“I measure the success or failure of a film on one thing – how close I came to my vision of it.”

The Hunted (2003)

William Friedkin directs Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro and Connie Nielsen in this chase thriller where a master military tracker hunts his old student after he goes on a rampage.

Has the parts and the shape of a bog standard The Fugitive rip-off. Yet the action and the psychology has a blunt, bullish reactive force that suggest something more purposeful is intended. The sequences where Del Toro becomes a supernatural wraith, evading his pursuers via some nifty in-camera visual tricks have a real thrall. As big, dumb Screen 12 filler chase movies go this is nothing but set pieces. And there ain’t much wrong with that.

7

Good Times (1967)

William Friedkin directs Sonny & Cher and George Sanders in this pop movie cash-in where the hip young lovers avoid making a sellout movie for “the man”.

A series of parody skits and proto music promos. Cher openly whines she doesn’t want to do a movie at the start of the meta plot. Boy, she isn’t lying… barely in half of this. Leaving that wally Sonny Bono to prat around as a cowboy and then Tarzan and then a hardboiled detective. It is all very meh with few flashes of Friedkin’s edge or later mastery of the cinematic form. Leaden pastiche that was probably still being aired on in the afternoons when I was a little kid.

2

The Deal Of the Century (1983)

William Friedkin directs Chevy Chase, Sigourney Weaver and Gregory Hines in this arms dealing satire.

A notorious flop, released direct to VHS in the U.K. and even now is a project that Sigourney Weaver refuses to talk about in interviews and Friedkin skips in his autobiography. And it ain’t THAT bad. Just misguided. It thinks it is Dr Strangelove meets Star Wars… but it is probably closer to a dry run on Fletch without any of the feelgood vibes. The biggest sin of Deal Of The Century is how bitty it is. A third of the movie features boardroom executives rather than the names and Hines’ role plays out like either as an afterthought or was utterly pared back when they couldn’t cast Richard Pryor or Eddie. The first act in South America has some laughs, allows Chase to do what he does best. While he might not have much tangible chemistry with Weaver, they are at the very least established movie stars bouncing around a couple of flirty, funny lines. The big SFX action finale isn’t funny or involving but certainly spends the budget.

4

Sorcerer (1977)

William Friedkin directs Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer and Francisco Rabal in this action epic grizzled remake of The Wages of Fear.

Friedkin’s best. Also the movie that killed New American Cinema. Mainly dialogue free or subtitled. All action. The last hour is set piece after set piece, no let up. Love the trucks being tooled up. The bridge. The tree trunk. The mania of the final, almost lunar, almost lunatic, desert. Tangerine Dream score, location realism. Perfect.

10

Bug (2006)

William Friedkin directs Ashley Judd, Lynn Collins and Michael Shannon in this dark motel based drama.

Apocalyptic. Judd’s best acting… she’s always been the poor man’s Sandra Bullock in everything else. Shannon is fully committed. Mesmerising. Sure, it is a filmed play but a really deep one. Friedkin has been reproducing the stage throughout his career. The body horror, paranoia and isolationism of The Exorcist. The industrial military complex effecting individual in extreme and wasteful ways of The Hunted. Friedkin’s back, baby! This could be a Takashi Miike flick it is so unflinching and batshit.

8

My wife and I do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/