Willem Dafoe has a face made for film. When the sixty-something actor appears on screen, his prominent cheekbones, wide eyes, and toothy grin are difficult to take your gaze off. Combined with his slender frame and his raspy, gravely, deep voice, the actor’s portrayal of Jesus Christ allegedly prompted Sergio Leone to opine “This is not the face of our Lord, this is the face of Satan!”
Dafoe hasn’t played Satan at all over the course of his career, but he’s certainly played his share of villains, bringing his signature menace to dozens of cinematic crooks and psychopaths. After his first lead role, in Kathryn Bigelow’s 1982 biker drama “The Loveless,” his early parts were largely antagonists to the lead heroes, such as the alluring but frightening criminals in “Streets of Fire” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” The part that arguably brought him the most widespread,...
Dafoe hasn’t played Satan at all over the course of his career, but he’s certainly played his share of villains, bringing his signature menace to dozens of cinematic crooks and psychopaths. After his first lead role, in Kathryn Bigelow’s 1982 biker drama “The Loveless,” his early parts were largely antagonists to the lead heroes, such as the alluring but frightening criminals in “Streets of Fire” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” The part that arguably brought him the most widespread,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
It’s that time of year again. The chestnuts are roasting, the eggnog is nogging, and some of us are getting ready for a house full of people that will turn this holiday season into a stressful one. So what do you do when you want to get into that merry spirit but also feel a slight bit of homicidal rage at your mother-in-law who just won’t shut up?
You put on some violent, blood-drenched action films that still capture that yuletide spirit. While others may embrace the holiday season with hilarious comedy, a hearty drama, a romantic rendezvous, or even Ernest, you can sit back and partake in one or all of the movies we here at JoBlo deem the top 10 best Christmas action movies.
10. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service:
Yes, a James Bond movie took place at Christmas, and it’s a doozy. Arguably the greatest James Bond film,...
You put on some violent, blood-drenched action films that still capture that yuletide spirit. While others may embrace the holiday season with hilarious comedy, a hearty drama, a romantic rendezvous, or even Ernest, you can sit back and partake in one or all of the movies we here at JoBlo deem the top 10 best Christmas action movies.
10. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service:
Yes, a James Bond movie took place at Christmas, and it’s a doozy. Arguably the greatest James Bond film,...
- 12/25/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Pat E. Johnson, a longtime stuntman who was the fight choreographer for and played a referee in the Karate Kid movies and appeared in the martial arts classic Enter the Dragon and in Chuck Norris films, has died. He was 84.
His wife, Susan, posted on social media that he died Sunday but did not provide details.
“For those that don’t know, my husband, Pat Johnson, passed away yesterday,” Sue Johnson posted on Facebook. “I was blessed to have all my sons here with me – we cried, we laughed, we held each other close. 54 years off my life is now at peace, and I am blessed with so many amazing memories, friends, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. If anyone wants to remember him through a donation in his name, we believe greatly in the Diabetes association or living Kidney association – both near and dear to our hearts. Thank you to...
His wife, Susan, posted on social media that he died Sunday but did not provide details.
“For those that don’t know, my husband, Pat Johnson, passed away yesterday,” Sue Johnson posted on Facebook. “I was blessed to have all my sons here with me – we cried, we laughed, we held each other close. 54 years off my life is now at peace, and I am blessed with so many amazing memories, friends, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. If anyone wants to remember him through a donation in his name, we believe greatly in the Diabetes association or living Kidney association – both near and dear to our hearts. Thank you to...
- 11/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
It was announced today that Pat E. Johnson, who choreographed the fight scenes for the first four Karate Kid movies, has died at the age of 84.
Pat E. Johnson was a ninth-degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do and also served as vice president of the National Tang Soo Do Congress, which was created by Chuck Norris in 1973. He learned the Korean martial art while serving as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea. He later met Chuck Norris at a karate tournament in Detroit and the pair quickly bonded. “He and I struck a really good bond at the time because we had both trained in Korea, we had both gotten our black belts in Korea,” Johnson said in a 2016 documentary. “He mentioned to me one time that ‘If you should ever decide to come to California, I think we could work really well together.’ I really...
Pat E. Johnson was a ninth-degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do and also served as vice president of the National Tang Soo Do Congress, which was created by Chuck Norris in 1973. He learned the Korean martial art while serving as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea. He later met Chuck Norris at a karate tournament in Detroit and the pair quickly bonded. “He and I struck a really good bond at the time because we had both trained in Korea, we had both gotten our black belts in Korea,” Johnson said in a 2016 documentary. “He mentioned to me one time that ‘If you should ever decide to come to California, I think we could work really well together.’ I really...
- 11/6/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Pat E. Johnson, the ninth-degree black belt and Chuck Norris contemporary who choreographed the fight scenes, trained the actors and portrayed a tournament referee in the first three Karate Kid films, has died. He was 84.
Johnson died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, his niece, Colleen Mary Johnson Summerville, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Johnson also was a stuntperson, stunt coordinator, trainer and/or fight coordinator on Buffy the Vampire Slayer; on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mortal Kombat movies; and on other films including Enter the Dragon (1973), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Batman and Robin (1997) and Wild Wild West (1999).
Johnson served as a top instructor at Norris’ karate schools in the Los Angeles area starting in the late 1960s, and his students over the years included Steve McQueen, Bob Barker and members of the Osmond family.
For The Karate Kid (1984), Johnson...
Johnson died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, his niece, Colleen Mary Johnson Summerville, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Johnson also was a stuntperson, stunt coordinator, trainer and/or fight coordinator on Buffy the Vampire Slayer; on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mortal Kombat movies; and on other films including Enter the Dragon (1973), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Batman and Robin (1997) and Wild Wild West (1999).
Johnson served as a top instructor at Norris’ karate schools in the Los Angeles area starting in the late 1960s, and his students over the years included Steve McQueen, Bob Barker and members of the Osmond family.
For The Karate Kid (1984), Johnson...
- 11/6/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When he died this summer, a lot of director William Friedkin’s movies got new life as film fans dug into this filmography. Looking over his body of work, one of the interesting things to note is that he directed four films that could justifiably be called masterpieces, but only two of them were successful. There was The French Connection and The Exorcist, both of which raked in huge box office and are considered classics. But, there were also two flops that he made that are just as good as those films, one of which is 1977’s Sorcerer, and the other is 1985’s Secret Service thriller To Live and Die in L.A., which we’re digging into in this episode of Wtf Happened to This Movie.
The film stars William Petersen (long before CSI) as a Secret Service agent after the counterfeiter who killed his partner. While that premise sounds old hat,...
The film stars William Petersen (long before CSI) as a Secret Service agent after the counterfeiter who killed his partner. While that premise sounds old hat,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
It’s always great to hear directors gush about their colleagues, and few do it with the same enthusiasm as Guillermo del Toro. While speaking with IndieWire, Guillermo del Toro spoke about the late William Friedkin and his experience serving as the backup director on The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Friedkin’s final movie.
