RIP to a true legend

This man looks great for 80 years old.

No, Thank you Mr. Friedkin for all the incredible work you have provided to the world of cinema, may you forever rest in peace

The power of Criterion compels you!

Rest in power ❤

His Criterion mentions: - Sunday Bloody Sunday (Schlesinger, 1971) - The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (Cassavetes, 1976) - Vampyr (Dreyer, 1932) - Pickpocket (Bresson, 1959) - Umberto D. (De Sica, 1952) - The Devil and Daniel Webster (Dieterle, 1941) - M (Lang, 1931) - Brute Force (Dassin, 1947) - Rififi (Dassin, 1955) - 81/2 (Fellini, 1963)

This guys must be on some amazing diet and have a stress free life. He looks fucking amazing for 80 years old. I thought he was around early 60's. Fucking full head of hair too.

He is so cool. A true legend.

"I guess in this little room you call a closet, is the history of world cinema"

I love how Billy is so moved by these great films. Speaks to how enamoured he was with the art form. RIP William Friedkin.

R.I.P William Friedkin. No one could have directed "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist" like you.

This is one of the best DVD Picks videos. Only wish it was longer, because I can listen to Friedkin for hours. He and Scorsese always talks so passionate about films.

He only takes two movies, and yet I still feel like I learned more from this than any other closet video. Legend.

The moment I heard the news I immediately thought of this video. Rest in peace Mr. Friedkin. Thank you for all the emotions you gave us and for your incredible love for cinema, which is on full display here.

Someone should make a T-Shirt of William Friedkin with the 8 1/2 Blu-Ray

I was very fortunate to meet him about 20 years ago at a rerelease screening of Sorcerer. What an absolute joy to talk to. One of the greatest American directors.

Not only a great director, but a great film aficionado.

One of my favorite directors. Nobody talks about film as eloquently and with as much love and passion as Friedkin does, I could've listened to him talk for hours! R.I.P a legend.

What a charismatic guy

You guys should have Martin Scorsese in here.

Watching movie people collect movies like this standing amongst shelves of movies is a weird ASMR for me.

Mr. Friedkin made some of the coolest films back in the day, especially street crime movies. Cant believe he's going to be 80 years old, the man looks fantastic.

Friedkin is one of the great American filmmakers. To me, he's right up there with Scorsese, Coppola, etc. He had some serious balls to do what he did. His films went places that few other directors in the world would have the courage to go to. Very happy to see him in this series.

RIP Mr. Friedkin, always inspiring generations of cinephiles and filmmakers, always a pleasure to see his films, his masterclasses, just to see him talking about cinema is already a great school - Rest In Power

RIP William Friedkin, an absolute titan of cinema!

Bill seems so humble and mellow, and has great taste in films, whether obscure or mainstream.

Friedkin's vast knowledge of film and subjects in general is so impressive. He's great.

I'll be watching your great works for years to come, rest in power William Friedkin.

William Friedkin is another great master of cinema who has left us, but his work remains. Thank you for the fantastic films he made, Master!

RIP to a legend! Thanks for the art, Bill.

There's the day before you see 8 1/2 and then there's the rest of your life.

Hands down one of the best closet vids y'all have posted. A true legend. I love how much he appreciates the sheer amount of cinematic preservation being done by Criterion.

What a grand list!! His love of film reminds of a Frank Capra quote that I love "Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream, it takes over as the number one hormone; it bosses the enzymes; directs the pineal gland; plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to film is more film."

RIP to one of the world's greatest directors. What a legend that will be missed.

It's beautiful to see and hear Mr. Friedkin truly savor these films that catch his eye and heart. As we get older may we all the more deeply appreciate the Art and Beauty humanity has contributed for all of us to enjoy. His ending comments on "8 1/2" and that he won't look at any more titles, how leaving with it on Blu-Ray has made his day, week, possibly his year, brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, sir. R.I.P.

Friedkin's passion of film shines through here, regardless what you think of his movies or the kind of movies he loves there's no doubt he knows his stuff.

RIP Mr Friedkin 🖤

Friedkin was a perfect choice to do something like this - he's great! and a lovely tribute to "8 1/2," too

Friedkin was impressively reverent in the Criterion closet! Give me ten minutes in that closet...Criterion should offer that to a "regular" movie lover. I would definitely watch a contest winner choose movies!

Farewell to one of the greatest of all time. RIP

His knowledge and love for film is heartwarming. What a great man.

My favourite director.

I want to be in that room. My God.......

This is exactly what i miss these days....browsing in a physical shop and talking about movies I love with friends...

This is my favorite closet vid. The passion and intelligence just flows out of this man. And The Exorcist deserves its place in the Collection.

It's like he's still here through these appearances on KZfaq. ❤ so generous and open about his profession. Life is mostly about extending ourselves to others like Friedkin is doing; "why live otherwise," I can almost hear him saying. ❤

Rest in Peace Mr Friedkin ❤🙏🏼

Two people came here expecting him to walk outta there with Troll 2.

Mr. Friedkin says so elegantly about films; his words are saturated with experience. Would love to hear more of him.

His voice is so soothing.

RIP William Friedkin. Your movies will be remembered for years to come.

I think when I hear William Friedkin talk about film I feel that he is happy. I know he had troubles and was always controversial in his filmmaking and in his conversations but he is one of the last filmmakers who truly loved doing what he did and keeping film alive.

Closet Picks marathon drinking game: drink every time 8 1/2 comes up

An audacious filmmaker. A living legend.

yeah, 8 1/2 is an utter masterpiece that keeps getting better as years go by

One of the GOATs! Rest in peace, sir. Thank you for everything.

the most European American filmmaker, and it's a compliment. Truly a legend, RIP Mr Friedkin

What a classy guy...

Rest in piece 🖤

3:35 when Friedkin says I never thought I would see this again and has that smile on his face. CHILLS

I've watched many of these . this is one of the loveliest for sure . Whatta cool well spoken Gentleman! thanks for making these . Criterion, Janus and Eclipse? Just FANTASTIC magic!

This is one of the best informal pieces with Billy Friedkin I've ever seen. He seems so humble, yet is so inspiring - you just gotta love this guy who brought us The Exorcist and The French Connection - in spite of the stories of how nasty he was on set so many years ago.

For me his The Exorcist and Sorcerer is the oscar worthy creation. Although exorcist got that. But after watching sorcerer i was numb for a moment...What a film.....And what a director he is.

I love what he said about 8 1/2 ..here is a great filmmaker who is in love with his trade and to see him geek out over Fellini is just amazing

Best one of these visits that I have seen so far. Bravo.

Rest in peace Mr Freidkin, you and your films will live forever and be spoken about in the way you speak about the films and directors here for generations to come. Thank you for your masterworks, truly one of the greats, documentarian style, master of exposition and visual narrative, your style and technique will be seen, surely, in many films for decades to come. Thank you sir, rest in eternal peace.

Really inspiring & heartfelt. Thanks for this.

For a guy who directed such dark movies, he seems pretty wholesome

Often overlooked, how brilliantly he translated “The Boys In The Band” from a stage play to the big screen, all the while capturing the pathos of the original cast and script, in a powerful, claustrophobic way that stands the test of time. RIP one of Cinema’s Best.

When he said I'd thought I would never see this again, that should be the slogan of Criterion. That is my thoughts on Speedy's upcoming release.

Love the fact that this makes his day, week and year!

The first time i watched this one it urged me to see more of the gentleman,i've watched Friedkin uncut, great interview/documentary, check it out with A decade under influence if you never heard, both important outlines on the last greatest decade a cinema of which Mr Friedkin is an important part.

William Friedkin recommended, Kuroneko (1968), in one of his film's commentaries. It is now one of my favourite movies!

And thank you to you dear Billy Friedkin.

Back in the good old days of dual format... :(

I always enjoy conversations with Billy Friedkin, whatever the topic, but especially on film. A pleasure to see him do his tour of the Criterion closet. Well earned, indeed. Cheers to you, Billy.

Exploring William Friedkin and many filmmakers responding to '8 1/2' (1962). It concerns the degree to which filmmakers -- and audiences familiar to Fellini's early career -- will relate to it. Out of that context, it resonates little, if not not at all. Just as 'Citizen Kane' or 'Psycho' are landmarks not to see first in their respective directors' canon, the wonder of '8 1/2' in Fellini as a creator comes into play. Fellini's 1962 success came after a career spanning about ten years. 'White Nights', 'La Strada' and 'Nights of Cabiria', each conveying a legitimate sense of social awareness, came out in rather quick succession in the early-to mid 1959s, to great and well-earned acclaim in award ceremonies. After about a two-year pause, social concerns as the immediate subject matter in his movies became the unconventional observations of the life of celebrities and leisure in 'La Dolce Vita' in 1959 broke all expectations in Europe and earned Fellini a second Academy Award in 1960. The tribulations of success immediately became inescapable. On both sides of the Atlantic, the media and admirers voraciously demanded a new masterpiece from him. Fellini experienced the expectations that successful artists in art, literature, theater, or in any such fields have known -- filmmakers included -- but cannot deliver. Two more years and, as it was told, nothing came to him, until he conceived exploring the concerns of "Guido", an alter ego with a similar creative quandary. What to do and how to go about making art from it. Mindful of it all, the brilliance of '8 1/2' is how unexpectedly honest it us. Fortunately for Fellini, the cinema allows for more manners of expression than do other arts, with the possible exception of music. It became all about Maestro Federico/Guido living through recollections or projecting unfulfilled fantasies, banal or meaningful. The earliest sequence allows us to find Guido unintentionally suspended in mid air. Further along, it will matter little if places and people are real, because to the artist, they all are authentic: the sum part of his existence, personal or artistic, through a career spanning eight and a half features through 1961. Which might be the reason for which the best in movies are genuinely grateful (and envious) of Maestro Fellini's inspiration out of the creative void.

One of the best all time! underappreciated!

The knowhow he shares after picking up a dvd staggers me. That man is one of my heroes as a filmmaker.

You can tell he truly loves movies.

He’s such a great talker. And his love of film is so apparent.

I could listen to him talk about cinema for hours. What an amazing knowledge and quite a cool demeanor, I might add! I was so surprised he pulled Daniel Webster.

Delightful video. I might not agree with some of Freidkin's radical methods as a director, but the man knows film and loves it with a clear grace and passion. Great to hear this man talk so lovingly about these classics. I say get Michael Mann in there. That "Thief" Blu Ray was awesome!

What a class act.

I love his purr and relaxed manner. I am certain he is different on set but he is absolutely the essence of charm here. I wish the film were longer.

You were a class act William! Many of your movies belong in the collection!!!

Wow, he is super passionate and charismatic about his medium. Also, one of my dream Criterions would be a two-pack of Bug and Killer Joe.

I love Billy. He’s so damn pragmatic, I feel as though he could do your taxes and direct a good movie about it.

Bresson needs a massive remaster and release of all his films

It is stunningly sad and ironic to hear the great Friedkin praise Criterion for showing films as they meant to be seen - only to have Criterion follow Disney's lead and trim a scene showing Popeye Doyle's bigotry from the streaming version of the French Connection. I wonder what William would have said about that.

Agreed, nothing will ever top 8 1/2! It perfectly encapsulates the art of cinema and all it has to offer

I just love his voice and the way he expresses his thoughts

OMG You can't go wrong with "8 1\2" I couldn't put it in better words!!! It is indeed what of the grandest movie experiences. He should've taken a bag like Cuarón.

A LEGEND!! RIP. he will be missed. thank you for your contribution to cinema

Strange sort of time compression can be experienced by looking at so many great films on a shelf. Decades of evenings spent in the local cinematheque, at film festivals and repertory theatres all brought back to mind by boxes on a shelf.

This man is one of the master filmmakers. The Exorcist will stand as one of, if not the best horror films ever created and ever will be created.

I can't stop watching these.

the way he talked about Eight and Half really touched me. true LEGEND yet very humble

I was literally watching The Exorcist when I learned Bill Friedkin passed today. We lost a legend today…

8 1/2. I'm there with you William, that opening sequence, the stares... The flight