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290:, finding her to have no motivation beyond her age. Over the course of numerous performances, Myrtle departs from the play's script in myriad ways, including changing her lines, throwing props around the set, breaking the fourth wall, and collapsing on stage. This frustrates others involved in the play. The writer, Sarah Goode, attempts to force Myrtle into facing her age. Myrtle admits to her that she has been seeing the
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that appeared after a press screening concluded, "One must question whether more than a handful of moviegoers are interested in the effort, whether audiences have not already seen enough of
Cassavetes' characters ... He's made these films before and not many seemed interested in them." When it opened
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and titled the instrumental first track "Opening Night." Describing her reaction to the film after viewing it at a screening, she said, "Sometimes when you see a film, especially an emotional, anguishing film like that, it can just simmer in your subconscious for a while. It definitely did that for
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Myrtle fails to show up on time for her call on opening night. When she finally arrives, Myrtle is so drunk that she can barely stand. With the audience growing restless, director Manny Victor demands the show go on. Myrtle struggles through the show's opening scenes, collapsing before her entrance
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Myrtle's state of mind continues to deteriorate, and she begins to drink heavily. She imagines Nancy attacking her, and later she throws herself against the walls of Sarah's hotel room, breaking her sunglasses and slashing her face. The incident disturbs Sarah, who expresses her wish to have Myrtle
491:, Los Angeles where it played to almost empty houses, and closed in February having never been commercially shown elsewhere. Screenings in New York City that March were similarly ignored. The film was only picked up by an American distributor in 1991, two years after Cassavetes' death.
426:. In the way that it drapes Gena Rowlands in long, black, specter-like capes and collars—and the primal world around her colored in bright, bloody reds—it turns a funhouse mirror onto the crushing, almost satanic rituals of film acting and movie star culture like in
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run. While leaving the theatre after a performance, Myrtle signs autographs and encounters an obsessive teenaged fan, Nancy, who runs after Myrtle into the street and is struck by a car. Myrtle is unsettled by the incident, and even goes to the girl's
420:, writing: "In the way that its title sequence magnifies the mundane cheers of an audience into a violently furious sound, it takes our reality and presents the concurrent darkness within like the truth-driven horror films such as
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and again on stage. As the show continues, Myrtle finds something of a rhythm. By the end, she and
Maurice go off script and improvise the play's final act, to the producers’ chagrin and the audience's rapturous applause.
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for help and has another violent encounter with her vision of Nancy, this time fighting back and “killing” Nancy's ghost. Myrtle attempts to seduce
Maurice Aarons—her leading man and a former lover—but he refuses.
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is as dense and difficult as one would expect from John
Cassavetes, but even the director's detractors will be unable to deny the power of Gena Rowlands' performance."
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replaced in the play, feeling she is psychologically unable to perform. After storming out of a rehearsal, Myrtle visits Sarah's
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235:, and Cassavetes. Its plot follows a stage actress who, after witnessing the accidental death of a fan, struggles through a
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makes various allusions to the film; the closing song "Slapped
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distributed in the United States. After a number of preview screenings, it opened on
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theme, it makes a psychological break as foreboding as a masked bogeyman haunting suburban teenagers."
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of Nancy—the teenager killed in the car accident—which Myrtle believes is a projection of her youth.
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Its reputation has improved since its initial release. It currently holds a 96% "fresh" rating on
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Myrtle struggles to connect with the character she is playing in
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was critically panned in the US on its release. The review in
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In common with earlier films, Cassavetes struggled to get
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adapted the film into a musical, which premiered at the
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601:'s music video for "Exploitation", from the album
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509:The film was screened out of competition at the
386:Louise Lewis (credited as Louise Fitch) as Kelly
626:repeats the film's accident scene in his film
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246:Though set in Connecticut and New York City,
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538:nominating Rowlands and Blondell for the
893:(11). Los Angeles: 32. January 18, 1978.
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632:as the center of the dramatic conflict.
557:from 27 reviews; the consensus states: "
250:was shot on location in Los Angeles and
713:from the original on December 12, 2020.
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496:28th Berlin International Film Festival
283:, though her family greets her coolly.
1345:American psychological thriller films
722:
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701:Is the Ultimate Arthouse Horror Film"
7:
673:British Board of Film Classification
646:in London's West End in March 2024.
607:, serves as an homage to the movie.
448:Filming took place primarily at the
402:Writing in a 2018 retrospective for
1056:Opening Night: The Play’s the Thing
935:Sodomsky, Sam (December 12, 2018).
