On the Bowery: the Films of Lionel Rogosin 1

For songwriter Woody Guthrie, his guitar was a machine that "kills fascists." for Lionel Rogosin, the weapon of choice was a movie camera, and his first battle was waged on the streets of New York City. Exploring the underworld of the citys skid row, Rogosin developed his signature style. After months drinking with men he met on the Bowery, Rogosin worked with his buddies to write a screenplay that reflected their lives and then cast them as themselves. This technique of making films "from the inside" allowed Rogosin to film ordinary people caught up in universal problems. His films explored alcoholism, homelessness, racial discrimination, war, labor conflict, and poverty with great compassion and honesty. This collection includes ON THE BOWERY, GOOD TIMES, WONDERFUL TIMES and OUT.