Anthology Film Archives

BEYOND CASSAVETES: LOST LEGENDS OF THE NEW YORK FILM WORLD (1945-1970) - RICHARD SARAFIAN

January 11 – January 14

In-between Hollywood and the emerging cinematic underground, New York in the 1950s and 60s was home to a little-known but vibrant feature film industry. Beyond bigger names like John Cassavetes and Morris Engel, scores of hopeful, independent filmmakers cobbled together low-budget productions with few prospects for critical or commercial success. From waterfront wise guys to Village beatniks, from film noir to existential comedies, ‘Made in New York’ signified a quirky, vibrant, indie aesthetic that in many ways laid the foundation for later New York-based auteurs like Martin Scorsese, Abel Ferrara, Jim Jarmusch, and Spike Lee, among others.

This installment of the ongoing series features ANDY, the little-seen sophomore film by director Richard Sarafian, who passed away in September 2013. To pay further tribute to Sarafian, we’ll be supplementing ANDY with screenings of Sarafian’s best-known work, the seminal road film VANISHING POINT, as well as the rarely-screened MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING.

Selected screenings introduced by series curator Michael Bowen, Adjunct Lecturer at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

RICHARD SARAFIAN (1930-2013)
New York native Richard Sarafian began his career writing and directing for television during the industry’s Golden Age (he’s responsible for the notorious TWILIGHT ZONE episode featuring “Talky Tina”). His early theatrical feature ANDY (1965) was warmly reviewed by Bosley Crowther but seemed to elude audiences. By the late 1960s, however, Sarafian was well established as a journeyman filmmaker, graduating to the first ranks of 70s action features with VANISHING POINT and THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING. An actor as well (by temperament if not by training), in his later years he was often tagged for character roles by the likes of Warren Beatty, Barry Levinson, and Sean Penn. This tribute revisits the high points of Sarafian’s unique and noteworthy career.

Special thanks to Paul Ginsburg & Dennis Chong (Universal), Kristie Nakamura (WB), Joe Reid (20th Century Fox), and Todd Wiener & Steven Hill (UCLA Film & Television Archive).

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