Guest Co-Hosts: Judith Mayne, Andrew RauschJohn Cassavetes may be known for his raw, improvisational indie dramas, but with Gloria (1980), he delivered something entirely different—a gritty urban thriller with a heart, starring the incomparable Gena Rowlands who plays the titular Gloria, a tough, no-nonsense woman with mob ties who suddenly finds herself the reluctant guardian of a young boy targeted by gangsters after his family’s brutal murder. Armed with nothing but attitude and a pistol, Gloria hauls the kid through the hostile streets of New York City, dodging bullets, hitmen, and her own complicated past.
Mike is joined by returning guests Judith Mayne and Andrew Rausch to explore the film’s unconventional blend of gangster tropes, maternal instinct, and Cassavetes’s offbeat sensibilities. We dig into Rowlands’s powerhouse performance, the film’s strange place in Cassavetes’s career, and its legacy as a cult favorite that paved the way for countless “reluctant protector” thrillers.
Listen/Download Now:
Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Gloria on Blu-Ray
Buy Cassavetes on Cassavetes by Ray Carney
Music:
"Gloria" - Laura Branigan
Watch:
Mike was a guest on a few other podcasts recently where he discussed A Matter of Life & Death on The Kulturecast, Opening Night on Dark Habits, and Flesh on Robert Bellissimo at the Movies.
Guest Co-Hosts: