Entertainment
Oscar Winning Director of The Exorcist William Friedkin Dies at 87
William Friedkin, the generation-defining director who brought a visceral reality to 1970s classics “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist” and was rapidly named one of Hollywood’s top directors when he was still in his 30s, has died. He was 87.
Friedkin, who won an Oscar for best director for “The French Connection,” died Monday in Los Angeles, according to Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years, who spoke on behalf of his family and wife, former studio president Sherry Lansing. His son, Cedric Friedkin, told the Associated Press that his father died after a protracted illness.
“He was a role model to both me and (my brother) Jack,” Cedric Friedkin said. “He was a massive inspiration.”
He established his fame early on with “The French Connection,” a true story of maverick New York City police Detective James “Popeye” Doyle’s efforts to track down Frenchman Fernando Rey, the architect of a huge narcotics pipeline funneling heroin into the United States.
It has one of the most spectacular chase moments ever filmed: Doyle, played by Gene Hackman in an Oscar-winning performance, narrowly misses arresting a tube train before racing to his police car to follow the train as it emerges on an elevated railway. Before abandoning the pursuit, he races beneath, dodging cars, trucks, and people, including a woman with a baby stroller.
The film, which cost barely $2 million to produce, proved a box office success upon its debut in 1971. It won Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay, and film editing, and critics hailed Friedkin, who was only 32 then, as a key member of a new generation of filmmakers.
He then directed “The Exorcist,” a 1973 blockbuster based on William Peter Blatty’s bestseller novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil.
The terrifying sequences of the girl’s possession, as well as a stellar cast that included Linda Blair as the kid, Ellen Burstyn as her mother, and Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller as the priests attempting to expel the devil, contributed to the film’s box-office success. It was so frightening for its day that many spectators left before the end, and some reported being unable to sleep for days afterward.
“The Exorcist” got ten Academy Award nominations, including one for William Friedkin.
Friedkin would direct films, and T.V. shows long into the twenty-first century after that second breakthrough. But he’d never duplicate the adulation he’d received for those early films, and he developed a reputation for feuding with performers and studio executives.
“I embody arrogance, insecurity, and ambition, which propel me forward while also holding me back,” he said in his 2012 memoir.
His 1977 mobster drama “Sorcerer,” starring Roy Scheider, was highly derided then and failed with spectators. It has since received critical acclaim and has become a cult classic, which Friedkin continues to defend. He told IndieWire in 2017 that it was the only of his films he could still see.
“The zeitgeist had changed by the time it came out,” he explained in 2013. “It came out around the time of ‘Star Wars,’ and that film, more than any other I can recall, really captured the zeitgeist.”
“Star Wars” was a film he was contacted to make, but he later stated that he did not see its potential. He also declined “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H” for the same reason.
“I haven’t made a lot of films.” “I don’t think I’ve made 20 films in a career of over 60 years,” he stated in 2021. “If I can’t see a film in my mind’s eye, I won’t do the film.”
According to “The Simpsons” writer and producer Mike Reiss, they learned Friedkin was a show fan and included a parody of “Sorcerer” in the Mr. Plough episode. “Years later, he came back to the show and charmed everyone, even appearing as a guest star,” Reiss wrote on social media.
A few years after “Sorcerer” reintroduced him to the world, he released another flop, “Cruising,” featuring Al Pacino as a detective who goes undercover to solve the horrible killings of numerous gay men. Gay rights activists objected to how it depicted homosexuality.
“To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Rules of Engagement,” and a T.V. version of the iconic play and Sidney Lumet’s film “12 Angry Men” were among his other film credits. Friedkin also directed episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” “Rebel Highway,” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
He began working in local T.V. programs as a teenager after being born in Chicago on August 29, 1939. He was directing live concerts by the age of 16.
“My main influence was dramatic radio when I was a kid,” he noted in a 2001 interview. “I remember listening to it in the dark, with nothing but my imagination.” It was only sound. “I start with the sounds and then move on to the images.”
