Sunday, October 31, 2010
DRAWING A BLANK
I had a second film on deck for today. John Cassavete's The Killing of a Chinese Bookie 1976) with Ben Gazzara. This is part of a Criterion Box.
I have always had trouble with Cassavette's work.
Yet, I know it is seminal.
I simply cannot watch much of his stuff. It is rough cut and interminable.
I bailed out of this one after 15 minutes of hard to hear or get cinema verité in a NYC sidewalk cafe, shots in a dark bar, man on man bar ragtime. Tough talk.
No sign of a plot or even a pulse.
It all looks improvised but, they say, was not. Even harder to take.
On the other hand, I can see his influence in many films that I like.
I hated his (1968), loud obnoxious macho posing. It had to be improvised.
Anyway, I quit. That makes it a Netflix 1.
Here is an appreciation of Cassavetes which, actually, I mostly agree with. I just can't watch it. Him.
John Cassavetes, Laughing Last
Labels: films
