Woody Allen Collection Vol. 1 - Bananas/Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask/Sleeper/Love And Death/Annie Hall (Box Set)

Advantages: A picturesque quality not captured by his other films
Disadvantages: He isn't actually in it, only the narrator - allows for lots of jokes though

...This is a gem from the Woody Allen collection, as moving as Manhattan and Annie Hall, but with some of the childish humour and gags found in Sleeper, or Everything you always wanted to know about sex (but were afraid to ask). So if you're a Woody Allen fan you should already realise you're in for a treat. He narrates the film himself, in a calm monotonal voice, which is very soothing in a similar way to that, which late night radio dj's strive for. It also allows joke after joke from himself, even though he is not physically present. There is one scene in a particular that is extremely funny in which the the boy (woody allen) is taken to see the rabbai having been caught with stolen property, the scene concludes with the rabbai, the father, and the mother taking it upon themselves to physically educate the child, whilst illustrating... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Great film
Disadvantages: No features!!

...Although Manhattan gains critical plaudits, and many say that Sleeper and Bananas are his funniest, this, for me, is Allen's best. Annie Hall is the ultimate Woody Allen film; it has a perfect balance of slapstick and verbal humour, it is original and fresh, and it is very engaging, with characters who behave like real people, not constructs, or a means to an end. You know the story by now; the neurotic Woody Allen character falls head over heels in love with sorta arty, sorta sporty, mainly ditzy Annie Hall (played by the ever wonderful Diane Keaton), and they embark upon a hilarious, if doomed, love affair (this isn't spoiling it- we know from the outset of the film that Woody Allen's character is no longer with Annie Hall). It features many elements we have come to expect from Woody Allen, not just the neurotic porrayal of himself... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Please see review
Disadvantages: Please see review

...poignant comedy, albeit a neurotic one. +++ SOME QUOTES: +++ Annie wants to smoke marijuana before sex. Annie Hall: It relaxes me. Alvy Singer: You have to be artificially relaxed before we can go to bed? Annie Hall: Well, what's the difference anyway? Alvy Singer: Well, I'll give you a shot of sodium pentathol. You can sleep through it. Alvy questions an old man on the street about his sex life. Alvy Singer: With your wife in bed, does she need some kind of artificial stimulation, like, like marijuana? Old man on street: We use a large vibrating egg. In California. Annie Hall: It's so clean out here. Alvy Singer: That's because they don't throw their garbage away, they turn it into television shows. Alvy is asked to try cocaine Alvy Singer: I don't want to put a wad of white powder in my nose. There's the nasal membrane... Annie Hall... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful