William Friedkin : Interviews

Description

William Friedkin: Interviews

Description

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 Hollywood filmmaker. His rise behind the camera from television director to Oscar winner came with self-confidence and unorthodox methods. Friedkin has a 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. Following, 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. From his early days in Chicago, to his run-ins with Alfred Hitchcock, to firing guns on set and witnessing an exorcism in Italy. The story of William Friedkin’s work is woven together into a concise impression for cinephiles, horror junkies, and aspiring filmmakers. As a result, readers will gain insight into Friedkin’s genius and discover the thoughts and processes of a true maverick of American cinema.

Published 03/03/2020 by University Press of Mississippi in the United States as part of the Conversations with Filmmakers Series series
Paperback | 208 pages