William Friedkin

Known primarily for "The Exorcist," which is a great film, but I prefer him in his ventures into the crime-thriller genre. Who else can create films like "The Wages of Fear," "The French Connection," "Cruising," "Killer Joe," and especially his masterpiece "To Live and Die in L.A."? A wizard of chases and action scenes, but I admire him for his prevailing pessimism and desperate characters.