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78-469: The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane ) is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty , in his directorial debut . It is the second installment in Blatty's "Trilogy of Faith" after The Exorcist (1973), and followed by The Exorcist III (1990). The film is based on Blatty's 1978 novel The Ninth Configuration , which

156-419: A strong, emotional value from audiences. Psychological dramas commonly deal directly with the psychological state and mental health, emphasize on emotional conflicts and often serve as a portrait of introspective personal struggle. It can be also characterized as primary character-driven , in which attention will be particularly paid to the psychology of the characters, to their intimate problems more than to

234-573: A breakdown in Vietnam. When Fell, who is Kane's brother Hudson, was dispatched back to America, Kane received the dispatch by accident. Kane created a new persona for himself – a healer, like his brother. Subconsciously hoping to heal people to make up for his "murders", Kane returned to the US as his brother. Realizing Kane's mental state, the Army psychiatric staff maintained the charade and sent him to Fell's hospital under

312-399: A comic novel, but a great deal of philosophy and theology crept into it. But the farcical elements outweighed the serious elements." Blatty adapted the novel into a screenplay, and intended for it to be filmed by William Friedkin . Blatty said that the script "was what you might call bizarre material. I had hoped to direct it myself. But after seeing The Night They Raided Minsky's I thought

390-488: A cult classic that continues to provoke either apostolic devotion or baffled dismissal 20 years on." Several versions of The Ninth Configuration were released in cinemas and on video tape and DVD (one version retained the title Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane ). In the original theatrical release and the Blatty-endorsed DVD, it is the intention that Kane killed himself with the knife. In some versions released during

468-623: A gritty style more suited for documentaries than Hollywood features, the film won five Academy Awards , including Best Picture and Best Director . Friedkin's next film was 1973's The Exorcist , based on William Peter Blatty 's best-selling novel, which revolutionized the horror genre and is considered by some critics to be one of the greatest horror movies of all time. The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards , including Best Picture and Best Director. It won for Best Screenplay and Best Sound . Following these two pictures, Friedkin, along with Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich ,

546-604: A job with producer David L. Wolper . He also made the football-themed documentary Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon (1965). As mentioned in his voice-over commentary on the DVD re-release of Alfred Hitchcock 's Vertigo , Friedkin directed one of the last episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965, called "Off Season". Hitchcock admonished Friedkin for not wearing a tie while directing. In 1965, Friedkin moved to Hollywood and two years later released his first feature film, Good Times starring Sonny and Cher . He has referred to

624-433: A lot of trouble showing up for work. I thought that the script was wonderful but I don’t think that Blatty ever got what he wanted up on the screen. I think a lot of us took the job because we would be able to go to Prague and Moscow and bounce around Europe when we weren’t working. He decided that he would put up the call sheet for the next day at midnight so that you couldn’t go anywhere." Blatty himself appears briefly near

702-507: A lunar crucifixion to the claustrophobic realism of a bar-room brawl, via such twisted vignettes as Robert Loggia karaoking to Al Jolson and Moses Gunn in Superman drag, Blatty directs like a man with no understanding of, or interest in, the supposed limits of mainstream movie-making. The result is a work of matchless madness which divides audiences as spectacularly as the waves of the Red Sea ,

780-416: A screenplay for Columbia Pictures (Blatty did not want to work with Warner Bros. as he had sued that studio over his proper share of profits from The Exorcist ). Columbia then placed the screenplay in turnaround ; Blatty took the script to Universal Pictures . Universal rejected it; according to Blatty, this was "not because of any consideration of quality, but simply because Columbia had let it go. There

858-633: Is best known of creating anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion , a notorious example of the subgenre, delves into heavy psychological elements in its latter half of the entire series. The anime series was the subject to acclaim and controversy, especially for the latter centered on its final two episodes; this was resulted to reboot a feature film as an alternative ending . Additionally, some anime series employed in psychological elements including Akagi , The Flowers of Evil , The Fruit of Grisaia , Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai , Scum's Wish , The Tatami Galaxy , Welcome to

