I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of his own secular view. I salute him for doing that. That is why I have returned to his work over and over and presented my own Christian worldview as an alternative.
My interest in Woody Allen is so great that I have a “Woody Wednesday” on my blog www.thedailyhatch.org every week. Also I have done over 30 posts on the historical characters mentioned in his film “Midnight in Paris.” (Salvador Dali, Ernest Hemingway,T.S.Elliot, Cole Porter,Paul Gauguin, Luis Bunuel, and Pablo Picasso were just a few of the characters.)
Top 10 Woody Allen Movies
Woody Allen has made many movies in his time, and still averages around one movie per year. Allen is a director you either love or hate – I happen to love his films – but I am sure this list will have some very extreme comments from both perspectives. This list compiles not only the obvious choices but also some not so obvious ones.
Small Time Crooks (2000) trailer
Woody Allen stars, along with Tracy Ullman, in this funny film about a husband and wife who try to steal money from a bank. They do this by buying a neighboring pizza place, and turning it into a cookie shop so they can tunnel under it and inside the bank. The plan gets shot down when people actually want to buy cookies from the fake shop. It’s a hilarious piece of work that has a good start, a weak middle and a strong ending.
Small Time Crooks 10
9
In this film Woody Allen plays a writer who finds out he’s getting an award from his school and he decides he doesn’t wanna go alone. He takes along his best friend, a prostitute, and his son (against his ex-wife’s wishes). Also in the film we see characters from the stories he’s written come to life, such as Robin Williams as a literally out of focus man. Another hilarious moment is Billy Crystal as the devil. If this sounds as crazy as anything, it is.
8
This film stars Woody Allen and reunites him with long time co-star Diane Keaton. It also brings back Alan Alda who was previously in Crimes and Misdemeanors. In the film Woody Allen and Diane Keaton play a married couple who discover a murder, and decide to play detectives a la The Thin Man. It’s a brilliant piece of film because of its sense of realism, and the fact that it could happen in real life.
7
Zelig
Woody Allen makes a farce on documentaries in this film. He plays Leonard Zelig, a human chameleon who can blend into any background and is seen at many of the most historical events in history. This film also stars Mia Farrow as a psychiatrist who tries to cure him of his changing. It’s funny seeing Allen change face and form, and even language, as he morphs into whoever he’s around at the time.
6
Sleeper (1973) – Trailer
In this hilarious film about the future, Woody Allen plays Miles Monroe, a jazz musician who is frozen and not defrosted until two hundred years in the future. He doesn’t know how to deal with it since everything has changed so much. He pretends to be a robot and kidnaps Luna, who is played by Diane Keaton, and they try to figure out how to destroy an evil dictator. It’s full of laughs and funny to see what a comedian’s idea of the future was like.
5
The film was based on a book by Dr. David Reuben, published in 1969. The film is comprised of a series of sketches on the subject of sex, including Woody Allen as a court jester trying to seduce a queen and a cross dressing husband. It’s a real trip to watch.
4
WOODY ALLEN TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN CELLO MARCHING BAND SCENE
This movie is like Zelig in the sense that it’s another documentary style parody. Woody Allen plays an escaped convict who is trying to escape, for good, from the law. He meets a girl that he really likes and everything seems to work out, until he tries to rob a bank with terrible results (they can’t read his hold up note). It’s a humorous film that keeps the laughs going every second it can.
3
In this film Woody Allen plays a products tester for a large corporation who feels his life is going nowhere. Then he gets on the subway and is mangled by a young Sly Stallone, in his first major film appearance. However, he meets a female activist, played by Louise Lasser, and things start looking up. When they break up he takes a trip to a little country called San Marcos, where the revolutionaries decide to assassinate the ruler of the country. Eventually, Allen becomes ruler of San Marcos and goes back to the US after getting involved in what is one of the funniest courtroom scenes ever. There’s a great cameo by Howard Cosell and much much more.
2
Play It Again, Sam trailer
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton supposedly met when they were auditioning for the play that this movie was based on, and they both found each other delighted by their sense of humor. If that is true then it’s no question why they ended up doing a film of the play in 1972. The premise is a very uncool man, played by Woody Allen, tries to emulate one of his great movie heroes, Humphrey Bogart, so he can meet women. To the extent that Bogart himself (played by Jerry Lacy) is giving him dating advice. He has a female friend (Linda) who is played by Diane Keaton, she is married to Dick who is played by Tony Roberts. He is a businessman who never pays any attention to his wife, and Woody Allen figures that he should be with Linda instead of him. The hilarity starts when Woody Allen’s character is set up on several dates which led to very humorous results. A real hilarious picture.
1
Annie Hall – Movie Trailer
Yes, this film has probably won the most awards, and received the most nominations so far of any of Woody Allen’s films. If you’ve seen it already, there’s no need to go into much details, but the basic story is about Woody Allen’s character, Alvy. Alvy happens to be a stand up comic, much like Allen himself who started in the same field, and his relationship with Annie Hall, played by Diane Keaton. It is one of his funniest films, and it has been parodied several times in tv shows and other media. One of my favorite scenes is when Woody is standing in line for a movie and a man who teaches film is behind him. He is trying to explain the plots and sub plots of director Marshall McLuhan’s films, and Allen actually brings him forth to speak to the guy, telling him that he knows nothing of his work and how he got to teach a course in anything is nothing short of amazing. If you haven’t seen this film go see it immediately, and if you don’t enjoy it the first time then wait a while and see it again, it will grow on you.