“He is an original,” Guillermo del Toro said of William Friedkin. “He blends the lessons of documentary with complex and precise technology and narrative prowess. Every decision he makes is infused with his idiosyncrasies, his personality. Look at the ending of ‘The French Connection’ — that final frame he holds, brutal, mercilessly elliptical — or the final minutes of ‘The Exorcist,’ how he lands the audience softly out of the experience but never loses the mystery. Then try and figure out the mastery in ‘Sorcerer’ or ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’“
Related The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial Review
Before The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,...
“He is an original,” Guillermo del Toro said of William Friedkin. “He blends the lessons of documentary with complex and precise technology and narrative prowess. Every decision he makes is infused with his idiosyncrasies, his personality. Look at the ending of ‘The French Connection’ — that final frame he holds, brutal, mercilessly elliptical — or the final minutes of ‘The Exorcist,’ how he lands the audience softly out of the experience but never loses the mystery. Then try and figure out the mastery in ‘Sorcerer’ or ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’“
Related The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial Review
Before The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
On Friday, October 6, cinephiles were given a precious gift when Showtime dropped one last film by the late, great William Friedkin: an adaptation of Herman Wouk’s play “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.” The film is classic Friedkin, a clinic in blocking, editing, and camera movement reminiscent of earlier theatrical adaptations like “The Birthday Party,” “The Boys in the Band,” and “Bug.”
While there are many filmmaking lessons to be learned from studying the piece, one notable Friedkin disciple had the chance to examine the director’s process firsthand: Guillermo del Toro, who shadowed Friedkin throughout production as a backup in case the 87-year-old filmmaker was unable to complete the movie.
Long before he ever met Friedkin, del Toro was an admirer of his work. “He is an original,” del Toro told IndieWire. “He blends the lessons of documentary with complex and precise technology and narrative prowess. Every decision he...
While there are many filmmaking lessons to be learned from studying the piece, one notable Friedkin disciple had the chance to examine the director’s process firsthand: Guillermo del Toro, who shadowed Friedkin throughout production as a backup in case the 87-year-old filmmaker was unable to complete the movie.
Long before he ever met Friedkin, del Toro was an admirer of his work. “He is an original,” del Toro told IndieWire. “He blends the lessons of documentary with complex and precise technology and narrative prowess. Every decision he...
- 10/12/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Plot: A Naval officer (Jake Lacy) is on trial for mutiny. His court-appointed attorney (Jason Clarke) must prove that his captain (Kiefer Sutherland) was dangerously unbalanced and that mutiny was the only solution to protect the crew.
Review: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is an interesting final film for the late William Friedkin. While most know him for his seventies epics, having directed at least three or four of the greatest films ever made, many don’t know that he started his career with a couple of films based on stage plays: The Birthday Party and The Boys in the Band. His most recent work, Bug and Killer Joe, were also stage adaptations (of works by Tracy Letts), but The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is more traditionally mounted than those. This is basically a stage play put to film, with no exteriors, no music and only two sets.
The play was written...
Review: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is an interesting final film for the late William Friedkin. While most know him for his seventies epics, having directed at least three or four of the greatest films ever made, many don’t know that he started his career with a couple of films based on stage plays: The Birthday Party and The Boys in the Band. His most recent work, Bug and Killer Joe, were also stage adaptations (of works by Tracy Letts), but The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is more traditionally mounted than those. This is basically a stage play put to film, with no exteriors, no music and only two sets.
The play was written...
- 10/6/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Showtime has released a trailer for The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, the final film from writer/director William Friedkin. The movie, based on Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Herman Wouk, follows a U.S. naval first officer who’s standing trial for orchestrating a mutiny after his captain shows signs of becoming unhinged and jeopardizes the lives of his crew.
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial stars Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke, Jake Lacy, Monica Raymund, Lewis Pullman, Jay Duplass, Tom Riley, and Lance Reddick. Friedkin wrote and directed the film, which was completed before his death on Aug.
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial stars Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke, Jake Lacy, Monica Raymund, Lewis Pullman, Jay Duplass, Tom Riley, and Lance Reddick. Friedkin wrote and directed the film, which was completed before his death on Aug.
- 9/22/2023
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
The list of directors who put their trust in Robby Müller could constitute a nice history of post-war cinema. A retrospective of films on which he served as Dp reflects accordingly––so’s the case with Metrograph’s “Robby Müller: Remain in Light,” which starts on Friday, September 29, and for which we’re glad to debut the trailer.
Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...
Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
William Friedkin had Guillermo del Toro backing him up on his final outing.
At the Venice premiere of the late director’s last film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial”, producer Annabelle Dunne revealed del Toro acted as “back-up director” on the project.
Read More: ‘The Exorcist’ Stars Ellen Burstyn And Linda Blair Praise William Friedkin For His ‘Genius’ Talent After His Death At 87 Years Old
“That’s very common, Hollywood is ageist,” Dunne said of the contractual need for the 87-year-old filmmaker to have a back-up, according to Variety, adding that she was going to reveal a “state secret.”
Recalling how she let Friedkin know about the requirement, the director told her, “Let me think about that.”
The next day, he called her back and said, “Ok, honey I have the guy. Get a pen: it’s Guillermo Del Toro, you got that?”
Dunne called up the Oscar-winning “Shape of Water” director,...
At the Venice premiere of the late director’s last film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial”, producer Annabelle Dunne revealed del Toro acted as “back-up director” on the project.
Read More: ‘The Exorcist’ Stars Ellen Burstyn And Linda Blair Praise William Friedkin For His ‘Genius’ Talent After His Death At 87 Years Old
“That’s very common, Hollywood is ageist,” Dunne said of the contractual need for the 87-year-old filmmaker to have a back-up, according to Variety, adding that she was going to reveal a “state secret.”
Recalling how she let Friedkin know about the requirement, the director told her, “Let me think about that.”
The next day, he called her back and said, “Ok, honey I have the guy. Get a pen: it’s Guillermo Del Toro, you got that?”
Dunne called up the Oscar-winning “Shape of Water” director,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Turner Classic Movies will celebrate the life and career of director William Friedkin, who died on Aug. 7 at the age of 87.
On Thursday, Sept. 14, TCM will air three of Friedkin’s movies: The French Connection at 8 pm, followed by To Live and Die in L.A. (at 10 pm) and The Boys in the Band (at 12:15 am).
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Robert Carlyle's Toxic Role, Wrexham Season 2 Trailer and MoreTVLine Items: Bass Reeves Series Trailer, MasterChef Renewed and MoreBelow Deck Down Under's Margot Sisson Speaks Out on Sexual Harassment Incidents That Led to Two Firings
The tribute continues on Sunday,...
On Thursday, Sept. 14, TCM will air three of Friedkin’s movies: The French Connection at 8 pm, followed by To Live and Die in L.A. (at 10 pm) and The Boys in the Band (at 12:15 am).
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Robert Carlyle's Toxic Role, Wrexham Season 2 Trailer and MoreTVLine Items: Bass Reeves Series Trailer, MasterChef Renewed and MoreBelow Deck Down Under's Margot Sisson Speaks Out on Sexual Harassment Incidents That Led to Two Firings
The tribute continues on Sunday,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Hollywood and movie fans mourned the passing of Oscar-winning filmmaker William Friedkin on August 7, 2023. Friedkin, who earned a Best Director Oscar in 1972 for The French Connection, passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 87, with his widow, Sherry Lansing, tearfully telling BBC shortly after his death, “He was the most wonderful husband in the world. He was the most wonderful father in the world. He had a big wonderful life. There was no dream unfulfilled.”
