Penelope Cruz, Woody Allen “To Rome With Love” Premiere ARRIVALS LA Film Fest
Below is a picture from Woody Allen’s latest movie and then below are some Italian films that influenced him over the years. Woody Allen is my favorite director and he is even getting better.

<!–By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY
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6/4/2012
After more than 40 films in just less than 50 years, director Woody Allen has turned to Italy as the location for his latest film, To Rome with Love, opening in the USA on June 22. Allen talks with USA TODAY’s Susan Wloszczyna about the movie, and he also discusses films by some of his favorite Italian directors.

By Andrew Medichini, AP
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7/14/2011
Ever since he switched to European settings, Allen, seen here filming in Rome last year, has allowed the mood of each city to dictate the tone of the movie.
“There are such strong personalities to these cities,” he says. “Rome is chaotic, hilarious, joyfully alive and full of farce… In Italy, you don’t think back to the earlier eras so much. It really came into its own post-World War II, and that is when Italian filmmakers began to define their country for Americans. It is very energetic and lusty.”
“There are such strong personalities to these cities,” he says. “Rome is chaotic, hilarious, joyfully alive and full of farce… In Italy, you don’t think back to the earlier eras so much. It really came into its own post-World War II, and that is when Italian filmmakers began to define their country for Americans. It is very energetic and lusty.”

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- The Criterion Collection
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For movie lovers who need to brush up on their Italian films, Allen suggests these five must-see titles.
Bicycle Thieves (also known as The Bicycle Thief, 1948). In this neo-realist classic directed by Vittorio De Sica, a poor man and his young son search the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle that he needs for his job.
Allen’s observation: “It is as great a film as has been ever made, an out-and-out piece of artistic perfection.’’
Bicycle Thieves (also known as The Bicycle Thief, 1948). In this neo-realist classic directed by Vittorio De Sica, a poor man and his young son search the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle that he needs for his job.
Allen’s observation: “It is as great a film as has been ever made, an out-and-out piece of artistic perfection.’’

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Shoeshine (1946). A rarely seen film, also directed by De Sica. A pair of shoeshine boys in Rome get into trouble when they try to save money to buy a horse.
Allen’s observation: “De Sica was a very simple filmmaker but a great storyteller, and these films are profoundly moving and beautifully told.”
Allen’s observation: “De Sica was a very simple filmmaker but a great storyteller, and these films are profoundly moving and beautifully told.”