John Cassavetes - 5 Films (Criterion Rip)

John Cassavetes has been called a genius, a visionary, and the father of independent film. But such rhetoric threatens to obscure the humanism and generosity of his art. The five films included here represent his self-financed works made outside the studio system of Hollywood, on which he was afforded complete control. Populated by beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors, housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, and children, the films are beautiful, emotional testaments to compassion. Cassavetes has often been called an actor’s director, but this body of work—even greater than the sum of its extraordinarily significant parts—reveals him to be an audience’s director. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night in stunning new transfers. SHADOWS John Cassavetes 1959 John Cassavetes’ directorial debut revolves around an interracial romance between Lelia (Lelia Goldoni), a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers, and Tony (Anthony Ray), a white man. Shadows is a visionary work and the forerunner of the independent film movement. FACES John Cassavetes 1968 The disintegration of a marriage is dissected in John Cassavetes’ searing Faces. Shot in high-contrast 16 mm black and white, the film follows the futile attempts of a captain of industry (John Marley) and his wife (Lynn Carlin) to escape the anguish of their empty marriage in the arms of others. A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE John Cassavetes 1974 John Cassavetes’ devastating drama details the emotional breakdown of a suburban housewife and her family’s struggle to save her from herself. This is one of the benchmark films of American independent cinema—a heroic document from a true maverick director. THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE John Cassavetes 1976 John Cassavetes engages film noir in his own inimitable style. Ben Gazzara brilliantly portrays gentlemen’s club owner Cosmo Vitelli, a man dedicated to pretenses of composure and self-possession. When he runs afoul of a group of gangsters, Cosmo is forced to commit a horrible crime. OPENING NIGHT John Cassavetes 1976 In John Cassavetes’ Opening Night, Broadway actress Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) rehearses for her latest play, about a woman unable to admit that she is aging. When she witnesses the accidental death of an adoring young fan, she begins to confront the turmoil she faces in her own life.

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minapengar (2010-12-11)

are there subs available for these?

ns194 (2010-12-11)

The Criterion set comes with English subs... I chose not to include them since all films are in English - if you want foreign language subs perhaps you can search some .srt databases... sorry!

Glinto (2012-08-06)

Format: m4v
Audio/video=9/7

stevenone (2012-10-04)

It's too bad you did not include the srt. After few searches, I can tell you they are not easy to find, especially the criterion ones in English.

doobie69 (2014-06-02)

Nice way to pick up this set of Cassavetes best films. Thank you!