasy film - I love how, with the possible exception of Joseph Cooper himself, everyone is just astoundingly stupid and easily manipulated. And that ending! I have a lot of respect for films that pick the exact right moment to roll credits, and "Killer Joe" is undeniably one of them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-9399336517309237142013-05-13T23:00:22.106-04:002013-05-13T23:00:22.106-04:00I actually just watched The French Connection just...I actually just watched The French Connection just after reading this article. I can dig it, some parts I wasn't as enthralled by but it was sure a hell of a fun ride. maskofgojirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18305737005899440472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90633238012871682152013-05-13T22:55:34.667-04:002013-05-13T22:55:34.667-04:00Yeah, that is a good thing actually. Ha.
Frighte...Yeah, that is a good thing actually. Ha. <br /><br />Frightening... that's a really good word for him. It all goes back to his audacity. The dude isn't afraid to try anything.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-61509531572653195352013-05-13T22:54:25.014-04:002013-05-13T22:54:25.014-04:00I haven't read that yet, but I really need to....I haven't read that yet, but I really need to. If you have a link to it, feel free to post it here.<br /><br />Thanks for the info!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-33845199230089658362013-05-13T22:52:54.388-04:002013-05-13T22:52:54.388-04:00You've definitely seen some amazing ones. I lo...You've definitely seen some amazing ones. I love the hell out of Bug, and Sorcerer is genuinely one of the best remakes ever.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-82997746799449341272013-05-13T22:51:20.610-04:002013-05-13T22:51:20.610-04:00I haven't seen any of his "Eh's"...I haven't seen any of his "Eh's" or "Just Plain Bads" That's probably a good thing. I find Friedkin to be a very frightening director. Like he always shows me something I shouldn't be watching, but I can't look away.<br />Brittani Burnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975067259283007280noreply@blogger.com