The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - John Cassavetes (1976)

Ben Gazzara's black-hole of entertainment must go on. He bleeds across the stage to ensure that Mr. Sophistication's talent-void will be played out in front of a boozed-up, breast-obsessed audience. Ostensibly a noir, but really an elaborate allegory for Cassavetes own creative struggles. In this world, money is always the final factor, no matter what your creative vision. Timothy Carey's mug silhouetted in red spotlights gives you the Adams Family creeps. The rushing, roaring sounds of the city abate only when the bookie is murdered in his own hot tub.