JOHN CASSAVETES
(1929 – 1989) American



"Actor-director John Cassavetes is remembered as the godfather of American independent film-makers. Although Shadows (1959), his breakthrough film, was not the first American movie outside the system, it became a rallying point for future generations...Cassavetes was often labelled an improvisational film-maker, but his films were almost entirely scripted. Yet he had a preference for documentary-style camerawork and was obsessed with human interaction."
- Film: Eyewitness Companions

"It is of the essence of Cassavetes' work that he creates the artistic impression of plunging characters and viewers into a present-tense world in which seemingly anything can happen to anyone, at anytime. In their different ways, all of his films entertain a vision of human freedom and possibility, which, in his view, can be achieved only by breaking away from prefabricated systems, patterns, and categories of behavior and understanding. Viewers are asked to do the same thing as characters: to remain totally open and receptive to experience."
- Ray Carney

"The important thing is to realize that there are different ways of making films and different approaches to making them according to what YOU are. I mean, I don't want ANYONE to imitate ME!"
- John Cassavetes

Filmography
1959 Shadows
1961 Too Late Blues
1963 A Child Is Waiting
1968 Faces
1970 Husbands
1971 Minnie and Moskowitz
1974 A Woman Under the Influence
1976 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
1977 Opening Night
1978 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie: Rerelease/Director's Cut
1980 Gloria
1984 Love Streams
1986 Big Trouble

I have so fully placed myself within the Cassavetean world that I am unqualified to determine what should be first watch. All I know is that about 50% of the people I have recommended Woman to have said it was tedious and overlong, and the other half have said that it was one of the best things they've ever seen.

I'm actually quite stumped on this too. I'd just go with Woman since Pedro saw it for the first time and loved it, then again he is Pedro

Yeah, Husbands is pretty accessible, if you ask me (course I only saw the first 10 minutes).

I can tell, because I think it definitely has the most challenging sequence in all of his films. Beer singing, holy shit.

1959 Shadows 8.6
1968 Faces 9.9
1974 A Woman Under the Influence 9.6
1976 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie 8.9

I'll keep looking into his works.

Try and see the 78 version of Bookie. It's better.

RIP Peter Falk

tv's columbo lol, more like Cassavetes actor the GREAT

RIP

Because of Falk's death, Criterion have started to stream Mikey and Nicky on their Hulu page for free:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/253073/mikey-and-nicky

These are arguably the best performances from Cassavetes and Falk, and it's the best film of probably the most underrated director of the 70s, Elaine May.

After like five years delaying that shit out of fear of not liking it, I finally watched my first Cassavetes movie. Did not know what to begin with, so I just started out with Shadows, because it's so short and because it's his first. Anyway, after like ten minutes into the film I already forgot everything I assumed about Cassavetes' art and just went with it. I loved how the characters in the film don't seem like characters at all, but more like real people. Usually that kinda thing puts me off because I don't necessarily want to see real people in a movie. I want to see characters, inventions, lies, stories, artifice, etc etc... But here the people were so likeable and their interactions were so true that I did not mind at all. The black and white, jazzy atmosphere played an important part in me loving this movie, so I'm very curious to see how he handles the other movies. Will probably go through them chronologically.

Why did Cassavetes lie about it though? I mean, there's no way that movie was an improvisation, surely?

Shadows is my favorite Cassavetes, but I've only seen that, Faces, and Woman and all those at least a year ago before I got seriously into film so who knows how I'd feel if I watched them now.

The fact anyone would consider Shadows their favorite work of his is why I can die happy if I never see another turd from this pretentious asshat ever again.

I might give Faces a viewing. But that's it, three strikes and the fucker's out for good.

The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie is more accessible. Faces is great, but taxing.

Ben Gazzara has died. Everyone break out their preferred version of Killing of a Chinese Bookie.