frogtastic1000 - I can't fault him on the name slip up for two reasons. When he came in to sit down and do this interview, the last person he met before we rolled was the director named "Mike", so that was the name fresh in his head. Secondly, I know a guy like Bill easily meets (I would imagine) 1000 people a week, so I'm sure at some point he stops remembering names. Regardless, he was fantastic, and I cherish this interview. The following day he did a Q&A for THE EXORCIST, which was hosted by someone else, and when he was a few minutes into it he spotted me in the audience... stopped in mid-sentence, waved at me and said "Is that Mark? Hi Mark!" It was hilarious.
If you say something dumb, Friedkin's not going to let you get away with it, as this critic finds out. Friedkin doesn't tolerate fools so you'd better bring your A game. He was brilliant and a terrific filmmaker.
He says he doesn't do screen tests with actors...but he said in another interview that he tested Jason Miller (RIP) for his role as Father Karras with actress Ellen Burstyn. And Ellen didn't like him. Oh well. This is a great INTERVIEW with William Friedkin and anyone who is wondering if they should watch it, YEA, YOU SHOULD. It's Good. It's like sitting down in the livingroom with the great Director and having an after dinner chat with him. (Highly Recommended)
He tested them acting together, AFTER, they were already in the cast. A screen test; is what is done before hiring, by other directors. not the same thing, bud.
Think he said he does not do audition for actors. Screen test is different besides he done test Jason Miller to "shut him" up. It was unimpressive...until he saw the dailies
Kudos, kudos, kudos, to this man interviewing Mr. Friedkin. He got into Sorcerer, Exorcist, Cruising, (my fav) To Live And Die, and Rampage. Thank you for that. Rampage is scary. What about cruising? Literally hair-raising. And Sorcerer is just one of the best films ever made. It has that wonder teeth from the get-go that Deliverance has. What a superb interview. I guess we all with Friedkin would make one more really awesome straight forward challenging movie. I hope so much he gets to do it. And I would talk to him about Jade. That's a really great movie. Thanks for this interview and posting.
i mean to say To Live And Die In LA is my fav. I'm so happy this man did such a comprehensive questioning; he hit these films that are so important. Great interview!
Friedkin talked about filming every scene in one take because it's fresh and looks and sounds more realistic.I think he's right and i hope killer joe wasn't his last movie.(Friedkin is only 79 years old and looks 65)
Great interview. --One thing that WF was wrong about (fortunately, IMO) was saying that film is dead, and everything is now shot digitally. It wasn't true in 2013, and still isn't true, as I post this in Aug., 2019. Also, Kodak never went out of business. Kodak is still making motion picture film. For example, La La Land (2016) and, as I write this, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, were both shot on Kodak film, not digitally. --OTOH, digital can look great, if it works for the subject matter, and the right camera is used. Drive (2011) for instance, looks fantastic, and was shot digitally, with the right camera, and the right lighting. I don't think it would have been improved if it had been shot on film. It depends on the subject matter and the camera used.
Mr. Friedkin is a skilled raconteur and a formidable director. I share his passion for all things Hitchcockian. For instance, in Psycho, there is a unique camera shot when the detective, Arborgast, is looking at the motel's registry book. Norman leans over to see the page and the shot is taken from below his throat. Totally weird. Very Alfredo.
The French Connection, Exorcist. these were powerful films made in the early seventies and could be said were ahead of their time. William Friedkin once said 'I know how to give the audiences 1 and half hours packed with a real thrill' he certainly did. Though, in one of his interviews, he said Sorcerer, 'it was not to the public taste' No. it was a great film. RIP W. Friedkin.
What happened the the 'Rampage' BluRay release Friedkin talked about in this interview? Because I've searched and it ain't out there. It's still a 'lost' film
I don't think the interviewer clued in to the fact that it sounded like he was saying 'endearing' not 'enduring'. Friedkin was making a clear distinction in enunciation to make the point. I'm not sure the Interviewer ever got it.
It's strange how both of them don't mention that Michael Shannon originally played the role in BUG onstage and that's obviously how he made the film. he also was in the original cast of Killer Joe playing the son Off Broadway.
In 1976, Friedkin and Spielberg both wanted Steve McQueen for Sorcerer and Close Encounters. In the end, they cast Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss from Jaws. McQueen would not have worked as Roy Neary, but would have been perfect as Jackie Scanlon.
“Like like …” Too bad Hitchcock wasn’t around to conduct this interview. “Excorsist” was very scary and creepy and expertly crafted. But all this talk about good and evil and faith is so much blather. Christopher Hitchens for the most part got it right when he analyzed religious belief. The interviewer is obviously a fan, but it doesn’t seem as though he did his homework. Even I know from listening to other interviews that Friedkin has said he was forced to cut scenes from “Cruising” that actually showed some of those guys in the club engaging in rough sex. The interviewer should have asked him how that came about and whether Friedkin thought it diminished the overall impact of the finished product.
