Customer Reviews

The Woody Allen Collection (Hannah and Her Sisters / The Purple Rose of Cairo / Broadway Danny Rose / Zelig / A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy / Radio Days)

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This Woody Allen collection of six (6) early to middle films is more homogeneous than the first. You do not have the very serious `Interiors' sitting between two of Allen's funniest movies. But, there are some bumps along the road if you start watching this from the top and are not familiar with Allen's works. The titles in this set are:

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
Zelig
Broadway Danny Rose
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Hannah and Her Sisters
Radio Days

The first and the last films are pretty lighthearted. The middle films have a fair share of bittersweet moments. In fact, I put `The Purple Rose of Cairo' into that rare class of movies such as Terry Gillian's `Brazil' which are so good at being poignant that they are literally hard to watch. Even the rampant parody, `Zelig' has some moments when you are really strongly influenced by the plight of the main character.

Although I suspect `A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy' may be the weakest of these six, it is the one I most enjoy rewatching. And, this is the one feature of Allen's movies I most highly value. I will enjoy a James Bond action flick once, but I will watch `Hannah and Her Sisters' over and over and over.

One of the most interesting things about `Radio Days' is that it came out in the same year as the very similar film of `Brighton Beach Memoirs'. And, as I recall, the critical opinion was that `Radio Days' was far superior. I agree.

Strongly recommended for both old and new Woody Allen fans.

Without a doubt the existence of the third Woody Allen collection is reason to rejoice. Those of you without any of the other previous releases in your collection, should consider making this your initial acquisition. Eventually, like me, you will crave that which came before, after and whatever comes next. If you assemble all the films available you will appreciate the enormity of this man's talent and range. Actually, within this set is the very essence of what he does best. A little pathos and little bathos and some very specific NYC moments you can appreciate, even if you do not live in or know NYC. His love and respect of music and its significance to the overall impact of the film is perhaps one of Woody Allen's most significant contributions to the artform.

These selections from the 80's contain some of the most inspired casting, sets and script writing. All the Seinfeld devotees might investigate the origins of neurosis and urban nuance as it was originally conceived and enacted by a true comic genius. This is the template for ensemble comedic acting. Yes there are laughs but most arrive as bittersweet moments that are not annouced as marquee statements that benefit from a laugh track, but as simple moments that are so memorable because of their subtlety.

Perhaps the three most unique films of Woody's pantheon are here, MidSummer Night's Sex Comedy, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Zelig. All are told as fractured fairy tales that create an atmosphere of pure escapism and delight. These three demonstrate the range and flexibility of his vision.

Broadway Danny Rose and Radio Days are infused with a love of subject that few films match. Again the performances of the ensemble represent some of the finest work by those actors yet. Mia Farrow's performance in Broadway Danny Rose, sinks in as you finally realize its her in the role of Tina Vitale.

Hannah and Her Sisters is a tour de force of acting and script. You must see it several times to grasp it's individual performances and appreciate the complete vision it represents of human nature.

When you consider the pace with which he makes his films and the balance he exhibits in the stories he chooses to tell, you can appreciate how important Woody Allen is to cinema. Think of him as the Robert Rauschenberg of film, an artist capable of taking elements from anywhere and applying his signature to them, making them his own, just by the way he assembles the pieces.

Get this set and if possible try to watch all of them in sequence. I promise that if you are not a Woody Allen fan you will be after seeing this particular group.

* INTERESTING NOTE: Here's something to watch for as you are viewing. In Hannah and Her Sisters you will notice a solitary ant that crosses the frame, staggering top to bottom. At first, I thought it was actually on my screen and attempted to "flick" it away. Upon finding it was in the DVD print, I then saw it as a wry Hitchcock-like reference to his role in the animated feature ANTZ. Silly I know, but just another reason to pay close attention to every little thing in his films.

This edition of the Woody Allen Collection is probably the best of the three box sets recently issued by MGM DVD. While Woody is probably best known for his early-70s slapstick comedies ("Sleeper," "Bananas") and his revolutionary reconstruction of the comedy with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan," three of his absolute best films appear in this set. "Zelig," whose technological advances foreshadow those of 1994's Academy Award favorite "Forrest Gump" by nearly ten years, is easily the better film, and the three years Woody spent making this film seems well worth the effort. About a "human chameleon," Leonard Zelig, whose insecure shapeshifting act ranges from pure novelty to affinities with fascism, is as funny as it is sharp. The best film in the set, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," also foreshadows the postmodern nostalgia films of the late 1990s, particularly "Pleasantville." Set during the Depression, this film is about a woman trapped in an awful marriage and an equally dissatisfying job. She escapes the misery of her life by watching films. She watches the same film over and over, and one of the characters comes off the screen to intervene in her life. A wonderful, complex and poignant examination of the conflation between fiction and reality, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," though a sad and dramatic film, is as powerful as anything Woody Allen has directed. The third wonderful film here is "Hannah and Her Sisters," which won three Oscars, is a return to the ensemble sensibility Woody perfected in "Manhattan." "Broadway Danny Rose" is probably the best of the remaining titles--about a hardworking theatrical manager who is failure at his work specifically because he cares so much about the personal wellbeing of his clients. Mia Farrow gives one of her best performances here. "Radio Days" is a narratively complex film about a Jewish family from Rockaway in the 40s whose lives are informed and entertained by the radio (just as we are entertained by the television and the internet today). The one weak film in the set is "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy," which is very similar to the much better Ingmar Bergman film "Smiles of a Summer Night." It involves three couples together in the country one weekend who all seem to be paired with the wrong lover. This set shows an intoxicating run of quality films by a director at the peak of his powers.

The Woody Allen Collection 3 gathers together six of Mr. Allen's films from the 80's. They are amongst the strongest films of his career and they feature his best work with one time wife Mia Farrow. The set features their first film together, the goofy farce, 1981's A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy as well their best film together, 1986's Hannah & Her Sisters. The latter film very well might be Mr. Allen's greatest triumph. He effortlessly weaves together the story of three sisters (Ms. Farrow, Barbara Hershey & Dianne Wiest) that involves a love triangle and Mr. Allen's brush with death that has him searching for religion among numerous hilarious plotlines. Mr. Allen won the Oscar for Best Screenplay and Ms. Wiest & Michael Caine took home Best Supporting Oscars. Zelig is a hilarious mockumentary that involves a man who has no identity of his own, so he morphs into the type of people he is around. It intercuts grainy black and white footage with color shots of experts taking about the famous Zelig. It is something of a forerunner to Forrest Gump as Zelig is seen in historical footage with numerous famous people. 1987's Radio Days is a fond look back at Mr. Allen's childhood while The Purple Rose Of Cairo has the novel idea of a Depression era woman (Ms. Farrow) who has a character from a movie (Jeff Daniels), breaks the fourth wall and comes off the screen into her life. Broadway Danny Rose is one of Mr. Allen's best acting jobs as he plays a talent agent.

As many of you know, this is the 3rd box set of Woody Allen features to be released on DVD in the past couple of years.
For my money, it represents the beginning of Woody's most imaginative period as a filmmaker. In fact, the 6 films represented here could arguably be called Woody's finest work.
Sophisticated, yet hilariously funny, the plots and dialogue, as well as the peformances, can be viewed again and again without ever becoming stale. (So sue me, I'm a lifelong Woody Allen fan)
Yes, there no are extras save theatrical trailers, but at this price, who cares? Obviously, Woody isn't interested in producing featurettes, etc. and anyway, these films stand on their own as quality adult entertainment. My favorite among this bunch (and this really is a hard call) has to be Hannah and Her Sisters; Woody portrays a crazy hypochondriac who finds out that there may REALLY be something wrong with him. His character in A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy is equally funny, an oddball inventor around the turn of the century. Having not actually seen the DVDs, I can't comment on audio/video quality, but if they're anything like the first two box sets, they should be superb. By the way, all of these films will be available separately when the box set is released. A must-buy for all serious Woody Allen fans!

Every movie is good which is hard to beleive considering that he wrote a movie a year. I do not know any other screenwriter as prolific as Woody Allen. I higly recommend this set.

I bought this set of Woody Allen films after watching the recent PBS documentary of Mr. Allen and after thoroughly enjoying his recent releases, "Midnight in Paris" and "Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona." I have enjoyed these films. If you like good, solid, smart, grown-up movies, then these are worthy of your time. The set I bought was new, arrived on time, and in excellent condition.

I loved all these movies, and now when choosing a gift I go here first.

