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Release: October 22, 2013

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John Cassavetes was a genius, a visionary, and the progenitor of American independent film, but that doesn’t begin to get at the generosity of his art. A former theater actor fascinated by the power of improvisation, Cassavetes brought his search for truth in performance to the screen. The five films in this collection—all of which the director maintained total control over by financing them himself and making them outside the studio system—are electrifying and compassionate creations, populated by all manner of humanity: beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors, housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, children. Cassavetes has often been called an actor’s director, but this body of work—even greater than the sum of its extraordinary parts—shows him to be an audience’s director. FIVE-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New high-definition digital restorations of all five films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks New high-definition digital restoration of Cassavetes’s 108-minute 1978 version of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie A Constant Forge: The Life and Art of John Cassavetes (2000), a 200-minute documentary by Charles Kiselyak New interviews with actor Lelia Goldoni and associate producer Seymour Cassel about Shadows Silent footage from the Cassavetes-Lane Drama Workshop, from which Shadows emerged Restoration demonstration for Shadows Alternate eighteen-minute opening sequence for Faces Episode of the French television series Cinéastes de notre temps from 1968, dedicated to Cassavetes Making “Faces,” a new documentary featuring interviews with actors Cassel, Lynn Carlin, and Gena Rowlands and director of photography Al Ruban Al Ruban on Lighting and Shooting “Faces,” a new video program Audio commentary for A Woman Under the Influence by sound recordist and composer Bo Harwood and camera operator Mike Ferris New conversation between Rowlands and actor Peter Falk about A Woman Under the Influence New interview program featuring actor Ben Gazzara and Ruban discussing The Killing of a Chinese Bookie New conversation between Rowlands and Gazzara about Opening Night New interview with Ruban about Opening Night Three audio interviews with Cassavetes from the 1970s Trailers for Shadows, A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night Stills and poster galleries Trailers English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Gary Giddins, Kent Jones, Kiselyak, Stuart Klawans, Dennis Lim, and Phillip Lopate; writings by and interviews with Cassavetes; and tributes to the filmmaker by director Martin Scorsese; actor and writer Elaine Kagan, Cassavetes’s former secretary; and novelist Jonathan Lethem SHADOWS John Cassavetes’s directorial debut revolves around a romance in New York City between Lelia (Lelia Goldoni), a light- skinned black woman, and Tony (Anthony Ray), a white man. The relationship is put in jeopardy when Tony meets Lelia’s darker-skinned jazz singer brother, Hugh (Hugh Hurd), and discovers that her racial heritage is not what he thought it was. Shot on location in Manhattan with a mostly nonprofessional cast and crew, Shadows is a penetrating work that is widely considered the forerunner of the American independent film movement. FACES John Cassavetes puts a disintegrating marriage under the microscope in the searing Faces. Shot in high-contrast 16 mm black and white, the film follows the futile attempts of the captain of industry Richard (John Marley) and his wife, Maria (Lynn Carlin), to escape the anguish of their empty relationship in the arms of others. Featuring astonishingly nervy performances from Marley, Carlin, and Cassavetes regulars Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, Faces confronts modern alienation and the battle of the sexes with a brutal honesty and compassion rarely matched in cinema. A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE This uncompromising portrait of domestic turmoil details the emotional breakdown of a suburban housewife and her family’s struggle to save her from herself. Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk give unforgettably harrowing performances as a married couple deeply in love but unable to express their ardor in terms the other can understand. This landmark American film is perhaps the most beloved work from the extraordinary John Cassavetes. THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE John Cassavetes engages with film noir in his own inimitable style with The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. 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. When he runs afoul of loan sharks, Cosmo must carry out a terrible crime or lose his way of life. Mesmerizing and idiosyncratic, the film is a provocative examination of masculine identity. It is presented here in two versions: Cassavetes’s original 1976 edit and his 1978 one, nearly thirty minutes shorter. OPENING NIGHT While in the midst of rehearsals for her latest play, Broadway actor Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) witnesses the accidental death of an adoring young fan, after which she begins to confront the chaos of her own life. Headlined by a virtuoso performance by Rowlands, John Cassavetes’s Opening Night lays bare the drama of a performer who, at great personal cost, makes a part her own, and it functions as a metaphor for the director’s singular, wrenched-from-the-heart creative method. A CONSTANT FORGE Charles Kiselyak’s A Constant Forge—The Life and Art of John Cassavetes is a detailed journey through the career of one of film’s greatest pioneers and iconoclasts. Assembled from candid interviews with Cassavetes’ collaborators and friends, rare photographs, archival footage, and the director’s own words, the film paints a revealing portrait of a man whose fierce love, courage, and dedication changed the face of cinema forever.

