The Woody Allen Collection, Set 1 (Annie Hall/Manhattan/Sleeper/Bananas/Interiors/Stardust Memories/Love and Death/Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask)

Amazon.com

Starting with 1971's Bananas, Woody Allen's second film as director, this set of eight movies includes all of Allen's work as a director up to 1980, when he wrestled with his own popularity in the Fellini-esque Stardust Memories, showcasing the distinctive arc of a filmmaker who moved from lighthearted movies to more serious fare that still remains breathtaking after 20 years. In between those two movies, there are wonderful trips of comedy, tragedy and romance to be had. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask is a hilarious set of vignettes based on the popular instructional manual, the most notable a segment featuring Gene Wilder's infatuation with a female sheep. The futuristic Sleeper and the underrated Love and Death showcase Allen at his funniest, especially the latter, which tackles the weighty subjects of Russian novels and Bergman films with adroit parody.

Allen's Oscar-winning Annie Hall is one of the most joyous (and melancholy) romances ever made, with a star-making turn by Diane Keaton and a witty screenplay (cowritten with Marshall Brickman) that remains one of Allen's best. Allen did a 180 with the Bergman-esque Interiors, a sometimes stilted drama that nonetheless presaged the dysfunctional-family drama of films like Ordinary People and featured outstanding performances by Geraldine Page and Mary Beth Hurt, as well as unparalleled cinematography by Gordon Willis. The last two films in the set--the romantic Manhattan and the acidic Stardust Memories--are both gorgeously shot in black and white and represent Allen at the peak of his creative powers, as he wrestles with the meaning of life in terms of both love and art, albeit from different perspectives. Indispensable to any film fan, this boxed set represents nothing less than a landmark of American cinema. --Mark Englehart

Description

Disc 1: ANNIE HALL Disc 2: EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK Disc 3: INTERIORS Disc 4: LOVE AND DEATH Disc 5: MANHATTAN Disc 6: SLEEPER Disc 7: STARDUST MEMORIES Disc 8: BANANAS

Customer Reviews:

Prelude to the Later Masterpieces.......2007-09-16

I've seen these films over the the years numerous times, never really loved them, but recognize them now as the necessary practice of a developing talent, who has grown enormously over the years. Yes, "Annie Hall" is a kick, but compared to "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Hannah and Her Sisters," and "Deconstructing Harry," it must be seen as a young work, well-conceived, but lacking the depth of his more mature work. Others disagree, of course, and why not? There are numerous bright spots in these films. Certainly "Manhattan" is a unique love-poem to the city. Woody's preoccupation with Dostoevsky is shown to great affect in "Love and Death," but all in all I prefer his late work, and believe that Mia Farrow played a crucial role in inspiring his mature phase. Woody himself has expressed reservations for his work overall. There are indeed limitations, and it is doubtful that he will ever be compared to the greats. But he is certainly great enough for me. He remains the most exciting director of our generation.

The best Woody Allen collection.......2007-03-19

Enjoyed Annie Hall again last night - Best Picture, 1977? My husband loved Bananas and all of the earlier movies.

The Woody Allen Collection - 8 pack.......2007-02-08

Great collection of early Woody Allen titles. Nicely presented in slip cover box. Great value for money. Can't wait to get started on them!

not able to run them in European dvd-s.......2007-01-23

Totally disappointed!!!
I love Woody Allen, love his films
BUT - dvd-s are coded for US market and are not possible to be viewed on our European dvd -s
total waste of money
you should have warned me on that

Barbara Kalas, architect from Croatia

It doesn't get much better than this..........2005-06-18

No one will doubt that Woody Allen is the only director who has consistently mastered the art of writing and directing intelligent, funny, unforgettable stories. These films are great examples of that. Fromk Annie Hall to Sleeper [I haven't viewed Stardust Memories yet], you will be completely satisfied with your purchase. Here's an overview of the films:

Annie Hall: Allem's best film, hands down. The story of a couple who meets in a New York tennis club. Allen plays Alvy Singer, a carbon copy of Allen's stereotypical self [neurotic, clumsy, "suave"], while Keaton, who gives a stunning performance, plays Annie Hall, a country girl from Wisconsin trying to find a life in New York. A great story about relationships. The last paragraph that Allen narrates is fabulous. Don't watch this film first, or you may not appreciate Allen's other work as much!

Bananas: On the sillier side, this film is about Fielding Mellish, another character based on himself. Mellish works for a large corporation. Testing products. If you are at all familiar with Allen, you already know that there is a witty scene coming up. Mellish travels to the small Latin American country of San Marcos to find something to do. He ends up becoming the communist dictator there, and that is all I will say.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* *But were afraid to ask: A great satire on the popular book. This is a series of seven small sex stories, varying from Gene Wilder's affair with a sheep to a giant, deadly mammary. Watch for Allen's coolest role as Fabrizio, the Italian.

