PennTags Feed for /tag/pfpeople_john_cassavetes

Wood, Sam. Byron's Spirited Foray into Klezmer. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 20 July 1993: E01.

Review of the Fugazi album, “In on the Killtaker”. Review starts off with, “Fugazi makes records the way the late, great John Cassavetes made films - with iron-willed independence and a rare gift for portraying harrowing worlds of raw emotion.” It’s interesting to see how the Philadelphia critical press approaches this album review through the Cassavetes song and the significance he has in the world of independent media.

Williams, Scott. Associated Press. Preston Sturges: A cynical American master. Philadelphia Daily News 2 July 1990: 36.

Announcement that on July 9^th, PBS will do an “American Masters” on Cassavetes. Cassavetes’s canonization by PBS is announced in the Philadelphia Daily News as a means of advertising the show, but it is another insistence of the importance of John Cassavetes as an American artist. By G. Bond

United Press International. Hollywood's John Cassavetes, 59. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 4 Feb. 1989: C09.

Philadelphia learns of Cassavetes’s death and begins to explore his career. By G. Bond

Twomey, Steve. Wheels - America's love affair continues < On four topless again. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 22 Aug. 1982: A01.

Popularity of the convertible, as evidenced by the celebrities who drive the, including John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. Indication of Cassavetes’s level of celebrity in Philadelphia. By G. Bond

St. George, Donna. John Janus, 88, restaurant owner, chef. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 18 March 1989: C16.

Life of this chef and restaurant owner, whose restaurant Konstantino’s, “attracted notables including Peter Falk, John Cassavetes and the former Princess Irene of Greece.” Fifteen years after shooting “Mickey and Nicky”, and one month after his death, Cassavetes is remembered as being one of the celebrities that graced Janus’s restaurant, an indication of the mark he left after his short time in Philadelphia. By G. Bond

Speers, W. Jodie Foster, Michael Douglas honored. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 28 Jan. 1992: E02.

Alexandre Rockwell, the director of “In the Soup”, is refered to as a “John Cassavetes-Sam Fuller protégé”. The Philadelphia critical press places Alexandre Rockwell in a lineage forged by John Cassavetes, once again keeping Cassavetes in a historical context. By G. Bond

Sozanski, Edward J. Feminist art of '70s, and photography. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 2 Feb. 2003: H10.

The exhibition, titled “Gloria” and concerning feminist art of the 1970’s, partially inspired by the Cassavetes film of the same name. Evidence of the continuing presence of Cassavetes on the Philadelphia art scene. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. A filmmaker's serious legacy remembering John Cassavetes, who acted in big-studio productions to finance his own offbeat efforts. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 25 March, 1990: L02.

One year after his death, Philadelphia’s International House takes up the job of commemorating him with a 12-title retrospective. Not only does the International House make a step in the direction of canonizing Cassavetes, but Ryan does his part too, meditating on Cassavetes and his roles as director and actor. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Youths on the town for a revealing night. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 27 Sept. 1991: 04.

"Like Cassavetes, he is at his best in finding the revealing moment of truth in a mundane remark or admission." Another illustration of the importance of Cassavetes to the Philadelphia critical press and their means of discussing "edgy" cinema. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Gloria: Cassavetes with discipline. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 4 Aug. 1989: 10.

There have been numerous screenings of Cassavetes’s films throughout Philadelphia since his death, and they have served an important part in the continuation of his legacy. In his brief synopsis promoting the screening, Ryan writes, “The late and much lamented John Cassavetes financed his adventurous career as a director by acting in flagrantly commercial movies. His own films found only a cult following, with the exception of Gloria, starring Gena Rowlands (Cassavetes' wife) as a gangster's moll in a witty variation on Little Miss Marker. The film offers the spontaneity of Cassavetes' more experimental work in a more disciplined format. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Cassavetes reach - not his grasp - is what counted. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 6 Feb. 1989: D05.

As a Philadelphia critic, and the one with the most experience with Cassavetes, it is fitting that Ryan writes his obituary for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and so he begins the posthumous canonization, finding a way to define his work in the context of history and its great influence and importance. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Film: Cassavetes as director stirs up his own Big Trouble. Philadelphia Inquirer, The: 2 June 1986: E03.

Desmond Ryan reveals his love for Cassavetes in this overall negative review. While Ryan did not like the film, he blames the writer, explicitly saying Cassavetes did what he could with the script. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Film: Mikey and Nicky seeks a second opinion. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 27 May. 1985: C03.

The film was shot in Philadelphia in 1973. The usually Cassavetes-friendly Ryan does not like “Mikey and Nicky”, but still manages to say something nice about him, “it is gruesome to think how bad this film would be without Peter Falk and John Cassavetes in the leads”. He even goes so far as to praise his directing unprovoked, “the inescapable conclusion is that Cassavetes, for all his faults, does this kind of film with more spontaneity and impact.” By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. A success story that reads like a far-fetched fantasy. The Philadelphia Inquirer 2 Oct. 1983: C01.