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936-462: Is former astronaut Billy Cutshaw, who aborted a Moon launch and was dragged screaming from the capsule, suffering from an apparent mental breakdown. Colonel Hudson Kane, a former member of a United States Marine Corps special unit, arrives at the castle to take over the patients' treatment. Colonel Fell helps Kane acclimatise himself to the eccentricities of the patients. Kane eventually talks to Cutshaw, who refuses to answer why he did not want to go to

1014-492: Is the most notable example of animated psychological drama films, confronted with bitterness and human conditions. His films included Harvie Krumpet (2003), Mary and Max (2009), and Memoir of a Snail (2024). William Friedkin William David Friedkin ( / ˈ f r iː d k ɪ n / ; August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023) was an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who

1092-521: The 68th Venice International Film Festival , prior to its North American debut at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival . It opened in U.S. theaters in July 2012, to some favorable reviews from critics but did poorly at the box office, possibly because of its restrictive NC-17 rating. In April 2013, Friedkin published a memoir, The Friedkin Connection . He was presented with a lifetime achievement award at

1170-554: The 70th Venice International Film Festival in September. In 2017, Friedkin directed the documentary The Devil and Father Amorth about the ninth exorcism of a woman in the Italian village of Alatri . In August 2022, it was announced officially that Friedkin would be returning to film directing to helm an adaptation of the two-act play The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial with Kiefer Sutherland starring as Lt. Commander Queeg. The film

1248-703: The FIPRESCI prize at the Cannes Film Festival . Later, Friedkin directed an episode of the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled "Cockroaches", which re-teamed him with To Live and Die in L.A. star William Petersen . He directed again for CSI ' s 200th episode, "Mascara". In 2011, Friedkin directed Killer Joe , a black comedy written by Tracy Letts based on Letts' play , and starring Matthew McConaughey , Emile Hirsch , Juno Temple , Gina Gershon , and Thomas Haden Church . Killer Joe premiered at

1326-405: The psychological horror and psychological thriller genres. Psychological dramas use these genres' tropes to focus on the human condition and psychological effects, usually in a mature and serious tone, nearly similar to melodrama . The difference between "drama" and " psychological drama " that places emphasis is that in the latter scenario, the focus is more on the psychological character of

1404-471: The 1970s and 1980s include the drama The Boys in the Band (1970), considered a milestone of queer cinema ; the originally deprecated, now lauded thriller Sorcerer (1977); the crime comedy drama The Brink's Job (1978); the controversial thriller Cruising (1980); and the neo-noir thriller To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Although Friedkin's works suffered an overall commercial and critical decline in

1482-518: The 1999 documentary series The Directors ). Sorcerer was shortly followed by the crime-comedy The Brink's Job (1978), based on the real-life Great Brink's Robbery in Boston , Massachusetts, which was also unsuccessful at the box-office. In 1980, Friedkin directed an adaptation of the Gerald Walker crime thriller Cruising , starring Al Pacino , which was protested during production and remains

1560-645: The Cuckoo's Nest (1975), The Ninth Configuration (1980), Pink Floyd - The Wall , Sophie's Choice (both 1982) Heavenly Creatures (1994), Breaking the Waves (1996), I Stand Alone (1998), Magnolia (1999), Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Piano Teacher (2001), Elephant (2003), Enter the Void (2009), Biutiful (2010), Shame (2011), Jagten and The Master (both 2012), Nymphomaniac (2013), Whiplash (2014), The Power of

1638-448: The Dog (2021), and Blonde and The Whale (both 2022). Films have some thematically-linked franchises or trilogies to focus on aspects of human condition and psychological elements, notably Iñárritu 's Death trilogy (consists Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003) and Babel (2006)) and Krzysztof Kieślowski 's Three Colours trilogy . Asian films have contributed

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1716-482: The End of History (both 2013), Black Stone (2015), Last Night (2017), and Family History and John Denver Trending (both 2019). Animated series are examples of this subgenre only focuses on characters' experience with mental health and psychological trauma ; these included Bojack Horseman , Morel Orel , Steven Universe Future , and Undone . Japanese filmmaker and animator Hideaki Anno , who