Friedkin died before his final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jake Lacy, and Jason Clarke debuted at the Venice Film Festival.
TCM will be celebrating the critically acclaimed filmmaker’s life and career with two nights of special programming. Announcing the tribute, TCM described William Friedkin as “a great friend to Turner Classic Movies and he attended the TCM Classic Film Festival several times, most recently in April 2023.”
TCM Remembers William...
Friedkin died before his final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jake Lacy, and Jason Clarke debuted at the Venice Film Festival.
TCM will be celebrating the critically acclaimed filmmaker’s life and career with two nights of special programming. Announcing the tribute, TCM described William Friedkin as “a great friend to Turner Classic Movies and he attended the TCM Classic Film Festival several times, most recently in April 2023.”
TCM Remembers William...
- 8/14/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Most directors would be more than happy to make a single touchstone genre film at some point in their careers. William Friedkin? He made two in just as many years. His 1971 crime thriller "The French Connection" established the template for car chase scenes that's still being used today. Then, in 1973, he made "The Exorcist," the film that got the world to start taking horror seriously as a high art form.
As if that wasn't enough, Friedkin also made not one but two quintessential pieces of queer cinema with "The Boys in the Band" and the controversial but undeniably important "Cruising." Even in his twilight years as a filmmaker, Friedkin was tackling provocative material in the forms of the stage play adaptations "Bug" and especially the twisted "Killer Joe" (a film that played a less-acknowledged yet key role in the McConaissance era of Matthew McConaughey's run as an actor).
With...
As if that wasn't enough, Friedkin also made not one but two quintessential pieces of queer cinema with "The Boys in the Band" and the controversial but undeniably important "Cruising." Even in his twilight years as a filmmaker, Friedkin was tackling provocative material in the forms of the stage play adaptations "Bug" and especially the twisted "Killer Joe" (a film that played a less-acknowledged yet key role in the McConaissance era of Matthew McConaughey's run as an actor).
With...
- 8/14/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
In the article series Sound and Vision we talk about music videos from notable directors. This week we look at Laura Branigan's Self Control, directed by William Friedkin. Last week director William Friedkin passed away. The luminary behind such classics as The Exorcist, The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A, Sorcerer, Bug and Killer Joe is an extremely underrated director. But luckily most of the obituaries that were written seemed to focus on what made this sometimes hot-headed enfant terrible an amazing director, even though he wasn't always appreciated when alive. My favorite of the recent write-ups on Friedkins career was this piece by Kyle Turner for GQ, in which the critic focuses on how Friedkin approaches queer masculinity in The Boys in...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/14/2023
- Screen Anarchy
William Friedkin was an inherently well-informed filmmaker. He started out in television at age 18, directing live news reports and documentaries for WGN-tv in Chicago. He knew how to get to the bottom of any story, best frame the narrative to capture attention, and inform the viewer.
He brought that sense of assured knowledge to movies. There is never any doubt about the veracity of The French Connection (1971). The Exorcist (1973), meanwhile, invites the audience to medical diagnoses and a realistic portrayal of demonic possession. It is the emphasis on the medical that makes the demonic seem plausible. Similarly, To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) is an authentic movie about counterfeiting, and one which deserves to be as celebrated as his early ‘70s masterpieces.
A Step by Step Guide to Counterfeiting
The printing of bogus bills may not seem like an exciting basis for a crime thriller, but Friedkin progressively raises the...
He brought that sense of assured knowledge to movies. There is never any doubt about the veracity of The French Connection (1971). The Exorcist (1973), meanwhile, invites the audience to medical diagnoses and a realistic portrayal of demonic possession. It is the emphasis on the medical that makes the demonic seem plausible. Similarly, To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) is an authentic movie about counterfeiting, and one which deserves to be as celebrated as his early ‘70s masterpieces.
A Step by Step Guide to Counterfeiting
The printing of bogus bills may not seem like an exciting basis for a crime thriller, but Friedkin progressively raises the...
- 8/11/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
William Petersen was a theater actor from Chicago when William Friedkin changed the course of his life. In 1984, the Oscar-winning director tapped the then-unknown performer to play Richard Chance, a Secret Service agent willing to bend rules and break laws in order to capture a shadowy counterfeiter (Willem Dafoe) in “To Live and Die in L.A.” The crime thriller was a return to form for Friedkin, who had summited the heights of the movie business with “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” only to suffer a string of disappointments. Petersen and Friedkin would later collaborate on a Showtime remake of “12 Angry Men” and two episodes of “CSI.” Friedkin died on Aug. 7 at the age of 87, and Petersen shared his reflections on his “greatest mentor and most brilliant friend.”
I was doing “Streetcar Named Desire” at the Stratford Festival outside of Toronto, and Billy sent his casting director to watch me.
I was doing “Streetcar Named Desire” at the Stratford Festival outside of Toronto, and Billy sent his casting director to watch me.
- 8/9/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
William Friedkin, one of the great directors of the New Hollywood movement, died August 7 at the age of 87. The news launched an outpouring of love for the director, whose ’70s and ’80s film work proved some of the most enduring and beloved of that cinema-redefining period.
The son of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants, Friedkin was born in 1935 and got his start as a director making documentaries for Chicago public television. In 1965 he moved out to Hollywood to advance his career and made his narrative feature debut with “Good Times,” a vehicle for Cher and Sonny Bono. Friedkin put out several generally well-received films, including the groundbreaking “The Boys in the Band” and “The Birthday Party,” but truly broke out with 1971’s “The French Connection.” Starring Gene Hackman and featuring one of the greatest car chase scenes in cinematic history, the movie earned Friedkin a Best Director Oscar and gave him the clout to pursue passion projects.
The son of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants, Friedkin was born in 1935 and got his start as a director making documentaries for Chicago public television. In 1965 he moved out to Hollywood to advance his career and made his narrative feature debut with “Good Times,” a vehicle for Cher and Sonny Bono. Friedkin put out several generally well-received films, including the groundbreaking “The Boys in the Band” and “The Birthday Party,” but truly broke out with 1971’s “The French Connection.” Starring Gene Hackman and featuring one of the greatest car chase scenes in cinematic history, the movie earned Friedkin a Best Director Oscar and gave him the clout to pursue passion projects.
- 8/8/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The death at 87 of the great director William Friedkin on Monday reminded me of one of the two most intense movie viewing experiences I’ve ever had in a theater. One came last year when I saw “Rrr,” which due to its massive audience participation at the Chinese Theatre was a spectacular happening.
The other one happened in 1973 when I was a wee lad of 16, when I saw “The Exorcist.”
Friedkin was a master of his craft who made several other memorable films, chiefly “The French Connection” (for which he won his Academy Award), “Cruising,” “The Boys in the Band” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” But for my money, nothing he did could ever equal the phenomenon he helmed into being with “The Exorcist,” which would earn Oscars for sound and William Peter Blatty’s adapted screenplay as well as a directing nomination for Friedkin.