885:"Pictures: Golden Globe Nominees".
832:"Festival de Cannes: Opening Night"
744:from the original on June 26, 2020.
536:Hollywood Foreign Press Association
239:while she prepares for an upcoming
1340:American psychological drama films
990:"Opening Night at Gielgud Theatre"
14:
1355:Films directed by John Cassavetes
1235:(1959–60, directed five episodes)
956:Wilson, Emma (January 15, 2003).
937:"Jessica Pratt Lets the World In"
494:In 1978, it was entered into the
1330:1970s psychological drama films
1181:The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
802:"Berlinale 1978: Prize Winners"
695:Nero, Dom (October 10, 2020).
1:
211:film written and directed by
1350:1970s English-language films
733:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
504:Silver Bear for Best Actress
408:, critic Dom Nero describes
16:1977 film by John Cassavetes
1173:A Woman Under the Influence
994:Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
777:(published 2001), pp.
160:December 25, 1977
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1335:American independent films
1385:Films about mental health
1380:Films shot in Los Angeles
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958:Cinema's Missing Children
511:1992 Cannes Film Festival
473:Pasadena Civic Auditorium
450:Pasadena Civic Auditorium
353:John Tuell as Gus Simmons
256:Pasadena Civic Auditorium
33:Theatrical release poster
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1370:Films set in Connecticut
765:Cassavetes on Cassavetes
548:35th Golden Globe Awards
463:was shot on location in
738:American Film Institute
573:, an EP from the band,
546:, respectively, at the
544:Best Supporting Actress
1375:Films set in Manhattan
1365:Films about alcoholism
575:Motion City Soundtrack
457:New Haven, Connecticut
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268:New Haven, Connecticut
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389:Carol Warren as Carla
270:of a new play called
1395:1970s American films
1293:Katherine Cassavetes
1287:Alexandra Cassavetes
1165:Minnie and Moskowitz
1065:Criterion Collection
489:Fox Wilshire Theater
381:Katherine Cassavetes
252:Pasadena, California
1390:Films about theatre
836:festival-cannes.com
761:(August 15, 2001),
629:All About My Mother
459:and New York City,
392:Ray Powers as Jimmy
209:psychological drama
207:is a 1977 American
1360:Films about actors
1254:(2000 documentary)
1141:A Child Is Waiting
842:on October 5, 2012
565:In popular culture
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147:Faces Distribution
138:Faces Distribution
1325:1970s ghost films
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1000:on March 22, 2024
350:as Maurice Aarons
344:as Dorothy Victor
237:nervous breakdown
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1320:1977 drama films
1251:A Constant Forge
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594:Silence Yourself
571:Back to the Beat
429:Mulholland Drive
338:as David Samuels
320:as Myrtle Gordon
300:spiritual medium
288:The Second Woman
272:The Second Woman
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153:Release date
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87:Paul Stewart
1213:Big Trouble
1110:Filmography
759:Carney, Ray
616:Quiet Signs
465:Los Angeles
414:horror film
375:Fred Draper
324:Ben Gazzara
274:before its
221:Ben Gazzara
180:144 minutes
77:Ben Gazzara
57:Produced by
39:Directed by
1315:1977 films
1309:Categories
1289:(daughter)
1283:(daughter)
1224:Television
1061:Dennis Lim
1004:2023-11-11
975:1903364507
871:2021-01-11
846:August 17,
650:References
440:Production
292:apparition
243:premiere.
164:1977-12-25
131:Production
124:Bo Harwood
107:Alan Ruban
49:Written by
816:August 8,
517:Reception
383:as Vivian
112:Edited by
1295:(mother)
1157:Husbands
1039:AllMovie
915:Flixster
742:Archived
711:Archived
502:won the
498:, where
469:Pasadena
398:Analysis
371:as Bobby
276:Broadway
241:Broadway
193:Language
120:Music by
65:Starring
60:Al Ruban
1243:Related
1125:Shadows
1063:at the
920:July 1,
887:Variety
779:428–434
706:Esquire
589:Savages
527:Variety
479:Release
423:Get Out
405:Esquire
196:English
185:Country
162: (
133:company
1271:(wife)
1262:Family
1216:(1986)
1208:(1984)
1200:(1980)
1197:Gloria
1192:(1977)
1184:(1976)
1176:(1974)
1168:(1971)
1160:(1970)
1152:(1968)
1144:(1963)
1136:(1961)
1128:(1959)
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