Release: December 20, 2022

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An all-star cast headlined by George Segal (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, It’s My Party), Robert Vaughn (The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt), Ben Gazzara (Road House, The Big Lebowski) and E.G. Marshall (12 Angry Men) brings the glory and agony of war to stunning life in this exhilarating but uniquely human film. “Excellent special effects, spectacular photography and fine action sequences” (Motion Picture Exhibitor) highlight the bravery of the courageous soldiers who fought this historic battle near the end of World War II. In March of 1945, the Allies are making their final advance into German territory and only one strategic bridge on the Rhine River remains in Nazi hands. Both sides have much to gain: the Germans, the lives of 50,000 soldiers stationed on the wrong side of the bridge; and the Allies, a quicker end to the war with fewer lives lost. Though both armies would fight valiantly, only one could win the heartrending battle for The Bridge at Remagen. DIRECTOR: John Guillermin ACTORS: George Segal, Robert Vaughn, Ben Gazzara, Bradford Dillman, E.G. Marshall, Peter van Eyck FEATURES: Rating: R Genre: Action Year of Release: 1969 Run Time: 117 Minutes Region: A Subtitles:ENGLISH Original Langauge: ENGLISH Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Video Color Mono The Bridge at Remagen

Release: August 18, 2020

$6.99

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The Terror: Infamy, chronicles a series of bizarre deaths that haunt a Japanese American community.

Release: September 24, 2024

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As disturbingly funny as it is audaciously empathetic, auteur of unease Todd Solondz’s portrait of damaged souls reaching out for connection reveals the existential void underneath middle-class suburban “normalcy.” An extraordinary ensemble cast—including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara, and Dylan Baker—embodies an array of loosely connected New Jersey deviants, depressives, and misfits, among them a frustrated phone-sex pest, an all-American dad concealing his pedophilic urges, and a lonely woman with a grisly secret, all of whom want just one thing: to be loved. One of the most controversial films of the 1990s, the unflinching Happiness unnerves precisely because it dares to see the humanity in those most often denied it. DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Maryse Alberti, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features New conversation between director Todd Solondz and filmmaker Charlotte Wells New interview with actor Dylan Baker Trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by screenwriter and novelist Bruce Wagner

Release: September 24, 2024

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As disturbingly funny as it is audaciously empathetic, auteur of unease Todd Solondz’s portrait of damaged souls reaching out for connection reveals the existential void underneath middle-class suburban “normalcy.” An extraordinary ensemble cast—including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara, and Dylan Baker—embodies an array of loosely connected New Jersey deviants, depressives, and misfits, among them a frustrated phone-sex pest, an all-American dad concealing his pedophilic urges, and a lonely woman with a grisly secret, all of whom want just one thing: to be loved. One of the most controversial films of the 1990s, the unflinching Happiness unnerves precisely because it dares to see the humanity in those most often denied it. DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Maryse Alberti, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features New conversation between director Todd Solondz and filmmaker Charlotte Wells New interview with actor Dylan Baker Trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by screenwriter and novelist Bruce Wagner

Release: May 26, 2020

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The trailblazing independent auteur John Cassavetes pushes his raw, uncompromising emotional realism to its limit in this unflinching portrait of masculinity in crisis. Cassavetes joins Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk—both of whom would become key collaborators of the director’s—playing a trio of middle-aged Long Island family men who, following the sudden death of their best friend, channel their grief into an epic, multiday bender that takes them from Manhattan to London in a desperate, debauched quest to feel alive. By turns painfully funny and woundingly perceptive, this self-described “comedy about life, death, and freedom” stands as perhaps the most fearless, harrowingly honest deconstruction of American manhood ever committed to film. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES • New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack • Audio commentary from 2009 featuring critic Marshall Fine • New interviews with producer Al Ruban and actor Jenny Runacre • New video essay featuring audio recordings of John Cassavetes in his own words exploring the actor-director’s spirited approach to acting • The Story of “Husbands”—A Tribute to John Cassavetes (2009), a half-hour program featuring Ruban, actor Ben Gazzara, and cinematographer Victor J. Kemper • Episode of The Dick Cavett Show from 1970 featuring Cassavetes, Gazzara, and actor Peter Falk • Trailer • PLUS: An essay by filmmaker Andrew Bujalski Top About this item Similar From the Brand Reviews Husbands (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

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An actress approaching middle age unravels during rehearsals for a new play after being shaken by the death of a young fan.

Release: June 11, 2019

$6.99

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Brand New 2K Master! The Ultimate Weapon is about to be Unleashed! What begins as a routine investigation quickly escalates into a heart-stopping race to save millions from certain death in this taut and gripping thriller from the creator of Westworld, Coma and Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton (The Great Train Robbery, Looker, Runaway) makes an impressive directorial debut in this deadly cat-and-mouse game in which the stakes couldn’t get any higher. When government agent Steven Graves (Ben Gazzara, The Neptune Factor) investigates political extremist James Wright (E.G. Marshall, Nixon), he uncovers a diabolical plot to blast lethal nerve gas into San Diego during the Republican Convention. What’s worse, a computer hacker (Martin Sheen, Loophole) has provided Wright with a psychological profile to help him outwit Graves. Can Graves find a way to stop Wright before the ultimate nightmare begins? Co-starring Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No) and William Windom (The Detective). Special Features: -NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Lee Gambin and Comic Artist/Writer Tristan Jones

Release: September 6, 2016

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Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is the best bar bouncer in the business, but he's anything but typical. He’s a little small for his trade, has a degree in philosophy and he believes in being nice. But when he's hired to clean up the Double Deuce in the small town of Jasper, he’s pushed to his breaking point. Turns out Jasper is controlled by an evil sadist (Ben Gazzara) who doesn’t want anyone meddling with his town. After he sends his goons to bust up the Double Deuce, all hell breaks loose. Now it's no more nice guy for Dalton as he starts busting heads, leading him to the all-time, no-holds-barred showdown of the century.