1794-466: The Moon. Instead, he gives Kane a St. Christopher medal . Lieutenant Reno, who is there attempting to stage Shakespeare plays with a cast of dogs, suspects that Kane is crazy himself. Meanwhile, Kane constantly has nightmares of his brother Vincent, a former patient and murderer who is now dead. Cutshaw talks with Kane again, and they debate God and the idea that there is a divine plan. Kane, who believes that

1872-514: The N.H.K. , and Wonder Egg Priority . A Silent Voice , Anomalisa , It's Such a Beautiful Day , Inside Out (and its sequel ), The Missing , Puss in Boots: The Last Wish , and When Marnie Was There are among the examples of animated films used in the subgenre, usually having the characters' portrayal dealt with several themes such as anxiety attack , fear of abandonment and death , and society. Adam Elliot

1950-519: The United Artists theatre chain and best known for releasing George A. Romero 's Dawn of the Dead , picked up the film for a planned December 1979 release; however, the company dropped the picture, and Warner Bros. subsequently picked it up. After initially poor box office returns in its test markets, Warner Bros. returned the film to Blatty and allowed him to take it to another distributor. UFD re-acquired

2028-495: The bikers are disgusted by his behavior and assault him. The gang attempts to rape Cutshaw, causing Kane to snap and kill most of them with his bare hands. Kane and Cutshaw return to the castle, and the police arrive to arrest Kane for the murders at the bar. Fell interjects and tells the policemen that Kane must stay since he was provoked. Cutshaw later visits Kane. Dreamy and distant, Kane mumbles to Cutshaw about God and proof of human goodness before passing out. Cutshaw reveals that

2106-427: The castle, Cutshaw thanks Kane and asks him to send him a sign as proof of an afterlife should Kane die first. Kane promises to try. Kane then meets with a new patient who calls him "Killer Kane". Kane flashes back to Vietnam, where he killed a young boy. The soldier urges Kane to leave, and he screams. In the present, Kane collapses, unconscious. Fell explains to the staff that Kane is Vincent "Killer" Kane and suffered

2184-401: The characters and on existentialism in general, and not on the context of the narrative itself. So, the end is not necessarily tragic: the main character can doubt himself and sometimes overcome his intimate problems. Psychological drama can be very clearly distinguished from dramedy , as there is no to minimal humor in it like Good Will Hunting (1997) and The Truman Show (1998) but since

2262-456: The characters’ minds. It can be explore thematic elements include: denialism , depression , disability , distorted sequences , dysfunctional relationships , existential crisis , human sexuality , identity crisis , mass hysteria , mood swings , odd behaviors , post-traumatic stress disorder , psychological abuse , psychedelic art , and social issues . Psychological drama films have generally rooted with traditional drama genre in

2340-782: The earliest years of 20th century, with these examples cited The Whispering Chorus (1918) and Greed (1924). Additionally, early examples of popular subgenre films in 1930s to 1950s include La vuelta al nido (1938), Death of a Salesman (1951), Johnny Belinda (1948), A Place in the Sun (1951), and The Snake Pit (1948) Several films generally used the subgenre have employed controversially social issues and/or psychosexual themes, most notably Stanley Kubrick 's Lolita (1962), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Other acclaimed films with similar themes including Last Tango in Paris (1972), One Flew Over

2418-410: The emotional intensity and draw audiences deeper into the psychological experience. These primary themes in the subgenre related to depiction of mental illness , psychological trauma , and society , but not limited to; other themes like alienation , self-doubt , and the quest for identity are common, with narratives often blurring the lines between reality and illusion to reflect the turmoil within

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2496-477: The existence of a God is far more likely than humanity's having emerged from "random chance", argues that deeds of pure self-sacrifice are proof of human goodness, which can only be explained by divine purpose. Cutshaw demands that Kane recall one concrete example of pure self-sacrifice from his personal experience; Kane is unable. Kane takes Cutshaw to a church service, which Cutshaw interrupts with several outbursts, and Kane momentarily hallucinates. After returning to

