Peter falk, ben gazzara and john cassavetes in the latters husbands. He directed such movies as faces 1968, husbands 1970, and a woman under the influence 1974, and he appeared in the dirty dozen 1967 and rosemarys baby 1968. Nicholas colasanto, john cassavetes, peter falk, 1972. Jul 15, 2011 i do not own the rights to this video. Cassavetes refused, though after its debut the studio cut the film by ten minutes, footage that was only recently restored to the film. He had his own midlife crisis in a prolonged youthand this was the story of his second feature, too late blues. It has good intentions, i suppose, but it is an artistic disaster and only fitfully. As with many john cassavetes films, its a love it or hate it experience.
Cassavetes was a masterful antihollywood director who probed human failings until he reached right under the skin. After spending so much of his youth surrounded by the film industry, cassavetes initially decided he did. Gloria was an aborted attempt at a more commercial film. He directed such movies as faces 1968, husbands 1970, and a woman under the influence 1974, and he appeared in the. John cassavetes began his career in film in 1953 and ended it in 1986, between which times he was involved in every aspect of the film, television, and stage arts, including acting, directing, scoring, shooting, editing, producing, and marketing. John cassavetes, american film director and actor regarded as the father of the independent film movement in the united states. An interview with actress gena rowlands on the occasion of a john cassavetes. It stars ben gazzara, peter falk and cassavetes as three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis following the death of a close friend. Cassavetes offers far too much testosterone in place of intelligence, while a facile reliance on melodrama over real drama turns husbands into something that a great film never is. First by spending their days playing basketball and nights drinking, and eventually by ditching their families altogether for a sudden. Opening night could be described as john cassavetess version of all about eve if mr. Husbands 1970 falls somewhere in between husbands is nowhere near a great film, for most of the.
Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the john cassavetes directed movie via subscription can be a. John cassavetes husbands is disappointing in the way antonionis zabriskie point was. Cassavetes first directorial project after his critical breakthrough with faces, featuring intense, largely improvised performances by two of his most consistent collaborators, ben gazzara and peter falk, husbands was originally released in a cut running 154 minutes, but was trimmed to 8 minutes for general release. True domestic violence as harry ben gazzara, philosophical about his marriage after an allnighter with archie and gus peter falk and writerdirector john cassavetes, tangles with his wife and motherinlaw meta shaw, lorraine mcmartin, while picking up his passport, in husbands, 1970. Ive never been able to sit through an entire john cassavetes movie. For years, ive heard fellow cineastes as well as screenwriters, directors and actors mostly actors, now that i think of it singing cassavetes praises for his emotionally raw. Subtitled a comedy about life, death and freedom, husbands follows three middleaged men ben gazzara, peter falk and cassavetes, long. Some of john cassavetes films can be hard to watch. Husbands requires just as much patience from and challenges its viewer as much as any other cassavetes movie, but just like any other of his work, youre glad you went through it by the time you get to the other side. His early years were spent with his family in greece. Husbands 1970 the term midlife crisis became a familiar phrase in the seventiesand in seventies cinemabut when john cassavetes released husbands 1970, the term was just being born and the concept just starting to make its way into the movies. Husbands 1970 and a woman under the influence 1974.
Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing husbands near you. Aug 18, 2009 long unavailable, john cassavetes 1970 film husbands, at last comes to dvd today, courtesy of sony. But mindless enthusiasm for regained freedom will be shortlived. Husbands has all the confidence of cassavetes masterpiece, faces, but few of the other qualities of the film that preceded it. Oct 03, 20 cassavetes was, in effect, disillusioned before he was able to form illusions. A death sends three new york men ben gazzara, john cassavetes, peter falk on london flings. Cassavetes was born in new york city, the son of actress gena rowlands and greekamerican actor and film director john cassavetes. Husbands 1970 john cassavetes synopsis, characteristics. But when cassavetes concluded by saying that he didnt actually have any backing for the film no money, producer or studio interest and had not even written the script yet, gazzara wrote off the encounter as typical hollywood gladhanding, the. Husbands, john cassavetess first film as a director since faces, is a personal, almost private movie that is devoted to the exploration of the mysteries of a very middleclass american.
