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I've just finished a biography of the writer/director/actor John Cassavetes. Accidental Genius: How John Cassavetes invented American Independent Film by Marshall Fine is a quick tour through Cassavetes' too short career and life. (He died in 1989 at age 59)
Cassavetes was a successful actor in theater and live TV who was just starting to break into films in the late '50s. He had married a beautiful woman (frequent co-star Gena Rowlands) and everything looked good. But he was frustrated with being merely a cog in the show business machine, so with the help of students from an acting workshop he had started he made Shadows in 1959.
Cassavetes' films were made with family and friends, often with Cassavetes and Rowlands' own money and little studio support. The pinnacle was A Woman Under the Influence in 1974, which netted Oscar nominations for Rowlands and Cassavetes. Watching the movie is a bit like overhearing your parents have an argument. There are moments of incredible tenderness and honesty, but also some awkward acting in small roles and embarassing scenes.
According to Fine's book John Cassavetes was a warm and encouraging man, always trying to get a new film or theater project off the ground. Some of his films aren't available on DVD, but the Criterion Five Films set is worth it if you've got the bucks.
If you're interested in film history and don't know Cassavetes' work, check out Accidental Genius.
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