It amazes me that the jackass that I've seen and heard in this and other interviews is the same man who did such a brilliant job directing classic films like The Exorcist and The French Connection. The interviewer here is not at all impressive either. A few interesting things come out of this interview, but overall I found it somewhat uncomfortable if not painful to listen to.
How do you come to the conclusion that legendary Film director William Friedkin is a jackass, what qualifies you to make such an ignorant and disrespectful assumption. William Friedkin is a master, many of his films have been copied, when you achieve anything remotely on the level of Friedkin, then you may be entitled to offer such an opinion.
And how is he a jackass? Watching interviews from him totally explains how he did such a brilliant job directing classic films like The Exorcist and The French Connection.
He was a a## hole who acted like a dictator to his workers and abused a 13yr old girl for a movie and now his last hit was almost 50years old he's was overated as a director
I love listening to Mr. Friedkin speak. He is simply incapable of being dull.
Correct. He's an amazing speaker. Not only articulate, but he great great delivery and cadence.
Yup.
You are a legend Bill!!!! If you only made The French Connection you'd go down in the annals of film making history for that brilliant work alone!
I could listen to Friedkin talk about movies all day long.
I just did.
Alex Curioso me too
Me too. I've spent the past week watching interviews and talks with Billy friedkin......cant get enough of what he has to say.
I just did too!
me too :)
He is so humble and easy to connect with. What a great Director!
Crusing, To Live and Die in L.A. and The Hunted are some of William Friedkin’s most underrated/under-appreciated films ever made
Great interview, Friedkin is the shit!
+dilmao thanks! It was a lot of fun to do.
One of the great film makers of our time.
frogtastic1000 - I can't fault him on the name slip up for two reasons. When he came in to sit down and do this interview, the last person he met before we rolled was the director named "Mike", so that was the name fresh in his head. Secondly, I know a guy like Bill easily meets (I would imagine) 1000 people a week, so I'm sure at some point he stops remembering names. Regardless, he was fantastic, and I cherish this interview. The following day he did a Q&A for THE EXORCIST, which was hosted by someone else, and when he was a few minutes into it he spotted me in the audience... stopped in mid-sentence, waved at me and said "Is that Mark? Hi Mark!" It was hilarious.
What an endearing story! RIP William
..... Such a phenomenal director! He's so brilliant
If you say something dumb, Friedkin's not going to let you get away with it, as this critic finds out. Friedkin doesn't tolerate fools so you'd better bring your A game. He was brilliant and a terrific filmmaker.
So glad he was asked about The Hunted. That is one of my favourites from him in the latter half of his career. A chase thriller stripped to the bone.
I lovve Mr.Friedkin’s sense of humor!!
What a endearing interview. 😂
This is prolly the finest interview of the mighty WF! Thank you for sharing
The best American director ever.
Mr Friedkin is a brilliant visionary. Excellent filmmaker and teacher. It’s always an educational experience whenever he is interviewed.
Absolute master!!!
Thank you for posting.
He says he doesn't do screen tests with actors...but he said in another interview that he tested Jason Miller (RIP) for his role as Father Karras with actress Ellen Burstyn. And Ellen didn't like him. Oh well. This is a great INTERVIEW with William Friedkin and anyone who is wondering if they should watch it, YEA, YOU SHOULD. It's Good. It's like sitting down in the livingroom with the great Director and having an after dinner chat with him. (Highly Recommended)
+abyios glad you liked it! He was a delight.
He tested them acting together, AFTER, they were already in the cast. A screen test; is what is done before hiring, by other directors. not the same thing, bud.
Think he said he does not do audition for actors. Screen test is different besides he done test Jason Miller to "shut him" up. It was unimpressive...until he saw the dailies
RIP the Legendary William Friedkin a Master
"Filming action scenes is like knitting, one shot at a time." RIP Mr. Friedkin
Kudos, kudos, kudos, to this man interviewing Mr. Friedkin. He got into Sorcerer, Exorcist, Cruising, (my fav) To Live And Die, and Rampage. Thank you for that. Rampage is scary. What about cruising? Literally hair-raising. And Sorcerer is just one of the best films ever made. It has that wonder teeth from the get-go that Deliverance has. What a superb interview. I guess we all with Friedkin would make one more really awesome straight forward challenging movie. I hope so much he gets to do it. And I would talk to him about Jade. That's a really great movie. Thanks for this interview and posting.
i mean to say To Live And Die In LA is my fav. I'm so happy this man did such a comprehensive questioning; he hit these films that are so important. Great interview!
I would ask him, “where do you get your ideas from?”
Thanks for posting.