But forget all...
The other one happened in 1973 when I was a wee lad of 16, when I saw “The Exorcist.”
Friedkin was a master of his craft who made several other memorable films, chiefly “The French Connection” (for which he won his Academy Award), “Cruising,” “The Boys in the Band” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” But for my money, nothing he did could ever equal the phenomenon he helmed into being with “The Exorcist,” which would earn Oscars for sound and William Peter Blatty’s adapted screenplay as well as a directing nomination for Friedkin.
But forget all...
- 8/8/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Yesterday, we had to share the sad news that director William Friedkin has passed away at the age of 87. While Friedkin made numerous popular films – The French Connection, Sorcerer, Cruising, and To Live and Die in L.A., among others – his most popular is probably the one that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year: The Exorcist (watch it Here). And The Exorcist star Linda Blair has taken to social media to share a tribute to Friedkin.
Blair wrote, “Like Sidney Poitier‘s famous movie To Sir with Love, how do you put into words appreciation to the person that changed your life forever, along with the world? Billy Friedken was a game changer, thought outside the box, was a genius with an incredibly bold personality and extraordinary imagery that electrified colleagues and moviegoers alike and remained a true maverick throughout his career in the film industry.
Every actor wanted to...
Blair wrote, “Like Sidney Poitier‘s famous movie To Sir with Love, how do you put into words appreciation to the person that changed your life forever, along with the world? Billy Friedken was a game changer, thought outside the box, was a genius with an incredibly bold personality and extraordinary imagery that electrified colleagues and moviegoers alike and remained a true maverick throughout his career in the film industry.
Every actor wanted to...
- 8/8/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Director William Friedkin, who is best known for directing the Oscar winning films, the horror classic ‘The Exorcist’ along with the neo-noir action thriller ‘French Connection’, has passed away at the age of 87. Friedkin had been suffering from heart problems for some time and finally succumbed to heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, his wife and former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing announced, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Some of his other big films included ‘Sorcerer’, ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ and ‘Bug’. In addition, he also made his foray into television with serials such as ‘Tales From the Crypt’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘Space Quest’, ‘C.A.T. Squad’ and ‘Rules of Engagement’.
While these movies and serials were modest successes at the box office, they were all very positively received and over time have been given a much more positive approach. Most...
Some of his other big films included ‘Sorcerer’, ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ and ‘Bug’. In addition, he also made his foray into television with serials such as ‘Tales From the Crypt’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘Space Quest’, ‘C.A.T. Squad’ and ‘Rules of Engagement’.
While these movies and serials were modest successes at the box office, they were all very positively received and over time have been given a much more positive approach. Most...
- 8/8/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Francis Ford Coppola is remembering one of his closest friends. On Monday, following news of the death of William Friedkin, Coppola shared a tribute in honor of the Exorcist director on Instagram.
“William Friedkin was my first friend among the filmmakers of my generation and I grieve for the loss of a much-loved companion,” he wrote, sharing photos of Friedkin, later adding, “His lovable, irascible personality was cover for a beautiful, brilliant, deep-feeling giant of a man. It’s very hard to grasp that I will never enjoy his company again,...
“William Friedkin was my first friend among the filmmakers of my generation and I grieve for the loss of a much-loved companion,” he wrote, sharing photos of Friedkin, later adding, “His lovable, irascible personality was cover for a beautiful, brilliant, deep-feeling giant of a man. It’s very hard to grasp that I will never enjoy his company again,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Francis Ford Coppola Remembers William Friedkin: “Billy’s Work Represents True Milestones In Cinema”
Francis Ford Coppola and William Friedkin went back more than half a century, including their days in the Directors Company, the short-lived production entity they and Peter Bogdanovich launched in the early 1970s.
After Friedkin’s death today at 87, Coppola issued a statement paying tribute to The Exorcist and The French Connection director, which reads in part, “His lovable, irascible personality was cover for a beautiful, brilliant, deep-feeling giant of a man.” Read it in full below.
Related: ‘The Exorcist’ Star Ellen Burstyn Honors “Smart, Cultured, Fearless And Wildly Talented” William Friedkin
“William Friedkin was my first friend among the filmmakers of my generation and I grieve for the loss of a much-loved companion,” five-time Oscar winner Coppola wrote. “His accomplishments in Cinema are extraordinary and unique. He is the only colleague I knew whose work actually saved a man’s life (The People vs. Paul Crump). Billy’s work represents true milestones in Cinema,...
After Friedkin’s death today at 87, Coppola issued a statement paying tribute to The Exorcist and The French Connection director, which reads in part, “His lovable, irascible personality was cover for a beautiful, brilliant, deep-feeling giant of a man.” Read it in full below.
Related: ‘The Exorcist’ Star Ellen Burstyn Honors “Smart, Cultured, Fearless And Wildly Talented” William Friedkin
“William Friedkin was my first friend among the filmmakers of my generation and I grieve for the loss of a much-loved companion,” five-time Oscar winner Coppola wrote. “His accomplishments in Cinema are extraordinary and unique. He is the only colleague I knew whose work actually saved a man’s life (The People vs. Paul Crump). Billy’s work represents true milestones in Cinema,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Editor’S Note: William Friedkin’s passing is a gutting experience for anyone lucky enough to have sat as he reminisced over his classic movies, with measures of regret for the recklessness, humor, and keen observations of why Hollywood’s Auteur Era gave way to the global blockbuster, and whatever it is we have today as two guilds strike seeking transparency, and residuals for writers and actors. This interview was originally published August 6, 2015 under the title ’70s Maverick Revisits A Golden Era With Tales Of Glory And Reckless Abandon. I am feeling a bit gutted by Friedkin’s passing. I looked forward to a long interview with him for his Venice-bound Showtime remake of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. After spending time with Billy and his elegant wife Sherry Lansing at Peter Bart’s 90th birthday where the back and forth between them proved the highlight of the evening, I wanted...
- 8/8/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
When William Friedkin died at the age of 87 on August 7, the film world lost a singular director who continued taking risks until his final days — and a vital link between the New Hollywood innovators of the 1970s and the blockbuster era that followed.
After cutting his teeth on conventional Hollywood fare like the 1967 musical “Good Times,” Friedkin wasted no time seeking out riskier projects. He embraced provocative subject matter when he directed “The Boys in the Band” in 1970, which went down in history as one of the first films to treat gay men as nuanced characters. But despite proving a knack for intimate theatrical adaptations, Friedkin quickly pivoted to large-scale blockbusters.
Films like “The French Connection” and “Sorcerer” demonstrated Friedkin’s eye for spectacle, treating audiences to dazzling action set pieces that Hollywood has never been able to top. But Friedkin infused both films with serious character development and elements of cinema verite,...
After cutting his teeth on conventional Hollywood fare like the 1967 musical “Good Times,” Friedkin wasted no time seeking out riskier projects. He embraced provocative subject matter when he directed “The Boys in the Band” in 1970, which went down in history as one of the first films to treat gay men as nuanced characters. But despite proving a knack for intimate theatrical adaptations, Friedkin quickly pivoted to large-scale blockbusters.
Films like “The French Connection” and “Sorcerer” demonstrated Friedkin’s eye for spectacle, treating audiences to dazzling action set pieces that Hollywood has never been able to top. But Friedkin infused both films with serious character development and elements of cinema verite,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
William Friedkin, the man who pivoted from playing basketball to becoming a journalist-turned-legendary-filmmaker because he wasn't tall enough, has died at age 87. Friedkin was truly an iconoclast of '70s filmmaking, a man who gave us not only one of the best horror movies of all time ("The Exorcist"), but also one of the best action movies of all time ("The French Connection"), with both continuing to influence and shape their respective genres so many decades after their initial releases.
As much as Friedkin gave the world of cinema — and continues to give, as his last movie is premiering this month — he was also a notorious sh*t-talker. Indeed, the director of "Sorcerer" and "To Live and Die in L.A." was also a man without a filter, and he was never afraid to give big shot Hollywood people what he thought they deserved. From his strong opinions on Oliver Stone,...
As much as Friedkin gave the world of cinema — and continues to give, as his last movie is premiering this month — he was also a notorious sh*t-talker. Indeed, the director of "Sorcerer" and "To Live and Die in L.A." was also a man without a filter, and he was never afraid to give big shot Hollywood people what he thought they deserved. From his strong opinions on Oliver Stone,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Oscar-winning director William Friedkin, legendary filmmaker behind the 1971 crime thriller The French Connection, and 1973’s The Exorcist, among many others, died Monday in Los Angeles at the age of 87.
Identified closely with the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, Friedkin began his career in documentaries prior to embarking on one of his most well-known works, The French Connection, a film which earned five Academy Awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Gene Hackman, Best Directed Screenplay and Best Director for Friedkin. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The French Connection appeared in the American Film Institute’s list of the best American films in 1998 and again in 2007. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Related: William Friedkin: Hollywood Remembers A Legend
Friedkin’s 1973 film The Exorcist...
Identified closely with the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, Friedkin began his career in documentaries prior to embarking on one of his most well-known works, The French Connection, a film which earned five Academy Awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Gene Hackman, Best Directed Screenplay and Best Director for Friedkin. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The French Connection appeared in the American Film Institute’s list of the best American films in 1998 and again in 2007. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Related: William Friedkin: Hollywood Remembers A Legend
Friedkin’s 1973 film The Exorcist...
- 8/7/2023
- by Robert Lang and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Refresh for updates… Horror film director Eli Roth is among the colleagues, friends and fans paying tribute to the late William Friedkin, the great director of The Exorcist and The French Connection who died today.
“Rip to the legend William Friedkin,” Roth wrote on Instagram. “One of the most impactful directors of all time and certainly set the course of my life in a different direction with The Exorcist. He was so incredibly nice and supportive the few times I was lucky enough to meet him. Watch Sorcerer if you’ve never seen it. He was one of a kind. Legend.”
Scott Derrickson, the director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister, tweeted, “It was an honor to have numerous lengthy chats via Twitter with William Friedkin. He also sent word through his wife to one of my producers that he watched & loved The Black Phone...
“Rip to the legend William Friedkin,” Roth wrote on Instagram. “One of the most impactful directors of all time and certainly set the course of my life in a different direction with The Exorcist. He was so incredibly nice and supportive the few times I was lucky enough to meet him. Watch Sorcerer if you’ve never seen it. He was one of a kind. Legend.”
Scott Derrickson, the director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister, tweeted, “It was an honor to have numerous lengthy chats via Twitter with William Friedkin. He also sent word through his wife to one of my producers that he watched & loved The Black Phone...
- 8/7/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
One of cinema's most celebrated filmmakers of all time has sadly passed away. William Friedkin, the renowned director behind "The French Connection" and the horror classic "The Exorcist" has died at the age of 87. The news was first reported by Variety and confirmed by a family friend of Sherry Lansing, Friedkin's wife and a former film executive. A bona fide titan in the industry and commonly considered a worthy peer counted among the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Sidney Lumet, and more, Friedkin's work helped usher in the era and movement known as "New Hollywood" -- forever changing the business and shifting the balance of power from producers to directors.
One of the foremost genre directors of his time, William Friedkin exploded into prominence in the 1970s and went on to become an influential figure whose work would inspire others to follow in his footsteps for decades to come.
One of the foremost genre directors of his time, William Friedkin exploded into prominence in the 1970s and went on to become an influential figure whose work would inspire others to follow in his footsteps for decades to come.
- 8/7/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
William Friedkin, one of the great directors of the New Hollywood era who helmed classics like The Exorcist and Oscar-winner The French Connection, died Monday, The New York Times reports. He was 87.
Sherry Lansing, a former head of Paramount Pictures, and Friedkin’s wife, confirmed his death. She said the cause was heart failure and pneumonia.
Rising to prominence in the Seventies, Friedkin came to specialize in gritty, white-knuckle thrillers, often shot through with a healthy dose of practically documentary-style realism. The French Connection, his breakthrough film, won five Academy Awards,...
Sherry Lansing, a former head of Paramount Pictures, and Friedkin’s wife, confirmed his death. She said the cause was heart failure and pneumonia.
Rising to prominence in the Seventies, Friedkin came to specialize in gritty, white-knuckle thrillers, often shot through with a healthy dose of practically documentary-style realism. The French Connection, his breakthrough film, won five Academy Awards,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director behind The Exorcist, The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A., The Boys in the Band, and more, is dead at 87. Friedkin died in Los Angeles, said his wife, former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing.
Born on August 29, 1935, in Chicago, Friedkin started directing television before disgusting audiences with projectile pea soup and dealings with demons. In the mid-’60s, Friedkin shot an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Hour and helmed various telefilms. Before the era was over, he got behind the camera for features like Good Times (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968).
He started the ’70s off with a band by directing The Boys in the Band. With his name already on the lips of executives everywhere, he moved on to The French Connection, a show-stopping thriller starring Gene Hackman as Detective Popeye Doyle. The French Connection won multiple Oscars,...
Born on August 29, 1935, in Chicago, Friedkin started directing television before disgusting audiences with projectile pea soup and dealings with demons. In the mid-’60s, Friedkin shot an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Hour and helmed various telefilms. Before the era was over, he got behind the camera for features like Good Times (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968).
He started the ’70s off with a band by directing The Boys in the Band. With his name already on the lips of executives everywhere, he moved on to The French Connection, a show-stopping thriller starring Gene Hackman as Detective Popeye Doyle. The French Connection won multiple Oscars,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
One of the all-time great filmmakers, Oscar-winner William Friedkin has passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 87, Bloody Disgusting has learned this afternoon.
William Friedkin won “Best Director” at the Academy Awards in 1972 for The French Connection, and he was nominated in the same category just two years later for The Exorcist.
Released in theaters in 1973, The Exorcist has been terrifying audiences across generations ever since, widely considered to be one of the best – and scariest – movies ever made.
