Grindhouse
Gloria (1980)
Filmmaker John Cassavetes originally wrote the screenplay for this genre melodrama to make money. But when spouse Gena Rowlands was cast in the lead, she asked her husband to direct. A mob accountant (Buck Henry) and his family have been marked for death since Henry has turned informant. When neighbor Gloria (Rowlands), a gang boss’ ex-girlfriend, knocks on the door to borrow some coffee, Henry’s wife begs Gloria to take her kids. Gloria reluctantly agrees, but is only able to spirit away the son when the daughter barricades herself in the bathroom. Minutes afterwards, Gloria hears gunfire, and dragging the kid with her, they go on the run through the boroughs of New York, one step ahead of certain death. One remembers Cassavetes as an actor in Elaine May’s quirky mob drama Mikey and Nicky, not to mention directing his own Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and one wonders what it would have been like if he had made more crime films with his naturalistic style and refusal to follow formulaic conventions.
“Rowlands is typically superb as the tough talking New York moll – half-whore, half-mother… Cassavetes and the two leads keep maudlin sentimentality at bay until the very bitter end… Terrific.” – Time Out
- Director
- John Cassavetes
- Writer
- John Cassavetes
- Starring
- Gena Rowlands, Julie Carmen, Buck Henry, John Adames
- Year
- 1980
- Rated
- PG
- Country
- USA
- Format
- 35mm
- Running Time
- 121 minutes
Streetwalkin’
She turned to night-walking to survive the streets. Now she’s running through the streets to survive the night. Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo (The Fighter) stars as Cookie, a teenage runaway who escapes her abusive stepfather and heads for the big city along with her younger brother. When she arrives at the bus terminal, Cookie meets a charming but sadistic pimp named Duke (Dale Midkiff, Pet Sematary). With nowhere else to go, Cookie’s soon working for Duke, who introduces her to the harsh life of a prostitute. A harrowing, fast-paced ride through the lurid streets of New York’s terrifying underbelly, Streetwalkin’ co-stars Antonio Fargas (I’m Gonna Git You Sucka), Julie Newmar (Batman), Leon Robinson (Cliffhanger), and Khandi Alexander (Treme). (American Genre Film Archive)
“Times Square tawdriness is ordinarily the province of male directors, but Freeman has made a fast-paced, creditable B-movie out of Streetwalkin’.” – New York Times
- Director
- Joan Freeman
- Writer
- Joan Freeman & Robert Alden
- Starring
- Melissa Leo, Randall Batinkoff, Dale Midkiff, Deborah Offner, Julie Newmar
- Year
- 1985
- Rated
- R
- Country
- USA
- Format
- 35mm
- Running Time
- 85 minutes