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William Friedkin (born 29 August 1935 in Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
, Illinois
Illinois

The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....
) is an Academy Award-winning American movie and television director
Film director

A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a film. A film director visualizes the Screenplay, controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of his or her vision....
, producer
Film producer

A film producer is someone who creates the conditions for making film. The producer initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel and arranging for distributors....
 and screenwriter
Screenwriter

Screenwriters or scenarists are scriptwriters who write the screenplays from which films and television programs are made.Most screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation....
 best known for directing The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)

The Exorcist is a 1973 in film United States horror film, adapted from the 1971 The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her mother?s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests....
 and The French Connection
The French Connection (film)

The French Connection is a 1971 in film Hollywood crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the The French Connection by Robin Moore....
 in the early 1970s.

r seeing the movie Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane is a 1941 in film United States dramatic film and the first feature film directed by Orson Welles. It was nominated for an Academy Award in nine categories, but won only for Best Original Screenplay by Herman Mankiewicz and Welles....
 as a boy, Friedkin became fascinated with movies and began working for WGN-TV
WGN-TV

WGN-TV, channel 9, is a television station in Chicago, Illinois. It has been owned by the Tribune Company since its inception, and is an affiliate of the CW Television Network....
 immediately after high school. He eventually started his directorial
Television director

A television director directs the activities involved in making a television episode....
 career doing live television shows and documentaries, including The People vs. Paul Crump which won several awards and contributed to the commutation of Crump's death sentence
Death Sentence

"Death Sentence" is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov....
.






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William Friedkin (born 29 August 1935 in Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
, Illinois
Illinois

The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....
) is an Academy Award-winning American movie and television director
Film director

A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a film. A film director visualizes the Screenplay, controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of his or her vision....
, producer
Film producer

A film producer is someone who creates the conditions for making film. The producer initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel and arranging for distributors....
 and screenwriter
Screenwriter

Screenwriters or scenarists are scriptwriters who write the screenplays from which films and television programs are made.Most screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation....
 best known for directing The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)

The Exorcist is a 1973 in film United States horror film, adapted from the 1971 The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her mother?s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests....
 and The French Connection
The French Connection (film)

The French Connection is a 1971 in film Hollywood crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the The French Connection by Robin Moore....
 in the early 1970s.

Career

After seeing the movie Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane is a 1941 in film United States dramatic film and the first feature film directed by Orson Welles. It was nominated for an Academy Award in nine categories, but won only for Best Original Screenplay by Herman Mankiewicz and Welles....
 as a boy, Friedkin became fascinated with movies and began working for WGN-TV
WGN-TV

WGN-TV, channel 9, is a television station in Chicago, Illinois. It has been owned by the Tribune Company since its inception, and is an affiliate of the CW Television Network....
 immediately after high school. He eventually started his directorial
Television director

A television director directs the activities involved in making a television episode....
 career doing live television shows and documentaries, including The People vs. Paul Crump which won several awards and contributed to the commutation of Crump's death sentence
Death Sentence

"Death Sentence" is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov....
. In 1965 Friedkin moved to Hollywood and two years later released his first feature film, Good Times
Good Times (film)

Good Times is a 1967 in film Musical film comedy film starring Sonny and Cher....
 starring Sonny and Cher. Several other "art" films followed (including the gay-themed movie The Boys in the Band
The Boys in the Band

The Boys in the Band is a 1970 in film United States drama film directed by William Friedkin. The screenplay by Mart Crowley is based on his off-Broadway The Boys in the Band ....
), although Friedkin didn't necessarily want to be known as an art house
Art film

An art film is typically a serious, noncommercial, independent film film or a foreign language film that may have these qualities, but may have been made by a major company in its home territory and achieved popular success....
 director.