William Friedkin got his start directing the documentary The People vs. Paul Crump in 1962, and a few years later he directed an episode of the TV series “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” From there, Friedkin directed films including The Thin Blue Line, Good Times, The Birthday Party, and The Boys in the Band, before winning an Oscar for The French Connection in 1972.
In the wake of The Exorcist, which ended...
William Friedkin won “Best Director” at the Academy Awards in 1972 for The French Connection, and he was nominated in the same category just two years later for The Exorcist.
Released in theaters in 1973, The Exorcist has been terrifying audiences across generations ever since, widely considered to be one of the best – and scariest – movies ever made.
William Friedkin got his start directing the documentary The People vs. Paul Crump in 1962, and a few years later he directed an episode of the TV series “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” From there, Friedkin directed films including The Thin Blue Line, Good Times, The Birthday Party, and The Boys in the Band, before winning an Oscar for The French Connection in 1972.
In the wake of The Exorcist, which ended...
- 8/7/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
William Friedkin, who won an Oscar for directing The French Connection, scored a nomination for The Exorcist and also helmed The Boys in the Band, Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A., Rules of Engagement and many others, died today in Los Angeles of heart failure and pneumonia. He was 87.
His death was confirmed by CAA via his wife, Fatal Attraction producer and former studio chief Sherry Lansing.
Friedkin beat out some serious heavyweights to win the Best Director Academy Award for The French Connection at the 1972 ceremony. Also up for the statuette that year were Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange), Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) and Norman Jewison (Fiddler on the Roof). He would go up against more heavy hitters with The Exorcist two years later. George Roy Hill won that year for The Sting, also besting Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris), Ingmar Bergman (Cries & Whispers...
His death was confirmed by CAA via his wife, Fatal Attraction producer and former studio chief Sherry Lansing.
Friedkin beat out some serious heavyweights to win the Best Director Academy Award for The French Connection at the 1972 ceremony. Also up for the statuette that year were Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange), Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) and Norman Jewison (Fiddler on the Roof). He would go up against more heavy hitters with The Exorcist two years later. George Roy Hill won that year for The Sting, also besting Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris), Ingmar Bergman (Cries & Whispers...
- 8/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
William Friedkin, Academy Award-winning filmmaker of The Exorcist, has died at the age of 87.
The director passed away in Los Angeles, according to his wife Sherry Lansing, a former producer and movie studio executive. Among other films, Friedkin also helmed The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A., Sorcerer, and Rules of Engagement.
In the 1970s, Friedkin was part of a generation of directors alongside Francis Ford Coppola, Hal Ashby, and Peter Bogdanovich who blazed their own path through Hollywood. Following Friedkin’s success with The Exorcist, he formed The Directors Company with Coppola and Bogdanovich as a power play for creative independence. However, the short-lived business partnership dissolved not long after they collectively turned down Star Wars.
Friedkin’s entryway into entertainment was a two-year stint in the mailroom of the Chicago TV station WGN after high school, which kickstarted his rise into directing television shows and documentaries.
The director passed away in Los Angeles, according to his wife Sherry Lansing, a former producer and movie studio executive. Among other films, Friedkin also helmed The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A., Sorcerer, and Rules of Engagement.
In the 1970s, Friedkin was part of a generation of directors alongside Francis Ford Coppola, Hal Ashby, and Peter Bogdanovich who blazed their own path through Hollywood. Following Friedkin’s success with The Exorcist, he formed The Directors Company with Coppola and Bogdanovich as a power play for creative independence. However, the short-lived business partnership dissolved not long after they collectively turned down Star Wars.
Friedkin’s entryway into entertainment was a two-year stint in the mailroom of the Chicago TV station WGN after high school, which kickstarted his rise into directing television shows and documentaries.
- 8/7/2023
- by Eddie Fu and Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Film News
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director of “The French Connection” and legend behind “The Exorcist,” has died at age 87. His death in Los Angeles was first reported by Variety, and the news was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing.
Friedkin’s sensational 1971 “The French Connection” earned five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. Friedkin’s 1973 “The Exorcist” changed the game for horror, earning Best Picture and Director nominations.
Friedkin is regarded as a maverick of the New Hollywood school of filmmakers alongside the likes of Peter Bogdanovich and Francis Ford Coppola. His other features include his breakout “The Birthday Party,” “The Boys in the Band,” “Sorcerer,” “Cruising,” “To Live and Die in L.A,” “Bug,” and most recently “Killer Joe” — all films that garnered controversy in one way or another.
Friedkin’s latest film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,...
Friedkin’s sensational 1971 “The French Connection” earned five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. Friedkin’s 1973 “The Exorcist” changed the game for horror, earning Best Picture and Director nominations.
Friedkin is regarded as a maverick of the New Hollywood school of filmmakers alongside the likes of Peter Bogdanovich and Francis Ford Coppola. His other features include his breakout “The Birthday Party,” “The Boys in the Band,” “Sorcerer,” “Cruising,” “To Live and Die in L.A,” “Bug,” and most recently “Killer Joe” — all films that garnered controversy in one way or another.
Friedkin’s latest film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
William Friedkin, the Oscar winner behind The French Connection and The Exorcist who was one of the most admired directors to emerge from a wave of brilliant filmmakers who made their mark in the 1970s, died Monday. He was 87.
Friedkin died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air, his wife, former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing, announced.
His pictures, which also included Sorcerer (1977), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) and Bug (2006), were marked by an exceptional visual eye, a willingness to take what might have been a genre subject and treat it with high seriousness and a sense of how sound could add a subterranean layer of dread, mystery and dissonance to his stories — a haunted and haunting quality that lifted his visceral works into another realm, conveying a preternatural sense of “fear and paranoia, both old friends of mine,” as he said in his 2013 memoir,...
Friedkin died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air, his wife, former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing, announced.
His pictures, which also included Sorcerer (1977), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) and Bug (2006), were marked by an exceptional visual eye, a willingness to take what might have been a genre subject and treat it with high seriousness and a sense of how sound could add a subterranean layer of dread, mystery and dissonance to his stories — a haunted and haunting quality that lifted his visceral works into another realm, conveying a preternatural sense of “fear and paranoia, both old friends of mine,” as he said in his 2013 memoir,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Stephen Galloway
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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,...
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,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
When you think of 1980s action movies, visions of steroidal juggernauts like Schwarzenegger and Stallone are likely to spring to mind, but there was always another, if less numerous, stream running through their midst: gritty, downbeat, and cynical films typically helmed by New Hollywood stalwarts whose careers were in various stages of diminution. Among them were Hal Ashby’s strident, coke-fueled 8 Million Ways to Die, John Frankenheimer’s seamy extortion saga 52 Pickup, and William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A., a neon-hued noir reworking of the morally ambiguous cops-versus-criminals terrain he had staked out a decade earlier in The French Connection.
Like Friedkin’s earlier film, To Live and Die in L.A. cannily blends quasi-documentary procedural realism with an unpredictable modernist sensibility. The story is succinct in its pulpy purity: loose-cannon Secret Service agent Chance (William Petersen) vows to take down elusive counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), no matter the cost,...
Like Friedkin’s earlier film, To Live and Die in L.A. cannily blends quasi-documentary procedural realism with an unpredictable modernist sensibility. The story is succinct in its pulpy purity: loose-cannon Secret Service agent Chance (William Petersen) vows to take down elusive counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), no matter the cost,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Ed Gonzalez
- Slant Magazine
When director Chad Stahelski began work on the fourth “John Wick” movie, his ambition was to create an action epic in the mode of Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” That meant that by the time the film got to its climactic set piece — a spectacular chase scene involving muscle cars racing around the Arc de Triomphe — that set piece had to live up to every previous action sequence in the franchise.
Second unit director and stunt coordinator Scott Rogers, who was responsible for all the car material in “John Wick: Chapter Four,” had a simple guiding principle to motivate the complicated choreography: “It’s what’s happening in the car that makes what’s happening outside of the car interesting,” he told IndieWire.
Read More: How Gene Kelly and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Taught John Wick to Fight
To that end, Rogers knew that seeing...
Second unit director and stunt coordinator Scott Rogers, who was responsible for all the car material in “John Wick: Chapter Four,” had a simple guiding principle to motivate the complicated choreography: “It’s what’s happening in the car that makes what’s happening outside of the car interesting,” he told IndieWire.
Read More: How Gene Kelly and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Taught John Wick to Fight
To that end, Rogers knew that seeing...
- 3/27/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Los Angeles, Feb 19 (Ians) Oliver Wood, an English cinematographer whose credits include ‘Die Hard 2’, ‘Face/Off’, aThe Other Guys’ and the original ‘Bourne’ trilogy, has passed away at his home in Hollywood following a battle with cancer. He was 80.
With a career spanning across seven decades, Wood worked across a wide variety of projects, collaborating with directors like John Woo, Adam McKay, Antoine Fuqua, Barry Sonnenfeld and Larry Cohen, reports ‘Variety’.
He was nominated for a BAFTA award for best cinematography for his work on 2007’s aThe Bourne Ultimatum’, directed by Paul Greengrass.
Born in London, Wood moved to New York City when he was 19. His first major credit came on Leonard Kastle’s 1970 crime film aThe Honeymoon Killers’ making a strong impression for his technique of using available light to give the anachronistic dark comedy the look of a newsreel.
As per ‘Variety’, Wood shot numerous B-movies and independent...
With a career spanning across seven decades, Wood worked across a wide variety of projects, collaborating with directors like John Woo, Adam McKay, Antoine Fuqua, Barry Sonnenfeld and Larry Cohen, reports ‘Variety’.
He was nominated for a BAFTA award for best cinematography for his work on 2007’s aThe Bourne Ultimatum’, directed by Paul Greengrass.
Born in London, Wood moved to New York City when he was 19. His first major credit came on Leonard Kastle’s 1970 crime film aThe Honeymoon Killers’ making a strong impression for his technique of using available light to give the anachronistic dark comedy the look of a newsreel.
As per ‘Variety’, Wood shot numerous B-movies and independent...
- 2/19/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Oliver Wood, the British cinematographer behind "Face/Off," "Morbius," and the original "Bourne" movie trilogy, has died at the age of 80. Variety reports that Wood passed away in his Hollywood home on Monday, February 13, after battling cancer. He is survived by his wife, Sabine, and three children: Katharine, Fiona, and Emerson.
Following early credits on films like William Friedkin's "To Live and Die in L.A." and Leonard Kastle's "The Honeymoon Killers," Wood became the director of photography for one of the most influential TV shows of all time, "Miami Vice," and was behind the camera for 53 episodes in total. From there, he found his niche in the genres of action and comedy, and in the places where they overlapped.
Wood's first film credit after "Miami Vice" was "Die Hard 2," and the '90s saw him working on the comedy sequels "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" and "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,...
Following early credits on films like William Friedkin's "To Live and Die in L.A." and Leonard Kastle's "The Honeymoon Killers," Wood became the director of photography for one of the most influential TV shows of all time, "Miami Vice," and was behind the camera for 53 episodes in total. From there, he found his niche in the genres of action and comedy, and in the places where they overlapped.
Wood's first film credit after "Miami Vice" was "Die Hard 2," and the '90s saw him working on the comedy sequels "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" and "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
Oliver Wood, whose work as a cinematographer included such big-budget action films as The Bourne Identity and two of its sequels, along with studio comedies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, has died. He was 80.
Wood died Monday, Feb. 13, surrounded by loved ones at his Hollywood home following a battle with cancer, his agent Ann Murtha told The Hollywood Reporter.
He is known for working with a long list of prominent directors, including John Woo on Face/Off (1997); Adam McKay on Talladega Nights (2006), Step Brothers (2008), The Other Guys (2010) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013); Edward Zwick on Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016); Antoine Fuqua on The Equalizer 2 (2018); and Daniel Espinosa on Safe House (2012), Child 44 (2015) and Morbius (2022). His work on Paul Greengrass’ The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) earned Wood a BAFTA Award nomination for best cinematography.
Born on Feb. 21, 1942, in London, Wood moved to New York City at age 19 and...
Wood died Monday, Feb. 13, surrounded by loved ones at his Hollywood home following a battle with cancer, his agent Ann Murtha told The Hollywood Reporter.
He is known for working with a long list of prominent directors, including John Woo on Face/Off (1997); Adam McKay on Talladega Nights (2006), Step Brothers (2008), The Other Guys (2010) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013); Edward Zwick on Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016); Antoine Fuqua on The Equalizer 2 (2018); and Daniel Espinosa on Safe House (2012), Child 44 (2015) and Morbius (2022). His work on Paul Greengrass’ The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) earned Wood a BAFTA Award nomination for best cinematography.
Born on Feb. 21, 1942, in London, Wood moved to New York City at age 19 and...
- 2/18/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oliver Wood, an English cinematographer whose credits include “Die Hard 2,” “Face/Off,” “The Other Guys” and the original “Bourne” trilogy, died Monday, Feb. 13, at his home in Hollywood following a battle with cancer. He was 80.
With a career spanning across seven decades, Wood worked across a wide variety of projects, collaborating with directors like John Woo, Adam McKay, Antoine Fuqua, Barry Sonnenfeld and Larry Cohen. He was nominated for a BAFTA award for best cinematography for his work on 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum,” directed by Paul Greengrass.
Born in London, Wood moved to New York City when he was 19. His first major credit came on Leonard Kastle’s 1970 crime film “The Honeymoon Killers,” making a strong impression for his technique of using available light to give the anachronistic dark comedy the look of a newsreel.
Wood shot numerous B-movies and independent films throughout the late 1970s and ’80s, frequently collaborating...
With a career spanning across seven decades, Wood worked across a wide variety of projects, collaborating with directors like John Woo, Adam McKay, Antoine Fuqua, Barry Sonnenfeld and Larry Cohen. He was nominated for a BAFTA award for best cinematography for his work on 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum,” directed by Paul Greengrass.
Born in London, Wood moved to New York City when he was 19. His first major credit came on Leonard Kastle’s 1970 crime film “The Honeymoon Killers,” making a strong impression for his technique of using available light to give the anachronistic dark comedy the look of a newsreel.
