The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

Starring:Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips, Morgan Woodward, John Kullers, Al Ruban, Azizi Johari, Virginia Carrington, Meade Roberts, Alice Fredlund, Donna Gordon, Haji, Carol Warren (II), Derna Wong Davis, Kathalina Veniero, Yvette Morris, Jack Ackerman, David Rowlands, Trisha Pelham
Director: John Cassavetes
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Anyone expecting The Killing of a Chinese Bookie to be an action-packed film about a gangland murder is going to be sorely disappointed--the title is the only commercial element in this fascinating character study by writer-director John Cassavetes, who once again finds his cinematic soulmate in actor Ben Gazzara. Doing for sleazy Hollywood strip-joints and underworld bullies what Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets did for the denizens of New York's Little Italy, the film uses verité technique to tell the story of Cosmo Vitelli (Gazzara), a strip-club owner whose growing debt to a local gangster (the chilling Morgan Woodward) can only be erased if he agrees to kill a rival Chinese gangster. Reluctantly, Cosmo carries out the job with startling efficiency.

As usual, Cassavetes employs his favorite actors (including Seymour Cassel and the fearsome Timothy Carey) and vivid improvisation to give Chinese Bookie a tense atmosphere of emotional urgency--the film's tone is one of keen desperation, as if we've been invited to witness Cosmo's dark night of the soul. Anyone who's unfamiliar with Cassavetes's style may find this film grating and impenetrable, but those in tune with the director's defiant independence will surely appreciate his emphasis on character, psychology, and revealing flashes of human behavior, captured on film as only Cassavetes could capture them. Watching this film, you can readily understand why Cassavetes has had such a steady influence on Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and a host of like-minded independent filmmakers. --Jeff Shannon
Description
A small-time Los Angeles night club owner falls for a lavish invitation to gamble at a private club. After losing high stakes on extended credit, he is pressured by a gangster to erase his debt by killing a rival underworld power referred to only as "The Chinese Bookie." Ben Gazarra, Seymour Cassel

John Cassavetes - Five Films (Shadows / Faces / A Woman Under the Influence / The Killing of a Chinese Bookie / Opening Night ) - Criterion Collection
Average customer rating:

I like it a lot

A COVETED COLLECTION

Criterion's most amazing collection to date

DO NOT BUY THIS!

John Cassevettes

John Cassavetes - Five Films (Shadows / Faces / A Woman Under the Influence / The Killing of a Chinese Bookie / Opening Night ) - Criterion Collection
Starring: John Cassavetes-Five Films
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002JP2OS
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Amazon.com

Improvised by the cast, shot in black and white, John Cassavetes's first independent feature, Shadows, looked like no other film of its time. Cassavetes, seeking to both deal with social issues and create a new kind of cinema, told a story about a family of black siblings in Manhattan trying to make ends meet. Though it meanders at times, it features the kind of spontaneous emotion Cassavetes most wanted to elicit in his films.

A sensation in 1968, Faces earned Oscar nominations for actors Seymour Cassel and Lynn Carlin. Improvised and shot in an edgy, hand-held fashion, the film examines the disintegration of the marriage of a couple in mid-life doldrums. Each seeks solace elsewhere: husband John Marley with prostitute Gena Rowlands, wife Carlin with a free spirit played by Cassel. But neither finds anything approaching the fulfillment they feel is missing from the marriage. Indeed, in Cassavetes's probe of raw emotions, these people discover that, just maybe, the problem lies not with their spouse but with themselves.

The long, free-form drama A Woman Under the Influence is best appreciated as a good showcase for Rowlands, playing a woman whose sanity literally appears to be shattering as different aspects of her personality eclipse others at various times. Peter Falk plays her struggling, blue-collar husband, trying to understand the phenomenon and sometimes losing his patience. As with most of Cassavetes's works as a director, one can't help but find one's attention drifting in and out, but Rowland's performance is a key reason the film has been declared a "national treasure" by the Library of Congress.

The title of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is the only commercial element in this fascinating character study by writer-director Cassavetes, who once again finds his cinematic soulmate in actor Ben Gazzara. The film uses verité technique to tell the story of Cosmo Vitelli (Gazzara), a Hollywood strip-club owner whose growing debt to a local gangster can only be erased if he agrees to kill a rival Chinese gangster. As usual, Cassavetes employs his favorite actors (including Seymour Cassel and the fearsome Timothy Carey) and vivid improvisation to give Chinese Bookie a tense atmosphere of emotional urgency.

Gena Rowlands stars in Opening Night, Cassavetes's drama of an aging, alcoholic stage actress in the days leading up to her latest Broadway opening. Like all of her collaborations with her writer-director husband, Rowlands is a woman on the verge of collapse, this time a lonely alcoholic whose very life is a performance. Overlong at 144 minutes, the film's long, loose scenes build through uncomfortable small talk and slow, tentative confrontations. Some of the scenes are edgy and thrilling, though many find this facet of Cassavetes pretentious and self-indulgent. Ultimately it's a matter of taste: if you like his style, you'll love this discomforting drama.

