Woody Allen

Started by Pedro, March 20, 2003, 11:46:16 PM

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SHAFTR

just saw Hannah & Her Sisters, another great Woody Allen film.  So far I have loved Annie Hall, Manhattan & Hannah & Her Sisters.  I have liked Tiger Lilly & Sleeper and I'm not a fan of everything you wanted to know about sex*.  With that said, where do I go next with his work?
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

MacGuffin

Quote from: SHAFTRWith that said, where do I go next with his work?

"Crimes And Misdemeanors"
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Alethia

then husbands and wives, then purple rose of cairo, then mighty aphrodite

modage



started Woody Allen week tonite with Stardust Memories, Zelig, and the Purple Rose of Cairo.  stardust memories was exhausting just seeing the sheer number of people approach him for things, mostly because i know its true.  (from my pta encounter and a doc i saw on allen traveling with his band called wild man blues), i can see that this is hardly exaggerated.  however, in the end the movie felt a little too self concious to me without ever connecting totally (or... being funny enough), but it was interesting nonetheless.  zelig, which i didnt realize until right before i put it in was a mockumentary (or faux documentary) or whatever.   the most notable part being the pre-gump seamless integration of allen into vintage materials.  the movie however, even at a brisk 80 minutes was not funny enough to sustain its running time.  it could probably have been cut down to a 15-20 minute short and not lost much of importance.  purple rose of cairo was very similar to the later last action hero, and unfortunately not a whole lot better.  an interesting premise but the movie fell flat mostly, (although i did like the ending).  its always strange to watch a woody allen movie that doesnt star woody allen, so maybe that took some getting used to.  one of the most interesting things i noticed while watching zelig and purple rose is how quickly allen went from being young and hip and cutting edge to being sort of an old standard.  where did the guy from bananas and sleeper, etc. turn into the old fart reminiscing about the 20's and obsessing over jazz?  it almost seems as if he had aged 30 years in the 10 year span between the early 70's and early 80's.

while stardust was my favorite of the three, i wasnt blown away by any of them.  oh well, crimes and misdemeanors (recommended from mac) and husbands and wives (from godardian) are up next so hopefully good things are in store...
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Alethia

you'll be totally blown away by both of them, so don't let these disappointments discourage you any

ElPandaRoyal

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=18252

Just saw this and got really really excited about it. I mean, I am this huge Woody Allen fan and I get excited with every Allen movie (despite some minor ones like Hollywood Ending and whatnot) but after reading this... man, oh man... I think this one's gonna rock hard.  :-D
Si

Alethia

thank the lord if this turns out to be accurate.

SHAFTR

I just saw Banananas and I liked it probably best of his Pre-Annie Hall films that I've seen.  I'm not a big fan of slapstick, but it was fun.
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

ElPandaRoyal

Quote from: SHAFTRI just saw Banananas and I liked it probably best of his Pre-Annie Hall films that I've seen.  I'm not a big fan of slapstick, but it was fun.

Still, nothing beats out Love and Death among his pre-Annie Hall stuff.
Si

Alethia

play it again sam might.  granted he didnt direct it, but he wrote it so whatever

modage



finished up woody allen week with the two mentioned above.  while both were interesting i wasnt in love with either.  cam was dark and different, and haw was familiar but not.  the jump cuts, shaky documentary style camerawork and overlapping dialogue etc. seemed like he was going through a frenchnewwave thing.  there was a lot of things in the film that i found to be really true about the way people/relationships are.  

but the most interesting and sort of sad thing i noticed when i got to the end of these films was how i watched woody and mias relationship deteriorate over the course of a few films.  in purplerose she was the lead character whose sympathies lie with us, zelig she cures all ills, etc. but by the time we reach husbands & wives, their relationship has crumbled.  seeing it reflected onscreen is just depressing.  but i've probably seen 20 or more woody allens by this point and i'm just not in love with him yet.  i mean, its interesting how he has shown such a range of styles/influences/etc. while still examining the same issues over and over and over again.  i guess if i'm not in love with the characters in the film though, its not going to work for me.  favorites are still Annie Hall, Manhattan, Bananas, and maybe Everyone Says I Love You.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

pete

I thought crimes and misdemeanors had one of the most beautiful endings of all time, despite the fact that the song was originally sang by Liberaci.  He used the same techniques as Annie Hall, sure, but this one felt way more weighty, and I was moved even though I didn't agree with his philosophy.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

MacGuffin

Woody Allen Says Films Cure Insomnia as Wins Award

U.S. film director Woody Allen said his films were a cure for insomnia on Friday, as he accepted an award at the San Sebastian film festival for his life's work.

"When they told me ... they wanted to give me a life-time achievement award I felt I should not really accept because you know, after all, what have I actually achieved?

"I'm not a scientist or a doctor who has discovered some great cure and then I thought about my films and I thought that actually they were a cure for insomnia and I thought that I could accept the award in all conscience," he said after receiving the prize from Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.

Allen's new movie, a tragi-comedy called "Melinda and Melinda," premiered at the festival on Friday. Starring Radha Mitchell in the double lead role, the film shows the interchangeably tragic and comic nature of life, but Allen, a self-confessed neurotic, says he can only ever focus on the tragedy.

"I have a extremely pessimistic outlook. To me the glass is always empty, not half empty, but completely empty ... For me it's tragic or extremely tragic."

The 68-year old New Yorker, who has made more than 30 films including most famously "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan," said he chose the name Melinda for his lead character because it was easy to type.

"I call her Melinda because I type my scripts and Melinda is easy to type so I can type it rapidly. All the women's names that I use in my films are very short and easy to type," Allen told reporters.

Allen's style ranges from intellectual self-obsessive comedy to serious drama, and is hugely popular in Europe. In his near 40-year career he has been widely honored both in his home country and in Europe, with the prestigious Cannes Palme D'Or.

The Donostia prize, derived from the Basque language name for the seaside resort which hosts the festival, is awarded for a great film personality in recognition of their career.

Actors Jeff Bridges and Annette Bening will also receive Donostia prizes this year for their life's work and their latest films are being shown at the festival, which started on Friday and runs until September 25
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Woody Allen Joins Anti-Bush Bandwagon

Actor/director Woody Allen blasted US president George W Bush when he collected his lifetime achievement award at Spain's San Sebastian film festival on Friday. Allen - who is currently shooting an untitled movie in London - insisted it would be "tragic" if Bush was re-elected in November. He says, "If you observe (Bush), it's quite amusing. If you listen to him as he speaks, if you follow him closely, it would provide you a great many laughs. But it's the perfect example of islands of comedy, comic moments against a very, very tragic background." Allen's criticism comes after directors Jonathan Demme and Wim Wenders condemned the state of American politics at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Woody Allen play extended
From Associated Press

It hasn't opened yet, but "A Second Hand Memory," the new play by Woody Allen, already has had its limited engagement extended at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City because of strong ticket demand.

The play, featuring Michael McKean, Dominic Chianese and Elizabeth Marvel, concerns a 1950s Brooklyn family dealing with issues of loyalty and ambition. It opens Nov. 22 and will now run through Jan. 23. It originally had been set to close Jan. 9.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks