By now, you ought to know the filmmaking career of legendary Oscar-winning director William Friedkin. If you don’t know Friedkin himself for some reason, you probably at least know films like “The French Connection,” and “The Exorcist.” But Friedkin’s career is extraordinary and offbeat, going from massive box office success (“The Exorcist”) and Oscar-dominating wins (“The French Connection”), to comeuppance from an industry (and critical industrial complex) that turned on the filmmaker known for his arrogance in his youth. Like many ‘70s golden child filmmakers, Friedkin flew a little too close to the sun and fell. The commercial and critical success of his early pictures would never be repeated, but the work rarely faltered and he produced dozens of cult classics over the years like “Sorcerer,” “Cruising,” “To Live and Die in LA” and “Killer Joe” to name just a few.
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The new documentary “Freidkin Uncut” hopes to offer insight into the life and artistic journey of the Oscar-winning director, and for the first time—the 83-year-old director, who lives in Beverly Hills with his wife (former Paramount Studios Chief Sherry Lansing)—opens up, guiding the audience on a fascinating journey through the themes and stories that have influenced his life and career.
READ MORE: ‘Friedkin Uncut’ [Venice Review]
A legendary group of friends and collaborators participate in the documentary— including Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Willem Dafoe, Wes Anderson, Matthew McConaughey, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Shannon, and Juno Temple— producing many never before heard stories and anecdotes celebrating the acclaimed director.
“Friedkin Uncut” was directed by Francesco Zippel and made its world premiere at the 2018 Venice Film Festival, where Friedkin was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
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“Friedkin Uncut” opening in limited theatrical release in New York on August 23 (Village East/NY) and in Los Angeles (Laemmle Monica) on August 30 via Ambi Distribution.
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