William Friedkin, ‘The Exorcist’ Director, Dies at 87
variety.comCarmel Dagan Director William Friedkin, best known for his Oscar-winning “The French Connection” and blockbuster “The Exorcist,” died Monday in Los Angeles.
He was 87.His death was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing. His final film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.Along with Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola and Hal Ashby, Friedkin rose to A-list status in the 1970s, part of a new generation of vibrant, risk-taking filmmakers.
Combining his experience in television, particularly in documentary film, with a cutting-edge style of editing, Friedkin brought a great deal of energy to the horror and police thriller genres in which he specialized. “The French Connection” was an incredibly fast-paced and morally ambiguous tale, shot in documentary style and containing one of cinema’s most justifiably famous car chase sequences. “Connection” won several Oscars including best picture, director and actor (Gene Hackman) and became a touchstone for the police genre in films and television for years to come.After the critical glory of “The French Connection” came 1973’s “The Exorcist,” which grossed an astounding $500 million worldwide and, along with “The Godfather,” initiated the blockbuster era in motion pictures.
Adapted from William Peter Blatty’s novel about the demonic possession of a young girl, “The Exorcist” was a heavily stylized thriller, as influential on the horror genre as “Connection” had been with cop thrillers.
Read more on variety.com