Category Archives: John Cassavetes

#14 Favorite Film, #4 Favorite Horror Film, 1968 Films, Charles Grodin, Horror, John Cassavetes, Maurice Evans, Mia Farrow, Patsy Kelly, Ralph Bellamy, Roman Polanski, Ruth Gordon, Sharon Tate, Sidney Blackmer, Tony Curtis, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films, Victoria Vetri, William Castle

Rosemary’s Baby-1968

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Rosemary’s Baby-1968

Director Roman Polanski

Starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon

Top 250 Films #14

Top 40 Horror Films #4

Scott’s Review #9

60002403

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is not only a great film, it’s a masterpiece. Easily one of my favorites in the horror genre, it’s also towards the top of the list of my all-time favorite films.

The beauty of this film lies in its power of suggestion and subtleties. It lacks the blood, gore, or standard horror frights one might expect.

It doesn’t need them.

The audience senses something is amiss through clues provided throughout the film. The closed-off room in the young couple’s apartment, the sweet, but a bit odd, elderly neighbors, a strange suicide, a mysterious, horrid-smelling, good luck charm. Rosemary’s due date (June 6, 1966- “666”).

The strange, dreamlike conception scene is intense and surreal. Her husband- claiming Rosemary passed out from too much alcohol- begins to become a suspicious man following the incident, but we are confused by his involvement- what are the neighbors up to, we wonder? Are they sinister or simply innocent meddlers?

In a sinister scene, Rosemary gnaws on bloody raw meat, catches her reflection in the glass, and is horrified by her behavior.

Mia Farrow is excellent as the waifish, pregnant Rosemary, who loses weight, rather than gains it.

The film also has a couple of real-life eerie occurrences: the building setting (The Dakota) is where John Lennon was shot and killed, and Director Roman Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, in a cameo, was murdered shortly after filming by Charles Manson.

Rosemary’s Baby shares a similar theme with other devilish/demon films, such as The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976).

This is a film that must be seen by everyone and only shines brighter with each subsequent viewing.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Ruth Gordon (won), Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

#32 Favorite Film, 1980 Films, Action, Buck Henry, Gena Rowlands, John Adames, John Cassavetes, Julie Carmen, Thriller, Tom Noonan, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 50 Films

Gloria-1980

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Gloria-1980

Director John Cassavetes

Starring Gena Rowlands, John Adames

Top 250 Films #32

Scott’s Review #166

Reviewed September 9, 2014

Grade: A

Gloria (1980) is an action/thriller film that features the standard action-crime thriller elements, including shoot-em-ups, guns blazing, clichéd fare, but also contains an interesting and appealing leading character, a gritty atmosphere, and witty dialogue.

It is a significantly better film than most indistinguishable action films.

Directed and written by independent film master, John Cassavetes, who wanted to make a more conventional, mainstream film than was typical for him- think the very left of center, brilliant A Woman Under the Influence, also starring Gena Rowlands, and Gloria was the perfect film for him to create with Rowlands as the focal point.

Made in 1980, Gloria perfectly portrays New York City at the time.

New York City was gritty, dirty, rough, crime-infested, violent, and chaotic, and the film frequently travels throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, and New Jersey, with many scenes shot directly on the streets of New York.

Several other scenes are set in dingy apartments, hotels, seedy bars, and rundown streets, and are highly effective in portraying a gloomy atmosphere. The cinematography in the film is perfect.

The heart of the film lies with Rowlands (Cassavetes’s wife), who gives a mesmerizing performance as a former mob girlfriend who, by circumstance, must protect a young Hispanic boy from execution by the mob because of an informant’s book he clings to for dear life.

No other actress could have played this role of a tough-talking, brash New Yorker as well as Rowlands does. The boy’s father, played by Buck Henry, is a scared accountant with ties to a company fronted by the mob.

He fears his entire family will be murdered and hands his kid over to Gloria. Julie Carmen gives a brief but effective performance as Phil’s frazzled mother.

I wish Henry and Carmen had been given more screen time and fleshed-out characters because both had huge potential. The film belongs to Rowlands- she is no-nonsense, tough, and so convincing in the part.

I also enjoyed the casting of John Adames as the kid, Phil. Many critics inexplicably panned his performance, and I’m not sure why.