Love & miss you Bill 💕
friedkin is hilarious .. ".that it on the french connection ?!? .. one of the greatest films.." .. gotta love that guy
Friedkin talked about filming every scene in one take because it's fresh and looks and sounds more realistic.I think he's right and i hope killer joe wasn't his last movie.(Friedkin is only 79 years old and looks 65)
Great interview. --One thing that WF was wrong about (fortunately, IMO) was saying that film is dead, and everything is now shot digitally. It wasn't true in 2013, and still isn't true, as I post this in Aug., 2019. Also, Kodak never went out of business. Kodak is still making motion picture film. For example, La La Land (2016) and, as I write this, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, were both shot on Kodak film, not digitally. --OTOH, digital can look great, if it works for the subject matter, and the right camera is used. Drive (2011) for instance, looks fantastic, and was shot digitally, with the right camera, and the right lighting. I don't think it would have been improved if it had been shot on film. It depends on the subject matter and the camera used.
Mr. Friedkin is a skilled raconteur and a formidable director. I share his passion for all things Hitchcockian. For instance, in Psycho, there is a unique camera shot when the detective, Arborgast, is looking at the motel's registry book. Norman leans over to see the page and the shot is taken from below his throat. Totally weird. Very Alfredo.
William Friedkin is one of my all time favourite Humans.
You have dogs you'd rate above Friedkin?
What an endearing interview 😂
Mike, the interviewer, got roasted big league here. Friedkin great
The French Connection, Exorcist. these were powerful films made in the early seventies and could be said were ahead of their time. William Friedkin once said 'I know how to give the audiences 1 and half hours packed with a real thrill' he certainly did. Though, in one of his interviews, he said Sorcerer, 'it was not to the public taste' No. it was a great film. RIP W. Friedkin.
What happened the the 'Rampage' BluRay release Friedkin talked about in this interview? Because I've searched and it ain't out there. It's still a 'lost' film
Yeah I’d really like to know about that too!
I held onto the VHS for years and for reasons I can't recall I purged it during a move...! Kicking myself.
One of the greats
I don't think the interviewer clued in to the fact that it sounded like he was saying 'endearing' not 'enduring'. Friedkin was making a clear distinction in enunciation to make the point. I'm not sure the Interviewer ever got it.
It's strange how both of them don't mention that Michael Shannon originally played the role in BUG onstage and that's obviously how he made the film. he also was in the original cast of Killer Joe playing the son Off Broadway.
“I had a lot of friends in the mafia” 😂😂😂
Most famous director,
amazing interview. anyone know anything about the mention of Rampage on bluray? was it scheduled and then cancelled?
Here in 2024 and he was right about streaming.
"The false image of the American family." True words.
Legend.
In 1976, Friedkin and Spielberg both wanted Steve McQueen for Sorcerer and Close Encounters. In the end, they cast Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss from Jaws. McQueen would not have worked as Roy Neary, but would have been perfect as Jackie Scanlon.
Cool interview. I'm assuming Killer Joe will be Friedkin's last film. Good way to go out.
Why his last film....Has he passed away...??
No, just 'cause the dude is old. He might not look it, but he's 81.
Killer Joe is already 5 years old and he's not working on anything.
The Devil and Father Amorth is a 2017 documentary film directed by William Friedkin
I shot a short film on KODAK film stock only last weekend. Film is not dead. Take advantage of your age and use it.
This man was seriously a one off.
What?
lol at 50:18
“Like like …”
Too bad Hitchcock wasn’t around to conduct this interview.
“Excorsist” was very scary and creepy and expertly crafted.
But all this talk about good and evil and faith is so much blather.
Christopher Hitchens for the most part got it right when he analyzed religious belief.
The interviewer is obviously a fan, but it doesn’t seem as though he did his homework.
Even I know from listening to other interviews that Friedkin has said he was forced to cut scenes from “Cruising” that actually showed some of those guys in the club engaging in rough sex.
The interviewer should have asked him how that came about and whether Friedkin thought it diminished the overall impact of the finished product.
I guess they forgot about Jade
mike....i mean mark
Why does fried kin wear his pants like that
What is "fried kin"? Is that when someone drops their granny in the deep fat fryer?
They are movies
Nobody can tell W.F. anything on filming. They would always fail miserably. It's inevitable
This guy couldn't correct himself to say "enduring" than "endearing" ?
It amazes me that the jackass that I've seen and heard in this and other interviews is the same man who did such a brilliant job directing classic films like The Exorcist and The French Connection. The interviewer here is not at all impressive either. A few interesting things come out of this interview, but overall I found it somewhat uncomfortable if not painful to listen to.
How do you come to the conclusion that legendary Film director William Friedkin is a jackass, what qualifies you to make such an ignorant and disrespectful assumption. William Friedkin is a master, many of his films have been copied, when you achieve anything remotely on the level of Friedkin, then you may be entitled to offer such an opinion.
And how is he a jackass? Watching interviews from him totally explains how he did such a brilliant job directing classic films like The Exorcist and The French Connection.
You are an idiot who can´t understand such a great and witty artist.
Sorry but the Godfather wasn't groundbreaking...the Exorcist was.
He was a a## hole who acted like a dictator to his workers and abused a 13yr old girl for a movie and now his last hit was almost 50years old he's was overated as a director