I’m watching and screen shooting the Cassavetes catalog and writing 4 things about each film I watch. First up:
Love Streams, 1984
1) John Cassavetes was given 5 months to live just before shooting began. It’s safe to say, he knew he was dying every minute the camera is on him.
2) The 1982 Buick Riviera John’s character Robert drives made a recent return to the big screen under the hands of Ryan Gosling in La La Land.
3) Love Streams takes its title from dialogue that appears twice in the film. Both references refer to love as being like a stream. It flows forever. (well not really, but you get the point) Both Robert, and his son, appear in the film with blood streaming down their faces.
4) Most of Love Streams was shot in John’s own Hollywood hills home. All the pictures on the walls are his, and feature scenes captured throughout his illustrious life. Although Cassavetes would live longer than the few months his doctor prescribed, Love Streams is looked upon by critics as the last true John Cassavetes film, rendering the photos as a montage to a life lived.