Anything for John (1993 TV Movie) User Reviews

What???

[ghostofmrpalmer · 8/10 · 29 May 2008]

"I don't know about you, but I think I enjoy John Cassavetes the person more than Cassavetes the filmmaker; his films are very hard to take & they don't always work for me. (For one thing, they display a terrifying misogyny that has been remarked upon endlessly.)"

Any one who finds misogyny in any Cassavetes film, is a dangerous person who is complete ignorant, and should not be listened to. No one ever portrayed human beings, of both genders, more fairly and more accurately, than Cassavetes. It takes a complete idiot to find misogyny in his films. Not one of his films, Shadows, Faces, Too Late Blues, A Woman Under The Influence, Gloria, Big Trouble, Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Opening Night, or anything else you care to name has anything but love for people. Sometimes people are not portrayed as the greatest or nicest people, but people are rarely anything more than human.

Wonderful look at Cassavetes the person & filmmaker

[selfhelpradio · 9/10 · 9 July 2000]

I don't know about you, but I think I enjoy John Cassavetes the person more than Cassavetes the filmmaker; his films are very hard to take & they don't always work for me. (For one thing, they display a terrifying misogyny that has been remarked upon endlessly.) But the one thing that's true about the man is that he had a magical way of dealing with people, something rare in both real life & in Hollywood. This gentle, affectionate documentary manages to convey that quality most of all, with interviews with his wife, Gena Rowlands, & with actors from his films, Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk, Seymour Cassel - who were also his dear friends. What I got out of it - what I also get out of Cassavetes' writing - is that no one else made films the way he did, for better or for worse, & that it happened mainly because of the sheer force of his personality. What a personality, too!

This is obviously essential for the Cassavetes fan & follower, & for those of you discovering him or with a simple passing interest, it sheds light on his way of working & doesn't give anything away about his films, so, if you have the desire, you can explore at your leisure.

A Mixed Bag--Good as far as it goes, but....

[artistandreader · 18 April 2002]

Why are there so few good documentaries about artists? Either they focus on the life and ignore the work; or they turn into The Lives of the Saints--his struggle from depression and drugs into Nirvana. This film is a bit on the Hollywood Hagiography side. Cassavetes is idolized. And we never really get his soul OR his life. Just a series of interview clips with others. Still it's better than nothing.

If you really want to know about Cassavetes' life and art, his heart,soul, mind, and blood, sweat, and tears, you'll have to buy a book called Cassavetes on Cassavetes by Ray Carney. It's Cassavetes' real spiritual autobiography. The unknown story in his own words, told in his own voice. It's more than five hundred pages for very little money. And it has great photos too.

And there are also some terrific web sites, especially one by Carney the guy who wrote the book. His site has extensive quotes from the filmmaker and excerpts from his statements about his films--just what is missing from this documentary. You can find it with Cassavetes name in any search engine. Read the Cassavetes on Cassavetes book before or after you view this documentary and you'll get a deeper view of Cassavetes the man and the artist. But alone this is a little on the thin, and gushy, side.