Interiors: A stunning film [very serious] about a wealthy Long Island family that steers away from the mother. This film is beautifully shot, and it really pays a lot of attention to showing every aspect of every character. Tension builds quickly, and it stays until the end.

Love and Death: One of my personal top five Allen films. This one is about Napoleon trying to take over Russia. Allen plays Boris Grushenko, a Russian Catholic, who falls in love with his distant cousin, Sonja [Keaton]. This one is nonstop laughs, but only if you are familiar with the war and the works of Russian writers. It is still very funny otherwise, but not as deeply funny.

Manhattan: Similar to Annie Hall, but a little different. Allen plays Isaac Davis, who falls in love with a seventeen year old [Mariel Hemingway], and also with Mary [Keaton], an overly pretentious New Yorker at the same time. This story is again about relationship, but this one is extreme. Shot in black and white, and accompanied by a George Gershwin soundtrack, many Allen fans consider this film his love letter to New York City. It is also considered his best by many people. I think he has made better, but this is a stunning film.

Sleeper: Sleeper is 'Love and Death' set in the future. A great film about Allen, who is frozen in 1973, and defrosted 200 years later. Great jokes, chase scenes, and more. In one scene, Diane Keaton and a leader of a revolutionist underground organization re-create scenes from his childhood. Another joke about the NRA. Sleeper is probably the best film to see if one wants a good introduction to Allen's style.

All in all, this collection is a must-own. Also, at less than ten dollars per DVD, no fan should pass this up. Separately, they cost more. Buy this today and you will be granted a good taste in motion pictures!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask

Average customer rating:

An uneven collection of sketches mixing superb comedy with a dated feel
One of Woody Allen's Funniest Films...
Singular Hiccup in an Otherwise Great Series of Comedies
Silly Allen is good Allen
"My gynecologist told me to avoid excitement!"

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask
Starring: Stanley Adams , Jack Barry , John Carradine , Erin Fleming , and Elaine Giftos
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0792846079
Release Date: 2000-07-05

Amazon.com

A collection of vignettes, loosely based on the book by Dr. David Rueben, written and directed by Woody Allen, Everything contains some very funny moments. It's easy to forget that the cerebral Allen excelled at the type of broad, Catskill, dirty jokes and visual gags that run amok here. It's also remarkable how dirty this 1972 movie really was--bestiality, exposure, perversion, and S&M get their moments to shine. The Woody Allen here, who appears in many of the sketches, is a portent of the seedy old Allen of Deconstructing Harry. Although the final bit, which takes place inside a man's body during a very hot date, is hilarious, most of Everything feels like the screen adaptation of a '70s bathroom joke book. Still, a must for Allen fans. --Keith Simanton

Description

Woody Allen pushes the frontiers of comedy by consolidating his madcap sensibility and wickedly funny irreverence with his developing penchant for visually arresting humor. Giving complete indulgenceto the zany eccentricity of his medium, Allen reveals himself as a filmmaker of "wit, sophistication, and comic insight" (Cue). Allen rises to the occasion with several hysterical vignettes that probe sexuality's stickiest issues! Aphrodisiacs prove effective for a court jester (Allen) who finds the key to the Queen's (Lynn Redgrave) heartbut learns that the key to her chastitybelt might be more useful. Unnatural acts get wild and wooly when a good doctor (Gene Wilder) fallsfor a fickle sheep. Jack Barry gives fetishism 20 questions on a wacky TV show called "What's My Perversion?" Sex-research goes under the microscope when a mad scientist (John Carradine) unleashes a monstrous, marauding breast. And the absurdity comes to a frenzied climax with Tony Randall, Burt Reynolds and Allen as sperm having second thoughts about ejaculation!

Customer Reviews:

An uneven collection of sketches mixing superb comedy with a dated feel.......2007-09-11

In the late 1960s one Dr David Reuben released a book entitled EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX *BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK. Woody Allen's 1972 "movie adaptation" uses the questions of Dr Reuben's question-and-answer format as the titles for 7 comedic sketches all on sexual themes. This was Allen's third conventional film, and his growing importance in Hollywood is evident from the film's all-star cast.

The opening "Do Aphrodisiacs Work?", set in medieval times, has Woody Allen as a court jester who seeks to seduce the queen. Most of the humour here consists of anachronism: the jester's jokes are too bad for even a borscht belt comedian, and the dialogue consists of Elizabethian stylings mixed with sexual terminology and crude slang from the present.

