Cinema Shock

How did a novel inspired by a reported case of demonic possession become one of the most influential horror films ever made? It starts with William Peter Blatty, a story that refused to leave him alone, and a filmmaker named William Friedkin who had a reputation for telling people exactly what he thought. In part 1 of our definitive look at the making of the film, we dig into the real-life 1949 case behind THE EXORCIST, the mythology that grew around it, and Blatty’s long fight to protect his story from studio interference. We also look at the unlikely chain of events that brought Friedkin aboard—and why the director’s reputation for uncompromising honesty played such a big part in getting him the job. At the heart of the story is an unlikely creative partnership between a writer determined to protect his vision and a director known for pushing people to their limits. Together, Blatty and Friedkin set out to bring a deeply unsettling story to the screen without losing what made it so disturbing in the first place. CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Felizmon | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | John sweet bussy Greaney | Jvance325 | KDurden | Kristian Blilie Berg | LogLad | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Phil Ellis | Princess Krishna Kali | samurai_hillbilly | Tim G | triplr1478 Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop. Follow Cinema Shock on Instagram: @cinema_shock For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION swept the Academy Awards and immediately became a cultural battleground. Pauline Kael and a generation of establishment critics condemned Popeye Doyle as a dangerous, fascist antihero — a charge that split American film culture right down the middle just as the film was breaking box office records. Part 3 of our deep dive into the William Friedkin classic covers the critical firestorm, the Oscar sweep, and a real-world epilogue that reframes the entire story in ways nobody saw coming. CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Felizmon | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | John sweet bussy Greaney | Jvance325 | KDurden | Kristian Blilie Berg | LogLad | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Phil Ellis | Princess Krishna Kali | samurai_hillbilly | Tim G | triplr1478 Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop. Follow Cinema Shock on Instagram: @cinema_shock For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Part 2 of our deep dive into its production, THE FRENCH CONNECTION hits the freezing streets of New York as William Friedkin wages war against sub-zero temperatures, city traffic, and his own cast. This episode covers the shoot itself — the accidental casting decision that became one of the film's most iconic elements, the near-collapse of the production from within, and the chase sequence that changed action filmmaking forever. What Friedkin pulled off under an elevated train in Brooklyn remains one of the most dangerous things ever put on film. CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Felizmon | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | John sweet bussy Greaney | Jvance325 | KDurden | Kristian Blilie Berg | LogLad | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Phil Ellis | Princess Krishna Kali | samurai_hillbilly | Tim G | triplr1478 Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop. Follow Cinema Shock on Instagram: @cinema_shock For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By the time William Friedkin got his hands on THE FRENCH CONNECTION, he had been turned down by every major studio in Hollywood and was running out of chances. Part 1 of this production history goes back to where the story actually starts — not on a Brooklyn street, but at a nightclub in Manhattan, where two NYPD detectives followed a hunch that cracked one of the largest narcotics cases in American history. Getting that story from real life to a Fox production deal took two years, an unproven screenwriter, and some of the most unexpected casting decisions in New Hollywood history. CINEMA SHOCK ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Turpin | Benjamin Yates | Capiapoa | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Dick Jones | Felizmon | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | John sweet bussy Greaney | Jvance325 | KDurden | Kristian Blilie Berg | LogLad | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | mcdudely | Nate Izod | Phil Ellis | Princess Krishna Kali | samurai_hillbilly | Tim G | triplr1478 Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop. Follow Cinema Shock on Instagram: @cinema_shock For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After years of death-defying action blockbusters, Tom Cruise went and made his strangest, riskiest film since MAGNOLIA — and audiences and critics have no idea what to do with it. Alejandro G. Iñárritu is known for being formally ambitious and he doesn't make things easy for his collaborators. DIGGER is no exception — this is what happens when the world's last traditional movie star hands himself over to one of cinema's most uncompromising directors. In this bonus episode, Justin and Gary share their thoughts on the most divisive film of 2026. This film was chosen by members of CinemaShock+. For the chance to vote on next month's new release review — plus plenty of other members-only perks — head to cinemashock.net/plus to join today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.