If you’re one of those dudes who worships Scorcese classics like Goodfellas, Casino and Raging Bull, you absolutely must see- maybe even should purchase unseen- the 1978 re-cut of John Cassavetes’s The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
Cosmo Vitelli owns the Crazy Horse West, a strip joint in Los Angeles. So, the gangsters make him an offer: Bump off a Chinese bookie who's eating into the underworld's bottom line, and the debt will be erased. "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is the second film in my retrospective of John Cassavetes filmography, the first being his debut "Shadows". The film stars Ben Gazzara as Cosmo Vittelli a strip club owner whose gambling addiction leaves him in hot water with the mob.
Was this review helpful to you? The second version isn't so much a director's cut, therefore, just an alternate cut. Director John Cassavetes' cut is a high-def digital transfer for the 1978 theatrical re-release. He owned a strip club, he had beautiful women around him all … Like the others in this Pioneer series, the DVD is merely adequate: it delivers the picture and sound. Ben Gazzara brilliantly portrays a gentleman’s club owner, Cosmo Vitelli, desperately committed to maintaining a facade of suave gentility despite the seediness of his environment and his own unhealthy appetites.
In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2013. Dr. Clark is sympathetic ... See full summary », Cosmo Vitelli owns the Crazy Horse West, a strip joint in Los Angeles. Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips, Morgan Woodward.
With Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips.
Psychologist Dr. Matthew Clark is the head of the Crawthorne State Training Institute, one of the first boarding schools for developmentally challenged children. 1978. The guys he owes this time aren't so friendly, pressuring him for immediate payment. One of my favorite films ever. Wow! Fast, FREE delivery, video streaming, music, and much more. 1978 . Blu-ray or Dvd, who cares!!!
Shot in 1976, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie stars Ben Gazzara as Cosmo Vittelli, the proud owner of the Crazy Horse West nightclub on Sunset Strip. It's tighter, it's plays more fluidly than the looser 135-minute version, and the shorter version is the one directly edited by Cassavetes himself and approved by him. But it's easier flowing and more entertaining - as Scorsese generally is. The best movies and TV shows, plus weekly new releases. Add the first question. Nevertheless it is a brilliant and powerful film that contains an excellent performance from Ben Gazzara as well as some very memorable scenes and visuals. The film deals with Cosmo's attempts to extricate himself from these proceedings whilst still keeping his integrity, not to mention his life intact.The film can be seen as having parables with Cassavetes own dealings with Hollywood studios and his attempts, not unlike those of the films protagonist to keep his integrity and his artistic vision intact. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. An absolute bargain at this price (under £10 at time of writing),contains both the 1976 original and the 1978 edit of this wonderful film. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie: Director's Cut. One month free trial! 22 of 26 people found this review helpful. Sophistication. The film stars Ben Gazzara as Cosmo Vittelli a strip club owner whose gambling addiction leaves him in hot water with the mob. View production, box office, & company info. One sees more humanity in the 135 minute cut. After the death of a common friend, three married men leave their lives together, seeking pleasure and freedom and ultimately leaving for London.
Scorsese's Means Streets has a similar theme (realistically portrayed 70's gangsters) and the dark atmosphere. At a May 17, 2008, George Eastman House screening in Rochester, Gazzara said he "hated" the original cut; "it's too long", he had told Cassavetes. John Cassavetes engages with film noir in his own inimitable style with The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. R. schedule 01:48 Starts 4/1/2020 Available until 1/1/2021 Read More. contains both the 1976 original and the 1978 edit of this wonderful film. Comedy. Directed by John Cassavetes. The film follows their struggles to find love amongst each other. American Society of Cinematographers to Honor Frederick Elmes, Notebook Soundtrack Mix #6: The New Hollywood Mixtape, Seymour Cassel, Frequent John Cassavetes and Wes Anderson Actor, Dies at 84. Title: Mabel, a wife and mother, is loved by her husband Nick but her mental illness proves to be a problem in the marriage.
R - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. I thought it was interesting that the director's cut was so much shorter than the original cut, I usually see things the other way around.
I had only viewed the shorter version but the longer version is better in my opinion. Sophistication.
