It Turns Out 'Exorcist' Director William Friedkin Who Just Died, Was One of the Funniest and Most Profane SOBs in Hollywood History
Bettmann. Getty Images.Legendary Hollywood director William Friedkin died yesterday at the age of 87. And his influence on cinema cannot be overstated. Among his most famous films are The Exorcist, which instantly became the gold standard for horror as a respectable art form, and The French Connection, the action/cop movie all other action/cop movies have spent half a century imitating.
And just as an aside, a while back I learned from Barstool OG Uncle Buck that the Mr. Plow bridge scene from The Simpsons was taken directly from a Friedkin movie I'd never heard of, The Sorcerer starring Roy Scheider.
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And that there was a long debate in the writer's room about whether to include such an obscure reference, even though that exact scene was on the movie poster.
But I can forgive myself for that pop culture blindspot, just because I have a much more glaring one to be bothered by. Until Friedkin died, I had no idea what a hilarious, irreverent and obscenely funny sumbitch this man was. In an entertainment world lousy with pretentious, intellectual snobs in love with the sound of their own voices and the smell of their own gas, this guy seemed to be working full time on mastering the art of giving negative numbers of fucks.
Here's a taste:
I rewatched The Exorcist last Halloween. And as I admired the shot-for-shot perfection of the director's craft, I never for one second imagined he talked like one of the irascible old codgers who hangs out at the local Knights of Columbus, jawing with his retired buddies over a cribbage board.
Here's a long thread, that I'll only hit the highlights of. But if you enjoy profanity and hilarity, it's worth the trip down the rabbit hole:
William Friedkin on ….
Oliver Stone:
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Bribing a NYC transit official in order to film the iconic French Connection car chase
How he had zero interest in Al Pacino starring in Cruising, as a cop going undercover in the underground gay club scene. Bonus: His description of how graphic the sex scenes were:
How he also not only wanted no part of Gene Hackman for French Connection, he accidentally hired the wrong actor to play the villain. Note that he and Hackman both won Oscars for it:
How he fucked with federal investigators who were looking for the counterfeit money that was used as a prop in To Live and Die in LA:
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How obsessed he was with the Clarence Carter song Strokin':
… and with good reason, it turns out. Because this is a banger:
Finally, his hysterical story about the night they premiered the universally reviled Exorcist II, which he had nothing to do with:
DYING.
Boy, oh boy. Do I ever regret not spending the last few decades listening to interviews and DVD director's commentary from this profane genius. He clearly was a man of singular genius. With absolutely no fear when it came to the industry he was so successful in. No respect for anyone, especially Hollywood's sacred cows. And one of the few accomplished filmmakers your average person could enjoy hanging out with over a cocktail or 10.
William Friedkin: One of a kind who will never be duplicated. And a guy who forgot more about making great movies than 99% of the people currently working in the business will ever know: