Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin, long recognized for his technical brilliance, has had a career marked by extreme successes and failures. Among his successes are the two highly popular and highly regarded films, The French Connection and The Exorcist, both now considered classics of their respective genres. This well-written, insightful study of Friedkin's films, which pays particular attention to the evolution of his cinematic style and choice of subject material, is based on nearly 100 interviews with Friedkin and his colleagues. New to this second edition are three chapters covering the last five years of his work (which include Rules of Engagement and the much-publicized re-release of the director's cut of The Exorcist).