The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment. He also has a major gambling problem that has gotten him in trouble before. When Cosmo loses big-time at an underground casino run by mobster Mort, he isn't able to pay up. Mort then offers Cosmo the chance to pay back his debt by knocking off a pesky, Mafia-protected bookie.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Drama

What to watch after The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

• The Killers (1964) — John Cassavetes worked on both
• The Gambler (1974) — Same feel: realistic, dramatic
• Opening Night (1977) — John Cassavetes directed both
• Husbands (1970) — Same feel: realistic, dramatic
• Blow Out (1981) — Same subject: neo-noir
• Buffalo '66 (1998) — Same feel: dramatic, complex