Cassavetes

version

Well-known member
@catalog

I watched Chinese Bookie a few months ago and still not sure what I think of it, love Gazzara but those club scenes with the cabaret act are excruciating.

The other one I've seen is Husbands, which I thought was brilliant.
 

catalog

Well-known member
He was a top one for me for a while, but I saw bookie again a while ago and felt similar, it was excruciating at times.

But the good bits still good, I guess. I love what he got out of Tim Carey and Seymour cassel also excellent. And just the whole premise, in over your head.

Just a bit flabby and weird.

There was a time I loved that film beginning to end but I'm not that person anymore. The book of conversations with him, Ray carney (?) is good too.

As much as anything it was his peculiar approach. Kind of fassbindery. Give the actor the camera, maybe they know.

I also really like him as an actor in Rosemary's baby.

So apart from bookie, a woman under the influence is good but a bit heavy.

And shadows is OK. That bit where they just piss about in the park and go to the museum. So influential on everyone.

I never liked husbands or faces tbh.
 

version

Well-known member
He was a top one for me for a while, but I saw bookie again a while ago and felt similar, it was excruciating at times.

But the good bits still good, I guess. I love what he got out of Tim Carey and Seymour cassel also excellent. And just the whole premise, in over your head.

Just a bit flabby and weird.

There was a time I loved that film beginning to end but I'm not that person anymore. The book of conversations with him, Ray carney (?) is good too.

As much as anything it was his peculiar approach. Kind of fassbindery. Give the actor the camera, maybe they know.

I also really like him as an actor in Rosemary's baby.

So apart from bookie, a woman under the influence is good but a bit heavy.

And shadows is OK. That bit where they just piss about in the park and go to the museum. So influential on everyone.

I never liked husbands or faces tbh.

Have you seen Elaine May's film with him and Falk, Mikey and Nicky? That one has its moments and feels a bit like one of his.

Mikey%2Band%2BNicky%2B3.jpg
 

version

Well-known member
He was a top one for me for a while, but I saw bookie again a while ago and felt similar, it was excruciating at times.

But the good bits still good, I guess. I love what he got out of Tim Carey and Seymour cassel also excellent. And just the whole premise, in over your head.

Just a bit flabby and weird.

Yeah, it feels like some bizarre am-dram version of Mean Streets or something. If you cut out most of the club scenes it'd be much more engaging, but then again you'd be missing the whole point of the film as Gazzara's a stand in for the director trying to keep his ragtag artistic project going. Apparently he didn't get the film until Cassavetes took him aside and burst into tears explaining that to him.

If you haven't seen it, you should watch Saint Jack. Gazzara again, but Bogdanovich directing and much more entertaining.

 

catalog

Well-known member
kinda interesting web of connections here...

cos this band were named after the comic series by chester brown? (which i love and should be required reading for everyone)

YummyFur20Cover.jpg


pretty easy to pick up scans - anna's archive has a load of collected strips i think.

and this band (must confess i don't know em at all) feature the guy who went on to do franz ferdinand? I went to school with the bassist of that band....
 

catalog

Well-known member
Have you seen Elaine May's film with him and Falk, Mikey and Nicky? That one has its moments and feels a bit like one of his.

Mikey%2Band%2BNicky%2B3.jpg
nah but i know about it. i heard from a friend it wadn't great so i've never bothered. if i like someone i sometimes don't like to watch their less good bits.
 

catalog

Well-known member
Yeah, it feels like some bizarre am-dram version of Mean Streets or something. If you cut out most of the club scenes it'd be much more engaging, but then again you'd be missing the whole point of the film as Gazzara's a stand in for the director trying to keep his ragtag artistic project going. Apparently he didn't get the film until Cassavetes took him aside and burst into tears explaining that to him.

If you haven't seen it, you should watch Saint Jack. Gazzara again, but Bogdanovich directing and much more entertaining.

yeah i might do actually, good call. bogdanavitch is mentioned quite a lot in that tarantino book. he's into him. you watched rolling thunder yet? i've not got around to it myself. i struggle with 70s hollywood a bit these days, it used to be me fav time and place for cinema.
 

version

Well-known member
nah but i know about it. i heard from a friend it wadn't great so i've never bothered. if i like someone i sometimes don't like to watch their less good bits.

I watched it in crap quality on YouTube, but yeah. I wasn't entirely convinced by it. There were some moving scenes though.
 

version

Well-known member
yeah i might do actually, good call. bogdanavitch is mentioned quite a lot in that tarantino book. he's into him. you watched rolling thunder yet? i've not got around to it myself. i struggle with 70s hollywood a bit these days, it used to be me fav time and place for cinema.

Nah, haven't seen Rolling Thunder.
 

version

Well-known member
Talking of Bookie, apparently Ferrara's film Go Go Tales is basically him doing it in NYC with Willem Dafoe and is great.

 

version

Well-known member
It's difficult to find. There's some age-restricted upload of it in Spanish or something on YouTube, but you can't really get it on DVD or Blu-ray or streaming anywhere, just a bunch of ancient imports floating around on eBay, etc.
 

version

Well-known member
I never liked husbands

I was bowled over by this one, left me completely exhausted. Bit long, plods in places and some of it's toe curling, but it really hit me. Dunno that I've ever gone through such a range and intensity of emotions watching a film, before or since. The total antithesis of something like The Hangover or any of those lighthearted things where you follow a group of blokes being blokey and having a good time. Texas Chainsaw Massacre aesthetic applied to a buddy movie.
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Saw A Woman Under The Influence with my sister after recommending it because I used to like it. We didn't finish it and cringed a lot at the overblown acting. It was the acting that drew me to it in the first place. Cassavetes' been in some decent films himself, and Falk is admirable. I think Shadows is my favourite, jazz tinged New York in black and white, and Love Streams has some bearable scenes, but overall a bit cringeworthy looking back.
 
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