While perhaps this 'middle' collection of Woody Allen's films is a tiny touch more inconsistent than the first, it's still a great deal, with - to my thinking - 2 flat out great films, a few very good ones, and only one slightly weaker. At well under $10 a title (and often on sale for more like $6-7 a title) that pretty remarkable for a collection of important films by one of our best filmmakers. My individual thoughts, in chronological order (note: my ratings are based on a 4 star system);

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982) *** The earliest, and for me, the weakest of the group, though far from 'bad'. A cute and charming romp. A group of friends in the early 20th century get caught up in a weekend of love and sex in the country. Certainly enjoyable, if not really much more. Gordon Willis's photography is nowhere near as amazing as his earlier collaborations with Woody, and the film doesn't have any wildly funny moments. But the writing is witty, and the acting solid if not triumphant. It just doesn't feel like a Woody Allen film somehow. More like a nice, solid, unassuming French farce. That's not a bad thing, and this film is still better than 99% of what comes out of Hollywood, with a sweeter, more upbeat tone than usual for Allen. It's just coming on the heels of masterpieces like 'Annie Hall', 'Manhattan', and 'Stardust Memories', and just before other great films like 'Zelig' 'Hannah and Her Sisters', and 'Purple Rose of Cairo', it can't help but pale a bit in comparison.

Zelig (1983)**** Amazing technically, with a lot to say about society, conformity, and how we see ourselves. This brilliantly made mock documentary about a 'human chameleon' in the 1920s and 30s who unconsciously changes his appearance in a desperate attempt to fit in and be liked, is hilarious and heartbreaking, often at the same time. Some of the visual effects are still astounding by modern standards. And Allen gives a performance that is surprisingly subtle. There are a few slow moments, and a few jokes feel self-conscious, but not enough to hurt the film in any way. This is tied with 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and 'Hannah and her Sisters' for my 2nd favorite Allen film behind 'Annie Hall'. One of the greatest films by one the great filmmakers of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Very worth seeking out.

Broadway Danny Rose (1984)***1/4 A sweet, fun, well-told, Damon Runionesque fable of a well meaning if pathetic theatrical manager getting caught up with the mob. Not quite as amazing as Allen's very best films, but there's a touching, gentle, funny humanity that runs through it all. Mia Farrow gives what is arguably the strongest performance of her career -- she certainly stretches way beyond her usual image -- to play a tough, gum chewing mafia gun mol. It's also interesting to see Woody play a bit more of a 'character' than usual. The film has some lovely black and white images, even if its not as striking as the greatest of the Gordon Wills/Allen collaborations like 'Manhattan'. A good-hearted film that will make you smile more than laugh out loud, it's well-worth seeing if you have any fondness for Allen's work.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)***1/2 An utterly sweet, inventive and charming film that examines our love affair with the movies and our need to escape into fantasy. The central device of the wall breaking down between the characters in a film and those watching is great fun, and both Mia Farrow and Jeff Daniels do some of their very best work in this. That said, for me, it lacks a little of the depth and complexity of my very favorite of Allen's film. It's a little too cute and simplistic in the middle, although the first and last third, and the uncompromised ending are terrific. It doesn't quite hold up on multiple viewings
the way 'Annie Hall', or 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' or 'Hannah and Her Sisters' or 'Zelig' do. But even 2nd tier Woody Allen is better than almost anything else out there. And on a certain level, with great filmmakers its about personal taste, not right and wrong. (e.g. Is Chaplin's 'Modern Times' better than 'City Lights' ?) So, if you like Allen's work at all and you've never seen this, you owe yourself a look to decide for yourself.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)**** A wonderful mix of moving and funny, thought provoking and silly. There's amazing acting all around from the first rate ensemble cast including Diane Wiest, Michael Caine (both of whom deservedly won Oscars), Max Von Sydow, Allen, Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey etc. (Mild spoiler) It features a rare movie happy ending that's actually earned! This is probably the closest to Annie Hall of all Woody Allen films in the mix of wit, technical proficiency, sophisticated style, acting, emotion, etc. He takes a bevy of characters and creates a complex heartfelt portrait of family, lovers, friends, and artists that's funny but with insightful bite. A rare film that acknowledges how wonderful life is, without denying how hard it can be at the same time. Or at least how hard we find ways to make it.

Radio Days (1987) ***1/4 A beautifully looking film, both in its production design by the great theater designer Santo Loquasto, and the wonderful photography by Carlo Di Palma, in his first of several fruitful collaborations with Allen. Together with Allen's witty, tender script, and a host of wonderful performances, the film does a terrific job of creating an intentionally larger than life, and slightly surreal memory piece of short stories about growing up in an age when radio was still the king of entertainment. It's a small, sweet. charming piece. Some of the stories are flat out great, some occasionally feel a bit meandering or pointless, but none are truly weak. The best moments rival Felliini's `Amarcord'. Perhaps not among Allen's greatest films, but still better than the vast majority of what has gotten produced in America in recent years.

Has there ever been a more prolific film director than Woody Allen (at least, in the post-studio system era)? He has only missed a handful of the last thirty years (2004, 1991, 1981), producing his low-budget dramas like clockwork. Allen's persona has become such a comic caricature these days (and it usually was one to begin with; Allen is his own best impersonation), but, when asked, he can in his prime be a very strng actor, and he is surrounded in these films by a reliable cast of professionals. "The Woody Allen Collection", one of three really excellent box-sets of his films available here, in this case covers the period from 1982 to 1987. Some spoilers follow.

In the set itself, the films are ordered alphabetically for some reason, rather than in chronological order, which makes more sense (the order being as follows):

"A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" - easily the least-famous of the six films collected here, this one is most notable for being the first collaboration bewteen Allen and Mia Farrow, his off-screen partner who would be a feature of more or less all his work (including all five of the other films in this collection) until their rather spectacular breakup in 1992.

"Zelig" - one of the quirkier entries in Allen's filmography, this is an imitation documentary about a man named Leonard Zelig, a supposed 1920s pop culture figure who was a "human chameleon" who takes on the characteristics of the people around him. Making use of innovative special effects twelve years before "Forrest Gump" to put Zelig into old newsreel footage and photos, it's a clever piece, if not especially emotionally involving. This is one of a number of films in Allen's filmography with sci-fi/fantasy content, but because of his minimalist (magical realist, one might say) approach, he's largely avoided being classified as a genre director.

"Broadway Danny Rose" - filmed in black and white, this is another of Allen's quasi-autobiographical films, drawing on his time as a comedian and participant in the New York entertainment circuit. Danny Rose (Allen), is a talent agent responsible for the most obscure acts; his lastest attempt at a big break is a washed up lounge singer he has rehabilitated, but there's a catch: the singer wants his mistress Tina (Farrow) present for his make-or-break performance. Thus begins a comic odyssey, as poor Danny finds himself the sights of the mob. It's a decent comedy most of the way through (with one of Allen's most empathetic performances), elevated by the final act, an expert mix of sadness and gentle uplift (including a masterful final tracking shot) that is among Allen's best work.

"The Purple Rose of Cairo" - another of Allen's genre efforts, in which an abused Depression-era housewife (Farrow) is stunned when a character from her favourite movie (Jeff Daniels) walks off the screen to sweep her off her feet. Allen evinces no real interest in the genre's mechanics, instead running with the scenario with low-key absurdism (the studio and actor are both concerned about liability issues regarding the now-living fictional character). Then there's the ending, a deliberately downbeat punch that drives home the movie's examination of the difference between fiction and the real world. This is one of Farrow's best performances, in the eminently pitiable role of Cecilia; Jeff Daniels pulls off an excellent double-role as both character and actor.

"Hannah and her Sisters" - one of Allen's most acclaimed movies (it earned him his third Oscar, for the screenplay, as well as acting awards for Dianne Wiest and Michael Caine), this is a relationship drama (as well as a mild existential one) revolving around three sisters living in New York. Populated with many familiar faces (including, in minor roles, the voice of Marge Simpson, and a young Julia Louis-Dreyfus), this ends up being much more upbeat than "Purple Rose", the film preceding it, both about life and the power of entertainment. This is warm and humanistic, though at points the narration by the various characters can be a bit too direct. Possibly my favourite film of the set.

"Radio Days" - the final film in the collection, and likewise fairly upbeat, this is a largely plotless nostalgia tour through scenes from Allen's youth. There are fairly well-drawn characters, appealing in a variety of vignettes relating to the significance of radio in their lives (even if often only as background music). My personal favourite sequence involves a would-be radio employee played by Mia Farrow, who survives getting taken for a ride by a mob hitman who turns out to be from her old neighbourhood. The cast is populated by a grab-bag of actors from past Woody Allen movies (Danny Aiello and Jeff Daniels among them, as well as the three actresses most associated with Allen's films: Farrow, Dianne Wiest, and, in a cameo, Diane Keaton). This is a likeable minor work in Allen's canon.

Overall, an excellent deal for film fans.