BO HARWOOD RECORD RELEASE EVENT: THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE

This screening is presented on the occasion of the launch of a new LP devoted to the work of Bo Harwood (1946-2022), the composer whose music appears throughout John Cassavetes’s films and whose songs and compositions were often made with Cassavetes’s participation. The record brings together eleven recordings straight from the master tapes held by Bo during his lifetime, including music from THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE, A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, OPENING NIGHT, and LOVE STREAMS, as well as “Bach Train” and other compositions. The LP will be available for purchase at the screening (with a discounted price for ticket-holders).

The event is organized by Yana Foqué, who initiated the project, with the support of the estate of Bo Harwood. It is hosted by Anthology Film Archives, with support from Grazer Kunstverein, where the LP will also be presented.

John Cassavetes THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE 1976, 108 min (1978 re-release version), 35mm Cosmo Vittelli (Ben Gazzara) owns a small Los Angeles strip club, the Crazy Horse West. After paying off a gambling debt to a group of gangsters, he finds himself in their debt once again. What begins as a night of obligation gradually pulls Cosmo into a world of violence, performance, loyalty, and survival. Cassavetes follows Cosmo through the clubs, restaurants, cars, and back rooms of Los Angeles, moving between the artificiality of the stage and the uncertain reality beyond it. With its long takes, abrupt shifts in tone, and performances that move freely between theatricality and intimacy, THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE is one of Cassavetes’s most elusive and singular films. A classic, the film is graced by a peerless performance from Ben Gazzara as Cosmo.

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