William Friedkin: The Life and Films of a Cinematic Risk-Taker - Hardcover

by Christopher Heard (Author)

The first biography of acclaimed American film director known as "Hurricane Billy."

William Friedkin--"Hurricane Billy"--was a fearless, trailblazing filmmaker of the 1970s American New Wave. Born a streetwise kid in Chicago, he burst onto the scene with The People vs. Paul Crump, a documentary that helped commute a death row inmate's sentence. His eclectic early work included a film with Sonny and Cher and an adaptation of Harold Pinter's first play.

Friedkin soared to fame with The French Connection, winning an Oscar for Best Director, then shattered box-office records with The Exorcist. He risked everything for Sorcerer, his audacious masterpiece, and was vilified for Cruising. Reinventing himself yet again, he crafted the slick neo-noir To Live and Die in L.A. in the 1980s.

Loved, loathed, admired, and imitated, Friedkin was a cinematic risk-taker and master storyteller, known for his contradictions, sharp wit, and relentless pursuit of visceral, uncompromising cinema. His legacy remains as bold and unpredictable as his films.

Author Biography

CHRISTOPHER HEARD built his career out of a lifetime love of movie history and culture. His first screenplay was optioned at twenty-one, and he enjoyed long stints as co-creator and co-host of the long-running film talk show Reel to Real, and on the Gemini Award-winning CBC program On the Arts. He has written books on a number of filmmakers and actors, including Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, James Cameron, and John Woo. He currently lives in Toronto.