Wood shot numerous B-movies and independent films throughout the late 1970s and ’80s, frequently collaborating...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay and J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Tupac Shakur left quite an impact on his peers. The beloved rapper and actor starred in five critically acclaimed movies before his death at the age of 25. Directors have been open about their belief that he would have fully transitioned into acting because his talent was that great. One who feels that way is John SIngleton, who worked closely with Tupac and continued to admire him. Singleton even has an item dedicated to Tupac in his estate that’s now worth 75k.
Tupac Shakur | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images Tupac was initially supposed to star in ‘Baby Boy’
The rapper was set to star as the lead in the 2001 drama. Singer Tyrese did a dual Instagram Live video with Fat Joe where he spoke about Singleton detailing how Tupac was meant to play the character.
At the time Singleton was set to originally begin casting the film, Tupac was in LA...
Tupac Shakur | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images Tupac was initially supposed to star in ‘Baby Boy’
The rapper was set to star as the lead in the 2001 drama. Singer Tyrese did a dual Instagram Live video with Fat Joe where he spoke about Singleton detailing how Tupac was meant to play the character.
At the time Singleton was set to originally begin casting the film, Tupac was in LA...
- 2/11/2023
- by Brenda Alexander
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
UFO Audio Series ‘High Strange’ In The Works As Cadence13 & Tenderfoot TV Extend Podcast Partnership
Exclusive: Tenderfoot TV, the podcast company behind series including Up and Vanished and To Live and Die in LA, has extended its partnership with Audacy-owned studio Cadence13.
The deal has been extended through 2024 and includes a slew of renewals as well as a new series hosted by Tenderfoot TV co-founder Payne Lindsey.
The two companies will also develop a new slate of weekly podcast series and there’s a first-look at new limited series.
Lindsey will host UFO investigative series High Strange. The series will focus on unexplained aerial phenomena and will debut in early 2023.
Meanwhile, Up and Vanished, To Live and Die in LA, Culpable and Radio Rental have all been picked up for new seasons.
Up and Vanished, which has been downloaded more than 400M times over three seasons, will explore another cold case disappearance, having previously covered the disappearance of Georgia high school teacher Tara Grinstead,...
The deal has been extended through 2024 and includes a slew of renewals as well as a new series hosted by Tenderfoot TV co-founder Payne Lindsey.
The two companies will also develop a new slate of weekly podcast series and there’s a first-look at new limited series.
Lindsey will host UFO investigative series High Strange. The series will focus on unexplained aerial phenomena and will debut in early 2023.
Meanwhile, Up and Vanished, To Live and Die in LA, Culpable and Radio Rental have all been picked up for new seasons.
Up and Vanished, which has been downloaded more than 400M times over three seasons, will explore another cold case disappearance, having previously covered the disappearance of Georgia high school teacher Tara Grinstead,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Willem Dafoe has that rare energy as an actor where you could see him playing a benevolent and angelic character just as easily as you could see him playing an outright villain. Since his first screen appearance in 1980 in a background role as a cockfighter in Michael Cimino's troubled epic "Heaven's Gate," Dafoe has racked up close to 150 credits. That's at least three per year -- a far less common rate now that studios no longer have the power to work their stars into the ground. Dafoe's stardom is more akin to the New Hollywood hotshots that emerged in the '60s and '70s (think Henry Fonda or Faye Dunaway) than those celestial bodies of the classic era. He's always prioritized getting deep into a challenging character over playing admirable and attractive heroes.
In those 40-some years, he's played roles as wicked as the lecherous, greased-up gangster Bobby Peru...
In those 40-some years, he's played roles as wicked as the lecherous, greased-up gangster Bobby Peru...
- 1/8/2023
- by Ryan Coleman
- Slash Film
Los Angeles’ ubiquitous smog, freeways, beaches and palm trees — as well as its place in moviedom — were all influential elements as filmmaker Pierre Perifel and production designer Luc Desmarchelier huddled over where to set DreamWorks’ latest animation, “The Bad Guys,” in theaters April 22.
Based on the children’s book series by Aaron Blabey about a group of animals — a wolf, a snake, a shark, a tarantula and a piranha — that are always portrayed as criminal types but are trying hard to reform here, Desmarchelier says the script didn’t define where the action would be taking place. So when conceiving ideas, he looked at Chicago and New York as potential settings for the gang’s last heist.
But the production designer says he and Perifel ultimately landed on a reimagined version of the City of Angels because inspirations from cop and heist movies and TV shows had a gravitational pull.
Based on the children’s book series by Aaron Blabey about a group of animals — a wolf, a snake, a shark, a tarantula and a piranha — that are always portrayed as criminal types but are trying hard to reform here, Desmarchelier says the script didn’t define where the action would be taking place. So when conceiving ideas, he looked at Chicago and New York as potential settings for the gang’s last heist.
But the production designer says he and Perifel ultimately landed on a reimagined version of the City of Angels because inspirations from cop and heist movies and TV shows had a gravitational pull.
- 4/22/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – In my one encounter with Dean Stockwell back in 2013, he was properly off-kilter and amazing, as you expect from Frank in “Blue Velvet.” But Stockwell was so much more, starting as a child actor in Hollywood’s Golden Age, morphing to the hippie era and getting a major comeback with David Lynch and TV’s Quantum Leap.” He died in New York City on November 7th, 2021, at age 85.
Robert Dean Stockwell was born in North Los Angeles, and because he was a child actor he worked in the Golden Age of the 1940s Hollywood studio system. His first major role came when he was 11 years old, playing opposite Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra in “Anchors Aweigh” (1945). He became the go-to child star in classics such as “The Boy with the Green Hair’ (1946), “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), “Song of the Thin Man” (1947) and “The Secret Garden” (1949), often with another child co-star (and...
Robert Dean Stockwell was born in North Los Angeles, and because he was a child actor he worked in the Golden Age of the 1940s Hollywood studio system. His first major role came when he was 11 years old, playing opposite Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra in “Anchors Aweigh” (1945). He became the go-to child star in classics such as “The Boy with the Green Hair’ (1946), “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), “Song of the Thin Man” (1947) and “The Secret Garden” (1949), often with another child co-star (and...
- 11/10/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Veteran actor Dean Stockwell, best known for playing Admiral ‘Al’ Calavicci opposite Scott Bakula’s Dr. Sam Beckett in NBC’s sci-fi dramedy Quantum Leap, died Sunday of natural causes. He was 85.
Airing from March 1989 to May 1993, Quantum Leap starred Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who in testing out a time travel theory “leapt” into the body of an Air Force pilot 50 years in the past. In trying to return home, Sam realized he could only randomly leap into other people, in other times. Stockwell played Sam’s womanizing, cigar-smoking hologram of a Bff/companion.
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Airing from March 1989 to May 1993, Quantum Leap starred Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who in testing out a time travel theory “leapt” into the body of an Air Force pilot 50 years in the past. In trying to return home, Sam realized he could only randomly leap into other people, in other times. Stockwell played Sam’s womanizing, cigar-smoking hologram of a Bff/companion.
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- 11/9/2021
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
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