This is probably the best known Woody Allen film on the list, and for that reason I have made it a bonus item instead of ranking it (where it would probably take top spot). If you have never seen a Woody Allen film, this is the one to see. Isaac (Allen), 42, has divorced Jill. She is now living with another woman, Connie, and is writing a book in which she will reveal some very private points of their relationship. Isaac has a love affair with Tracy, 17, when he meets Mary, the mistress of his best friend, Yale. This film features some stunning cinematography and really is worth the watch.
Related posts:
I love the movie “Midnight in Paris” by Woody Allen and I have done over 30 posts on the historical characters mentioned in the film. Take a look below:
“Midnight in Paris” one of Woody Allen’s biggest movie hits in recent years, July 18, 2011 – 6:00 am
(Part 26,James Joyce) July 4, 2011 – 5:55 am
(Part 25, T.S.Elliot) July 3, 2011 – 4:46 am
(Part 24, Djuna Barnes) July 2, 2011 – 7:28 am
(Part 23,Adriana, fictional mistress of Picasso) July 1, 2011 – 12:28 am
(Part 22, Silvia Beach and the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore) June 30, 2011 – 12:58 am
(Part 21,Versailles and the French Revolution) June 29, 2011 – 5:34 am
“Woody Wednesday” A 2010 review of Woody Allen’s Annie Hall
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
“Woody Wednesday” In 2009 interview Woody Allen talks about the lack of meaning of life and the allure of younger women
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
Woody Allen video interview in France talk about making movies in Paris vs NY and other subjects like God, etc
Woody Allen video interview in France Related posts: “Woody Wednesdays” Woody Allen on God and Death June 6, 2012 – 6:00 am Good website on Woody Allen How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter? If Jesus Christ came back today and […]
“Woody Wednesday” Woody Allen on the Emptiness of Life by Toby Simmons
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham (Woody Wednesday)
A surprisingly civil discussion between evangelical Billy Graham and agnostic comedian Woody Allen. Skip to 2:00 in the video to hear Graham discuss premarital sex, to 4:30 to hear him respond to Allen’s question about the worst sin and to 7:55 for the comparison between accepting Christ and taking LSD. ___________________ The Christian Post > […]
“Woody Allen Wednesdays” can be seen on the www.thedailyhatch.org
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 If you like Woody Allen films as much as I do then join me every Wednesday for another look the man and his movies. Below are some of the posts from the past: “Woody Wednesday” How Allen’s film “Crimes and Misdemeanors makes the point that hell is necessary […]
“Woody Wednesday” Great Documentary on Woody Allen
I really enjoyed this documentary on Woody Allen from PBS. Woody Allen: A Documentary, Part 1 Published on Mar 26, 2012 by NewVideoDigital Beginning with Allen’s childhood and his first professional gigs as a teen – furnishing jokes for comics and publicists – WOODY ALLEN: A DOCUMENTARY chronicles the trajectory and longevity of Allen’s career: […]
“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 6)
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 3 Uploaded by camdiscussion on Sep 23, 2007 Part 3 of 3: ‘Is Woody Allen A Romantic Or A Realist?’ A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, Crimes and Misdemeanors, perhaps his finest. By Anton Scamvougeras. http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/ antons@mail.ubc.ca ______________ One of my favorite Woody Allen movies and I reviewed […]
“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 5)
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 2 Uploaded by camdiscussion on Sep 23, 2007 Part 2 of 3: ‘What Does The Movie Tell Us About Ourselves?’ A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, perhaps his finest. By Anton Scamvougeras. http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/ antons@mail.ubc.ca _________________- One of my favorite Woody Allen movies and I reviewed it earlier but […]
In 2009 interview Woody Allen talks about the lack of meaning of life and the allure of younger women
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
“Woody Allen Wednesdays” can be seen on the www.thedailyhatch.org
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 If you like Woody Allen films as much as I do then join me every Wednesday for another look the man and his movies. Below are some of the posts from the past: “Woody Wednesday” How Allen’s film “Crimes and Misdemeanors makes the point that hell is necessary […]
Woody Allen on the Emptiness of Life by Toby Simmons
I have spent alot of time talking about Woody Allen films on this blog and looking at his worldview. He has a hopeless, meaningless, nihilistic worldview that believes we are going to turn to dust and there is no afterlife. Even though he has this view he has taken the opportunity to look at the weaknesses of […]
“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 4)
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 Uploaded by camdiscussion on Sep 23, 2007 Part 1 of 3: ‘What Does Judah Believe?’ A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, perhaps his finest. By Anton Scamvougeras. http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/ antons@mail.ubc.ca _____________ One of my favorite films is this gem by Woody Allen “Crimes and Misdemeanors”: Film Review By […]
“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 3)
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 3 Uploaded by camdiscussion on Sep 23, 2007 Part 3 of 3: ‘Is Woody Allen A Romantic Or A Realist?’ A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, Crimes and Misdemeanors, perhaps his finest. By Anton Scamvougeras. http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/ antons@mail.ubc.ca ______________ One of my favorite Woody Allen movies and I reviewed […]
“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 2)
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 2 Uploaded by camdiscussion on Sep 23, 2007 Part 2 of 3: ‘What Does The Movie Tell Us About Ourselves?’ A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, perhaps his finest. By Anton Scamvougeras. http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/ antons@mail.ubc.ca _________________- One of my favorite Woody Allen movies and I reviewed it earlier but […]
“Woody Wednesday” Discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (Part 1)
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 Uploaded by camdiscussion on Sep 23, 2007 Part 1 of 3: ‘What Does Judah Believe?’ A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, perhaps his finest. By Anton Scamvougeras. http://camdiscussion.blogspot.com/ antons@mail.ubc.ca _____________ Today I am starting a discusssion of the movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” by Woody Allen. This 1989 […]
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