In 1971, his The French Connection
The French Connection (film)

The French Connection is a 1971 in film Hollywood crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the The French Connection by Robin Moore....
 was released to wide critical acclaim. Shot in a gritty style more suited for documentaries than Hollywood features, the film won five Academy Awards
Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers....
, including Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture

The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the film industry....
 and Best Director
Academy Award for Directing

The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing is one of the Academy Award presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Film directors working in the film industry....
.

Friedkin followed up with 1973's The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)

The Exorcist is a 1973 in film United States horror film, adapted from the 1971 The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her mother?s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests....
, based on William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty

William Peter Blatty is an United States writer and filmmaker. He wrote the novel The Exorcist and the The Exorcist for which he won an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay#1970s....
's best-selling novel, which revolutionized the horror genre and is considered by some critics to be the greatest horror movie of all time. The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards
Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers....
, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Following these two critically acclaimed pictures, Friedkin, along with Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola is a five-time Academy Award-winning United States film director, Film producer and screenwriter. Away from showbusiness, Coppola is also a vintner, publisher and Hotel manager....
 and Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian DePalma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola....
, was deemed as one of the premier directors of New Hollywood
New Hollywood

New Hollywood or post-Classical Hollywood cinema, sometimes referred to as the "American New Wave", refers to the brief time between roughly the mid-1960s and the early 1980s when a new generation of young filmmakers came to prominence in America, drastically changing not only the way Hollywood films were produced and marketed, but al...
. Unfortunately, Friedkin's later movies did not achieve the same success. Sorcerer
Sorcerer (film)

Sorcerer is a 1977 film, produced and directed by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. It is a remake of the 1953 France film The Wages of Fear ....
 (1977), a $22 million dollar American remake
Remake

A "remake" is a term used to describe something that has been done again, sometimes with better quality and more features....
 of the French classic Wages of Fear, starring Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider

Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He is best known for his role as police chief Martin Brody in Jaws , his role as Joe Gideon in All That Jazz, and as detective Buddy 'Cloudy' Russo in The French Connection . Scheider's final role comes as Joseph in the 2009 thriller Iron Cross ....
, was overshadowed by the box-office success of Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is an Cinema of the United States 1977 in film space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It was the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: Star Wars#Original trilogy continue the story, while a Star Wars#Prequel trilogy contributes backstory, primarily for the troubled charac...
, which was released around the same time. Friedkin considers it his finest film, and was personally devastated by its financial and critical failure (as mentioned by Friedkin himself in the documentary series The Directors (1999)).

Sorcerer was shortly followed by the crime-comedy The Brink's Job
The Brink's Job

The Brink's Job is a 1978 in film film directed by William Friedkin and starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Goorwitz, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands and Paul Sorvino....
 (1978), based on the real-life Great Brink's Robbery in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
, which was also unsuccessful at the box-office. In 1980, he released the highly controversial gay-themed crime thriller Cruising
Cruising (film)

Cruising is a 1980 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino. The film is loosely based on the novel Cruising by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker, about a New York City serial killer targeting gay men in the 1970s....
, starring Al Pacino
Al Pacino

Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an United States film and theatre actor and Film director, widely considered to be one of the most notable and influential actors of his time....
, which was protested against even during its making, and remains the subject of heated debate to this day.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Friedkin's films received mostly lackluster reviews and moderate ticket sales. Deal of the Century
Deal of the Century

Deal of the Century is a 1983 United States comedy film directed by William Friedkin and starring Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines, and Sigourney Weaver....
 (1983), starring Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase

Cornelius Crane ?Chevy? Chase is an United States Emmy Award comedian, writer, and television and film actor. Born into a prominent family, Chase quickly became a key cast member in the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live, where his Weekend Update skit quickly became a staple of the show....
, Gregory Hines
Gregory Hines

Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer....
 and Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, best known for her roles as Lt. Ellen Ripley in the Alien film series and as Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters movies....
, was sometimes regarded as a latter-day Dr. Strangelove, though was generally savaged by critics. However, his action/crime movie To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), starring William Petersen
William Petersen

William Louis Petersen is a Golden Globe and Emmy nominated American actor and producer, best known for playing Gil Grissom on the hit CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
 and Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe

William J. "Willem" Dafoe is a two-time Academy Award-nominated United States film and theatre actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group....
, was a critical favorite and drew comparisons to Friedkin's own The French Connection (particularly for its car-chase sequence), while his courtroom-drama/thriller, Rampage
Rampage (film)

Rampage is a 1987 movie directed by William Friedkin. It was filmed in Stockton, California in 1986 and received nation-wide American release in 1992....
 (1987), received a fairly positive review from Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert

Roger Joseph Ebert born June 18, 1942) is an United States film criticism and screenwriter.He is known for his film review column and for two television programs Sneak Previews and At the Movies , which he co-hosted for a combined 23 years with Gene Siskel....
 despite major distribution problems.

In 2000, The Exorcist was re-released in theaters with extra footage and grossed $40 million in the U.S. alone.

Friedkin's involvement in 2007's Bug resulted from a positive experience watching the stage version in 2004. He was surprised to find that he was, metaphorically, on the same page as the playwright, and felt that he could relate well to the story.

Later, Friedkin directed an episode of the hit TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American Police procedural television series. CSI premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The ninth season began airing on October 9, 2008 and currently airs in the United States of America on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m....
, entitled Cockroaches
Cockroaches (CSI)

Cockroaches is the ninth episode of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation of the popular American crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada....
, which re-teamed him with To Live and Die In L.A. star William Petersen.

Personal life

Friedkin has two sons: Jack (with actress Lesley-Anne Down
Lesley-Anne Down

Lesley-Anne Down is an English actor who is best known for her roles as Georgina Worsley in the ITV period piece Upstairs, Downstairs, Olivia Blake in the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach and Madeline Fabray LaMotte Main in North and South ....
) and Cedric, whose mother is Australian dancer Jennifer Nairn-Smith. He has been married four times, including a short marriage to French actress Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau

Jeanne Moreau is a BAFTA Awards and C?sar Awards-winning French people actress, screenwriter and Film director....
. He is currently married to former film executive Sherry Lansing
Sherry Lansing

Sherry Lansing is an American film studio executive. She is the former CEO of Paramount Pictures and the first woman to head a major studio. In 2001 she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal....
.

Filmography (as director)

Award information is from The Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database

The Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to film, actors, Television program, production crew personnel, video games, and most recently, fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media....
 (IMDb).
YearFilm informationAdditional information
2007
2007 in film

The year '2007 in film' saw major releases such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ,The Simpsons Movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Transformers , TMNT , Saw IV, and Live Free or Die Hard as well as releases of third installment films, such as: The Bourne Ultimatum , Pirates of the Caribbean:...
Bug
  • Release Date: May 25, 2007
  • Genre: Horror
    Horror film

    Horror films are movies that strive to elicit responses of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of the supernatural....
    , psychological thriller
    Psychological thriller

    Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging Thriller genre. However, this genre often incorporates elements from the Mystery fiction in addition to the typical traits of the thriller genre....
  • Distributed by: Lionsgate
  • 2006 FIPRESCI Prize
    FIPRESCI

    FIPRESCI , in English language known as International Federation of Film Critics, is an association of the national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June, 1930 in...
     winner, William Friedkin
    • 2003
    2003 in film

    The year '2003 in film' involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Freddy vs Jason, X2: X-Men Uni...
    		The Hunted
  • Release Date: 2003
  • Genre: Action
    Action film

    Action movies are a film genre where action sequences, such as explosions, Choreographed fight in cinema, shootouts, stunts, car chases or explosions either take precedence over or, in finer examples of the genre, are used as a form of exposition and character development....
  • Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
    Paramount Pictures

    Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production company and distribution company, located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California....
  • 2003 Two Golden Trailer
    Trailer (film)

    Trailers or previews are film advertisements for feature films that will be exhibited in the future at a Movie theater, on whose screen they are shown....
     nominations (Best Action, Best Horror/Thriller)
    • 2000
    2000 in film

    The year 2000 in film involved some significant events....
    		Rules of Engagement
    Rules of Engagement (film)

    Rules of Engagement is a 2000 American movie starring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, directed by William Friedkin. The movie, a military, political, and legal drama, is about Marine Colonel Terry Childers, played by Jackson, who is brought to court-martial on charges of disobeying the rules of engagement in a military incident at...
  • Release Date: March 31 2000
  • Genre: Action
    Action film

    Action movies are a film genre where action sequences, such as explosions, Choreographed fight in cinema, shootouts, stunts, car chases or explosions either take precedence over or, in finer examples of the genre, are used as a form of exposition and character development....
     drama
    Drama film

    A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
  • Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
    Paramount Pictures

    Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production company and distribution company, located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California....
  • 2000 Image Award (Outstanding Supporting Actor)
  • World Stunt Award nomination (Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director)
    • 1995
    1995 in film

    The year 1995 in film involved some significant events....
    		Jade
    Jade (film)

    Jade is an erotic thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, produced by Robert Evans , directed by William Friedkin and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna and Michael Biehn....
  • Release Date: October 13, 1995
  • Genre: Erotic crime
    Crime film

    A crime film, in the most general sense, is a film that involves various aspects crime and the criminal justice system. Stylistically, it can fall under many different genres, most commonly drama, Thriller , Mystery fiction and film noir....
     thriller
  • Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
    Paramount Pictures

    Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production company and distribution company, located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California....
  • 1995 Two Razzie Award nominations. (Worst New Star, Worst Screenplay)
    • 1994
    1994 in film

    The year 1994 in film involved some significant events....
    		Blue Chips
    Blue Chips

    Blue Chips is a 1994 in film drama film about basketball, starring Nick Nolte as a college Coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Matt Nover as talented finds....
  • Release Date: February 18, 1994
  • Genre: Drama
    Drama film

    A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
  • Distributed by: Paramount
    Paramount Pictures

    Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production company and distribution company, located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California....
  • 1994 Razzie Award nomination. (Worst New Star)
    • 1990
    1990 in film

    The year 1990 in film involved some significant events....
    		The Guardian
    The Guardian (1990 film)

    The Guardian is a 1990 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell. A cable television version of the film was credited to Alan Smithee, indicating that Friedkin wished to disassociate himself from its release....
  • Release Date: 1990
  • Genre: Horror
    Horror film

    Horror films are movies that strive to elicit responses of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of the supernatural....
  • Distributed by:
  • 1990 Three Saturn Award
    Saturn Award

    The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and Horror fiction in film, television, and home video....
     nominations (Best Horror Film, Best Music, Best Supporting Actress)
    • 1987
    1987 in film

    Events*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
    		Rampage
    Rampage (film)

    Rampage is a 1987 movie directed by William Friedkin. It was filmed in Stockton, California in 1986 and received nation-wide American release in 1992....
  • Release Date: 1987
  • Genre: Horror
    Horror film

    Horror films are movies that strive to elicit responses of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of the supernatural....
  • Distributed by: Miramax Films
    Miramax Films

    Miramax Films is a film production and distribution brand that was a leading independent film motion picture distribution and production company headquartered in New York City before it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company....
  • 1988 Saturn Award
    Saturn Award

    The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and Horror fiction in film, television, and home video....
     nomination, Best Director.
  • Deauville Film Festival Critics award nomination, William Friedkin
    • 1985
    1985 in film

    Events* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton....
    		To Live and Die in L.A.
    To Live and Die in L.A.

    To Live and Die in L.A. is an United States thriller directed by William Friedkin and based on the novel written by former U.S. Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich, who co-wrote the screenplay with Friedkin....
  • Release Date: November 1, 1985
  • Genre: Action thriller
  • Distributed by: MGM
  • 1985 Cognac Festival du Film Policier, Audience award winner: William Friedkin
  • Two Stuntman Awards.
    • 1983
    1983 in film

    Events*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York...
    		Deal of the Century
    Deal of the Century

    Deal of the Century is a 1983 United States comedy film directed by William Friedkin and starring Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines, and Sigourney Weaver....
  • Release Date: 1983
  • Genre: Comedy
    Comedy film

    Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on Humour. Also, films in this style typically have a happy ending . One of the oldest genres in film, some of the very first silent movies were comedies....
  • Distributed by:
  • 1980
    1980 in film

    The year 1980 in film involved some significant events....
    		Cruising
  • Release Date: February 8, 1980
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Distributed by: Lorimar Productions
    Lorimar Productions

    Lorimar Productions , later known as Lorimar Television, was an United States television production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1968 in television-1993 in television....
     / United Artists
    United Artists

    United Artists Entertainment LLC is an United States film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company....
  • Nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards
    Golden Raspberry Awards

    The Golden Raspberry Awards, frequently called the Razzies, were created by John Wilson in 1980 , intended to counterpoint the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer....
    : Worst Picture
    Razzie Award for Worst Picture

    The Razzie Award for Worst Picture is a penalty given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, including each film's distribution company and producer....
    , Worst Screenplay
    Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay

    The Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay is a penalty given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, including each screenplay's author....
     and Worst Director
    Razzie Award for Worst Director

    The Razzie Award for Worst Director was an "honor" given out at the Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst director of the previous year. Following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated....
    • 1978
    1978 in film

    The year 1978 in film involved some significant events....
    		The Brink's Job
    The Brink's Job

    The Brink's Job is a 1978 in film film directed by William Friedkin and starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Goorwitz, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands and Paul Sorvino....
  • Release Date: 1978
  • Genre: Comedy
    Comedy film

    Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on Humour. Also, films in this style typically have a happy ending . One of the oldest genres in film, some of the very first silent movies were comedies....
  • Distributed by:
  • 1978 Nominated for 1 Oscar. (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration)
    • 1977
    1977 in film

    The year 1977 in film involved some significant events....
    		Sorcerer
    Sorcerer (film)

    Sorcerer is a 1977 film, produced and directed by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. It is a remake of the 1953 France film The Wages of Fear ....
  • Release Date: June 21, 1977
  • Genre: Drama
    Drama film

    A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
  • Distributed by: Universal Pictures
    Universal Studios

    Universal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six Worldwide major American film studios. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California....
  • 1977 Nominated for 1 Oscar. (Best Sound)
    • 1973
    1973 in film

    The year 1973 in film involved some significant events....
    		The Exorcist
    The Exorcist (film)

    The Exorcist is a 1973 in film United States horror film, adapted from the 1971 The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her mother?s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests....
  • Release Date: December 26, 1973
  • Genre: Horror
    Horror film

    Horror films are movies that strive to elicit responses of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of the supernatural....
  • Distributed by: Warner Bros.
    Warner Bros.

    Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's largest film producer of film and television.It is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California and New York City....
  • 1973 Nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Director. It won two, for Sound
    Academy Award for Sound

    The Academy Award for Sound Mixing is an Academy Awards that recognizes the finest or most euphonic Audio mixing or recording, and is generally awarded to the production sound mixers and re-recording mixers of the winning film....
     and Writing Adapted Screenplay
    Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay

    The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the screenwriter of a Adapted_screenplay from another source ....
    .
  • Nominated for 7 Golden Globes. It won 4, including Best Director.
  • 1974 Four Golden Scrolls
  • BAFTA Film Award nomination (Best Sound Track)
  • DGA
    Directors Guild of America

    Directors Guild of America is the trade union which represents the interests of film director and television director directors in the United States motion picture industry....
     Award nomination, William Friedkin
  • Empire Movie Masterpiece Award, William Friedkin
  • 1978 Golden Screen (Germany)
  • 1974 2 Golden Reel Awards (Best Sound Editing)
  • The 9th highest grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation)
  • WGA Award nomination (Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium)
    • 1971
    1971 in film

