The chase is the best on film. It just keeps going and going and getting more and more surreal. Initially just two pursuers, it blossoms into several turning up everywhere ('all over $50k??' you wonder) and you are every bit with Peterson & Pankow emotionally in that chase. Friedkin refrigerated an entire set so the characters in "The Exorcist" would breath vapor, not just act cold. He goes all the way with his films.
My favorite crime thriller, that is why I can only see it once every 3 years or so, such to the extent where that scene still hits hard when he gets blasted. Thanks for the upload.
Why haven't Dafoe and Peterson done any movies together since "To Live and Die in LA?" They had an edgy, electric, bad chemistry between their characters: "I have a friend in Palm Springs, Lenny Green, you know him?" "I have a friend in Hollywood, Donald Duck, you know him?" These two talents should be reunited on screen.
Great interview by Ben. I love how Billy Friedkin cops to being just like his protagonists, obsessed with his mission. Art and reality collide. So iconic, and a tribute to the man. RIP Billy Friedkin.
What a GREAT, wonderfully classy interview all around. Nice job, Ben. Friedkin was a cinematic master and it's wonderful to have his insights and behind-the scenes stories preserved. Bravo!
@@scottherriott4828 Streaming is over-rated. Especially if illegal. Amazon used to have a service called LoveFilm : they post the discs to your home, and then you post them back in the envelope supplied. Only 8 pounds a month. So affordable. Why didn't more people keep subscribing instead of streaming for free from unknown websites?
When I was a kid, I wanted the typical hero in films. This movie disappointed me then. Too dark. I wanted Lethal Weapon. Over the years, I can't stomach the formulaic cop films anymore. They're boring. They don't offer anything. But now, this movie is at the top. Yes, it's dark, but it's a warning not to go down this hole or you may be forever stuck. Great moral.
For those who don't know, the secret service actually uses this film to show new hires how counterfeiting is done, thats the level of detail thats in the picture. But even more than the guy getting killed at the end is the other cop beating Janet Leigh and getting killed within about ten minutes. It even has that cliche of "what are you going to do when you retire" which is a bit overdone, but you really don't expect it that early in the film.