Release: September 6, 2016

$6.99

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Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is the best bar bouncer in the business, but he's anything but typical. He’s a little small for his trade, has a degree in philosophy and he believes in being nice. But when he's hired to clean up the Double Deuce in the small town of Jasper, he’s pushed to his breaking point. Turns out Jasper is controlled by an evil sadist (Ben Gazzara) who doesn’t want anyone meddling with his town. After he sends his goons to bust up the Double Deuce, all hell breaks loose. Now it's no more nice guy for Dalton as he starts busting heads, leading him to the all-time, no-holds-barred showdown of the century.

Release: January 31, 2023

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Patrick Swayze goes from dancing across Catskill ballroom floors to dancing on the faces of rowdy tough guys in this hard-hitting actioner. James Dalton (Swayze) is a professional bar bouncer who gets hired to clean up a rough-and-tumble Missouri road house and soon finds himself squaring off against the sinister and powerful local businessman (Ben Gazzara) who runs the town. With Sam Elliott, Kelly Lynch, Jeff Healy, Kevin Tighe. 114 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH). Three-disc set.

Release: March 28, 2017

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An American hustler living in Singapore drifts through the city’s underworld while chasing money, connection, and a life that always seems just out of reach.

Release: June 25, 2019

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Product Description From the mind of David Mamet, a businessman gets caught in a web of double-crosses, lies and murder. Review Tarantino we recognize because of the way his dialogue, like Mark Twain's, unfurls down the corridors of long, inventive progressions, collecting proper names and trademarks along the way, to arrive at preposterous generalizations--delivered flatly, as if they were the simple truth. Mamet is even easier to recognize. His characters often speak as if they're wary of the world, afraid of being misquoted, reluctant to say what's on their minds: As a protective shield, they fall into precise legalisms, invoking old sayings as if they're magic charms. Often they punctuate their dialogue with four-letter words, but in "The Spanish Prisoner'' there is not a single obscenity, and we picture Mamet with a proud grin on his face, collecting his very first PG rating. The movie does not take place in Spain and has no prisoners. The title refers to a classic con game. Mamet, whose favorite game is poker, loves films where the characters negotiate a thicket of lies. "The Spanish Prisoner'' resembles Alfred Hitchcock in the way that everything takes place in full view, on sunny beaches and in brightly lit rooms, with attractive people smilingly pulling the rug out from under the hero and revealing the abyss. The hero is Joe Ross (Campbell Scott), who has invented a Process that will make so much money for his company that when he writes the figure on a blackboard, we don't even see it, only the shining eyes of executives looking at it. ("The Process,'' he says. Pause. "And by means of the Process, to control the world market.'' The missing words are replaced by greed.) He works for Mr. Klein (Ben Gazzara), who has convened a meeting in the Caribbean to discuss the Process. Also on hand is George, a company lawyer played by Ricky Jay--a professional magician and expert in charlatans, who is Mamet's friend and collaborator. And there is Susan (Rebecca Pidgeon, Mamet's wife), whose heart is all aflutter for Joe Ross, and who is very smart and likes to prove it by saying smart things that end on a triumphant note, as if she expects a gold star on her report card. ("I'm a problem solver, and I have a heart of gold.'') To the Caribbean island comes a man named Jimmy Dell (Steve Martin), who may or may not have arrived by seaplane. We see how Mamet creates uncertainty: Joe thinks the man arrived by seaplane, but Susan thinks he didn't, and provides photographic proof (which, as far as we can see, proves nothing), and in the end it doesn't matter if he arrives by seaplane or not; the whole episode is used simply to introduce the idea that Jimmy Dell may not be what he seems. He seems to be a rich, friendly New Yorker, who is trying to conceal an affair with a partner's wife. He says he has a sister in New York, and gives Joe a book to deliver to her ("Might I ask you a service?''). Joe has thus accepted a wrapped package from a stranger that he plans to take on board a plane; you see how our minds start working, spotting conspiracies everywhere. But at this point the plot summary must end, before the surprises begin. I can only say that anything as valuable as the Process would be a target for industrial espionage, and that when enough millions of dollars are involved, few people are above temptation. "The Spanish Prisoner'' is delightful in the way a great card manipulator is delightful. It rolls its sleeves above its elbows to show it has no hidden cards, and then produces them out of thin air. It has the buried structure of a card manipulator's spiel, in which is told about the cards, and they are given personalities and motives, even though they are only cards. Our attention is misdirected--we are human, and invest our interest in the human motives attributed to the cards, and forget to watch closely to see where they are going and how they are being handled. Same th --Roger Ebert See more