Woody Allen

There are basically three reactions that people have to Woody Allen:

He's a genius, chronicling a caste of alienated American intellectuals with bravery and candor since the late 60s
He's over-rated, as if doomed to "create" endless variations for his whole life on the same self-referential, onanistic theme &
He's a pervert

I actually hold all three points of view. Go figure! Anyway, here's a selection of what I think are some of his best films.

Take The Money And Run 1969

Woody Allen's spoof about a bank-robber who can't ever really get the...make that...any, job done. While Take the Money And Run now looks pretty dated, there are many genuinely funny moments...and it's still well worth catching.

Annie Hall 1977

Woody Allen's breakthrough movie, a fascinating look at a doomed love affair between two people who should have only been friends. Diane Keaton's Academy Award-winning performance is superb...but more than anything, Annie Hall is a wonderful time capsule, a looking glass back into the self-obsession that passed as being "intellectual" during the late 1970s.

Manhattan 1979

Woody Allen's follow-up to Annie Hall was Manhattan, a suburb of self-obsessed neurotics with the only sense of Hope seeming to come from a teenage girl...and Manhattan's glorious skyline. Bleak, sometimes funny...and still very watchable, all these years later.

Wood Allen as a stand-up comic during the 1960s

"...The material is classic Woody Allen in his stand-up years...very funny stand-up comedy for the sophisticated audience. Long before other comedians broke the language barriers and forever changed comedy...comedy relied on colorful expression and not shock-value language to convey the story. Woody was a master at that as he honed his skill on the way to becoming the celebrated film-maker he obviously did become.

If you are a fan of comedy, buy this. DON'T buy the single CD version! Even at very inexpensive used prices, you're going to get noticably edited (sometimes in the middle of stories) routines..." Jizmo

Woody Allen interviewed about his movies

"...Conversations between Woody Allen and journalist Stig Bjorkman about the Woodster’s films, from "Take the Money and Run" to "Manhattan Murder Mystery", along with interviews about his childhood and early acting roles..." Sloane123

"...Reading this book was like having dinner with Woody Allen while his films played on a wall behind us. I appreciated the European interviewer because it brought a fresh perspective to Allen's material..." J.S. Kaiser

"...Great Collection...dominated by classical jazz and dance swing, this CD is a great contribution to every Allen buff and musical nostalgiac. From Louis Armstrong and Tommy Dorsey to Art Tatum, this CD proves Allen's great musical taste and serves as a good cultural overview of an era gone by..." Nikica Gilic