In discussing Kasdan’s balancing his career between projects like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and more adult films like “The Big Chill”, Kasdan, “does not see himself as an artist who toils in flagrantly commercial enterprises to finance his important work - a defense John Cassavetes offers for some of the roles he takes. A seemingly unprovoked reference to Cassavetes, such as the one made by Ryan here, both serves to indicate the extent to which Cassavetes and his characteristics as an actor and a director have become ingrained in the language of filmmaking, and it serves to confirm his place in film history. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Sting II score: A challenging encore. The Philadelphia Inquirer 13 Feb. 1983: I03.

Announcement of “Love Streams”, in the context of Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes and husband and wife, co-actors, and director and actor. Continuation of Cassevetes career as defined in the Philadelphia press by his marriage to Gena Rowlands. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Watching this is the real horror. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 9 Nov. 1982: C08.

Ryan demonstrates the contemporary view of Cassavetes and his balance between his artistic directing work and his B-movie acting work, “Cassavetes' excuse for incubating is that the money he earns from trash like The Incubus helps pay the bills for his own work as a filmmaker. The price of a Gloria is very high, and he had better make something equally good to atone for slumming through The Incubus.” By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. On Movies - Publishers hope Gandhi film will spur sales of three books. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 10 Oct. 1982: M03.

This small article from The Philadelphia Inquirer shows how Cassavetes and Rowlands were, at least partially, defined in the media by their working marriage. By G. Bond

Ryan, Desmond. Modern Tempest works well. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 27 Sept. 1982: C01.

This review of “The Tempest” illustrates Ryan’s admiration for Cassavetes as an actor, but this praise cannot be removed from his love of his directing. “Phillip, the Prospero of Mazursky's story, is played by John Cassavetes with a fervor that makes one wish his passion for directing allowed him more time in front of the camera” By G. Bond

Rickey, Carrie. Dodging bullets in Gloria. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 29 May, 1992: 06.

Philadelphia’s habit of Cassavetes retrospectives moves from International House to Temple University Cinematheque. By G. Bond

Rickey, Carrie. Apocalypse Now shows with a film chronicling its birth. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 17 April 1992: 08.

“Faces” is being screened at the Temple Cinematheque in Philadelphia. Another instance in the maintaining of Cassavetes’s legacy through retrospective screenings.

Rickey, Carrie. 25 more film treasures named Hollywood hits and path-breaking independent movies are on \ Library of Congress list slated for restoration and protection. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 19 Oct. 1990: D01.

Cassavetes’s “A Woman Under the Influence” is inducted into the National Film Registry. Cassavetes is canonized by the government. By G. Bond

Rea, Steven. A working-class bar serves up a slice of life. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 25 Oct. 1996: 12.

Review says, “Seymour Cassel, the veteran of so many John Cassavetes pictures - pictures that Trees Lounge evokes in its emphasis on characters over plot - also turns up briefly.” An indication of the presence of Cassavetes on the conscious of the Philadelphia critic, as well as the extent to which even after his death, Cassavetes remains in dialogue with independent cinema. By G. Bond

Rickey, Carrie. He's home on a holiday pass - and fueled by testosterone. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 28 Sept. 1990: 16.

In her review for “The Big Dis”, Rickey points out the influences of Cassavetes of the film’s makers, from its handheld 16mm cinematography to the productions that “state that the script is based on an improvisation by the cast”. By G. Bond

Rickey, Carrie. In Grand Hotel, plenty of room for stars. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 6 April, 1990: 14.

John Cassavetes retrospective at the International House, specifically “Opening Night” and “Husbands”. By G. Bond

Rickey, Carrie. Treasures of the screen forgotten films should be recognized. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 10 Aug. 1989: D01.

At this early point in figuring out Cassavetes’s place in film history following his death, Carrie Rickey makes a statement for his canonization. It is also impressive because, while she got the film wrong, Cassavetes did make the National Registry with “A Woman Under the Influence”. By G. Bond

Rickey, Carrie. Getting the picture about critics' awards. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 16 Dec. 1986: D01.

Article on 1986 Los Angeles Film Critics Awards. John Cassavetes is given the career achievement award. Philadelphia was made aware of the significance of Cassavetes’s career.

Rea, Steven. An art-house movie that makes funny about making a movie. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 28 Jan. 1992: E02.

