William Friedkin: Superhero Movies Are Ruining Cinema
It looks like William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist and the even manlier To Live and Die in L.A., has had enough of commercial three hour toy figurine adverts brought to life with wall to wall CGI.
The acclaimed 79-year-old filmmaker, who is currently working for television channel HBO on a series about Mae West, told AFP reporter Sophie Laubie: “Films used to be rooted in gravity. They were about real people doing real things. Today cinema in America is all about Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Avengers, Hunger Games: all kinds of stuff that I have no interest in seeing at all.”
A few years back when Walter Hill was promoting Bullet to the Head, starring Sylvester Stallone, he said something similar, lamenting ridiculous action in movies. Hill said that if action scenes aren’t at least somewhat believable, then there’s no point as people, intelligent people at least, can’t relate to what’s happening on screen. And really, does the ‘it’s just dumb fun’ trope really cut it anymore?
Good man, William…
Andymovieman
June 17, 2015 at 10:12 pm
I agree with Friedkin. Enough with all the comic book superhero movies. How about regular Everyman average joes shooting bad guys and blowing shit up? Friedkin is a legend. The man made interesting movies like to live and die in LA in which William Petersen’s character was a reckless cocky cop who lives and dies by the sword same with the criminal that he’s after. Jade was also a good movie as well as blue chips with Nick Nolte, the oscar winning french connection, the hunted, etc. I like that jade, to live and die in LA and the French connection had really good car chases. We need more movies like that and more good ones from Billy Friedkin.
The Night Rider
June 17, 2015 at 10:34 pm
Fuckin’ A.
Andymovieman
July 6, 2015 at 1:38 am
What do you think of William Friedkin for directing Expendables 4?
Mucho Macho
June 18, 2015 at 3:06 am
“To Live & Die in L.A.” is fucking awesome!!
Great fucking movie.
The 80s
The Reagan Era
Manly Movie Heaven
Jimmy Smith
June 18, 2015 at 4:09 am
I 100% agree with this man and I’m glad that others feel the same way. I am getting absolutely sick of all this and hope Ant Man and Fantastic Four flop so we can stop seeing the gluttony of this superhero PG crap.
Mucho Macho
June 18, 2015 at 9:54 am
The new “Fantastic 4” looks God-Awful
AlTeo
June 18, 2015 at 1:18 pm
William Friedkin, John Frankenheimer (R.I.P.), Walter Hill, John Milius, Richard Donner, Peter Hyams, Sam Peckinpah (R.I.P.), Don Siegel (R.I.P.), John McTiernan… The likes of which will almost never be seen again, sadly.
Closest we have today is David Ayer, but he still has quite a way to go to reach these guys’ league.
Andymovieman
June 19, 2015 at 1:58 am
Mel Gibson and John Woo too.