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The Way It Is (film)

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The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues
Directed byEric Mitchell
Written byEric Mitchell
Produced byDan Sales (executive producer), Robert Verrall & Randal A. Goya (associate producer)
StarringSteve Buscemi
Jessica Stutchbury
Mark Boone Junior
Vincent Gallo
Rockets Redglare
Edwige Belmore
Release date
  • 1985 (1985)
Running time
80 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Way It Is (also known as The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues) is a 1985 American No Wave black comedy/drama film directed by Eric Mitchell based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's 80 minutes black and white 35 mm movie film cinematography was shot by Bobby Bukowski and edited by Bob Gould and Susan Graef. The musical score was by Larry Crosley and Vincent Gallo.[1] The film marked Steve Buscemi and Vincent Gallo's film debuts.[2]

The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues is an indirect homage to the Marcel Camus film Black Orpheus (1959) and in general to French New Wave and Italian Neorealism filmmaking. It is considered the climatic apogee of no wave low-budget production values as the film’s dialogue track was dubbed and added to the film in editing.[3]

Plot

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A group of East Village off Broadway actors are rehearsing a local no wave production of Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus[4] when the lead actress, Eurydice, is found dead in Tompkins Square Park. At the funeral, the history of Eurydice is revealed in flashbacks and recollections by the actors, each a suspect in the murder. Together they examine their decadent relationships with Eurydice within the context of decayed East Village tenement buildings and the Mudd Club so to try to unravel the mystery of her death.[5]

Cast

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ [1] The Way It Is (1985)
  2. ^ Goodman, Walter (April 4, 1986). "The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues (1984) SCREEN: 'THE WAY IT IS'". The New York Times.
  3. ^ [2] The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues at MoMA
  4. ^ [3] The Way It Is or Eurydice in the Avenues MUBI
  5. ^ [4] The Way It Is