What’s Yr Take On Cassavetes?

In high school I went through a Le Tigre phase, I can’t say it was a lasting one but I did wear out their first LP. I remember there was a song about John Cassavetes (the actor and director) and I’ve honestly never made the connection or actually really cared to make the connection. I’ve seen a few movies that starred Cassavetes but I’d never seen a movie he directed. Last night I watched ’A Woman Under The Influence’ and that’s when It dawned on me, Le Tigre was alluding to John Cassavetes. DUH! I‘m a fucking idiot! I remember the song had this funny vocal exchange that went like “genius…. Misogynist…. genius…. Misogynist.” I understand what they’re getting at I guess, but I have no real opinion. I’ll leave that one up to the feminists.

Anyway, ‘Woman Under The Influence’ was a really good movie. Gena Rowlands totally deserved an fucking academy award for that role but I just read that she was snubbed out Ellen Burstyn in ‘Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.’ Rowland’s portrayal of a woman about to lose her mind was so versatile. It was hilarious, upsetting, disturbing and sometimes completely frightening. I don’t really care but I’ve never seemed more like a movie snob than I do now, I really enjoyed it. It also starred that Peter Falk guy who played Columbo, I actually don’t know much about Columbo but my roommates tell me he’s good at yelling. There was a really intense part where Peter Falk yelled like a crazy man in front of all these children, it was the best scene I’ve ever watched with yelling in conjunction with children in funny costumes.

(i love this picture)

I thought the movie was shot in a really insane way. It’s called Cinéma vérité (I did some reading up! It means “truthful cinema”) I don’t know if the cinematography lived up to that name but throughout the movie there would be cuts where the camera seemed to change resolution or shutter speed…. I don’t really know. It was like going back and forth between an LCD TV and an old television. It really messed with my head. I have no idea if it was intentional or not, but regardless it was cool.