Filmmaker William Friedkin forever changed horror with 1973’s The Exorcist, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. He returned to the genre again in 1980 with the Giallo-like thriller Cruising and fearlessly got weird with gory folk horror The Guardian in 1990. Fearless perfectly encapsulates Friedkin’s style and his approach to life; he was never afraid to speak his mind or direct productions too peculiar or niche for mainstream audiences. The not-so-easily defined psychological thriller Bug, and its mixed initial reception, speaks to this.
That likely stemmed from Friedkin’s upbringing and his early career start in nonfiction. Bridging his path from his earlier work in commercials and documentaries to his seminal horror effort was television. It was a single episode of a popular anthology series from a horror master that kickstarted Friedkin’s career in fiction, and Friedkin never seemed to forget it.
While the acclaimed director continued to trailblaze in film, he also put his stamp on defining horror television throughout the decades. All just as memorable and worth revisiting.
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – “Off Season”
The final episode of Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense anthology series to ever air also marked William Friedkin’s first foray into fiction. Until this point, the filmmaker worked in commercials and nonfiction; he’d never worked with a script before or set foot on a soundstage. Showrunner Norman Lloyd took a chance on the up-and-coming director for the episode. It arguably couldn’t have been a more fitting debut for Friedkin. Friedkin frequently attributed everything he learned about filmmaking to studying Hitchcock films throughout his career.
By this stage, Hitchcock was largely uninvolved with the series, save for his trademark narration that introduced and closed each episode. Friedkin did get the opportunity to meet his filmmaking hero, though famously, it resulted in a snub.
“Off Season” was filmed on the same set as Psycho, featured a peripheral creepy motel manager, and the teleplay was penned by Psycho novelist Robert Bloch and based on the short story from Edward D. Hoch that ran in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
While the bookended intro/outro by the master of suspense reads deeply outdated by today’s standards, the episode’s central story remains prescient. It follows Johnny (Psycho’s John Gavin), a police officer that guns down an unarmed wino in a dark alley while on duty. Johnny’s partner questions his judgment as he stares in horror at the aftermath; Johnny insists he thought the man was a threat. He’s promptly let go from the precinct through honorable discharge, with a heavy emphasis on doubt about Johnny’s ability to handle guns responsibly.
He relocates to a small town with his fiancée Sandy (Indus Arthur). Mere days after killing a man, though, Johnny withholds critical information as he persuades the local sheriff to let him join the team. It’s the turning point that sparks Johnny’s internal conflict as he deals with the emotional and psychological fallout from his actions for both him and Sandy. Paranoia, mistrust, and unreconciled turmoil eventually give way to the grim punchline reaffirming that trigger-happy Johnny was indeed incapable of gun responsibility.
Gavin doesn’t quite succeed in conveying the depth of Johnny’s predicament, but Friedkin’s bold approach helps offset this. Johnny may not hold himself accountable for his actions, but “Off Season” does.
Shortly after working on this episode, Friedkin interviewed for a director’s gig on Gunn, based on the 1958-1961 television series Peter Gunn. The script was penned by writer/producer Blake Edwards and writer William Peter Blatty. Friedkin didn’t get the job; he was too blunt and abrasive in his criticism of the script. It was that brutal honesty that impressed Blatty, leading to Friedkin’s hiring on the career-defining feature The Exorcist.
The Twilight Zone – “Nightcrawlers”
Iconic anthology series “The Twilight Zone” received a revival in 1985, only this time, each episode would feature numerous stories instead of just one. Friedkin directed “Nightcrawlers,” the final segment in the fourth episode of season one. Philip DeGuere wrote the segment based on the short story by author Robert R. McCammon.
The plot follows a Vietnam veteran Price (Scott Paulin), who’s deserted his unit and gone AWOL. He winds up at a diner, where the story unfurls as the ghosts of Price’s past come back to claim him. Uniquely, they do so by manifesting through Price’s dreams. PTSD gets personified as horrible memories of war spill over into the waking world while Price is asleep. That eventually puts the diner itself under siege, with explosions, gunfire, specters of soldiers, and an unhinged Price pushed over the edge.
It became one of the more expensive episodes to shoot, with the pyrotechnics and stunts involved. Moreover, the violence depicted proved shocking in 1985. It also highlighted Friedkin’s fearlessness with authenticity. The tense chamber piece and explosive action ensured that while it may have alarmed viewers in 1985, it quickly became one of the most memorable episodes.
Tales from the Crypt – “On a Deadman’s Chest”
Friedkin’s next contribution to genre anthology television was “On a Deadman’s Chest,” the third episode of season four. It stars Yul Vasquez (Books of Blood, “The Outsider”) as Danny, the frontman for the rock band Exorcist. Yes, the band name is indeed a humorous nod to Friedkin’s seminal horror movie.
Danny isn’t a nice guy, though. He’s a womanizer with a vicious streak, and he’s got a massive grudge against Scarlett (Tia Carrere), the new wife to Exorcist guitarist Nick (Paul Hipp). Danny’s number one fan, Vendetta (Sherrie Rose), introduces him to tattoo artist Farouche (Heavy D), an enigmatic hand tapping artist whose hand is guided by his patron’s darkest inner secrets and tends to manifest them in disturbing ways.
The episode, penned by Larry Wilson and based on The Haunt of Fear volume 1 #12, aired in late June 1992, almost four months after Carrere broke out as ultra-cool rocker Cassandra Wong in Wayne’s World. Her Scarlett doesn’t fare as well here; in true EC comic style, she’s a victim leading to Danny’s eventual comeuppance.
Inside Exorcist jokes aside, “On a Deadman’s Chest” captures early ‘90s pop culture energy, but by way of Friedkin’s intense, almost manic sense of urgency often found in his genre output. His documentary roots play heavily here, especially in the first act, which introduces the heavy rock act and Danny’s rock star lifestyle.
All three Friedkin-directed segments represent his style and contributions to the horror genre. In other words, all are worth revisiting. You can find “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” currently streaming on Peacock and “Tales from the Crypt” on Digital. “The Twilight Zone” is less easy to find on streaming or DVD, but worth seeking out if you can find it.