Slog - Comments on My John Cassavetes Kick, Years Late http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1 I've been on a John Cassavetes kick in the last week, and I have to say, he's good. (Hi everyone, I'm Christopher, sorry I'm late to the party.) I rented Faces and watched it at my neighbor's apartment while my neighbor had a passive-aggressive conversation in the hallway with his on-again off-again girlfriend; appropriately enough, Faces alternates between passive-aggressive marital meltdown and out-and-out shrieking, and ends with an extended shot of a dissatisfied couple smoking on the stairs of their suburban L.A. house. (I am a tool of the tobacco industry, an enemy of the smoking banners -- I like... Copyright 2007 Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:56:33 -0800 Thu, 20 Apr 2006 16:13:10 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by #48 Try to dig up The Tempest from 1982. One of my favorite movies, if only as a rememberance of a prepubescent love for Molly Ringwald (in her film debut.) Also a nice performance by Raul Julia as Caliban.

]]> #48 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012767 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012767 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:11:51 -0800 Comment by levide Isn't that a Mazursky?

]]> levide http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012769 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012769 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:14:59 -0800 Comment by #48 Yes, starring John Cassavetes tho.

]]> #48 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012770 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012770 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:27:21 -0800 Comment by levide Ah, right.

]]> levide http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012771 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012771 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:31:54 -0800 Comment by SeMe The guy on the FACES poster looks like the guy who wakes up with the horse’s head in the Godfather, after he tells Robert Duvall, to “get the fuck outta here and to tell his guinea boss that if he tries any rough stuff, he aint no band leader.”

Thanks for the recommendation. I always wanted to know where to start. Cassavetes is one of those directors that always comes up in convos with serious film snobs and you’re too embarrassed to say you never seen any of his films, so you switch the convo to Sidney Lummet and Prince and the City.

I remember Tempest, a completely unwatchable piece of crap. No offense. When Sarandon and Ringwald sing Why do fools fall in love, I wanted to shoot at the screen, but my glock lacked sufficient bullets. Raul Julia is wasted as a buffoon and a stereotype living in a cave with a Sony Trinitron and wanting to sleep with Ringwald.

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012775 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012775 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:38:59 -0800 Comment by #48 No offense taken. =) That is the beauty of movies (and books, and music, and, hell, pretty much everything.) Everyone hates something. And something is hated by everyone. And something is loved by everyone. Hell, walking out of Underworld Evolution, I overheard the couple behind me 'That was a great movie!' I was hoping I missed something before it like 'Remember Citizen Kane?' but probably not.

]]> #48 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012780 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012780 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:45:44 -0800 Comment by Film Fan Do not miss the 1980 "Gloria" with Gena Rowlands. Best Gun Moll performance ever.
In the scene where she faces down some killers in a restaurant with the line... "These are your options...ya got two." she makes Tough Women believable. Also a great depiction of NYC crime during that time. In their 1971 "Minnie & Moskowitz" she gets more acting traction from just huge sunglasses and lip action than you can imagine.

]]> Film Fan http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012800 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012800 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 13:09:56 -0800 Comment by SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS I prefer Cassavetes as an actor. His films are on my permanent list of guilty non-pleasures (along with the music of James Brown and Patti Smith and most of the films of Billy Wilder). I know it's my fault, but i find Cassavetes movies unbearable to watch—it's like watching acting classes disguised as drama. During my late teens and early twenties, when I ardently believed everything I read, I watched every JC movie I could find, and just pretended to buy the histrionic acting, the utterly false "real" dialogue, the unrestrained indulgence and arbitrary narrative conclusions. I don't feel like I don't get it; I feel like I get it and reject it.

Two exceptions: parts of Minnie and Moskowitz and all of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. Also, he gets high marks for casting Timothy Carey and Seymour Cassel.

]]> SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012810 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012810 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 13:36:08 -0800 Comment by Xutech Kudos for joining the JC fanclub. Forget what Sean Nelson said, JC made great movies. My favs: "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Gloria". Gena Rowlands gives two of the best performances ever put to film. "Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is awesome. I also really like "Opening Night."

]]> Xutech http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012821 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012821 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 14:39:22 -0800 Comment by Richard Jensen Love Streams. !!

That's what I'M talking about.

& Read Ray Carney.

Don't not read him.

]]> Richard Jensen http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012822 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012822 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 14:55:32 -0800 Comment by Richard Jensen Love Streams. !!

That's what I'M talking about.

& Read Ray Carney.

Don't not read him.

]]> Richard Jensen http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012824 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012824 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:00:27 -0800 Comment by SeMe Gena Rowlands was such a great actor, very intense, and so much pain in her performances. I agree, Gloria was great, too bad they decided to remake it with goofy ass Sharon Stone.

She was Cassavetes' wife right?

Was Cassavetes also in Rosemary's baby?

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012829 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012829 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:33:56 -0800 Comment by SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS i really liked ray carney's book about cassavetes. (the one i read for work at the stranger, i mean; there are more than one, i think.) i usually like the things people confer on JC a lot more than i like JC himself. i think richard jensen is smart. i did not like love streams.

]]> SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012837 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012837 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 16:04:47 -0800 Comment by SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS i really liked ray carney's book about cassavetes. (the one i read for work at the stranger, i mean; there are more than one, i think.) i usually like the things people confer on JC a lot more than i like JC himself. i think richard jensen is smart. i did not like love streams.

]]> SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012839 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012839 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 16:13:06 -0800 Comment by #48 seme: Ayup. JC was Rosemary's Baby Adopted Daddy. :)

]]> #48 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012855 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012855 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 17:11:55 -0800 Comment by Film Fan Response to Seme... yes... Cassavetes and Gena were married. They would work in other movies for the cash to finance his Troupe - which included Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara.
In Rosemary's Baby John was the rat husband who sold Mia to the devil worshipers for a lead in a play. They blinded the actor for him.
Another yummy movie.

]]> Film Fan http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012858 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012858 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 17:31:19 -0800 Comment by Rich Jensen I think Sean Nelson has some admirable qualities.

]]> Rich Jensen http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012909 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012909 Arts Mon, 30 Jan 2006 22:11:04 -0800 Comment by SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS i, for one, admire richard jensen's terseness. to say nothing of his pith.

]]> SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012927 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c012927 Arts Tue, 31 Jan 2006 01:01:40 -0800 Comment by Richard Jensen Mmmm, Nelson knows pith.

(Let's make-out. . .)

]]> Richard Jensen http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c013024 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c013024 Arts Tue, 31 Jan 2006 10:36:43 -0800 Comment by Simon Also look for "Songs for Cassavetes: an all ages film"

]]> Simon http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c014351 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c014351 Arts Sun, 05 Feb 2006 18:43:07 -0800 Comment by nydia I like this site! How does ativan work baccarat jewelry horse betting what does alprazolam look like cheap ambien

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]]> Iren http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c091819 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/01/my_john_cassave_1#c091819 Arts Wed, 12 Apr 2006 05:00:43 -0800 Comment by miguel Hello! Very interesting and professional site.

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