John Cassavetes is better remembered for his work behind the camera than he is for what he did in front of it — he mostly took acting gigs as a means of financing his independent productions — and the New Beverly is offering a chance to see both. First up is Gloria, quite possibly the most accessible film Cassavetes ever directed, followed by Machine Gun McCain. The former stars his wife and frequent collaborator Gena Rowlands (who earned an Oscar nomination) as a woman on the run from the mob; the latter also concerns organized crime, with Cassavetes as a recently released prisoner who quickly gets back to his old ways.
