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Actor, writer and director John Cassavetes is regarded as a pioneer of American cinema verite – and often as the founding father of independent US cinema – and yet little is know about him on these shores outside of film studies classrooms. If there's any justice, however, this will all change with the belated release of Optimum's cleverly titled The John Cassavates Collection. Back in the sixties Cassavetes spent his time acting in blockbusters like Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen with the aim of scraping together the cash to shun the mainstream and direct his own outsider movies built around improvisation and documentary style realism. This five disc boxset brings together five of his best films – namely Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under The Influence, The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (included here in both 108 and 135-minute versions) and Opening Night – spanning arguably his most creatively fertile period of 1959 to 1977. There's not enough space here to rave about each film individually, but suffice to say every last minute of the five is a minor masterpiece, running the gamut from mental illness to marriage breakdown and boasting outstanding performances from both himself and his wife Geena Rowlands amongst others. Numerous bonus interviews and commentaries make for an essential purchase. |
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The John Cassavetes Collection (certificate 15)