You don’t necessarily associate a filmmaker like John Cassavetes with the likes of Cannon Films, who are more known for a slew of schlocky, low-budget action films from the 1980s than anything that resembles art. Still, studio heads Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus are the folks who bankrolled the “Faces” director’s 1984 drama “Love Streams,” and we have two short glimpses at the film and what went into bringing it to movie screens.
The film stars Cassavetes and his wife Gena Rowlands as a brother and sister who care for one another as their lives and relationships crumble around them. More than anything (except maybe money), Golan and Globus wanted critical acclaim, awards and industry respect (read our review of “Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films” for a glimpse into their collective psyche), which they hoped working with an auteur like Cassavetes could provide.
To record the proceedings for posterity, they dispatched Michael Ventura to film the goings on, and the result was the 60-minute documentary “I’m Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes—The Man and His Work.” That title alone should give some insight into what you’ll see, and it offers a uniquely intimate glimpse into the production, warts and all. You can check out a piece of this film, which gives you a sample of what to expect, below.
Rowlands had, and continues to have, a prolific, acclaimed career, which has, at this point, spanned seven decades and included work with some of the greatest filmmakers of all time. It’s the work she did with her late husband in films like “A Woman Under the Influence,” however, that provided some of her deepest, most wide ranging roles. Film critic Sheila O’Malley digs into her turn in “Love Streams” and the various tools and tricks she brought to the picture.
Watch both of these videos below.
