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Polarizing Movie Director Spotlight: Woody Allen

JohnnyBlaze

By JohnnyBlaze,
in Video Vertigo

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Woody Allen...a.k.a. The Lucas Tribute Thread Poll  

12 members have voted

  1. 1. Which ones (if any) would you give a grade of A- or better?

    • What's Up, Tiger Lily?
      1
    • Take the Money and Run
      5
    • Bananas
      2
    • Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Sex)
      3
    • Sleeper
      5
    • Love and Death
      2
    • Annie Hall
      9
    • Interiors
      2
    • Manhattan
      6
    • Stardust Memories
      1
    • A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
      1
    • Zelig
      2
    • Broadway Danny Rose
      1
    • The Purple Rose of Cairo
      3
    • Hannah and Her Sisters
      1
    • Radio Days
      3
    • September
      0
    • Another Woman
      0
    • Crimes and Misdemeanors
      1
    • Alice
      0
    • Shadows and Fog
      0
    • Husbands and Wives
      1
    • Manhattan Murder Mystery
      2
    • Bullets Over Broadway
      1
    • Mighty Aphrodite
      1
    • Everyone Says I Love You
      0
    • Deconstructing Henry
      1
    • Celebrity
      0
    • Sweet and Lowdown
      0
    • Small Time Crooks
      0
    • The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
      0
    • Hollywood Ending
      0
    • Anything Else
      0
    • Melinda and Melinda
      0
    • Match Point
      1
    • Scoop
      0
    • Cassandra's Dream
      0
    • Vicky Cristina Barcelona
      1
    • (Other Not Listed)
      2
    • None.
      2

  2. 2. What do you think of Woody Allen as a director?

    • He's my favorite director of all time!
      0
    • He might not be my favorite but he's one of the all time greats that's for sure.
      7
    • He's a good director for the most part. Better than many at least.
      3
    • There are many better directors, but also many worse. He's likely in the middle of the pack.
      0
    • A bit below average but he's not all bad I admit.
      0
    • Really awful. One of the worse directors of all time!
      2
    • HE'S THE WORST EVER! WHY DOES ANYONE LIKE HIS MOVIES?!!
      0

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Segue Myles

Segue Myles

Posted
Posted

I can't say that I have one favorite director, but I would put Woody in the Pantheon Of Greatest Filmmakers along with Hitch, Kubrick, Bergman, Kurosawa

 

The man is a genius .. He made films - he wrote them, he starred in them, he directed them ..... Even the films he did not write or direct but starred it - like The Front - are great ..

 

Up thru the 80s he was brilliant ... Manhattan Murder Mystery and Mighty Aphrodite are the last of his great films IMHO, and after that, there was a sharp decline .. And I am not familiar with his more recent films - the so called resurgence period of his career ..

 

I would not argue GOAT

 

I really like Midnight In Paris which is all I have seen. I would like to check out your favourites as I have never delved into his work.

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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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And this poll has suprised me. Granted, there have only been 8 votes but I'm surprised only 1 vote was negative.

 

Woody's not as polarizing as I had expected.

Maybe people with a more negative opinion didn't bother opening the thread?

 

That's probably correct. In fact, it gives me food for thought for how to title future polls of this nature

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Lucas

Lucas

Posted
Posted (edited)

I can't say that I have one favorite director, but I would put Woody in the Pantheon Of Greatest Filmmakers along with Hitch, Kubrick, Bergman, Kurosawa

 

The man is a genius .. He made films - he wrote them, he starred in them, he directed them ..... Even the films he did not write or direct but starred it - like The Front - are great ..

 

Up thru the 80s he was brilliant ... Manhattan Murder Mystery and Mighty Aphrodite are the last of his great films IMHO, and after that, there was a sharp decline .. And I am not familiar with his more recent films - the so called resurgence period of his career ..

 

I would not argue GOAT

 

I really like Midnight In Paris which is all I have seen. I would like to check out your favourites as I have never delved into his work.

 

Segue, Woody has a really good, diverse selection

 

Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah And Her Sisters are fantastic films that brilliantly combine relationships, drama and, of course, comedy

 

Manhattan Murder Mystery from 1993 reunites Woody and Diane Keaton ( Annie Hall ) and is hysterically funny with a murder mystery twist ..

 

Zelig is in a league of its own ... I cannot think of another movie like it as it is presented in documentary fashion, with our main character, Leonard Zelig, as the most insecure man alive - his features literally change according to his surroundings

 

Interiors - from 1978 - is a drama -- no comedy

 

Some of his early films are more slapstick - but ingenious nonetheless - Bananas, Love And Death and his first, Take The Money And Run

 

I think Annie Hall is his consensus best, but there are scores of others just as worthwhile

 

edit

 

I should also mention Broadway Danny Rose

 

Danny Rose might be the best character Woody ever wrote

Edited by Lucas
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ReRushed

ReRushed

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Posted

Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Sleeper are wonderful.

 

Annie Hall is his masterpiece.

