Call for Papers: Director Spotlight: Orson Welles

100 Essential Directors - John Cassavetes

Friday, Aug 12, 2011
by Andreas Stoehr
100 Essential Directors celebrates directors of distinct vision, who have honed their respective crafts, who have brought something new and exciting to the medium, and who continue to push the boundaries of the form.

It’s easy to throw around the phrase “godfather of independent cinema,” but actor-turned-director John Cassavetes earned it with his sweat and blood. His move out of the Hollywood system is the stuff of film history legend, and he set a powerful example, showing just how much a rogue, impassioned filmmaker could accomplish. Between Faces in 1968 and his death from cirrhosis in 1989, Cassavetes directly a series of visceral, highly personal dramas that still feel caustic, and fresh. Forged through sacrifice and suffering, his films contain some of the greatest performances you’re likely to see.


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8 Jun 2012
His characters don'tt have the dramatic stylization of Hollywood films, but they respond to the stimuli given by John Cassavetes' unusual shooting style, which doesn't let the actors know whether they are on frame or not.
By PopMatters Staff
5 Aug 2011
Our second day of "100 Essential Directors" could loosely be described as one that defines "influential." Each of the auteurs sandwiched in between Robert Bresson and David Cronenberg has left a lasting mark on cinema, each employing a signature style that is unmistakable.
18 Aug 2009
There’s much to appreciate here, but nothing that isn’t found in Cassavetes’ other films, which don’t have this level of self-involvement and incoherence.
19 Mar 2009
Comfortable in its own small place, this John Cassavetes film is a picture of peoples’ lives that slides in and out of the story without sentimentality or spectacle.
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