Never Change, William Friedkin

Unforgettable and uncompromising, William Friedkin lived the same way he made his movies.

William Friedkin, legendary director of The Exorcist, The French Connection and Sorcerer, when asked about Al Pacino’s thought process during the filming of Cruising:

“I don’t give a flying fuck into a rolling doughnut about what Al Pacino thinks.”

Friedkin passed away earlier this month at the age of 87, a key member of a vital new age of filmmakers who rejuvenated cinema in the Seventies.

Whether you loved him or not, agreed with his methods or not, Friedkin will always be remembered for making some of cinema’s all-time greats. But it was his direct and rebellious attitude that I’ll miss most of all.

This was a guy who, in the middle of a place where it paid to be someone else, was authentic to a fault.

The world needs more people like William Friedkin. People who aren’t afraid to say it like it is.

Rest in peace, you crazy, crazy man. And thanks for the movies.

Oh, and if you’ve not seen Sorcerer, go and rectify that right now. Released around the same time as Star Wars in 1977, the film was buried by the hysteria surrounding George Lucas’ sci-fi classic.

But it deserves attention as one of the all-time great thrillers, a film so unrelentingly tense my heartbeat could’ve been measured on the Richter scale.