Faces and husbands to minnie and moskowitz, a woman under the in. Licensed to youtube by sme on behalf of legacy recordings. May 17, 1991 opening night could be described as john cassavetes s version of all about eve if mr. This is an important film by an important director. Every now and then, though, we get a cold, full on daytime shot where everyone looks naked and blinking under a frigid sun. Opening night is an interesting experiment, topheavy with subplots. Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the john cassavetesdirected movie via subscription can be a.
Cassavetes was a pioneer of american independent film, writing and directing over a dozen movies, which he partially selffinanced. Extended edition 1970 the quiet, simple family lives of gus, harry and archie john cassavetes, ben gazzara, peter falk are shattered when their best friend, stuart, has a heart. Cassavetes was born in new york city, the son of katherine cassavetes who was to feature in some of his films and nicholas john cassavetes, greek immigrants to the u. Written and directed by john cassavetes starring john cassavetes, peter falk and ben. It is tempting to see the title characters in husbands 1970 as older versions of the trio in john cassavetes breakthrough film, shadows 1959 aimless new yorkers indulging in noisy horseplay, haplessly picking up women, getting into humiliating scrapes and resisting the demands made on them by family and society. Scion of renowned maverick director john cassavetes and extraordinary actress gena rowlands, nick cassavetes was an actor for over a decade before he added writing and directing to his hollywood repertoire. It shows an important director not merely failing, but not even understanding why. Some cassavetes acolytes will tell you to start with 1976s the killing of a chinese bookie, a neonoir about a sleazy strip club owner ben gazzara who owes a debt to the mob, because that sounds like a thrilling genre movie. In truth its an arthouse movie dressed as a crime movie, with little interest in plot or titillating those with a taste for noir. He also acted in many hollywood films, notably rosemarys baby 1968 and the dirty dozen 1967. Husbands 1970 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Read the husbands movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on.
December 9, 1929 february 3, 1989 was an american actor, film director, and screenwriter. Husbands may be one of the best films anyone will ever see. A common friends sudden death brings three men, married with children, to reconsider their lives and ultimately leave together. Cassavetes understood that social conditioning turns all of us into actors, forced to don a mask or pose to enact the various roles we are compelled to perform throughout our days, and that we are generally very bad actors to boot, full of forced laughter, cruel acts impulsively cracking the facade of niceness, selfpity undermining our cool. The rights either belong to columbia pictures or faces music, inc. Cassavetes first directorial project after his critical breakthrough with faces, featuring intense, largely improvised performances by two of his most consistent collaborators, ben gazzara and peter falk, husbands was originally released in a cut running 154 minutes. Long unavailable, john cassavetes 1970 film husbands, at last comes to dvd today, courtesy of sony. Looking to feast your eyes on husbands in the comfort of your own home. Although gena rowlands would kick sharon stones butt if both of their films were compared, the pace to cassavetes gloria is.
Husbands is a fascinating cinematic exercise, the kind of film that infuriates some, bores many others and utterly captivates a select few. It is certainly the best movie anyone will ever live through. Now facing their mortality, the three men fall into their own midlife crises. He describes the struggle to get them made, and the even greater battle to get many of them into movie theaters. John cassavetes was a filmmaker who made his independent films in two primary modes. Husbands is a 1970 american comedydrama film written and directed by john cassavetes.
Films of frank capra speaking the language of desire. His compassion is like a tidal wave, but without a hint of sentiment. Husbands is his toughest, most exhausting film, but if you can take it, its worth the ride. Cassavetes was, in effect, disillusioned before he was able to form illusions. Cassavetes was a pioneer of american independent film, writing and directing over a dozen movies, which he partially selffinanced, and pioneered the use of improvisation and a cinema verite style. Cassavetes stars in the film, his followup to faces 1968, along with peter falk. Most of the movie is shot in warm, earthy, romantic tones, which sets the mood of nostalgia and dreams well, i think. What always saves a cassavetes film from the precipice is that by the time the credits roll, we know his people as we know our own loved ones flawed, complex, mysterious.
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