The eight-disc Criterion Collection set is filled out with the 2000 documentary A Constant Forge: The Life and Art of John Cassavetes, plus numerous interviews, a second version of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, a commentary track for A Woman Under the Influence, a 68-page book, and various other features.

Description

This boxed set includes the following titles: • Shadows (1959) 81 min. B&W. 1.33:1 aspect ratio • Faces (1968) 130 min. B&W. 1.66:1 aspect ratio • A Woman Under the Influence (1974) 147 min. Color. 1.85:1 aspect ratio • The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) 135 min. Color. 1.85:1 aspect ratio • Opening Night (1977) 144 min. Color. 1.66:1 aspect ratio • A Constant Forge (2000) 200 min. Color. 1.33:1 aspect ratio John Cassavetes has been called a genius, a visionary, and the father of independent film. But all this rhetoric threatens to obscure the humanism and generosity of his art. The five films included here represent his self-financed works made outside the studio system of Hollywood, on which he was afforded complete control. While about beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors, housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, and children, all of them are beautiful, emotional testaments to compassion. Cassavetes has often been called an actor's director, but this body of work—astoundingly, even greater than the sum of its extraordinarily significant parts—reveals him to be an audience's director. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night in stunning new transfers. Includes Charles Kiselyak's A Constant Forge, a candid biographical documentary on the life and work of Cassavetes .

Customer Reviews:

I like it a lot.......2007-03-30

This director is fantastic. I have just dicovered it and I love it. The edition is nice and fancy. DVD are very complet, english subtitles (very important for me since I am not english native and I need the subtitles to follow the story).

A COVETED COLLECTION .......2007-01-15

I HAD BEEN PROMISING MYSELF THIS CRITERION COLLECTION FOR QUITE AWHILE AND FINALLY I BOUGHT IT AND IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY! IT BROUGHT BACK MY MEMORIES OF WHEN I FIRST SAW THE MOVIES IN A CINEMA. A DVD TRIBUTE TO CASSAVETES HAS BEEN LONG OVERDUE. JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE WORKS OF A GENIUS. SO MANY FILMMAKERS OF TODAY HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED AND INSPIRED BY HIS DISTINCTIVE STYLE, GIVING AMERICAN MOVIES A CINEMA VERITE LOOK. AS A BONUS THERE IS AN EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY "A CONSTANT FORGE" AND LOTS OF EXTRAS ON EACH DVD TOO. A PRIZED POSSESSION FOR CASSAVETES FANS!

Criterion's most amazing collection to date.......2006-06-04

John Cassavetes - Five Films is, perhaps, Criterion's most ambitious project to date. The box set is absolutely amazing. Other reviews have done a good job of explaining the extras, so I won't repeat that information. The topic of Ray Carney has been the focus of much anger and frustration amongst Cassavetes fans and deserves some explanation. It is my understanding that Carney, the foremost Cassavetes scholar and author of "Cassavetes on Cassavetes", was almost solely responsible for the creation of this collection. He had a hand in everything and the set is the result of much hard work. His name was left off of the set at the last minute because of a dispute with Cassavetes' wife, Gena Rowlands. Ray Carney felt, as any scholar should, that the truth was important and did not make any attempt to hide any of the negative aspects of Cassavetes's life. This was completely unacceptable to Rowlands who threatened to kill the project unless Carney's name was removed completely. This also included the omission of several audio commentaries provided by Carney. What a shame! Contrary to the highly specious "documentary", A Constant Forge, Cassavetes was no saint. Who cares? Well, Gena Rowlands does.

Everything about this set is quite impressive. The book contains many thoughtful essays and insights into these complex and sometimes difficult films. The only weakness is the worthless "documentary". Don't be fooled - Charles Kiselyak is no Cassavetes scholar. Supposedly, he had never even heard of Cassavetes before he began filming. Again, Ray Carney provided all the factual information, which Kiselyak decided to discard in favor of crafting an "inspirational" narrative. A Constant Forge frequently feels more like a bizarre attempted beatification than an objective study of a real person. For those wishing to be disabused, check out Carney's excellent book, "Cassavetes on Cassavetes". Cassavetes never really sat down and wrote a lot about his life or work, but Carney spent years compiling every scrap of information available, forming a chronological narrative. He alternates Cassavetes's passages with what actually happened. Cassavetes was prone to exaggeration to the extreme. A lot of what he says is an outright fabrication, but that shouldn't diminish the importance of his films.

All this controversy really misses the point. These are amazing films that continue to influence filmmakers all over the world. Criterion did an excellent job and their handling of the Carney/Rowlands issue shouldn't hinder your enjoyment of this set in the slightest. It is a wonderful introduction to one of the most important American directors and belongs on every film connoisseur's shelf. Buy without hesitation.

DO NOT BUY THIS!.......2005-12-01

Please do not support this release of Cassavetes' films by Criterion Collection. Purchasing this DVD set constitutes a denigration of real criticism and suppresses the appreciation and comprehension of true art. The troubling circumstances leading up to the release of this edition (in which world-renowned Cassavetes critic Ray Carney was snubbed and fired after his work was completed) are absolutely pathetic and embarrassing for both Criterion and Miss Rowlands.

John Cassevettes.......2005-09-02

I'm very please with service from amazon ... it got here on time great product however one of the disc was slitely damaged with a very small scratch which disrupts maybe i minute of viweing however it's my choice to keep it.. and i know i could return it... i will buy from amazon again

Average customer rating:

Ben Gazzara plays so well the club owner with a personal touch
Behind-the-scenes info for Cass buffs
Fine film noir
Its A Mood And A Feeling It Gives You
Brilliant and sadly neglected film

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
Starring: Ben Gazzara , Timothy Carey , Seymour Cassel , Robert Phillips , and Morgan Woodward
Director: John Cassavetes
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Murder & Mayhem | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Faces
Minnie and Moskowitz
Opening Night
A Woman Under the Influence
The Funeral

ASIN: B00000IC1G
Release Date: 1999-04-06

Amazon.com

Anyone expecting The Killing of a Chinese Bookie to be an action-packed film about a gangland murder is going to be sorely disappointed--the title is the only commercial element in this fascinating character study by writer-director John Cassavetes, who once again finds his cinematic soulmate in actor Ben Gazzara. Doing for sleazy Hollywood strip-joints and underworld bullies what Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets did for the denizens of New York's Little Italy, the film uses verité technique to tell the story of Cosmo Vitelli (Gazzara), a strip-club owner whose growing debt to a local gangster (the chilling Morgan Woodward) can only be erased if he agrees to kill a rival Chinese gangster. Reluctantly, Cosmo carries out the job with startling efficiency.

As usual, Cassavetes employs his favorite actors (including Seymour Cassel and the fearsome Timothy Carey) and vivid improvisation to give Chinese Bookie a tense atmosphere of emotional urgency--the film's tone is one of keen desperation, as if we've been invited to witness Cosmo's dark night of the soul. Anyone who's unfamiliar with Cassavetes's style may find this film grating and impenetrable, but those in tune with the director's defiant independence will surely appreciate his emphasis on character, psychology, and revealing flashes of human behavior, captured on film as only Cassavetes could capture them. Watching this film, you can readily understand why Cassavetes has had such a steady influence on Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and a host of like-minded independent filmmakers. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A small-time Los Angeles night club owner falls for a lavish invitation to gamble at a private club. After losing high stakes on extended credit, he is pressured by a gangster to erase his debt by killing a rival underworld power referred to only as "The Chinese Bookie." Ben Gazarra, Seymour Cassel

Customer Reviews:

Ben Gazzara plays so well the club owner with a personal touch.......2006-06-18

Ben Gazzara's character is a classic in this story of a strip club owner's troubles with the underworld. It's one of my favorites too with its dark and sleazy atmosphere and the characters that drive this story. The gangsters are not cartoon characters. They actually have personalities. In fact, this film has many colorful characters. The Criterion version is longer and exposes more of this tawdry world but it is part of an expensive five film collection. This film deserves to be seen in the longer version.

Behind-the-scenes info for Cass buffs.......2005-01-26

For a fascinating behind-the-scenes info about The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and a list of books about Cassavetes' work, go to Ray Carney's website dedicated to John Cassavetes (found through any search engine).

Fine film noir.......2004-06-23

an indebeted club owner has to knockoff a prolific underworld figure as means of settling his tab. subtext abounds in this noir classic.

Its A Mood And A Feeling It Gives You.......2004-03-24

One of my favorite films ever. Gazzara gives an incredible performance. One of Cassavetes' best films. I have been greatly influenced by this film in my wanting to become a film director.

Brilliant and sadly neglected film.......2000-02-28

"The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is one of my all time favourite films and I bought it the moment I saw it was on DVD. However the DVD is quite dissapointing considering it is not in widescreen (even though it doesn't really suffer from cropping) and the picture and sound quality are quite dodgy. 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. This is surely a films that deserves a place in any true film buffs DVD collection.

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie [Region 2]
Starring: Ben Gazzara , Timothy Carey , Seymour Cassel , Robert Phillips , and Morgan Woodward
Director: John Cassavetes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYIX

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