The following sketch, "What is Sodomy?", is for many viewers the very best. A New York City general practitioner (Gene Wilder) is visited by an Armenian shepherd () who begs the doctor to restore the magic to relationship of him and a cherished sheep. What ensues, with the doctor descending ever deeper into madness, is made hilarious by Wilder's committed performance and the dialogue is immensely quotable. Another high point of the film is "Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm?". Shot in black and white and with an Italian dialogue, the segment is Allen's hommage to the cool ambience of Antonioni and Fellini. Allen plays a suave, sunglasses-wearing film director who cannot manage to satisfy his wife, played by Louise Lasser, until they begin having risky sex in public places. The fun comes not only in the challenges the man must face in making his wife happy, but also in Allen's ridiculous accent while speaking Italian.

In "Are Transvestites Homosexuals?", Lou Jacobi plays a man who sneaks upstairs while at a dinner party in order to wear his hostess' clothes, and subsequently gets himself deeper and deeper in trouble. It's humorous enough, but one wonders if this segment were stronger when the film was first released. Judging from its high frequency in big Hollywood films of the 1960s and early 1970s, crossdressing must have once been a much funnier concept in that era. The following "What Are Sex Perverts?" is a parody of the game show What's My Line? where a panel of minor celebrities try to guess the perversion of a contestant, who wins $5 for every wrong guess. This is quite funny, but far too brief, as the concept could have been stretched out a bit more.

"Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate?" is a Frankenstein parody where Allen and Heather MacRae play recently acquainted sex researchers who meet a great sexologist (John Carradine), only to discover that he's a diabolical madman. The first half of this segment is pretty funny, as Allen and MacRae make their way through the doctor's castle of horrors. But the second half, when the pair seeks to defeat a giant breast ravaging the countryside, is some of the lamest humour I've seen in some time.

The characters of the last segment, "What Happens During Ejaculation?", are personifications of the organs as a man goes on a date with a woman. The brain is depicted as a NASA mission control, with Tony Randall and Burt Reynolds struggling to coordinate bodily functions. They call down to the stomach (men carting off a newly-arrived load of fettucini), and the genitals (blue-collar joes working an enormous pump), as well as other places. Much here will make you chuckle, such as the captured "saboteur" of the man's sexual ambitions, his conscience, depicted as a priest in a Roman collar, and Allen's performance as a sperm cell terrified of making the leap into the unknown. All in all, however, I find this quite dated as well.

While my overall impressions is that EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX is quite dated, it's funny enough, and the portions with Allen as an Italian lover and Wilder as a befuddled doctor make it worth seeing at least once.

One of Woody Allen's Funniest Films..........2006-12-28

Before "Annie Hall," Woody Allen's comedy was very different. Rather than the mature quips that any Woody Allen fan is used to post-Annie Hall, most of the movies made before that are wacky, hilarious, and out-there bits that show (nowadays) Woody Allen's comedic range. "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*But Were Afraid to Ask" is a series of vignettes with Allen "answering" (supposedly) real questions. Usually in an unconventional, yet hilarious, way. Here is a brief synopsis of each:

1. Do Aphrodisiacs Work-Starring Allen and Lynn Redgrave, this story takes place near the Renaissance Period. Allen plays The Fool, the king's comedian who fails to impress anybody with his humor. The reason for this is, likely, because The Fool is written as a modern man placed in ancient times. Desperately wanting to have relations with The Queen (Redgrave), he gets a potion from a sorcerer before meeting his untimely end.

2. What is Sodomy-Gene Wilder plays a doctor who is shocked to learn that an Armenian shepherd has had sex with one of his sheep. When the man brings the sheep in, the doctor finds himself falling in love and conducting an affair with a sheep. Sounds morbid, but is just used as a (slightly insane) metaphor.

3. Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm-This vignette is in Italian (I think) and stars Allen as a Marcello Mastroianni-like Italian man who has recently married. Problem is, he can't give his wife an orgasm...Except in a public place.

4. Are Transvestites Gay-In this one, a man goes to his daughter's fiancées parents house for dinner with his wife. Once there, he goes to the bathroom but finds himself in the room of the parents trying on the mothers clothing. Everything is fine, until he is forced to flee out a window and finds his purse snatched outside.

5. What Are Sex Perverts-In black & white, this vignette is about a gameshow in which people come on and reveal their perversions. Watch for a young Regis Philbin (looking very different, but with the same unmistakable voice) as himself.

6. Are the Findings of Doctors, Who Do Sexual Research, Accurate-This stars Allen as a man traveling to see a world-famous sexual research doctor. Picking up a pretty blonde reporter along the way, he finds the man to be insane and attempting to use them for his experiments. Pretty soon, a giant killer breast is on the loose.

7. What Happens During Ejaculation-This stars Burt Reynolds and Woody Allen as some workers in a man's body, controlling what he does. Allen plays a sperm that is scared about being "sent out" into the world.

