The Fearless William Friedkin

Overview

In August, Hollywood lost a legend, with William Friedkin passing away at the age of 87. This one hits hard, with the iconic director enjoying an enviable career, constantly testing the limits of filmmaking and helming some of best movies of the 70s.

Here's one: a little flick called The Exorcist, which had heads spinning on- and off-screen, scored ten Oscar nominations and became the first-ever horror movie to be in the running for the Best Picture award. One of the greatest-ever films in the genre, it also sparked a franchise that's still going today — but, no matter what follows, it'll always be the best of the bunch.

Here's another: New York-set crime-thriller The French Connection, home to a powerhouse performance by Gene Hackman — an Oscar-winning one, too — and the reason that Friedkin has a Best Director Academy Award.

In a retrospective called The Fearless William Friedkin, Golden Age Cinema and Bar is paying tribute to the filmmaker in the best way there is: showing his work. The Exorcist and The French Connection are on the bill, of course, as part of a four-title lineup.

If you haven't experienced Sorcerer yet, then you haven't experienced true cinematic tension. Driving trucks filled with volatile dynamite through South America, across 351 kilometres of unstable roads, makes for utterly nerve-shredding viewing — and a movie masterpiece.

Also on the lineup is To Live and Die in LA, an early highlight on Willem Dafoe's resume that sees him play a master criminal. The film season's flicks pop up at different dates and times until mid-October — get the specifics from the cinema.