The film is a classic example of 70's American cinema when the old studio system had collapsed and filmmakers had the freedom to make whatever films they liked no matter how personal or non commercial they might seem.
© 2008-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Ghost is an ideological musician who would rather play his blues in the park to the birds than compromise himself. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Free returns, plus no due dates or late fees. Prime members enjoy Free Two-Day Shipping, Free Same-Day or One-Day Delivery to select areas, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and more. Another film that got little attention but has gone on to be considered important historical work. Vitelli and the film move back and forth between the double-crossing, murderous insincerity of the gamblers and the friendships, sweetness, and even love among Vitelli, the dancers, a dancer's mother, and the club's singer, Mr.
It was a dismal bomb, lasting only a week in theatres. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2015.
Cookies help us deliver our Services. When we meet him, he's making his last payment on a gambling debt, after which, he promptly loses $23,000 playing poker.
R | 2h 15min | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 15 February 1976 (USA) 2:01 | Trailer. I'm telling him to watch the 108-minute version first, because it's not only the director-approved edition, it's also the tauter of the two.
For even more, visit our Guide to Horror ... if you dare. We send out your disc the next business day. Contains some adult material. It featured Ben Gazzara as Cosmo Vittelli. Keep your movies as long as you want with no due dates. One of the mods watched the 135-minute version first and was unfortunately turned off by the movie as a result of watching it. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no late fees, ever.
When he's not able to do so, they suggest he kill a Chinese bookie to wipe away his debt. Strip club owner Cosmo Vitelli (Ben Gazzara) loses $23,000 in a mob-run private gambling club and can't repay the money. I also don't think that Cassavetes hated the original cut, or didn't approve of it; it was Ben Gazzara who did, and who prompted the second version. Mesmerizing and idiosyncratic, the film is a provocative examination of masculine identity. I have been greatly influenced by this film in my wanting to become a film director. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. If the 108 version is Cassavetes' true vision then I'll definitely watch that one first. Vitelli and the film move back and forth between the double-crossing, murderous insincerity of the gamblers and the friendships, sweetness, and even love among Vitelli, the dancers, a dancer's mother, and the club's singer, Mr. (1976). There are some strip-club sequences in the 135-minute version which, though they add terrific atmosphere, don't really add anything to the narrative Cassavetes wants to tell. Amazing film that, aside from it's story, shows how a director works. In this film, Ben Gazzara plays Cosmo Vitelli, a nightclub owner who lives way beyond his means and manages to get into a massive gambling debt with the mob.
That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.
Gazzara gives an incredible performance. John Cassavetes engages with film noir in his own inimitable style with THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE.
Make your movie list and get Blu-rays and DVDs conveniently delivered to you with free shipping both ways. A good, sometimes chilling, thought provoking film - Therefore a good one. Im reviewing the BFI blu ray edition, it has the long version of the movie and the recut shorter version. This is surely a films that deserves a place in any true film buffs DVD collection. subtext abounds in this noir classic. For the love of God, watch the 108-minute version first. One of Cassavetes' best films. 2 VIDEOS | 71 IMAGES.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2015. Likewise, Ray Carney provides a brief analytical essay in the insert that should be useful to anyone not familiar with Cassavetes' film art. John Cassavetes engages with film noir in his own inimitable style with THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE. I wonder which version I should watch, and if anybody knows which version Cassavetes considered to be the "correct" edit. tremendous piece of film making from Mr John Cassavetes, blu ray quality is awesome, all very filmic and atmospheric, its like being a fly on the wall as the story unfolds, totally real and compelling, Ben Gazzara was such a great actor, a unique kind of film making.
The direction, Gazarra's acting and the cinematography are nothing short of sublime. This leads to the gangsters putting heavy pressure on Cosmo to perform a hit for them in order that he pays back the debt. Insurance agent plots with client to kill her nutty husband. I wonder which version I should watch, and if anybody knows which version Cassavetes considered to be the "correct" edit. When we meet him, he's making his last payment on a gambling debt, after which, he promptly loses $23,000 playing poker. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Browse from thousands of movies and shows. He's laconic, vet, and a gambler. He's laconic, vet, and a gambler. Written by