Posts Tagged ‘William Friedkin’

The Podwits were saddened to learn that Oscar-winning make-up icon Dick Smith, who defined generations with his pioneering makeup effects, passed away July 30th at age 92. Before CGI was common place, Smith practically invented techniques that are still used to this day, and is credited by Special Effects legends like Rick Baker and Tom Savini in spearheading where Universal Studios […]

I have very fond memories of playing with my G.I. Joe’s and Construx on the carpet in the living room of my parent’s old New Haven home -their rug I now recall as an imagery world, that would encompass the area from under the bay window where lived in front a massive 16″ Quasar cabinet television, to the large wooden coffee table […]

Two weeks ago friend of the Podwits, Randy Jurgensen screened a ultra-rare 35mm print of his even rarier 1987 film Heart, which starred Brad Davis, Frances Fisher and Steve Buscemi. In a nutshell the film is basically about the reality for many aspiring prizefighters hoping for the Rocky title shot happy-ending. It was screened at 92YTribeca, which […]

I was lucky enough to attend a very small screening of William Friedkin‘s rarely-shown 1977 cult classic Sorcerer, a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot‘s French classic Wages of Fear, which has been called the most suspenseful film of all time. What made this screening such a treat was not only seeing a 35mm print of Sorcerer, but the rare Q&A by the […]

It’s interesting what images stay with you from childhood, still crisp as the day they were viewed. I know like most kids growing up, in what sadly seems already like another time, I was exposed to a lot of television and film at a very early age, which made me into what I am today […]

In Part 2 of this Podwits EXCLUSIVE, NYPD veteran and Film icon Randy Jurgensen give his opinion of the mindset of the police brass that made it so hard to be a policeman in New York City in the 60’s and 70’s. The author then talks about why it was so easy for him to […]

So the name Randy Jurgensen doesn’t sound familiar to you? Well, believe it or not you know him. The retired NYPD Detective 1st Grade and film icon has acted in and produced dozens of films, and has worked on some of New York City’s most famous cases. His book, Circle of Six, is his real-life […]

On the eve of interviewing retired NYPD and film legend Randy Jurgensen (PLUG for an upcoming Podwits EXCLUSIVE), my fiancée and I sat down and revisited a cult classic, William Friedkin’s Cruising. I have to say, the film gets better with every viewing.