William Friedkin, Oscar-winning director most widely known for “The Exorcist” has passed away at the age of 87. He died at his resident on Monday in Bel Air, California. Some might be wondering why I would cover such a story as this and the answer is twofold. One, I’m a huge horror fan and “The Exorcist” is one of my all-time favorites of the genre. Secondly, “The Exorcist,” contrary to what many believe, was actually meant to be a film that was “Christian” in the sense that it upheld God as good conquering evil.
Ultimately, the movie is about a priest questioning his faith who, through the encounter with the possessed Regan McNeil, comes back to belief. We actually could use a lot more movies like that in our modern day.
“Friedkin’s wife, former Paramount Studio head Sherry Lansing, told The New York Times Friedkin died of heart failure and pneumonia. Chapman University Dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Lansing’s, confirmed the death with Variety and Deadline,” Breitbart reported. “Friedkin’s 1971 cop drama The French Connection was a landmark of gritty ’70s cinema whose car chase, against a train, is frequently cited on lists of cinema’s greatest car chases. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, director, Gene Hackman’s performance, the screenplay and editing.”
Hackman came back for the sequel in 1975, though John Frankenheimer was at the helm of the project. The follow-up for Friedkin was now the legendary horror masterpiece, “The Exorcist.”
“Based on William Peter Blatty’s book, The Exorcist often is listed as the scariest movie ever made. It also spawned two sequels and two prequels, none directed by Friedkin. Another sequel, The Exorcist: Believer, comes out this October. However, Friedkin did authorize an extended version of the original film in 2000 that reinstated deleted scenes,” the report said.
The studio that produced the film, Warner Bros., is currently putting the original Exorcist film on 4K UHD, set to be released on Sept. 19. Friedkin recently sat down for an interview for a documentary based on the film called “Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist.”
“Friedkin’s 1977 film Sorcerer, a remake of The Wages of Fear, also is a fan favorite. He recently spoke about his 1980 film, Cruising, to an audience at Beyond Fest in October. Friedkin revisited law enforcement in 1985’s To Live and Die in L.A. which also boasted intense car chases and gritty portrayals of the Secret Service combatting counterfeiters. Friedkin returned to horror in 1990’s The Guardian. He continued directing the ’90s erotic thriller Jade, the military courtroom drama Rules of Engagement, the chase movie The Hunted, and smaller thrillers Bug, Killer Joe and his last, 2017’s exorcism documentary The Devil and Father Amorth,” Breitbart added.
It’s sad to see such a great filmmaker pass, but he led a long, fruitful life with a successful career. Many people do not receive such an opportunity, but it truly seems God blessed his efforts to drag the dark into the light.
Please keep his family and friends in your prayers during this difficult time of loss.
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