THE FREIDKIN CONNECTION A Memoir by William Friedkin

THE FRIEDKIN CONNECTION A Memoir. William Friedkin. HarperCollins; 2013.


Back in the seventies William Friedkin was the well-known bankable director of such highly successful films as The Exorcist and The French Connection. Friedkin admits that he let it all go to his head, made many wrong choices, and often treated people terribly. “When you are immune to the feelings of others,” he asks right at the start, “ can you be a good father, a good husband, a good friend?” Well, why would anyone want to spend a couple of hours reading the memoirs of an admitted self-absorbed jerk who isn't exactly one of the Giants of Cinema despite a couple of well-known movies? Well, there are several reasons. This is a must read for aspiring directors who need to know just how Hollywood works and the business of filmmaking and how it often interferes with the art of cinema. Friedkin lived through it all, and has plenty of info and anecdotes to deliver to those seeking a career in this wonderful and crazy profession. Other readers will appreciate the inside look at Hollywood and the behind-the scenes struggles of making a couple of famous movies, whether or not they are among their personal favorites. You are taken inside the mind of a typical director, understanding his struggles and attitudes, how he agonizes over casting choices, picking just the right cinematographer, and a dozen other things that can severely affect how a movie will work out and how it will be received by critics and public. Friedkin never thought Gene Hackman was really delivering for him while filming The French Connection and relates how the actor just didn't like and couldn't relate to his character. You'll learn how a bit actor in The Exorcist became a murderer whose horrible exploits inspired, in part, Freidkin's excoriated film with Pacino [with whom he did not relate at all], Cruising. [He also directed The Boys in the Band.] Later on Friedkin became a director of operas, despite the fact he had never been to the opera! Friedkin mostly stays away from his personal life, which probably wouldn't interest most readers anyway, but is honest about his reduced standing in the industry and the affect in status of simply growing older. This is well-written and very entertaining.

Verdict: A good bet for film enthusiasts and a must-read for aspiring directors. ***1/2.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN -- AND CONTEST ANSWERS

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We've got a round-up of horror-related movies, TV shows, and books this week.

To my great surprise, no one came up with the correct answers for The Exorcist Blu-Ray giveaway.

Here are the answers: Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Dennings, also appeared in the British monster movie The Giant Behemoth as the paleontologist, Dr. Sampson. The connection between Behemoth and the original King Kong is that famed special effects man Willis O'Brien worked on both pictures.

William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, helmed two controversial films that dealt with aspects of the gay community: The Boys in the Band in 1970 and Cruising with Al Pacino in 1980.

Abby was the 1974 "blaxploitation" film inspired by The Exorcist. It was directed by William Girdler.

CONTESTS

Don't forget the two GREAT OLD MOVIES contests. So far no one has come up with the correct answers to win a brand-new Exorcist Blu-Ray set so why not give it a try? The answers aren't that difficult. You still have a couple of days left to try your luck and you could win a beautiful 2 disc Exorcist Blu-Ray set with lots of extras! Details here. [U.S. residents only.]

And don't forget to sign up for MovieFlix and a chance to win a six month membership to MovieFlix Plus. Details are here.

Good Luck! And thanks for reading!

FREE NEW EXORCIST BLU-RAY CONTEST

WIN A BRAND NEW SHRINK-WRAPPED BLU-RAY OF THE EXORCIST:

* Both the original theatrical version and the extended director's cut.

* Hi-Def presentation.

* New 3-part documentary on the movie's production and legacy with new, never-before-seen set footage.

*38 page collector's book.

*And more.

This Blu-Ray set is now available in stores or direct from Warners. Courtesy of Warner Brother's, I'll be awarding one copy of this Blu-Ray Exorcist set to the first person who emails me at tawses67424@mypacks.net -- do not leave answers in the comments section -- with the correct answers to the following questions:

1.) One of the actors in the supporting cast also appeared in a monster movie that had something in common with the original 1933 King Kong. Name the actor, name the monster movie, and name what it has in common with King Kong.

2.) Exorcist director William Friedkin also helmed two controversial movies that dealt with aspects of the gay community, made ten years apart. Name the two movies.

3.) What was the name of the 1974 “blaxploitation” film inspired by The Exorcist and who directed it?

There can be only one winner as I have only one copy of The Exorcist Blu-Ray set. The contest will end either a.) as soon as someone comes up with all the correct answers or b.) on Sunday October 24th at midnight Eastern Standard Time. If no one comes up with the correct answers in that period, no prize will be awarded. [I will post the answers when the contest is over. Please understand that I may not be able to respond to every email.]

Sorry, this contest is only open to United States residents.

Good Luck!

THE EXORCIST

THE EXORCIST (1973). Special Edition DVD with extra footage. Director: William Friedkin.

Although billed as “the scariest movie ever made,” I have never found The Exorcist to be especially chilling (although the novel did give me the creeps). There had been many movies of demonic possession made before The Exorcist, but William Peter Blatty's novel and Friedkin's film version took such stories out of haunted castles and ghostly manors and placed one in prosaic, sun-lit Washington D.C. -- and made the possessed person an innocent little girl who not only acts differently but looks different as well. [In fact, that is one major flaw in this movie among many. Even when we take into account that medical science is at a loss to explain what has happened to Regan (Linda Blair), I can not believe that any mother, seeing her child covered in suppurating sores and turning green and nasty, wouldn't insist she be placed in a hospital with around the clock care!] The reason why the novel worked better than the film is that the movie is simply too literal. It's one thing to read about what happens to Regan, quite another to actually see her ramming a crucifix you-know-where and all the rest. In fact, at times The Exorcist turns into a vulgar burlesque of a horror movie, just as silly as the endless imitations that followed in its wake (such as Abby). At the same time, the story remains fascinating (but only in an unbelievable 'horror' fashion) and some of it is quite well done and generally well-acted (although Jason Miller, who is otherwise fine in the movie, shows absolutely no reaction to Regan's appearance when he enters her bedroom!) The good performances of Ellen Burstyn, Lee J. Cobb, and others certainly help. Jack MacGowran is excellent in the small role of the drunken director, Burke Dennings, whom Regan/Pazuzu throws out her second story window. Kitty Winn, who plays Burstyn's assistant, co-starred with Al Pacino in The Panic in Needle Park (and was superb), but, sadly, faded out into small parts like this thereafter. Of the new footage included in this edition, Regan's walking down the stairs backward like a scuttling crab is effective but perhaps they thought it looked too comical. The opening sequence with Max von Sydow (rather wasted in this part) seems rather slow. Despite my many quibbles, I have to say that The Exorcist is a good, entertaining flick and was – for better or worse – highly influential. Friedkin continued his examination of the transferal of evil in – of all things -- his film version of Cruising with Al Pacino.

Verdict: A mixed bag but entertaining. ***.

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (1977). Director: John Boorman.

Richard Burton plays a priest who is assigned by the Vatican to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) in Washington D.C. Little Regan (Linda Blair) is now a teenager who is receiving treatment from a therapist played by Louise Fletcher. During a session, with Burton in attendance, the priest becomes aware that the demon is, apparently, still deep inside Blair and the girl is in danger. He goes to Africa to hook up with the boy, now grown, that Merrin exorcised years before. [The flashbacks of Merrin exorcising this child are contradicted by the recent Exorcist: The Beginning.] Then there's a mad dash back to Washington for reasons that are never made entirely clear. While Exorcist II is not an awful film, it's one that pretty much wastes its potential. It's understandable that Boorman and company didn't want to do a simple retread of the first picture, but there's too much rushing around to little point in this sequel. Regan never really seems in any great danger, and the motives of the demon Pazuzu, who possesses her, are never made clear. The picture isn't boring, and there is some striking photography, but it just doesn't seem to add up to much in the long run. There's a well-done, chilling fall from a cliff, but the climax is just messy instead of exciting. Burton has a couple of good scenes acting with veteran Paul Henreid (as a Cardinal), and is generally okay, if a little preoccupied at times. Linda Blair just isn't much of an actress, and looks ludicrous trying to come on all sexy in the climactic sequence. Louise Fletcher, playing a role very different from the cruel nurse of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest that netted her an Oscar, emerges as an attractive and appealing presence. Kitty Winn, who is given a much bigger role in this than she had in The Exorcist, is excellent, although it isn't readily apparent why her Sharon goes nutso at the end. The business with the strobing machine that puts people in trances is silly and unconvincing, and all those close ups of locusts rushing through the sky, while striking, make you think you're seeing a remake of The Beginning of the End with its giant grasshoppers. Regan is supposed to be one of the “good locusts” that evil is trying to wipe out, but this development isn't remotely moving.

Verdict: At least it's nice to look at. **1/2.