He transitioned from live events to documentaries with “The People Versus Paul Crump,” released in 1962. It was the story of a death row inmate who rehabilitates himself after being sentenced to death for the murder of a guard during a failed robbery at a Chicago food plant.
Friedkin was so delighted that producer David Wolper brought him to Hollywood to helm network T.V. shows.
Friedkin landed his first feature, 1967’s “Good Times,” after working on such shows as “The Bold Ones,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” and the documentary “The Thin Blue Line.” It was a joyful musical romp starring the pop superstars Sonny and Cher in their sole film appearance together.
He then performed “The Night They Raided Minsky’s,” a play about backstage life at a burlesque theatre, and “The Birthday Party,” a comedy by Harold Pinter. He rose to prominence with 1970’s “The Boys in the Band,” a seminal picture about gay men.
“Not many directors can say they made a gay movie that people argue about decades later,” author and cinema historian Mark Harris said on social media. William Friedkin directed two films: Boys in the Band (which I like, but many don’t) and Cruising (which I dislike, but many do). That’s not insignificant.”
Friedkin had three brief marriages in the 1970s and 1980s to French actress Jeanne Moreau, British actress Lesley-Anne Down, with whom he had a son and longtime Los Angeles TV news reporter Kelly Lange. Lansing, a Paramount studio executive, married him in 1991.
Friedkin wrote an honest biography, “The Friedkin Connection,” in recent years and directed many well-received films based on Tracy Letts’s plays, including “Bug” and “Killer Joe,” starring Matthew McConaughey as a hit guy. And he wasn’t through yet: The Venice Film Festival will play the world premiere of “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland.
He was always willing to reminisce on his tumultuous career, especially as “The French Connection” celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 2021, Friedkin told NBC News that the legendary vehicle chase scenario was life-threatening and that he’d never do it again.
“We did everything you see. There was no computer-generated imagery back then. There was no way around it. “I just pressed the gas pedal, and we went 90 miles per hour in city traffic,” he explained.
“It’s a wonder that no one was wounded. I was not killed, and some of the crew members were not injured or murdered. That’s a risk I’d never take again. I was young, and I didn’t care. I went out and did it. I set out to create a terrific chase scenario without regard for the implications, and now I do.”
Friedkin’s effect on movies and popular culture lives on. This year, filmmaker David Gordon Green will release a new “Exorcist” picture, with Burstyn returning to her role.
Friedkin claimed he was never concerned about what critics said about him over the years.
“I really don’t live by what critics write, although I was aware of the critical reception of all of my films,” he said in 2013. “My perspective on the films I’ve made is based on what I accomplished rather than what I set out to do.”
Entertainment
Reports of a Split Contract Point to Taylor Swift and Her Fiancé Travis Kelce’s Matching.
(VOR News) – One of the ways that Taylor Swift showed her support for her boyfriend was by going to a football game that Travis Kelce was playing in while wearing a magnificent plaid suit that matched the outfit that he was wearing.
When this was done, it was done with the aim of making it happen, despite the fact that there were rumors going around about a split contract between the two of them.
The guy, who was 34 years old at the time, made a stunning entrance at Arrowhead Stadium while wearing a magnificent gray and black Taylor Swift checkered suit that was designed by Vivienne Westwood, who was also the designer of the costume.
She donned Taylor Swift clothing to show her support for Travis and the Chiefs.
Furthermore, they had arrived at the stadium earlier that day wearing Taylor Swift’s plaid shirt and jeans that were extremely similar to Kelce’s, which served as the basis for their synchronized costumes. This foundation was the foundation for their coordinated costumes. When Kelce arrived at the stadium, he was still wearing the same shirt and jeans that he had worn earlier.
Furthermore, Taylor greeted the occasion with a good attitude by matching her dress with a magnificent purse in the shape of a heart that she held on her wrist. This was yet another way that she showed her appreciation for the event. This item was a component of her ensemble.
It was stated by the Daily Mail that she made her return with this appearance, despite the fact that she had been absent from the two Chiefs games that came before it owing to her obligations to the Eras Tour. The fact that she had not been present for either of those games did not prevent her from accomplishing this.
“Now you all can shut the heck up about that bulls**t ‘breakup contract,'” a fan wrote on X in connection to this matter to express their opinion on the matter. “Now you can stop talking about anything.” “Now y’all can stop the hell up about that…”
It was a different fan who was the one who broke the news at this time period.
The statement reads, “BREAKING: Travis Kelce has reached a long-term extension with Taylor Swift.”
Following an extensive amount of deliberation and debate, the two parties have reached consensus on a deal that will be in place for the subsequent three years.
Providing that Travis continues to be advantageous for Taylor Swift’s company, the rules of the agreement indicate that Taylor Swift has the authority to renew the deal in the event that Travis continues to be useful. In the event that Travis is the one who is accountable for doing the dishes, there is a possibility that he may be awarded a bonus of some kind.
Swift and Kelce’s followers were able to let out a sigh of relief when it was discovered that a “contract” that had been reported to have been leaked and disclosed the exact date of Swift and Kelce’s separation was found to be nothing more than a fabrication.
This information was obtained from the source. It had been anticipated that the “contract” would have been made available.
In addition, it is worth noting that when the publication that stated that the couple had made the decision to end their relationship a month ago began to circulate on the internet, representatives for Travis were obligated to reject the charges.
SOURCE: GN
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Entertainment
‘Joker 2’ Tops the International Box Office with $81.1 Million.
(VOR News) – It is projected that “Joker: Folie à Deux” made its debut this weekend with an estimated total of $81.1 million.
This would make it the most successful film at the box office around the world and the most profitable film overall from a financial standpoint. The picture, which is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster smash “Joker,” only made $40 million in the United States of America, which is a pitiful amount of money.
The film is a sequel to the 2019 mega hit. In the year 2019, the trailer for the movie was made available. The cinematic adaptation of the peculiar comic book has generated an astonishing sum of $121.1 million in revenue all over the world. This is a result of the film’s success.
Considering that the production of “Joker: Folie à Deux” took place at an incredible cost of two hundred million dollars, Warner Bros., the corporation that provided the finance for the picture, is currently confronted with a dilemma as a result of this fact.
The second “Joker” cost $65 million, compared to $75 million for the original.
This is a substantial difference in terms of the budget. The movie has been given a terrible “D” CinemaScore since the majority of the reviews that have been published about the film have been unfavorable, and audiences appear to agree with the reviewers. As a result of this, the movie has been given a terrible “D” CinemaScore.
Lady Gaga, who is responsible for putting her own distinctive twist on Harley Quinn, a favorite character from the comics, is responsible for a significant portion of the additional expense.
Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix, who reprises his role as the unstable comedian Arthur Fleck, and Lady Gaga are all responsible for a significant portion of the increased budget. There is a large portion of the additional costs that are linked with the production of the picture that may be attributed to these payments.
There were a total of 25,788 theaters and 76 markets outside of the United States that showed the movie. In order to act as screening locations, these locations were selected.
The fact that “Joker: Folie à Deux” made $8 million in the United Kingdom, $6.9 million in Germany, $5.6 million in Italy, $5.5 million in Mexico, and $5 million in France is a fascinating piece of information to take into consideration. Furthermore, the film made $5 million in France.
Only a few examples of what has been accomplished are presented here, but they are representative of the many different results that have been obtained. One week after the film will be released in Japan on the same day, it will make its debut in China on October 16th. This will be one week after the film is released in Japan.
Japan will also release the Joker movie to the public on that same day.
After grossing $335 million in the United States, the first “Joker” film grossed $743 million in other nations across the world. This is despite the fact that the film was only released in the United States.
In addition to generating a large amount of revenue, the movie was a smash hit that was incredibly well received by audiences. The film “Deadpool & Wolverine” broke the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film when it grossed $1.32 billion worldwide.