 

I really like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Manhattan Murder Mystery.

 

Love and Death, Hannah and Her Sisters, Manhattan and Deconstructing Harry are very good.

 

Broadway Danny Rose and Small Time Crooks are good.

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Lucas

Lucas

Posted
Posted

I've only seen a few of his films...Annie Hall (obviously) , Take the Money and Run,and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask).

 

Honestly...I didn't even know he was a director :huh: I thought he just acted in them :wacko:

 

.. and writer

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Your_Lion

Your_Lion

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I've only seen a few of his films...Annie Hall (obviously) , Take the Money and Run,and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask).

 

Honestly...I didn't even know he was a director :huh: I thought he just acted in them :wacko:

 

.. and writer

My respect for him as increased :)
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JohnnyBlaze

JohnnyBlaze

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I've only seen a few of his films...Annie Hall (obviously) , Take the Money and Run,and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask).

 

Honestly...I didn't even know he was a director :huh: I thought he just acted in them :wacko:

 

.. and writer

My respect for him as increased :)

 

Besides Woody, the only person who I can think of who's good and/or great across multiple skills AND highly prolific is Clint Eastwood (acting, directing, composing, producing).

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blueschica

blueschica

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A genius as a writer and director and such a strange guy in his real life; I have kind of a love/hate thing going with Woody himself but love his movies. Top ones are: Annie Hall, Bullets over Broadway (Meg Tilly is so wonderful in it) and Midnight in Paris. Purple Rose of Cairo was also very sweet and enjoyable.

 

There are a lot you guys are mentioning that I have missed! Will definitely have to try to see Manhattan Murder Mystery and Radio Days.

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Boots

Boots

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I've seen Midnight in Paris 10 times. I've seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona 5 times. I also enjoyed Blue Jasmine.
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goose

goose

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Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Sleeper are wonderful.

 

Of those, Sleeper is the only one I find remotely funny. His early slapstick stuff doesn't grab me. I'm re-watching Bananas right now, and it hasn't made me chuckle yet. (50 minutes in) The original In-Laws destroys this movie.
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New_World_Man

New_World_Man

Posted
Posted
Not a huge fan but I respect his body of work. I actually think some of his later ones are better than his earlier ones. Admittedly I'm not familiar with everything he's done. My brother is a huge fan but I never got into him the way he has.Then again he never got into certain kinds of music the way I have.
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goose

goose

Posted
Posted

Just watched...

 

220px-Cafe_Society.jpg

 

Curious to know what anyone else who's seen it has to say about it.

 

That's one I haven't seen yet

 

What'd ya think goose ??

Not bad, but not good, either. It's pretty mailed in.

 

If it were the first Woody Allen I'd seen, I might like it. It hall the standard relationship twists, but no real compelling characters.

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GeddyRulz

GeddyRulz

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I'm a big fan, although for the past decade I haven't seen many new movies, and this applies to Woody films as well. He's having a resurgence, sparked by filming outside of New York: great reviews for Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine in particular, but I still haven't seen them.

 

Here's a guy who's 80 and has cranked out one film per year since his early 30s... many of them amazing. Great track record. And he works with great cinematographers, who make New York look beautiful and Romantic.

 

Faves ("brilliant" level) are: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors.

 

Next tier, in no order ("excellent"): Take the Money and Run, Love and Death, Sleeper, Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Purple Rose of Cairo, Mighty Aphrodite, others.

 

Even "Small Time Crooks," which was a little trifle for him at the time, has its moments and was enjoyable. "Interiors" was very well done, but a depressing drama released between his two biggest "smart comedies" (Annie Hall, Manhattan). Made me feel suicidal.

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Lucas

Lucas

Posted
Posted

I'm a big fan, although for the past decade I haven't seen many new movies, and this applies to Woody films as well. He's having a resurgence, sparked by filming outside of New York: great reviews for Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine in particular, but I still haven't seen them.

 

Here's a guy who's 80 and has cranked out one film per year since his early 30s... many of them amazing. Great track record. And he works with great cinematographers, who make New York look beautiful and Romantic.

 

Faves ("brilliant" level) are: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors.

 

Next tier, in no order ("excellent"): Take the Money and Run, Love and Death, Sleeper, Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Purple Rose of Cairo, Mighty Aphrodite, others.

 

Even "Small Time Crooks," which was a little trifle for him at the time, has its moments and was enjoyable. "Interiors" was very well done, but a depressing drama released between his two biggest "smart comedies" (Annie Hall, Manhattan). Made me feel suicidal.

 

Great post GR

 

I remember being taken aback with Interiors .. I first saw it when I joined Netflix back almost 20 years ago, and I was watching every Woody Allen film that they had .. I knew nothing about Interiors, and I don't like to read a lot about movies prior to seeing them ... Because it was made right between Annie Hall and Manhattan, I assumed .. well ... you get the picture :LOL:

 

Great movie though, and even though Woody has been prolific, I wish he would have done a few more like Interiors - it seemed like a great starting point for that direction

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