William Friedkin

Beelzebub’s Blockbuster: Why ‘The Exorcist’ Terrified Audiences in 1973

By  Meg Shields 

‘The Exorcist’ was the Christmas hit that rocked Hollywood. Here’s why audiences in 1973 found the film so scary.

The Real Story Behind ‘The French Connection’

By  Will DiGravio 

A series of wild events and true-life figures inspired William Friedkin’s classic 1971 film.

No Way Back: How They Shot the Bridge Scene in ‘Sorcerer’

By  Meg Shields 

A perilous bridge traversal so nice they did it twice.

16 Things We Learned from William Friedkin’s ‘The Leopard Man’ Commentary

By  Rob Hunter 

What’s the connection between ‘The Leopard Man’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’ you ask? William Friedkin has the answer.

31 Things We Learned from William Friedkin’s ‘Cruising’ Commentary

By  Rob Hunter 

“I think this should have been an X-rated film.”

45 Years after ‘The Exorcist’ William Friedkin Captures Real Evil On Screen

By  Brad Gullickson 

Friedkin’s new documentary, The Devil and Father Amorth challenges our modern concepts of evil.

Whimpers and Bangs: The Endings of William Friedkin

By  H. Perry Horton 

How the revered director bucked tradition with his unique conclusions.

33 Things We Learned From ‘The French Connection’ Commentary

By  Kate Erbland 

From 2012, we share everything we got out of the DVD commentary for William Friedkin’s Best Picture winner.