Films To Remember: Opening Night

Posted by Fabio 11 October 2013

John Cassavetes’s emotionally charged 1977 film Opening Night stands as one of the great American movies about theatre and the art of performance, and was nominated for two Golden Globes.

Featuring the great Gena Rowlands (A Woman Under the Influence) in an award-winning role as the Broadway acting legend Myrtle Gordon. When a young fan dies in an accident while trying to meet her, Gordon must confront her personal demons in the run-up to the opening of her latest play.

Opening Night also stars John Cassavetes in a rare acting role in one of his own films, alongside his regular collaborator Ben Gazzara (Husbands, The Big Lebowski, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie).

In this outtake from a 1978 television interview, Cassavetes discusses his film Opening Night, and builds into a terrific rant on movies and movie audiences.