Free Republic

William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director who was part of the new wave of American filmmakers of the 1970s, died Aug. 7. He was 87. The wealth and fame that he achieved were a stark contrast from his humble beginnings in working-class Chicago, where Friedkin was born in to Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. In his youth he became fascinated by the works of auteurs such as Welles, Bergman, and Godard and yearned to emulate what he saw. His passport to showbiz was via the mailroom of a TV station. He rose up the ranks to work on productions. He eventually proceeded...

Director William Friedkin couldn't have been on more of a hot streak: "The French Connection," released in 1971, won five Oscars, and "The Exorcist," released in 1973, won two Oscars. In 1977, he released a movie he would later call the best of his career: "Sorcerer." But "Sorcerer" was a bomb, grossing only $6 million worldwide — short of its $21 million budget — and receiving tepid initial reviews. The existential thriller follows four criminals from around the globe as they accept a lucrative but deadly contract to transport gallons of explosive nitroglycerin across a South American jungle. The film...

Film of the Week: 'The Hunted' By Steve Sailer UPI National Correspondent From the Life & Mind Desk Published 3/13/2003 11:28 AM LOS ANGELES, March 13 (UPI) -- There's an article of faith among Republican pundits that everyone in Hollywood is a pacifist feminist wimp. Yet, you sure wouldn't guess that from going to the movies lately. For example, "The Hunted," starring Tommy Lee Jones, is the most primordial blood and guts action movie about an aging Special Operations warrior named "L.T." who must fight his way out of the woods since ... well, since last week's "Tears of...