Woody Allen: Yay or Nay?

Setun

Must admit, I personally find the guy hilarious, clever and observant and think (most of) his films are excellent. Then some of my mates think he's a pontificating, whiney New Yoiker who plays the same character in every one of his movies.

What do YOU think?

johnny_ultimate

Very yay indeed.

andy1249

The originator of the now stereotypical self deprecating jewish comedian , Very Nay indeed , easily the most irritating personality I know !!

johnny_ultimate

Hes kinda the marmite of the film industry. Everyone i know either loves the guy or despises him. Aint no inbetween

Hugh Hefner

Yay!

Karl Hungus

I'd say Nay. I've just never found him funny.

Pigman II

Most of his stuff prior to Annie Hall = Yay!

Most of his stuff post Annie Hall (and AH itself) = Nay!

Johnny Storm

Used to be way yay.
Annie Hall is a suberb film, Hannah and her Sisters pretty good too and lets not forget his "earlier, funnier" films.
His work has been increasingly spotty since the mid/late 80s. I havent bothered to watch one of his films for years

curiosity

Yay for me.

Sleepers, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and her sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Bullets over Broadway,all great films in my book.

His love of New York, funny take on male insecurities and his ability to get almost any actor to work in his films (esp female ones:) ) make him a personal favourite of mine.

I will concede that many of his films have a 'samey' feel to them. That's great if you like his work, annoying if you don't.

Goodshape

I'll take a Nay please Bob.

...haven't seen too many of his films but what I have I can't say I've enjoyed too much.

missingtime

curiosity wrote:

Sleepers.

Dunno if its a typo but Sleepers is a different film.

The one you're thinking of is Sleeper. You had me really confused there for a second.

mike65

I'm a semi demi Woody Allen fan.

Early stuff crudely made often, but funny. Films since he went "legit" increasingly mixed - Annie Hall, Hannah..., Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, Crimes and Misdemeanors all exellent but a lot of clunkers like Manhatten Murder Mystery, Midsummer Nights Sex Comedy etc, very lightweight stuff. I hav'nt even seen anything from about the last 10 years which proberly says it all.

Some point to Charles Joffe ceasing to be his "line-producer" as the moment Allens flicks lost thier way. It would have helped if he did'nt knock out a movie every 12 months.

Mike.

Blackjack

Nay indeed, very little to offer other than the same rather tired stuff over and over and over.

curiosity

missingtime wrote:

Dunno if its a typo but Sleepers is a different film.

The one you're thinking of is Sleeper. You had me really confused there for a second.

Thanks, boo-boo there:o

Agreed on the volume point. He has made a film a year for ages. It seems to be something to keep himself occupied. Does he ever shoot outside NY?

byte

Mostly Nay

monkeyfudge

curiosity wrote:

Thanks, boo-boo there:o

Agreed on the volume point. He has made a film a year for ages. It seems to be something to keep himself occupied. Does he ever shoot outside NY?

He has with his latest film which was shot entirely in Britain.

I saw the trailer the other day, and really wasn't too impressed by the look of it. I really don't like Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers though.

But I am a big Woody Allen fan... But I feel the last really great film he made was Crimes and Misdemeanors, which is an amazing peice of cinema. But there have been a few good ones since then... Bullets Over Broadway and Shadows and Fog were very good.

Melinda and Melinda was pretty good too... and a nice little idea... and I just love Chloë Sevigny.

Franky Boy

Very nay.

johnny_ultimate

Anyone else love The Purple Rose of Cairo? Still my favourite Allen work.

Johnny Storm

That's a good one all right. I'd forgotten about it I must admit.

Setun

I think my favourite is Broadway Danny Rose. Did anybody else nearly cry at the end or was it just me?

I enjoyed The Curse of the Jade Scorpion actually, but that Meryl Streep one annoys me.

~Rebel~

This thread popped up quite fortunatly for me, im looking for a Woody Allan film which has something to do with time travel, apparantly its some crazy movie, involving giant fruit running around the place. Might be called Banannas, not to be confused with the cuban dictatorship one! May in fact not be called that at all. My brothers been looking for it for years, does this sound familier to anyone?

Pigman II

Thats 'Sleeper'

~Rebel~

ah great, thanks very much, thats one christmas present sown up for me!

Basq

Very NAY NAY!!