“There’s a kind of desperation to the characters I’m interested in. They’re all in extremely heightened states in a heightened situation. And in the course of my films, we’re exploring all of their fears — the rational and the irrational.”
– William Friedkin
On this epsiode of the Reel Spirituality Podcast, we turn our shallow focus lenses on the more lauded films of William Friedkin. He made some of the most loved and lauded films of the 1970s—The French Connection, The Exorcist, The Boys in the Band—but then his career, like so many others, was waylaid by the “new blockbuster,” typified by Star Wars, the film that overshadowed Friedkin’s personal favorite of his films, Sorcerer.
So, dish out a bowl of pea soup, pull off your shoes (whether you live in Poughkeepsie or not), but maybe leave the Kentucky Fried Chicken in the fridge as you enjoy out conversation about “Hurricane” Billy Friedkin.
The theme music for our podcast is provided by Matt Lumpkin, whose music can be found here. If you are interested in subscribing to the Reel Spirituality podcast, follow this link.
