william friedkin

‘A NEON HEAVEN AND HELL’ – Retro Review of ‘To Live and Die in L.A’

Based on a crime novel written by Gerald Petievich and released in 1985, ‘TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A’ (TLDLA) is a vintage cinematic gem that still holds its own today. The movie is a master class that demonstrates what a truly great modern neo-noir crime thriller can be; drenched in pure 80s excess, the movie promotes the era with gleeful enthusiasm. There is a vibrant tone, thanks to synth heavy stylings of British Nu Wave group Wang Chung which perhaps attempts to mask the nihilistic underbelly, in a city riddled with violent conflict and twisted morals. As with any crime thriller, the notion of causality is front and centre with the pursuit of vengeance creating more than its fair share of victims, amongst the willing (and unwilling) participants. Departing from many of the cheeky comedic tropes of buddy-cop movies of the time, TLDLA is far more cynical and its […]

LEAP OF FAITH: Shudder Acquires William Friedkin Doc From Alexandre O. Philippe

Christina Ortega

As you may have noticed, Film Combat Syndicate provided some coverage of the recent film festival called Nightstream. If you haven’t already checked out our reviews, you should. There were some good films shown and we weren’t the only ones to think so. One of the films we reviewed, the Alexandre O. Phillippe documentary Leap Of Faith has been acquired by the streaming service Shudder. The film has been described as “A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on THE EXORCIST, LEAP OF FAITH explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography.” It is the sixth feature documentary by Philippe and will be a great addition to the Shudder library. If you haven’t yet seen the film, you can read my own review by clicking here.

Nightstream 2020 Review: LEAP OF FAITH, On Exorcising Expectations

Christina Ortega

There are some films that, for various reasons, just stay with you. There are films that have “iconic scenes” and flow into pop culture in a way that even if someone has not viewed the film, they will know bits and pieces about it so they can understand references. The Exorcist is one of those films. This last weekend we here at Film Combat Syndicate had the privilege of viewing several films that participated in this year’s virtual film festival debut, Nightstream. While there were several films that sounded promising, one of my top choices was Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist. This choice is not a film, but an interview with Friedkin. Here is the summary: “In perhaps his most penetrating interview ever, director Alexandre O. Phillippe, quickly making a name for himself as a predominant genre film historian with memorable works like DOC OF THE DEAD, […]