The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. 1976. Written and directed by John Cassavetes

Film

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The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. 1976. USA. Written and directed by John Cassavetes. Courtesy of Faces International/Photofest. © Faces International

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. 1976. USA. Written and directed by John Cassavetes. With Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel

35mm. 135 min.

Cosmo Vitelli, proprietor of a cheesy strip club called the Crazy Horse West, isn't a bad guy, but he drinks too much and gambles with abandon. Now Cosmo owes the mob more than $20,000 and the only repayment they want is the murder one of their enemies. The film plays with the idea of false identities, from the mob wrongly describing Cosmo’s target as a Chinese bookie to Cosmo himself—a self-styled suave, cool character who's actually quie rough around the edges.

This film accompanies Modern Matinees: Directed by John Cassavetes.

Past events

Wed, Oct 11, 2017, 1:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Thu, Sep 14, 2017, 1:30 p.m.

Education Center, Mezzanine, Theater 3

The Celeste Bartos Theater

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