“I can't sit through the superhero films. But I watched Draft Day, and it was kind of sweet in an old-fashioned way.” WayKindI CanFilmSweetOld FashionedSuperhero Author:William Friedkin
“We were just trying to make the films that we could get made, and to push the envelope. We didn't realize how far we had pushed the envelope. That all came later. That all came from books and articles about the golden age of the '70s. Believe me, to a lot of us, it was no golden age. The studio heads were very powerful then. They would fire guys right and left. They would look at your dailies and tell you what was wrong with them... a lot of stuff that doesn't go on today. Young filmmakers who are successful today, they don't often have that to put up with.” TryingBelieveBookAgeTodayFilmGuyRealizingPowerfulSuccessfulFilmmakerBelieve In MeVery Powerful Author:William Friedkin
“There are certain things that happen during the production of, I think, every film, that you didn't plan, and often it's better than what you did plan. There's the question of either going with it or not.” ThinkingFilm Author:William Friedkin
“The only gay people who remain in the closet are those who choose to, who don't want to publicly declare their sexuality, which is true of heterosexual people as well. I don't walk around with a button or a T-shirt that says "I am a heterosexual." I don't think sexuality defines a person. It's one small part of who you are, in my view. You are many things, and I never felt that people were defined by their sexuality solely. Although God knows, as a minority, gay people have taken serious lumps for their sexual preferences. As has every minority.” PeopleThinkingTakenSeriousGayWho You AreSexualityGod KnowsGay People Author:William Friedkin
“Style is something that's extremely important, but it must grow naturally out of who and what you are and what the material calls for. It cannot be superimposed.” ImportantGrowsStyleMaterialsDirectorsHalloweenHappy Halloween Author:William Friedkin
“Directing is a nice job. It's the best job for me. If i had to pay money to do it, I would do itIt's problematical. It's disapointing often. It's very challenging. It's frustrating as hell. It's extremely demanding and totally satisfying work. And if I wasn't doing this, I would have to do legitimate work for a living. There are guys out there really working for a living, cleaning streets or coal mining, teaching. Directing is playing. Acting.” IfsJobsGuyChallengesPayActingHellNiceStreetsTeachingSatisfyingCoalCleaningFrustratingBest JobMiningWorking For A LivingCoal MiningSatisfying Work Author:William Friedkin
“But the audience is right. They're always, always right. You hear directors complain that the advertising was lousy, the distribution is no good, the date was wrong to open the film. I don't believe that. The audience is never wrong. Never.” BelieveFilmAudienceDirectorsDon't BelieveComplainingAdvertisingDistribution Author:William Friedkin
“The first work of the director is to set a mood so that the actor's work can take place, so that the actor can create. And in order to do that, you have to communicate, communicate with the actors. And direction is about communication on all levels.” FirstsOrderActorsLevelsCommunicationDirectorsCommunicateMood Author:William Friedkin
“Directing is a nice job. It's the best job for me. If I had to pay money to do it, I would do it... Directing is playing. Acting.” IfsJobsPayActingNiceBest Job Author:William Friedkin
“Technique is of less interest than character and story.” CharacterStoriesInterestTechnique Author:William Friedkin
“Edgar Allan Poe is considered the great writer of horror stories, perhaps the greatest - I will say the greatest” StoriesHorrorGreat WritersHorror StoriesAllan Poe Author:William Friedkin
“I really think that sex always looks kind of funny in a movie.” ThinkingLooksKindActorsSexMovie Author:William Friedkin
“The informing idea of what you want to say and do, that's what will take you from film school to professional - the idea. That's what is original to you.” WantIdeasSchoolFilmOriginalsWhat You WantFilm SchoolInforming Author:William Friedkin
“I tend to be attracted to characters who are up against a wall with very few alternatives. And the film then becomes an examination of how they cope with very few options. And that's, I guess, what interests me in terms of human behavior.” HumansCharacterFilmTermInterestWallBehaviorAlternativesHuman BehaviorExamination Author:William Friedkin