2574-442: The film as "unwatchable". Several other films followed: The Birthday Party , based on an unpublished screenplay by Harold Pinter , which he adapted from his own play; the musical comedy The Night They Raided Minsky's , starring Jason Robards and Britt Ekland ; and the adaptation of Mart Crowley 's play The Boys in the Band . His next film, The French Connection , was released to wide critical acclaim in 1971. Shot in

2652-529: The film had to be shot in Hungary (PepsiCo had blocked funds in that country, and reinvested money from the film's production into a Pepsi bottling plant there). Ironically, Warner Bros. wound up initially releasing the film in selected markets, despite Blatty's misgivings. Blatty retained Jason Miller , who had played Father Karras in The Exorcist , for The Ninth Configuration . Ed Flanders (once considered for

2730-478: The film until 1960, when he was 25 years old. Only then, Friedkin said, did he become a true cineaste . Among the movies that he also saw as a teenager and young adult were Les Diaboliques , The Wages of Fear (which many consider he remade as Sorcerer ), and Psycho (which he viewed repeatedly, like Citizen Kane ). Televised documentaries such as 1960's Harvest of Shame were also important to his developing sense of cinema. Friedkin began working in

2808-576: The film was being shot in Budapest, Hungary. Nicol was staying at the Budapest Hilton, and was allegedly trying to make an international phone call when, presumably, something the operator did or said infuriated him, causing him to rip the phone out of the wall and toss it through the plate-glass window of his suite. Nicol was fired, and I was hired to play the role. It was a great part, and I often reflected on how Nicol would have played certain moments during

2886-451: The filming. I have no doubts that he would have been brilliant, as he always was. We became friends for a time, and I loved his company." Tom Atkins had a minor role in the film, and in an interview in January 2009, he discussed what the film shoot was like: "I have always believed that a movie about the making of that film would have been much better than the actual movie turned out to be. It

2964-412: The first version of the book to the second: "...the first one is infinitely funnier and wilder, and stranger and more of a one of a kind; the second one has the same plot, but the prose is more finely crafted, I think. In the first one I allowed the comedy to carry me, so I think I prefer that one...I loved the characters and it was a pleasure to write." Blatty then developed The Ninth Configuration into

3042-545: The intervening years, an alternate ending was used in which it is said (via added voiceover by Stacy Keach) that Kane died of wounds inflicted by the bikers. The UK company Second Sight Films and the USA company Shout! Factory remastered this film in April 2016 for DVD and Blu-ray . It featured an added memorial dedication to Blatty's late son, Peter Vincent Blatty, who died in 2006 from a rare heart disorder. The dedication mistakenly had

3120-451: The late 1980s, his last three feature films, all based on plays, were positively received by critics: the psychological horror film Bug (2006), the crime film Killer Joe (2011), and the legal drama film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023), released two months after his death. He also worked extensively as an opera director from 1998 until his death, and directed various television films and series episodes for television. Friedkin

3198-582: The line between the sane and insane. The film received positive reviews from critics, and was recognized with the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and two other nominations at the 38th Golden Globe Awards . In the early 1970s, towards the end of the Vietnam War , a castle in the Pacific Northwest is used by the US government as an insane asylum for military personnel. Among the patients there

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3276-491: The mail room at WGN-TV immediately after high school. Within two years (at the age of 18), he started his directorial career doing live television shows and documentaries. His efforts included The People vs. Paul Crump (1962), which won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival and contributed to the commutation of Crump's death sentence . Its success helped Friedkin get

3354-538: The music video for Barbra Streisand 's rendition of the West Side Story song " Somewhere ", which she recorded for her twenty-fourth studio LP, The Broadway Album . He later appears as Streisand's interviewer (uncredited) on the television special, "Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album". The action/crime movie To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), starring William Petersen and Willem Dafoe ,

3432-441: The now-abandoned castle. After reading a note left by Kane, which expresses hope that his sacrifice will shock Cutshaw back to sanity, Cutshaw finds a Saint Christopher's medal has somehow appeared in his car. He turns it over to confirm whether it was the one he gave to Kane and silently rejoices at what he sees. William Peter Blatty's novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! was first published in 1966. Blatty said: "I considered it

