William Friedkin
Film director William Friedkin burst onto the New Hollywood scene in the early 1970s with two films that shook up the movie world: The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973). Friedkin had a raw, visceral style that was a far cry from the glossy fare of Old Hollywood. Born in Chicago in 1935, Friedkin began his career in live television and documentaries before transitioning to film in the late 1960s. He directed four films before his breakout hit The French Connection (1971), which won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director. His next film The Exorcist (1973) became one of the highest-grossing R-rated horror films of all time. While the movies he made after that weren't as financially successful, they were still superb and uncompromising pictures, including standouts like Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Friedkin continued to make films of varying quality throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, securing his place as a legendary director in the film industry. A number of his many films are available to watch for free online.