William Finley
Birth : 1942-09-20, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Death : 2012-04-14
History
William Finley (September 20, 1940 – April 14, 2012) was an American actor who has appeared in the films Simon, Silent Rage, Phantom of the Paradise, Sisters, and The Wedding Party. He had a long-running friendship and collaboration with director Brian De Palma, beginning with the student films Woton's Wake (1962) and Murder à la Mod (1968). Most recently, he contributed a small but effective cameo in De Palma's 2006 release The Black Dahlia. Under the name W. Franklin Finley, he wrote the screenplay for the 1983 film The First Time. He was also the co-author of the 1985 book Racewalking.
Finley graduated from Columbia University in 1963. He resided in New York City with his wife and son.
Woton’s Wake
This is the second volume of ultra-rare oddities, obscurities and jaw-droppers that may be among the best 85 minutes Something Weird has ever assembled and almost all of them from the original negatives! Titles include The Martians (1962), Tops ‘n Tunes (1964), Swinger (1966), Slumber Party (196?), Chemical Pop (196?), The Assignation (1963), A Christmas Fantasy (196?), Woton’s Wake (1964) and some newly-discovered trailers for live midnight shows.
George Tilden
In 1940s Los Angeles, two former boxers-turned-cops must grapple with corruption, narcissism, stag films and family madness as they pursue the killer of an aspiring young actress.
Himself
A 50-minute documentary on the making of the film featuring director Brian De Palma, producer Edward R. Pressman, the late star William Finley, star and composer Paul Williams, co-stars Jessica Harper and Gerrit Graham and more!
Husband
A shy entomologist named Ida—whose girlfriend has left her, due to her interest in insects—develops a crush on a strange girl, Misty. After Ida receives a mysterious insect in the mail, the two women spend the night together, and Ida awakens to find that Misty has stumbled upon her insect collection and has a great interest in them herself.
Self
A documentary about the making of Brian De Palma's 1973 film SISTERS including interviews with the cast and crew.
Dr. Matteson
A young girl travels to Cairo to visit her father, and becomes unwillingly involved with a bizarre sadomasochistic cult led by the charismatic Paul Chevalier, who is a descendant of the Marquis de Sade.
Milt
Horror film director must plot to steal the negative of his film in order to save it from being destroyed in an insurance scam cooked up by his sleazy producers.
The Phantom (archive footage) (uncredited)
A non-stop roller coaster ride through the scariest moments of the greatest terror films of all time.
Dr. Paul Vaughn
A mentally ill man in a small Texas town goes on a killing rampage and is fatally wounded by police. When doctors use an experimental serum to bring him back to life, the killer develops superhuman strength and the town sheriff must pursue him.
Marco the Magnificent
Rebellious teen Amy defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz, and their friends Liz and Richie. Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy "Funhouse" horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask. Locked in, Amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape before it leaves town the next day.
Bobbi (voice) (uncredited)
After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.
Fichandler
A group of scientists take Simon, a psychology professor, as a test person for a brainwash experiment. After that they try to convince him that he was a living-being from another planet.
Raymond Dunwoodie
When a devious plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza from his son, Robin, the distraught father manages to see through the ruse. Taken because of his psychic abilities, Robin is being held by Ben Childress, who is studying people with supernatural powers in hopes of developing their talents as weapons. Soon Peter pairs up with Gillian, a teen who has telekinesis, to find and rescue Robin.
Roy
A psychotic redneck who owns a dilapidated hotel in the backwater swamps of Louisiana kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.
Winslow / The Phantom
Fledgling singer-songwriter Winslow Leach finds himself double-crossed by the nefarious music producer Swan, who steals both his music and the girl Winslow wants to sing it, Phoenix, for the grand opening of his rock palace, the Paradise. After Swan has Winslow sent to prison for trespassing, Winslow endures a freak accident that leaves him disfigured, after which he seeks revenge on both Swan and the Paradise.
Emil Breton
Inquisitive journalist Grace Collier is horrified when she witnesses her neighbor, fashion model Danielle Breton, violently murder a man. Panicking, she calls the police. But when the detective arrives at the scene and finds nothing amiss, Grace is forced to take matters into her own hands. Her first move is to recruit private investigator Joseph Larch, who helps her to uncover a secret about Danielle's past that has them both seeing double.
Self/Dionysus
Filmed stageplay based on the ancient greek play The Bacchae written by Euripides. This play is performed by members of The Performance Group, an NYC experimental theater group who has made their own personal adaptation of this ancient text. Filmed by Brian De Palma.
Alistair
Young Charlie begins to develop a case of cold feet as his upcoming wedding looms nearer. Desperate to throw the wedding plans off the track, Charlie tries a variety of tactics, including attempting to rekindle the relationship between his fiancée Josephine and her former boyfriend.
Otto
Naive young Karen wants to help her struggling amateur filmmaker boyfriend Christopher raise enough money so he can divorce his wife. Meanwhile, jolly psycho-prankster Otto stalks the building where Christopher is shooting a low-grade adult movie in order to keep himself afloat.
Woton
Woton Wretchichevsky has a disfigured face, dresses in a cloak and mask, and stalks couples to burn them with a blowtorch. He is also a sculptor of steel and garbage installations. One day, one of his creations comes to life in the form of a young woman. She flees from him when he tries to express his love by pointing his blowtorch at her.
Elmo
An ex-cop, now a private detective, investigating a gambler's murder finds that there may be a connection between that crime and the jewel robbery at a beautiful movie star's home.
Robert Johnson
A short film written and directed by William Finley's son, Dashiell Finley.
