Opening Night (1977)
Drama • 2h 24m
Overview
Actress Myrtle Gordon is a functioning alcoholic who is a few days from the opening night of her latest play, concerning a woman distraught about aging. One night a car kills one of Myrtle's fans who is chasing her limousine in an attempt to get the star's attention. Myrtle internalizes the accident and goes on a spiritual quest, but fails to finds the answers she is after. As opening night inches closer and closer, fragile Myrtle must find a way to make the show go on.
Director: John Cassavetes
Cast: Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart, Zohra Lampert, Laura Johnson, John Tuell, Ray Powers, John Finnegan, Louise Lewis, Fred Draper, Katherine Cassavetes, Lady Rowlands, Carol Warren, Briana Carver, Angelo Grisanti, Meade Roberts, Eleanor Zee, David Rowlands, Sharon Van Ivan, Jimmy Christie, James Karen, Jimmy Joyce, Sherry Bain, Sylvia Davis Shaw, Peter Lampert, Patrick Labyorteaux, Roni-Sue Kiser, Naomi Stevens, Seymour Cassel, Peter Falk, Peter Bogdanovich
Edit History
4/23/2026
Best Video Release
From
Criterion is warmer and more lifelike than BFI. See DVDBeaver review for more caps
BFI is brighter, but that's only because of a gamma bug, a common encoding issue that's easily corrected. After you do that, brightness is the same, though reds are different. Criterion has better encoding and doesn't have the bug so that's preferable.
To
Criterion is warmer and more lifelike than BFI. See DVDBeaver review for more caps
BFI suffers from Quicktime Gamma Bug
Criterion has better encoding and doesn't have the bug so that's preferable.
From
Criterion is warmer and more lifelike than BFI. See DVDBeaver review for more caps
BFI is brighter, but that's only because of a gamma bug, a common encoding issue that's easily corrected. After you do that, brightness is the same, though reds are different. Criterion has better encoding and doesn't have the bug so that's preferable.
To
Criterion is warmer and more lifelike than BFI. See DVDBeaver review for more caps
BFI suffers from Quicktime Gamma Bug
Criterion has better encoding and doesn't have the bug so that's preferable.
7/13/2025
Best Video Release
From
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate. See DVDBeaver review
To
Criterion is warmer and more lifelike than BFI. See DVDBeaver review for more caps
BFI is brighter, but that's only because of a gamma bug, a common encoding issue that's easily corrected. After you do that, brightness is the same, though reds are different. Criterion has better encoding and doesn't have the bug so that's preferable.
From
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate. See DVDBeaver review
To
Criterion is warmer and more lifelike than BFI. See DVDBeaver review for more caps
BFI is brighter, but that's only because of a gamma bug, a common encoding issue that's easily corrected. After you do that, brightness is the same, though reds are different. Criterion has better encoding and doesn't have the bug so that's preferable.
7/9/2025
Best English-Friendly Release
From
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/opening_night_dvd_review.htm
To
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate
From
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/opening_night_dvd_review.htm
To
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate
Best Video Release
From
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/opening_night_dvd_review.htm
To
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate. See DVDBeaver review
From
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/opening_night_dvd_review.htm
To
CC is warmer and more lifelike than BFI, not sure if more accurate. See DVDBeaver review
