Woody Allen...

[EvilNed]

The more I see of this goose, the more un-impressed I am. I saw Annie Hall yesterday after hearing so much about it, and it unsatisfyingly dull. Nothing happened for 90 minutes. I never smiled, or smirked, or chuckled. It was never funny. Woody Allen is a pretty terrible actor, too. I'm not too sure about his comic delivery because I've never heard him try to pull a joke off. The dialoge is meh, and unrealistic. It's distracting in a not-so-good-way.

His films are pretty ugly (or bland at best), his plots are thin or non-existant, the narrative confusing...

Why is this guy famous? Why did Annie Hall win Best Oscar? Was it groundbreaking to make a film without a plot back in 1977?

[JDFP]

There are definitely certain directors that you dig and some that you don't that do certain styles (for example, Shyamalan is one of my favorite directors out there, but alot of people hate his work). I think it really just depends on the particular style an individual gets into.

I've never been a big fan of "Annie Hall" (except for Diane Keaton, that's definite MILF material in my opinion) or Allen's earlier films mostly because I can't freaking stand Mia Farrow (she's mousy and annoying). However, alot of his newer films I really enjoy. I think "Match Point", ""Cassandra's Dream", and "Whatever Works" are all absolutely incredible films (Tom Wilkinson is just incredible in "Cassandra's Dream" as Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is incredible in "MP" along w/my future girlfriend Scarlett Johanssen). I'd say, at least IMO, "Match Point" and "Cassandra's Dream" are his two best films (in my opinion only, of course). If anything, I think Allen's London films that are set and filmed in England are better than his older or more New York-centric films. I'm not big on his comedy stuff, for the most part, although I appreciate the dry humor of it.

I think some of his more dramatic work backfires though. "Hannah and Her Sisters" was just boring as hell to me, and "Shadows and Fog" (Madonna and Mia Farrow both in the same film, yuck!) made me want to pull my hair out. But, I give him kudos for taking risks like this in doing films with unique perspectives.

I think Allen's films are getting better and better the older he gets. The older films he did were more slapstick comedic ("Bananas" and "Sleeper" and what not) and I think his newer films have really become biting satires (ESPECIALLY "Whatever Works") on not only himself and his decisions he's made as a person but just people in general. I think he really shines with his thrillers more than his comedies (even though he's known more for the latter than the former).

Anyway, just my .02 cents.

j.p.

[zombiekiller]

The more I see of this goose, the more un-impressed I am. I saw Annie Hall yesterday after hearing so much about it, and it unsatisfyingly dull. Nothing happened for 90 minutes. I never smiled, or smirked, or chuckled. It was never funny. Woody Allen is a pretty terrible actor, too. I'm not too sure about his comic delivery because I've never heard him try to pull a joke off. The dialoge is meh, and unrealistic. It's distracting in a not-so-good-way.

His films are pretty ugly (or bland at best), his plots are thin or non-existant, the narrative confusing...

Why is this guy famous? Why did Annie Hall win Best Oscar? Was it groundbreaking to make a film without a plot back in 1977?

i'll tell you three i think was pretty good, one was sleepers (think that was the name) then there was bananas(that's where he plays a dictator of a small country.) then the one i thoughr was the best of them all everything you wanted to know about sex but was afraid to ask( that one had a all star cast)

[shootemindehead]

The more I see of this goose, the more un-impressed I am. I saw Annie Hall yesterday after hearing so much about it, and it unsatisfyingly dull. Nothing happened for 90 minutes. I never smiled, or smirked, or chuckled. It was never funny. Woody Allen is a pretty terrible actor, too. I'm not too sure about his comic delivery because I've never heard him try to pull a joke off. The dialoge is meh, and unrealistic. It's distracting in a not-so-good-way.

His films are pretty ugly (or bland at best), his plots are thin or non-existant, the narrative confusing...

Why is this guy famous? Why did Annie Hall win Best Oscar? Was it groundbreaking to make a film without a plot back in 1977?

You've pretty much seen the best thing he's done then. The rest is average to rubbish.

Incredibly overrated fare IMHO.

[Neil]

Sleeper. I enjoyed that movie too.

Sleeper was awesome!

[DjfunkmasterG]

The only Woody Allen film I can stomach is Scenes from a Mall with him and Bette Midler. It is the only time I laughed at a Woody Allen film.

[LouCipherr]

It is the only time I laughed at a Woody Allen film.

People laugh at Woody Allen films?! :shifty:

[DjfunkmasterG]

People laugh at Woody Allen films?! :shifty:

That is the only I laughed at. Maybe because he didn't direct it and was just the star... but the only film of his that made me laugh. His other stuff is just two snooty for me likings.

It has an upperclass wine tasting snob appeal that I just don't get into.

[krakenslayer]

Sleeper was pretty good:

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Also, Take the Money and Run:

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I know it's a cliche to say so, but his earlier, slapstick comedies were a lot funnier. His later movies, from the late-70s onwards, are basically dramas with a couple of wacky characters thrown in.

[JDFP]

I know it's a cliche to say so, but his earlier, slapstick comedies were a lot funnier. His later movies, from the late-70s onwards, are basically dramas with a couple of wacky characters thrown in.

I think his films are getting better, but you're absolutely right. He's gone from "comedy" (the silly stuff like 'Bananas' and 'Sleeper') to much darker and fairly intense drama. If anyone here hasn't seen "Match Point" or "Cassandra's Dream" I would highly recommend both films. They are both set in London and Allen does an amazing job capturing the city and telling a great character-driven story in both flicks. He has a new flick coming out later this year called "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger" that should prove to be interesting as well (already in my queue), it's starring one of my future girlfriends, Naomi Watts, in it -- I think she's always great in anything she does, so I'll definitely be looking forward to checking it out.

j.p.

[bassman]

You know....I'm not sure that i've ever seen a Woody Allen film.:confused:

[Neil]

You know....I'm not sure that i've ever seen a Woody Allen film.:confused:

Sleeper is a classic :)

[Skippy911sc]

I enjoyed Annie Hall.

Chris Walken is fantastic as the crazy brother... Him telling Woody Allen about driving into the headlights of oncoming cars is hysterical especially when he has to drive him to the airport and runs a red light. I enjoyed the relationship he had with Annie and thought it showed the life cycle of relationship pretty well. The antisemitic talk was great... "did Jew it lunch".

It is perhaps the place you are in life when viewed or even the mood one is in when watching these films that gives us a positive response or a negative one.

[EvilNed]

Chris Walken is fantastic as the crazy brother... Him telling Woody Allen about driving into the headlights of oncoming cars is hysterical especially when he has to drive him to the airport and runs a red light. I enjoyed the relationship he had with Annie and thought it showed the life cycle of relationship pretty well. The antisemitic talk was great... "did Jew it lunch".

This I did not find funny at all. Nor did I get it. It didn't really add anything to the overall movie to me.

[Mr.G]

Try Manhattan...it's a classic.