3510-458: The premiere of an opera titled An Inconvenient Truth to debut in 2011, but he later departed from it when creative differences arose between him and the librettist. In 2013, it was reported that he would helm a stage production of Harold Pinter 's The Birthday Party (which he had already directed as a feature film in 1968 ), for Geffen Playhouse . A cast including Katie Amess , Frances Barber , Steven Berkoff , Tim Roth and Nick Ullett

3588-405: The pretext of being its commanding officer. In reality, Fell has been the commanding officer all along. Kane awakens and remembers nothing of the incident. Cutshaw escapes the castle and visits a bar. A biker gang recognizes Cutshaw from news reports and brutalize him. A waitress contacts the hospital, and Kane arrives to retrieve Cutshaw. Kane humbles himself to the bikers to extricate Cutshaw, but

3666-525: The reason that he did not want to go to the Moon was because he was terrified of being alone in space. Cutshaw's admission appears to resurrect some lucidity within himself. As Cutshaw leaves, Kane's hand drops a bloodied knife. Outside Kane's room, Cutshaw notices blood on his shoe. Rushing back in, Cutshaw discovers that Kane had actually been injured in the bar fight and refused to get help, effectively committing suicide to provide proof of human goodness. Some time later, Cutshaw returns to uniform, and visits

3744-466: The relationship ended about 1972. Friedkin began a four-year relationship with Australian dancer and choreographer Jennifer Nairn-Smith in 1972. Although they announced an engagement twice, they never married. They had a son, Cedric, on November 27, 1976. Friedkin and his second wife, Lesley-Anne Down, also had a son, Jack, born in 1982. Friedkin was raised Jewish, but called himself an agnostic later in life, although he said that he strongly believed in

3822-434: The rights and released it in other markets under the title Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane . It was not a commercial success upon its cinematic release in 1980; however, it received generally strong reviews and a Best Picture nomination at the 38th Golden Globe Awards in January 1981. Although the film did not win, Blatty did win a Golden Globe for the film's screenplay. Blatty re-edited the film for its 1985 re-release, which

3900-479: The role of Kane, before deciding that the British actor was wrong for the part: "I was deluding myself. I so desperately admired [Williamson] and wanted him in my picture that I persuaded myself that he could be an American Marine corps colonel. I realised during rehearsals. He was magnificent, but there was no way he could be an American colonel. He came to Budapest and we rehearsed for two weeks. And we were coming up to

3978-456: The role of Karras in The Exorcist ) was also cast; Michael Moriarty was set to play Captain Billy Cutshaw but dropped out of the production (he was replaced by Scott Wilson , who was originally cast as Fairbanks). For the central role of Colonel Kane, Blatty cast Stacy Keach (another contender for the part of Father Karras in The Exorcist ). Blatty had originally cast Nicol Williamson in

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4056-503: The same success. Sorcerer (1977), a $ 22 million American remake of the French classic The Wages of Fear , co-produced by both Universal and Paramount, starring Roy Scheider , was overshadowed by the blockbuster box-office success of Star Wars , which had been released exactly one week prior. Friedkin considered it his finest film, and was personally devastated by its financial and critical failure (as mentioned by Friedkin himself in

4134-452: The script would be safe with Friedkin. I sent it along to him. He liked it. But we couldn't find a studio that liked it." Blatty and Friedkin would later collaborate on the film version of The Exorcist (1973), with Blatty as screenwriter/producer and Friedkin as director, before Blatty returned to Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! In lieu of filming the novel, Blatty decided to rewrite it: "After The Exorcist , I decided that I could develop

4212-527: The start of the film as a patient pretending to be an army doctor (he is the one who stole Ed Flanders' pants; the role was originally intended for George DiCenzo, but once Michael Moriarty dropped out, DiCenzo was given the role of Fairbanks, originally intended for Scott Wilson, and Blatty decided to fill the role himself), and would later cast Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Scott Wilson, and Nicol Williamson in his next film as writer/director, The Exorcist III (1990). United Film Distribution (UFD), affiliated with