    The year 1971 in film involved some significant events....
    		The French Connection
    The French Connection (film)

    The French Connection is a 1971 in film Hollywood crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the The French Connection by Robin Moore....
  • Release Date: October 7, 1971
  • Genre: Crime
    Crime film

    A crime film, in the most general sense, is a film that involves various aspects crime and the criminal justice system. Stylistically, it can fall under many different genres, most commonly drama, Thriller , Mystery fiction and film noir....
     thriller
  • Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
    20th Century Fox

    Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation , also known as 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, or simply Fox, is one of the six Worldwide major film studios....
  • 1971 Nominated for 8 Oscars. It won 5, including Best Director.
  • Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. It won 3, including Best Director.
  • Eddie Award
    American Cinema Editors

    Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself....
     nomination (Best Edited Feature Film)
  • Five BAFTA Film Award nominations. It won two.
  • David di Donatello Awards (Best Foreign Film)
  • DGA
    Directors Guild of America

    Directors Guild of America is the trade union which represents the interests of film director and television director directors in the United States motion picture industry....
     Award (Outstanding Directorial Achievement)
  • Edgar Allan Poe Award (Best Motion Picture)
  • KCFCC Award
    Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 1971

    The 6th Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 1971 in film, were given in 1972....
     (Best Actor, Best Film)
  • Golden Reel Award (Best Sound Editing)
  • NBR Award (Best actor)
  • NYFCC Award (Best actor)
  • WGA Award (Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium)
    • 1970
    1970 in film

    The year 1970 in film involved some significant events....
    		The Boys in the Band
    The Boys in the Band

    The Boys in the Band is a 1970 in film United States drama film directed by William Friedkin. The screenplay by Mart Crowley is based on his off-Broadway The Boys in the Band ....
  • Release Date: March 17, 1970
  • Genre: Drama
    Drama film

    A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
  • Distributed by: National General Pictures
  • 1970 Nominated for one Golden Globe award. (Most Promising Newcomer - Male)
    • 1968
    1968 in film

    The year 1968 in film involved some significant events....
    		The Night They Raided Minsky's
    The Night They Raided Minsky's

    The Night They Raided Minsky's is a 1968 musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. It is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky's Burlesque in 1925....
  • Release Date: December 22, 1968
  • Genre: Comedy
    Comedy film

    Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on Humour. Also, films in this style typically have a happy ending . One of the oldest genres in film, some of the very first silent movies were comedies....
  • Distributed by: United Artists
    United Artists

    United Artists Entertainment LLC is an United States film studio. The current United Artists was formed in November 2006 under a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., an MGM company....
  • 1968
    1968 in film

    The year 1968 in film involved some significant events....
    		The Birthday Party
    The Birthday Party (film)

    The Birthday Party is a 1968 film directed by William Friedkin, based on The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter. This film tells the story of a lodger who is menaced in a seaside boarding house by two mysterious strangers, who eventually take him away....
  • Release Date: December 9, 1968
  • Genre: Drama
    Drama film

    A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth characterization of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenome...
     thriller
  • Distributed by: Continental Motion Pictures Corporation
  • 1967
    1967 in film

    The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film....
    		Good Times
    Good Times (film)

    Good Times is a 1967 in film Musical film comedy film starring Sonny and Cher....
  • Release Date: May 1967
  • Genre: Comedy
    Comedy film

    Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on Humour. Also, films in this style typically have a happy ending . One of the oldest genres in film, some of the very first silent movies were comedies....
  • Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
    Columbia Pictures

    Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an United States film production company and distribution company. It was one of the so-called studio system among the eight major film studios of Hollywood Cinema of the United States#Golden Age of Hollywood....
  • Starring Sonny & Cher
    Sonny & Cher

    Sonny & Cher were an United States pop music duo, made up of husband and wife team Sonny Bono and Cher in the 1960s and 1970s. In their career Sonny & Cher had sold 80 million records worldwide....


    • External links

    • essay at 24 Lies A Second
    • NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Friedkin, 14 September 2006