This achievement was accomplished by the film. The film was successful in accomplishing this specific goal. During a particular period of time, the film was the one that achieved the distinction of being the highest-grossing R-rated film movie.
Before “Joker 2” caused a breach between audiences and critics, Phillips announced that he had ended his career as a director of films based on comic books. At the end of the day, “Joker 2” was not successful. By the time this took place, the film had not yet been responsible for causing the rift.
“It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world,” he said in an interview with Variety in the month of August. “It was a lot of fun.” “It was a lot of fun.” “It was a lot of fun.”
SOURCE: VN
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Reviews of Silent Hill 2 Provide a Higher-Than-Expected Metacritical Score.
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In “The Electric State,” Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt Battle Robots.
Entertainment
Reviews of Silent Hill 2 Provide a Higher-Than-Expected Metacritical Score.
(VOR News) – The Bloober Team and Konami-produced remake of the horror game Silent Hill 2 is scheduled to launch the following week, but reviews have already started to surface, giving players a sneak peek at the updated version of the game before it is made available to the public.
It would be an understatement to say that Bloober Team was under a great deal of pressure to get the game right, especially considering that the survival-horror genre’s enthusiasts regard Silent Hill almost as highly as Resident Evil.
Considering the Metacritic score that the game has received thus far, Silent Hill 2 players shouldn’t have any worries when the game launches on November 8
. This is due to the score, which shows that the game has only ever earned favorable reviews up to this point. Fans of the Bloober Team and Silent Hill will be happy to hear this news.
Silent Hill 2 currently has an 87 Metacritic rating.
In 50 reviews, the PlayStation 5 version received a score of 87, meaning that it also received an 87 on that platform. This is based on the fact that the score was given to the PlayStation 5 version. The Silent Hill 2 personal computer version received an overall rating of 88 out of 5, placing it somewhat higher than the PlayStation 5 version.
There isn’t an Xbox version of Silent Hill 2 that can be regarded as existing because it wasn’t part of the Xbox Series X|S. There isn’t any information available at this time on whether or not it will ever be made accessible on that specific platform.
A considerable portion of Silent Hill fans had not in the slightest expected that Silent Hill 2 would achieve five flawless scores of one hundred before these reviews were published. It is extremely unlikely that they expected anything at all. Actually, the great majority of reviews are favorable.
They also call it a welcome return to form for the Silent Hill brand, complimenting the Bloober Team for their appreciation for the first Silent Hill 2. Furthermore, they believe it to be the ideal starting point for beginners who have never really experienced Silent Hill before.
Due of this, Silent Hill 2 has few Metacritic reviews, both positive and negative.
No bad reviews have been posted. Some people think that the remake may have retained some of the most annoying and constrictive elements of the original Silent Hill 2 by staying too close to the original. These individuals believe that there might have been some issues brought on by the remake.
Thankfully for those of us who are now playing Silent Hill 2, those reviews are the exception rather than the rule, with the vast majority of positive reviews making up the small amount of negative reviews.
It is true that some people became skeptical about the remake because the Bloober Team was in charge of it. Furthermore, in the perspective of both its own series and the genre at large, Silent Hill 2 has been held in the highest regard ever since it was first made accessible to the general public.
Games like Layers of Fear, The Medium, and the Blair Witch game were all made by the Bloober Team; nevertheless, no matter which game was reviewed, none of these titles received particularly high review scores. With the release of Silent Hill 2, it’s possible that the public’s perception of the Bloober Team may undergo a significant shift.
Additionally, we are now writing our own review of Silent Hill 2.
Although it has taken longer than expected because we acquired our review copy after the game was already in progress.
However, even though more reviews are being received, it is highly doubtful that these would significantly lower Silent Hill 2’s Metacritic score. despite the fact that more reviews are coming in. Players of Silent Hill 2 should have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming week as a result of this.
SOURCE: CB
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