We've curated a list of lesser-known films to help you explore the space-time continuum from the comfort of your couch.
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Title: California Split (1974)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| George Segal | ... | Bill Denny | |
| Elliott Gould | ... | Charlie Waters | |
| Ann Prentiss | ... | Barbara Miller | |
| Gwen Welles | ... | Susan Peters | |
 |
Edward Walsh | ... | Lew |
| Joseph Walsh | ... | Sparkie | |
| Bert Remsen | ... | Helen Brown | |
|
|
Barbara London | ... | Lady on the Bus |
| Barbara Ruick | ... | Reno Barmaid | |
| Jay Fletcher | ... | Robber | |
| Jeff Goldblum | ... | Lloyd Harris | |
| Barbara Colby | ... | Receptionist | |
|
|
Vincent Palmieri | ... | First Bartender (as Vince Palmieri) |
|
|
Alyce Passman | ... | Go-Go Girl |
| Joanne Strauss | ... | Mother | |
A down on his luck gambler links up with free spirit Elliot Gould at first to have some fun on, but then gets into debt when Gould takes an unscheduled trip to Tijuana. As a final act of desperation, he pawns most of his possessions and goes to Reno for the poker game of a lifetime. A film set mainly in casinos and races, as the two win and lose (but mainly win), get robbed, and get blind drunk. Written by David B-2
As usual, the greatness in Altman comes in the unexpected nuances: the perfect Las Vegas lounge act, with Elliott Gould putting in his repartee like joining a musical theatre number onstage. George Segal "getting down to the oldies" may date the film, along with his sweaters, but this is an enjoyable and surprising movie that exposes the hollowness and joylessness of compulsion without getting all holy about it. The younger working girl's search for feeling with her endless succession of tricks is a more easily noticeable parallel to what emerges as the film's core: George Segal's character finding his capacity for change. The shenanigan with Gould, Segal and the cross dresser strays dangerously close to outtakes from MASH. The film's greatest moment, aside from the surprisingly shattering denouement coming two minutes later, is when Segal has run from $2000 to $82,000. He's rolling everything right at the craps table when this little pea brained moron comes up and puts $1 on the seven. Elliott Gould offers to throw a hundred dollar chip at her to make her go away (if you don't know, the seven ends the streak and betting on it in the middle of a streak should be punishable by water torture). Sure enough, Segal rolls a seven and the streak ends. Everyone looks at the little moron and she says, "I don't care, it's my birthday and I won!" and picks up her $2. That is classic. Looking at Segal's performance you can see shades of what Ben Gazzarra would do decades later in Todd Solondz's "Happiness" as another man who doesn't feel anything.