I also love the unique opening credits, as intense folk/jazz music plays over watercolor portraits that turn into the skyline of New York City, with a melancholy, eerie quality.

Amid the violence, there is a sweet bond that develops between Gloria and Phil that is not too sentimental or cheesy.

A great, compelling late 1970s/early 1980s film with definite Godfather and Dirty Harry influences in its texture and characters, especially in some of the mobster roles.

The appeal of the film is that it has a heart without ever delving into schlock. Surprisingly rated only PG, it is gritty, but not lewd or harsh, and seems dirtier than it is, with barely any filthy language.

The chemistry and heartfelt connection between Gloria and Phil are darling without being too sappy or safe.

Gloria (1980) is a fast-paced, action gem that is both appealing and tough.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Gena Rowlands

1978 Films, Amy Irving, Andrew Stevens, Betty Buckley, Brian De Palma, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Daryl Hannah, Dennis Franz, Fiona Lewis, Horror, Jim Belushi, John Cassavetes, Kirk Douglas, Melody Thomas Scott, Thriller, William Finley

The Fury-1978

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The Fury-1978

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Kirk Douglas, Amy Irving, John Cassavetes

Scott’s Review #1,446

Reviewed October 15, 2024

Grade: A-

The Fury (1978) is one of Brian De Palma’s films that flies under the radar and is underappreciated. It features many of his trademark effects, such as slow-motion camerawork, and includes actors who appear in more than one of his psychological thriller films.

The story might be more complicated than it needs to be, and while legendary actor Kirk Douglas gets top billing, he disappears for a good part of the film before returning towards the end. He hands the reins to Amy Irving, who capably carries the rest of the film.

This is a small gripe for a film that ranks pretty close to classics like Dressed to Kill (1980), Carrie (1976), and Blow Out (1981).

I’m as guilty as anyone else for underappreciating The Fury since it’s only my second time viewing it.

The all-star cast features John Cassavetes as the villain, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Douglas, and Irving. That’s enough to make cinema fans want to see it. There are also unique actors in small roles who flesh out the quirky cast in a major win.

The screenplay by John Farris was based on his 1976 novel of the same name, which feels a lot like a popular Stephen King novel.

The Fury utilizes the talents of esteemed John Williams, who scored such greats as Fiddler on the Roof (1971), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), and Jaws (1975), to name a few. The highly lauded composer aptly uses the music to enhance the overall product.

Events start in Israel when a plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza (Douglas) from his son, Robin (Andrew Stevens), but the distraught father manages to see through the ruse.

He realizes that Robin is being held at an institute by Ben Childress (Cassavetes) because the teenager possesses supernatural powers that Ben intends to weaponize.

Meanwhile, Gillian (Amy Irving), a teen with telekinesis, forms a psychic connection to Robin and teams up with Peter to find and rescue him. They are forced to endure villains intent on destroying them for their own gain.

I am amazed how well the film, made in 1978, holds up tremendously decades later, considering the characters play dated video games and the automobiles are very 1970s. The overindulgence of 1970s ‘stuff’ is what holds the most appeal.

Appealing is the glimpse at hundreds of extras appearing in the many exterior Chicago scenes. While Gillian and her friend La Rue (Melody Thomas Scott) stroll down the boardwalk, they pass teams of regular people harkening back to a time long ago.

The unwieldy American sedans popular in the mid-1970s pepper the streets of Chicago. At the same time, the sofa and carpet styles of the time are prominently featured at the Paragon Institute, evoking a nostalgic hug of authenticity.

When the character Gillian is introduced during a high school sequence that parallels Carrie, the similarities are immediately apparent.

Carrie and Gillian are both high school students with psychic powers, including telekinesis, that harm people who physically touch or provoke them.

The kicker is that Irving also appeared in Carrie, but not as the title character.

The best scenes are when Hester (Snodgress) is struck and killed by a car propelling her bloody body through the windshield or when Institute employee, Dr. Susan Charles (Fiona Lewis) is tortured and spun to death over a lavish dinner table setting.

The food references are plentiful, mouthwatering, and fun to track. Hester and Gillian chat and giggle over heaping hot fudge sundaes, while scrambled eggs and dinner are mentioned during other scenes.

