Tag Archives: John Cassavetes

“I like to be wrung out.” — Gena Rowlands

A little bit more on Gena on my Substack.

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Goodbye, Gena Rowlands

Gathered myself together, and wrote a tribute – yet another one, really – to Gena Rowlands for Ebert. I did my best. It won’t be the last time I write about her. We’ll be dealing with this career, trying to … Continue reading

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July 2024 Viewing Diary

Anyone But You (2023; d. Will Gluck) The fascination with Glen Powell continues. I’ve seen this maybe four times now? The NY Times did a whole ROUNDTABLE about Glen Powell, like: what is going on with this guy? It’s like … Continue reading

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For Liberties: John Cassavetes, Tennessee Williams, and Beautiful Insanity

My next article for my Movies Before Breakfast column at Liberties Journal is one I’ve wanted to write for years: how John Cassavetes’ Opening Night and Tennessee Williams’ The Two-Character Play are the same work of art to me – … Continue reading

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“Some of the time, when you’re walking out there where the air is thin, you just hope you can walk back again.” — Gena Rowlands

It’s her birthday today. The quote in the headline was Rowlands talking about playing Mabel in A Woman Under the Influence, but it could be said about many of her roles, particularly the ones she did in her husband’s films. … Continue reading

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“If you have to be in a soap opera try not to get the worst role.” — Judy Garland

It’s the great, the irreplaceable, Judy Garland’s birthday. The screengrab above is from John Cassavetes’ 1963 film A Child is Waiting. This film is not really well-known, except among Cassavetes/Garland completists – but some serious Cassavetes fans don’t know about … Continue reading

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On John Cassavetes’ Minnie and Moskowitz

This is a re-vamped post I resurrected for my Substack. A freebie for all subscribers. I saw it again recently and elaborated on my original thoughts. Outside-Inside: John Cassavetes’ “Minnie and Moskowitz”     Thank you so much for stopping … Continue reading

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Interview with actor/director/teacher Ryan Czerwonko

I’ve written about Adult Film before here, and had been wanting for a while to sit down and interview one of the founders, Ryan Czerwonko, about what he and his group are up to. Finally, we carved out some space … Continue reading

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R.I.P. Stella Stevens

My pal John Beifuss writes for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and his tribute to Stella Stevens – a Memphis native (although not born there) – is the one to read. There are so many good anecdotes, all culled from the … Continue reading

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R.I.P. Seymour Cassel

Seymour Cassel has died. A John Cassavetes regular, an essential member of that merry band of actor misfits, who followed their own sense of truth with an improvisatory and free-flowing jazz-riff style so impossible to replicate (even though so many … Continue reading

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