4290-410: The story a great deal. So I rewrote it and fleshed it out, Cutshaw became the astronaut in The Exorcist that Regan warns about going into outer space and fully developed the deeper implications and theological themes." The rewritten version of Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! was published in 1978 under the title The Ninth Configuration . In his introduction to the 1978 novel, Blatty wrote: When I

4368-407: The storyline context. The characters are confronted with doubts, dilemmas or inner personality conflicts. The challenges they encounter will often force them to react, making them go through a whole psychological process during the film, even a metamorphosis. It often overlaps with other genres such as crime , fantasy , dark comedy , mystery and science fiction , and it is closely related with

4446-506: The subgenre is rather devoid of humor. Each films utilize a range of techniques to mirror the psychological landscape of their characters. Close-ups and subjective camera angles invite viewers into the character’s personal space, while disjointed editing and surreal imagery can reflect fragmented states of mind. The use of symbolism is also prevalent, with objects, settings, and colors imbued with psychological significance. Music and sound design play crucial roles, often used to heighten

4524-437: The subgenre, often employs several psychological and social elements. For example: Akira Kurosawa , a Japanese renowned filmmaker, known for his landmark filmography with the subgenre, notably Drunken Angel (1948) and Ikiru (1952). Each films including The Demon (1978), Batch '81 (1982), Silip (1986), Taare Zameen Par (2007), Himizu (2011), Aparisyon (2012), Like Father, Like Son and Norte,

4602-479: The subject of heated debate. It was a critically assailed financial disappointment. Friedkin had a heart attack on March 6, 1981, due to a genetic defect in his circumflex left coronary artery , and nearly died. He spent months in rehabilitation. His next picture was 1983's Deal of the Century , a satire about arms dealing starring Chevy Chase , Gregory Hines , and Sigourney Weaver . In 1985, Friedkin directed

4680-505: The teachings of Jesus Christ . Friedkin died from heart failure and pneumonia at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on August 7, 2023. Narrative films Documentary films Music videos TV series TV movies Operas Plays An LA Opera production of Wagner 's Tannhäuser was announced by Friedkin, but a spokesperson revealed it had been delayed indefinitely. Friedkin had also been set to direct

4758-551: The theme from the first two logos of Lorimar Television playing over it. Psychological drama The roots of the subgenre can be traced back to the early 20th century, emerging from a rich tapestry of literature that focused on the inner workings of the mind. As cinema evolved, filmmakers began to see the potential for the medium to explore complex psychological themes and narratives. Similar with these psychological genres, but rather than using imagery to provoke fear, suspense or terror, they utilize dramatic settings to elicit

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4836-542: The weekend before our first shoot on the following Monday, and then I remembered one of the people I'd strongly considered was Stacy Keach. And we found out that night that he was available and he was with us on Tuesday." Stacy Keach recalls the situation differently: "Ironically, I was the lucky benefactor of a Nicol tantrum in the late '70s. William Peter Blatty had cast him as Killer Kane in The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane ), and

4914-461: 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 (1987) received a fairly positive review from Roger Ebert . He next directed the cult classic horror film The Guardian (1990) and the thriller Jade (1995), starring Linda Fiorentino . Though the latter received an unfavorable response from critics and audiences, he said it

4992-570: Was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 29, 1935, the son of Rachael (née Green) and Louis Friedkin. His father was a semi-professional softball player, merchant seaman, and men's clothing salesman. His mother, whom Friedkin called "a saint," was a nurse. His parents were Jewish emigrants from Ukraine , in the Russian empire. His grandparents, parents, and other relatives fled Russia during a particularly violent anti-Jewish pogrom in 1903. Friedkin's father

5070-432: Was closely identified with the " New Hollywood " movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in the early 1960s, he is best known for his crime thriller film The French Connection (1971), which won five Academy Awards , including Best Picture and Best Director , and the horror film The Exorcist (1973), which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Friedkin's other films in

5148-509: Was completed before Friedkin's death, and debuted in September 2023 in the out-of-competition category at the Venice Film Festival . Friedkin cited Jean-Luc Godard , Federico Fellini , François Truffaut , and Akira Kurosawa as influences. Friedkin named Woody Allen as "the greatest living filmmaker". In regard to influences of specific films on his films, Friedkin noted that The French Connection ['s] documentary-like realism

