Turner Classic Movies will celebrate the life and career of the late, greatWilliam Friedkinwith a two-night event. TCM’s tribute will showcase five films, the first three airing on Thursday, September 14, and the remaining two airing Sunday, November 26. September’s event will featureThe French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A., andThe Boys in the Band; while November’s event kicks off with the TCM premiere ofFriedkin Uncut,a documentary about Friedkin’s life and work, and concludes withThe Exorcist.
Early in his career, Friedkin directed one of the last episodes of theAlfred Hitchcock Hour(titledOff Season)in 1965. From 1970 to 1973, Friedkin directed three acclaimed films, the dramaThe Boys in the Band, the neo-noir thrillerThe French Connection, and the supernatural featureThe Exorcist. Friedkin continued a successful Hollywood career until his death and his expansive filmography includes films across a number of genres including the thrillerSorcerer, the comedy dramaThe Brink’s Job, the psychological horror filmBug, and the dark comedyKiller Joe.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker passed away in Los Angeles on August 7; he was 87 years old. Following news of his death,Hollywood mourned the acclaimed director, with past collaborators and film enthusiasts remembering the legendary filmmaker.The Exorciststars Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn both called Friedkin a “genius” and “friend,” speaking to his legacy even off-set; David Gordon Green, who directs the upcomingThe Exorcist: The Believercalled Friedkin an inspiration, while Eli Roth said he was “one of a kind.”
Related:Sorcerer: William Friedkin’s Overlooked Masterpiece
TCM Will Highlight William Freidkin’s Best
According to TCM, Friedkin was a good friend to the network and attended several of their Classic Film Festivals, including this year’s event held in April. The films selected by the network represent the best of Freidkin’s work, starring withThe French Connection(airing on September 14th, at 8pm ET). Starring Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider and Fernando Rey, the film is based on Robin Moore’s bestseller of the same name about two narcotics cops in pursuit of a French heroin dealer. The film earned five Academy Awards, including the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Hackman, and Best Director for Friedkin.
To Live and Die in L.A.will follow at 10pm ET. The 1985 neo-noir thriller is based on a novel by former United States Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich. Along with directing, Friedkin co-wrote the screenplay alongside Petievich. The film stars William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Jane Leeves, and John Turturro, and follows the tale of a secret service agent who becomes hyper focused on destroying a counterfeiter responsible for his partner’s death.
The evening will conclude with a midnight showing ofThe Boys in the Band. The 1970 drama follows a group of gay men as they come together for a party in New York City. The film is a significant work in the LGBTQ+ genre, as it was one of the first major motion pictures centered around gay characters.
The November 26th event will kick off with TCM’s premiere ofFriedkin Uncutat 8pm ET. The 2018 documentary film from Francesco Zippel explores Friedkin’s life and career, and includes interviews with the late filmmaker, Wes Anderson, Dario Argento, Burstyn, Francis Ford Coppola, Dafoe, and Quentin Tarantino, among others.
The evening, and the two-night event, will conclude with TCM’s 10pm ET showing of Freidkin’s horror classicThe Exorcist. Released in 1973, and based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the first name, the film details the terrifying demonic possession of a young girl. Starring Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller and Blair, the film is still largely considered one of the scariest movies ever made.The Exorcistearned two Academy Awards (for Best Screenplay and Best Sound), with Friedkin earning a Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
