Cineaste de notre temps john cassavetes biography

  • John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9,
  • The director is interviewed at his

    • John Cassavetes

    Seminal

    First, let me say that the rating is subjective. It wouldn't be fair to place this against a feature-length film, or even a full-fledged documentary, since it isn't that type of film. What is here, however, is a wonderful treat: two interview segments with John Cassavetes, from in Los Angeles and in Paris, around the work being done on Faces.

    The segment, while a bit more scatter-shot in its approach, is also a bit more revelatory in some ways. Cassavetes drives up a winding road, snapping his fingers to "California Girls" (the Beach Boys, of course) and talking a little bit about music before stopping at his house, which was the location of many moments in his films (in fact, large parts of Faces and Love Streams used the house and exterior areas). We follow him inside and meet a few members of the crew, including the camera operator George Sims, before we go into his garage and watch the editing of the early bedroom scene in progress. To see Cassavetes in such a loose state, as he jokes and clowns around a bit with the others, is quite wonderful.

    The segment is more focused, and it takes place following several screenings of the film. He talks more broadly about making Faces, as well as Shadows, and also discusses the first version of Shadows (he says on film that he has allowed the first version of Shadows to be screened since the general release of the second version, and that it is allowed to be screened at any time. Curiously, Gena Rowlands is in the room while this is being said, grinning contentlybut obviously not listening).

    Perhaps the only unfortunate thing about this episode is the brief running time (but since it was made for television, that has to be expected), but I can't think of many things that are better than spending an hour watching a man with a masterful presence rapping freely about his artaside from watching the films, of course.

    Seminal.

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    John Nicholas Cassavetes (in Greek: Γιάννης Νικόλαος Κασσαβέτης; December 9, – February 3, ) was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker.[1] He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby () and The Dirty Dozen (). Cassevetes was also a pioneer of American independent film by writing and directing over a dozen movies, which he financed in part with his Hollywood paychecks, and which pioneered the use of improvisation and a realistic cinéma vérité style.

    Early life

    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.S. His early years were spent with his family in Greece; when he returned, at the age of seven, he spoke no English.[2] He grew up on Long Island, New York. He attended Port Washington High School from to , participating in Port Weekly (the school paper), Red Domino (interclass play), football, and the Port Light (yearbook). Next to his photo on page 55 of his year book is written: "'Cassy' is always ready with a wisecrack, but he does have a serious side. A 'sensational' personality. Drives his 'heap' all over." Cassavetes also attended high school at Blair Academy in New Jersey before spending a year at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, before transferring to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating in , he continued acting in the theater, took small parts in films and began working on television in anthology series such as Alcoa Theatre.


    The middle years
    Acting workshop and Shadows

    By , Cassavetes had begun teaching method acting in his own workshop in New York City. An improvisation exercise in his workshop inspired the idea for his writing and directorial debut, Shadows (; first version ). Cassavetes raised the funds for production from friends and family, as well as listeners to Jean Shepherd's late-night radio talk show Night People. His stated purpose was to m

    Father of Independent Cinema

    John Cassavetes started his career as an actor, most notably in Rosemary&#;s Baby, but ended up becoming one of the catalysts for independent filmmaking &#; a director who had his finger on the pulse of artists who wanted to create something outside of the predictability of the studio system. His films didn&#;t contain big funds, big stars, and big sets, but the absence of these things gave Cassavetes enough space to tell his beautiful stories about the raw human experience, making him a legend in not only independent film, but in all of cinema. Check out a portion of the French documentary Cineaste de notre temps that captures the acclaimed director behind the scenes, talking about working outside of the system.

    Most known for his films Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, and The Killing of  a Chinese Bookie, Cassavetes&#; films consist of exposing the human condition as truthfully as possible. It wasn&#;t all glitz and glamor, idealizing a scenario so that it&#;d be easier to digest for an audience. He shied away from themes like politics or religion, instead making films that dealt with love, isolation, and trust. Cassavetes once said:

    Life is men and women. Life isn&#;t, say, politics. Politicians are only bad actors grubbing around for power &#; In my opinion, these people and these small feelings are the greatest political force there is.

    His first film, Shadows, which he made in , was financed by Cassavetes for $40,, and because of its limited release, didn&#;t find much of an audience. However, it did catch the eye of some critics, which helped him cash in on a Venice Film Festival Critics Prize for the film. Studios also began showing interest, and Cassavetes signed with Paramount to do Too Late Blues and A Child Is Waiting.

    The documentary, an episode of a French documentary series called Cinéastes de notre temps (Filmmakers of Our Time,) which originally aired in , reveals Cassa

    John Cassavetes

    American filmmaker and actor (–)

    John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, – February 3, ) was an American filmmaker and actor. He began as an actor in film and television before helping to pioneer modern American independent cinema as a writer and director, often self-financing, producing, and distributing his own films. He received nominations for three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and an Emmy Award.

    After studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Cassavetes started his career in television acting in numerous network dramas. From to he played the title role in the NBC detective series Johnny Staccato. He acted in notable films, such as Martin Ritt's film noir Edge of the City (), Robert Aldrich's war film The Dirty Dozen (), Roman Polanski's horror film Rosemary's Baby () and Elaine May's crime drama Mikey and Nicky (). For The Dirty Dozen, he earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

    As a director, Cassavetes became known for a string of critically acclaimed independent dramas including Shadows (), Faces (), Husbands (), A Woman Under the Influence (), Opening Night (), and Love Streams (). His films employed an actor-centered approach which prioritized raw character relationships and "small feelings" while rejecting traditional Hollywood storytelling, method acting, and stylization. His films became associated with an improvisational aesthetic and a cinéma vérité feel. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay (Faces) and Best Director (A Woman Under the Influence).

    He frequently collaborated with American actress Gena Rowlands (to whom he was married from until his death in ) and friends Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, and Seymour Cassel. Many of his films were shot and edited in his and Rowlands' own Los Angeles home.

    He and Rowlands had a son named Nick and