5226-467: Was deemed one of the premier directors of New Hollywood . In 1973, the trio announced the formation of an independent production company at Paramount Pictures , The Directors Company . Whereas Coppola directed The Conversation and Bogdanovich, the Henry James adaptation, Daisy Miller , Friedkin abruptly left the company, which was soon closed by Paramount. Friedkin's later movies did not achieve

5304-413: Was distributed by New World Pictures under the original title, The Ninth Configuration . On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , The Ninth Configuration has an approval rating of 80% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. Leonard Maltin has described the movie as "hilarious yet thought-provoking, with endlessly quotable dialogue and an amazing barroom fight scene." Blatty's screenplay

5382-443: Was going on as you do in a documentary. My first films were documentaries too. So I understood what he was doing but I never thought you could do that in a feature at that time until I saw Z . Friedkin was married four times: While filming The Boys in the Band in 1970, Friedkin began a relationship with Kitty Hawks , daughter of director Howard Hawks . It lasted two years, during which the couple announced their engagement , but

5460-465: Was itself a reworking of his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! The initial 1966 publication of the novel featured an exclamation mark at the end of the title, while all subsequent publications saw it removed. The first half of the film has the predominant tone and style of a comic farce. In the second half, the film becomes darker as it delves deeper into its central issues of human suffering, sacrifice and faith. The film also frequently blurs

5538-535: Was kind of a zoo from the very beginning. William Peter Blatty wrote and directed it and financed part of it by selling a home that he had in Malibu. His idea of getting a good ensemble effort from his actors was to take people over to Budapest for two months—the part I had might have taken two weeks in the States but he had us all over there for two months. All he ended up getting was 22 really upset, angry and drunk actors who had

5616-413: Was later published in 2000 with commentary by English film critic Mark Kermode (Kermode also contributed to the audio commentary and featurette on the film's DVD release in 2002). Kermode has described The Ninth Configuration as "a breathtaking cocktail of philosophy, eye-popping visuals, jaw-dropping pretentiousness, rib-tickling humour and heart-stopping action. From exotically hallucinogenic visions of

5694-492: Was nobody prepared to take a chance on their own judgement." With no major film studio prepared to fund The Ninth Configuration , Blatty decided to raise the film's $ 4 million budget by putting up half the money himself and persuading the PepsiCo conglomerate to provide the remaining $ 2 million. As writer/director of the film, Blatty was promised complete creative control over the production by PepsiCo with only one stipulation: that

5772-417: Was not a serious student and barely received grades good enough to graduate, which he did at the age of 16. He said this was because of social promotion and not because he was bright. Friedkin began going to movies as a teenager, and cited Citizen Kane as one of his key influences. Several sources claim that Friedkin saw this motion picture as a teenager, but Friedkin himself said that he did not see

5850-418: Was one of the favorite films he directed. In 2000, The Exorcist was re-released in theaters with extra footage and grossed $ 40 million in the U.S. alone. Friedkin directed the 2006 film Bug due to 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. The film won

5928-426: Was somewhat uninterested in making money, and the family was generally lower middle class while he was growing up. According to film historian Peter Biskind , "Friedkin viewed his father with a mixture of affection and contempt for not making more of himself." After attending public schools in Chicago, Friedkin enrolled at Senn High School , where he played basketball well enough to consider turning professional. He

6006-425: Was the direct result of the influence of having seen Z , a French film by Costa-Gavras : After I saw Z , I realized how I could shoot The French Connection . Because he shot Z like a documentary. It was a fiction film but it was made like it was actually happening. Like the camera didn't know what was gonna happen next. And that is an induced technique. It looks like he happened upon the scene and captured what

6084-468: Was young and worked very hastily and from need, I wrote a novel called Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane! Its basic concept was surely the best I have ever created, but what was published was surely no more than the notes for a novel – some sketches, unformed, unfinished, lacking even a plot. But the idea mattered to me, so once again I have written a novel based on it. This time I know it is the best that I can do. However, Blatty subsequently stated he preferred

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