Review says, “’In the Soup’ also stars Seymour Cassel, a big bear of a character actor and repertorial fixture of an earlier era's indie film pioneer - John Cassavetes. The Philadelphia critical press demonstrates its awareness of the history of independent cinema by connecting this film’s being an indie film with Seymour Cassel, the film’s link to the birth of independent cinema and John Cassavetes. By G. Bond

Lyman, Rick. For filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, harsh critics and a pie in the face. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 11 May, 1985: D03.

Godard dedicated “Detective” to John Cassavetes, Edgard Gulmer, and Clint Eastwood, saying, “I dedicated the film to these three because of the way they have been able to make movies outside the system, the way they have beaten the system.” The publishing of this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer is a testament to the love of cinema in Philadelphia, but it also serves as further propagating the legacy of John Cassavetes, particularly from such a widely recognizable name. By G. Bond

Lyman, Rick. Film: A look at two lost souls. The Philadelphia Inquirer 7 Sept. 1984: E07.

Negative review of Love Streams. Prior to his death, there were still mixed feelings within the Philadelphia critical press about Cassavetes. Lyman says, “All the time-tested Cassavetes staples are on view in Love Streams - intense close-ups, extreme long takes, a focus on character rather than narrative… In his best movies - such as Faces (1968) - these artsy effects gave the movie a gut-wrenching improvisational quality. In Love Streams, they feel old- fashioned, one last self-congratulatory beatnik wail.” By G. Bond

Lyman, Rick. His up-and-down career is heading up again. The Philadelphia Inquirer 4 March. 1983: C01.

Through this article, The Philadelphia Inquirer provided a voice for Bogdanovich, openly making the statement that he prefers Cassavetes to the “cartoon-like” work of Lucas and Spielberg, and thereby makes a step forward for independently-minded cinema. By G. Bond

Lyman, Rick. Recalling a worthy film era. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 3 March, 1983: D04.

Discussion of the American New Wave, centered around Cassavetes’s “Shadows” as “probably the most influential and important movie of the American New Wave” and “a stark, realistic and improvisational classic”.Again, between the retrospective itself and the article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia has contributed to the life of “Shadows” and Cassavetes’s work as a whole. By G. Bond

2004 Schedule for International House Cassavetes Retrospective

Not only is this another in the line of Cassavetes retrospectives in Philadelphia, but the International House has gone one step further in canonizing Cassavetes and turning the retrospective into a means of carrying on film history by showing Charles Kiselyak’s three-hour and twenty-minute documentary, “A Constant Forge”. The role of retrospectives like this one is not lost on the International House, as they begin their write-up on the event with “Since his death in 1989, recognition of John Cassavetes’ significance has grown steadily – a recognition that often eluded him in life.” By G. Bond

Harris, Harry. Cover Story - Laborteaux Trio: Matt, Pat, and Mom. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 20 Dec. 1981: TV04.

In this article for the television section of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the story is told about how Matt Laborteaux got his role in “A Woman Under the Influence” when Cassavetes asked him if he could cry on the spot, and when he could, he gave him the job. This is one of the most famous stories of John Cassavetes, and here in this article on the stars of “Little House On the Prairie” in the television section of the Philadelphia paper, the legend grows a little bigger. By G. Bond

Goldman, Kevin L. Again, Hollywood comes to Atlantic City. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 1 Aug. 1981: B01.

In The Philadelphia Inquirer, Kevin L. Goldman wrote this article talking about Hollywood’s use of Atlantic City. Cassavetes is used as the focal point of the film and its interaction with the space of Atlantic City. By G. Bond

Ehrlich, Dan. U. S. entry at Cannes gets mixed reception. United Press International. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 18 May. 1983: D03.

Philadelphia’s reception of news from the international film festival regarding Cassavetes, with a very positive review of his performance. By G. Bond

Cornell, Christopher. A vibrant take on Malcolm X. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 22 July, 1993: C06.

The video release of “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie”. The brief description of the film says it is “shoddy and pretentious”, but that it has a “quirky charm”. While not terribly significant, this is evidence of the presence of John Cassavetes in the Philadelphia conscious. By G. Bond

Caparella, Kitty. Pasta pioneers something was -and is - always cooking on Fulton Street. Philadelphia Inquirer, The 25 Nov. 1998: 33.

Celebrating the culture of pasta restaurants in Philadelphia, one of them lists John Cassavetes and Peter Falk among its star clientele.Twenty-five years after Cassavetes and Falk shot “Mikey and Nicky” in Philadelphia, their visits to restaurants are still recalled as signs of the golden era. By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. Big Trouble is what this comedy had. Philadelphia Daily News: 2 June 1986: 59.

According to this review, Baltake represents a critical fanbase in Philadelphia for Cassavetes before his death. By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. A Revoltin' Development. Philadelphia Daily News 4 April 1986: 49.