Some plot holes or inexplicable story points, like Robin’s turn into a psycho and turning on his father because another psychic will replace him, aren’t as compelling as other points of the film.

During one scene, Gillian has Robin’s powers transfer to her, causing her body to writhe and contort in an unconvincing way, and Irving looks plain silly.

Being a huge De Palma fan, I’m glad I dusted The Fury (1978) off the shelf because it’s a terrific watch with an exceptional cast. It contains many of De Palma’s trademarks, making it fantastic, especially for his fans.

1974 Films, Drama, Feminist, Fred Draper, Gena Rowlands, Independent, Independent Drama, John Cassavetes, Katherine Cassavetes, Lady Rowlands, Matthew Labyorteaux, Peter Falk

A Woman Under the Influence-1974

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A Woman Under the Influence-1974

Director John Cassavetes

Starring Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk

Scott’s Review #1,051

Reviewed August 11, 2020

Grade: A

I champion films that are not necessarily easy to digest but are well worth the struggle if the result is either a fantastic pay-off or the afterglow of watching something of worth or substance.

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) is a grueling watch for the ferocious intensity alone that Gena Rowlands infuses into her emotionally challenged title character.

Rowlands and director/writer/husband John Cassavetes changed the face of independent film forever with this project.

Critical film darling and fantastic director Cassavetes wrote the screenplay for A Woman Under the Influence specifically for Rowlands, who wanted to play the character but could not take the strain of playing her eight days a week on stage as originally envisioned.

Thus, the project was born, financed with their own money. Co-star Peter Falk also contributed financially.

Each served as a makeup artist, or gofer, or performed other non-actor or non-director tasks to achieve the results.

A real house was used to film in rather than on a studio set.

Distributors rebuffed the film, and Cassavetes begged to have it shown on college campuses, where he would discuss it afterward. It was the first time in the history of motion pictures that an independent film was distributed without a nationwide system of sub-distributors.

This is the main reason Cassavetes is heralded as an independent film god and why a category is named after him at the annual Independent Spirit Film Awards.

Rowlands parts mountains to make this role her own, and she is passionate about it.

Originally, seeing the legendary actress in only one film, the gritty Gloria (1980), I had a notion of her as the impatient, tough-as-nails mobster girlfriend she played in that excellent film (also directed by Cassavetes).

In A Woman Under the Influence, made six years before Gloria, she plays a much more vulnerable, to say nothing of unhinged, character. This is not to say that Mabel is crazy in a psychotic sort of way. She is loving and adores her husband, Nick (Falk), and kids Margaret and Angelo.

Rowlands puts her versatility on display.

In her desperate attempts to keep her family happy, she tries to put on a brave front as she dutifully cooks dinner, puts her kids to bed, and kisses her husband.

Inside, though, she is dying and unsure what is wrong with her. She knows she is unhappy and doesn’t know why. What she does know is that she is slowly going insane.

At the risk of making A Woman Under the Influence, Rowland’s film, as the title implies, it’s not. Falk does not merely serve as a supporting player to her story but blossoms with one of his own.

The story could easily have been told only from Mabel’s perspective, but we see a wide range of emotions in Falk as his character desperately tries to keep it together.

This is great acting.

Nick thinks that inviting friends over to celebrate Mabel’s return home from the hospital is a good idea, but realizing it’s not, angrily sends them home. His emotions spiral as much as hers, but in a different way.

The best scenes are the most emotionally taxing for all.

When Mabel talks gibberish at a speed of a mile a minute, Nick tries to be patient, but soon explodes with anger, sympathetic to his wife but also exhausted beyond belief. When Mabel and Nick spar, fireworks explode.

In pure Cassavetes’s genius, there lies no solution to Mabel’s woes, and we wonder what will happen to her. Will she eventually be institutionalized for life? Will she take her own life or someone else’s life?

The vagueness is its beauty.

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) is one of the most realistic films ever made, focusing on mental illness, hardship, and truthfulness.

To lend boldness to the tough subject matter, especially given the time period and our now greater understanding of the disease, Cassavetes and Rowlands infuse the film with a feminist quality while also showcasing the male point of view.

1970’s cinema oozed with creativity, richness, and experimentation. True artists emerged who have created an important legacy in small-budgeted films.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-John Cassavetes, Best Actress-Gena Rowlands