The film contains lots of metaphors, lots of double-entendres, and lots of hilarity. Despite it's subject matter, it's not graphic. There's no nudity or anything. The movie has a large cast and is easily one of the funniest films Woody Allen has ever done. Every vignette is good and none of them overstay their welcome (the film is only 88 minutes). The movie is so different from other Woody Allen material that it's possible that people who DON'T like Woody Allen might enjoy this movie. It's one of his finest.
GRADE: A-

Singular Hiccup in an Otherwise Great Series of Comedies.......2006-07-03

From 1969's Take the Money & Run to well into the 80's, Allen created a series of comedies that established him as one of the preeminant writer/director/actor one-man-bands in the history of moviemaking. An argument can be made that Allen didn't really run out of gas until the mid nineties and the Soon-Yi & Mia Farrow public relations debacle trashed his image forever. The danger of filming a series of skits is, inevitably, some skits are going to be stronger than others. Thus, EYAWKASBWAA is a mixed bag with generally blah results. Allen starts the movie in fool's motley and ends dressed as a sperm. In between is some really funny stuff and some really tedious stuff.

Silly Allen is good Allen.......2006-04-17

`Everything You Always To Know About Sex' is probably the last time Woody Allen really fooled about and made an ass of himself with minimal artistic pretences, and given the mediocre quality of recent disposable duds like `Melinda & Melinda' and `Anything Else', it's quite refreshing. True, this 1972 collection of extremely lewd skits isn't quite as impressive and thought-provoking as some of Allen's best works, like `Annie Hall', `Manhattan' or for that matter even the follow-up `Sleeper'; yet there's an energy to `Everything You Always Wanted To Know' that Allen has not shown for at least a decade, and in that light it's still entirely classic.

If anything, the film is closest in its spirit to early Allen films like `Bananas' and `Sleeper', but it actually feels more like a British comedy, and is clearly influenced by shows like `Monty Python's Flying Circus' and `The Benny Hill Show', in it's chaotic and rude humor. Still, Allen's mark is all over the skits, even when he isn't in them. One of the best of the bunch, in fact, is the skit titled `What Is Sodomy', which stars Gene Wilder. Influences of both Monty Python and Mel Brooks can be felt in it, but it's entirely Allen; and still, it's Wilder that makes it perfect. Even more Pythonish is the fabricated game-show `What's Your Perversion'.

The best and most memorable is the last skit, entitled `What Happens During Ejaculation', in which Allen does a wonderful portrayal of a sperm, and we catch a glimpse of the action in the control room of a man's body during sexual intercourse. The skit is brilliantly satirical and ranks with Allen's best moments, nearly overshadowing the rest of the film. Still, it's not without it's unforgettable moments; other than Wilder, also worthy of special praise is John Carradine who is wonderful as the ultimate parody of a mad scientist, and let's not forget Woody Allen as a fool in the Middle Ages misquoting Hamlet and getting his hand stuck up the Queen's chastity belt, and his wonderful performance as an Italian Casanova.

So no, it's not quite one of Allen's best films, but it's close. The humor is dirty, yes, but not childish; Allen's intelligence is there, but it's much lighter than `Annie Hall' or other classics, and like a Monty Python or a Mel Brooks it bears multiple viewings. A movie that's funny as hell, essential for Allen fans, and recommended for all.

"My gynecologist told me to avoid excitement!".......2006-01-20

Every bit of Woody Allen's film is funny, but Lou Jacobi's performance in "What Is A Transvestite?" has to be one of the most hilarious performances in cinema history! For that alone, you must buy this DVD for your collection.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

An uneven collection of sketches mixing superb comedy with a dated feel
One of Woody Allen's Funniest Films...
Singular Hiccup in an Otherwise Great Series of Comedies
Silly Allen is good Allen
"My gynecologist told me to avoid excitement!"

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004XOD0

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

An uneven collection of sketches mixing superb comedy with a dated feel.......2007-09-11

One of Woody Allen's Funniest Films..........2006-12-28

Singular Hiccup in an Otherwise Great Series of Comedies.......2006-07-03

Silly Allen is good Allen.......2006-04-17

"My gynecologist told me to avoid excitement!".......2006-01-20

Average customer rating:

An uneven collection of sketches mixing superb comedy with a dated feel
One of Woody Allen's Funniest Films...
Singular Hiccup in an Otherwise Great Series of Comedies
Silly Allen is good Allen
"My gynecologist told me to avoid excitement!"

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004TT79

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

An uneven collection of sketches mixing superb comedy with a dated feel.......2007-09-11

One of Woody Allen's Funniest Films..........2006-12-28

Singular Hiccup in an Otherwise Great Series of Comedies.......2006-07-03

Silly Allen is good Allen.......2006-04-17

"My gynecologist told me to avoid excitement!".......2006-01-20

DVD:

DVD

DVD