Review of the film “Parting Glances”. Baltake refers to the “kind of large ensemble doing the kind of spontaneous turns (improvisations?) rarely seen except in the work of John Cassavetes.” Cassavetes is synonymous with a large cast that improvises, this article leads us to believe, or at least for this Philadelphia critic. By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. Movies. Philadelphia Daily News 12 Dec. 1985: 77.

While talking about Frank Sinatra, Baltake says he has a fantasy of seeing Sinatra in a Cassavetes film. “Sinatra was made for Cassavetes. Cassavetes makes dramatic movies, but they have the spirit of a tune and the poetry of a lyric, qualities which, on screen, have always showed Sinatra at his best, qualities that make it possible for Sinatra to conjure up the feelings that he brings to a song.”An unprovoked reference to a figure like Cassavetes leads one to believe that Cassavetes plays a big part in the collective cinematic conscious, and that the seemingly mythological pairing of Sinatra and Cassavetes confirms Cassavetes place a cultural figure of significance, especially when placed alongside Frank Sinatra. By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. Mikey and Nicky make a reappearance. Philadelphia Daily News 29 May. 1985: 46.

Baltake is critical of the movie, but is eager to praise Cassavetes’s performance saying he gives “the best performance of his career”. Like Ryan, however, Baltake can’t stop himself from talking about Cassavetes the director, “Through it all, one is aware of what Cassavetes himself might have whipped up in half the time and with half the money - probably a modern, gritty, ‘Waiting for Godot.’ He certainly would have made better use of the Philadelphia locations and the film's inherent sociology on ‘neighborhood’ life as the two buddies here walk the streets, sit in bars, ride the buses and reminisce.” By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. Black comedy avoids a pit. Philadelphia Daily News 17 May 1985:62.

Talking about the film “Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?”, Baltake requests the reader, “imagine what ‘Annie Hall’ might have been like if it had been made by John Cassavetes, you’ll get some idea of the jittery, discordant, vital movie that director Henry Jaglom has created here. The Philadelphia critical press uses Cassavetes in a very referential way, solidifying his reputation as an ideal or prototype of an edgy, independent filmmaker. By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. Take-out video - Our complete guide to selecting a movie on videotape. Philadelphia Daily News 13 Dec. 1983: 55.

The Philadelphia Daily News, in promoting the first wave of home theater equipment, endorses purchasing the video of Gloria, under the heading of “Sleepers”. Referring to the gangster genre, Baltake says, “Needless to say, Cassavetes turns the genre upside-down. It’s exhilarating!” By G. Bond

Baltake, Joe. Love Streams A Batty Film. Philadelphia Daily News 10 Sept. 1984: 36.

Prior to Cassavetes’s death, the Philadelphia critical press wasn’t sure what they thought about him. While he praised “Gloria”, Baltake uses his review for “Love Streams” as a means of waxing analytical about Cassavetes and his aesthetics. “It's ironic, really. The problem with cinema verite - film that's devoted to "truth" and "reality" - is that, more often than not, the results look more silly than serious. There's a certain messiness to real life that evades the kind of structure that most people expect from movies. Films that attempt to capture "real time" on screen or that are based on candid spontaneity, improvisation and voyeurism tend to seem vague. Stripped of a definite beginning and ending and lacking a direct theme, a film of this nature doesn't seem to be about anything at all. Viewers have nothing to latch on to, nothing to watch - other than a director and his cast going through an eccentric theatrical exercise. Such is the case with John Cassavetes' "Love Streams." By G. Bond

Actor-director John Cassavetes dead at 59. Philadelphia Daily New 4 Feb. 1989: 04.

Philadelphia learns of Cassavetes’s death and summarizes his career. By G. Bond

Adams, Sam. Screen picks. Philadelphia City Paper 13-19 Jan. 2005

Adams’s review puts “Mikey and Nicky” into a Philadelphia context, saying, “Speaking of Philadelphia stories, Elaine May's jittery 1976 film is set entirely on the streets of Philadelphia, although people who've only seen the city in its post-deficit glory will hardly recognize the grungy streets and desolate alleys; a bar at Second and South looks more like a roadside dive in some Midwestern industrial town.” Adams also brings attention to a humorous anecdote that affected at least one Philadelphian, told by the producer Michael Hausman, that during his performance, “Cassavetes was so unrestrained that in the movie's opening sequence, he threw a liquor bottle out of a hotel window and struck a pedestrian below.” By G. Bond

Adams, Sam. Screen picks. Philadelphia City Paper 11-17 Nov. 2004

Where Desmond Ryan’s article on the International House retrospective in 1990 was the Philadelphia critical press’s contribution to the framing of Cassavetes in film history following his death, Adams’s article on the 2004 International House retrospective is the continuation of the same discussion, with Philadelphia’s new contribution being a very theoretical dissection, and sometimes harsh criticism, of Cassavetes’s career as a director. By G. Bond