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Special Features
- The Woody Allen Giftset includes the following Annie Hall, Bananas, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask, Interiors, Love and Death, Manhattan, Sleeper, and Stardust Memories
Editorial Reviews
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
Product 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
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
85 of 88 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
This is in response to the below review which states that there are "No extras, no remastered sound or video, no trailers even!"
I happen to have this set, which I seriously doubt this person does, and I am very pleased with this collection. Every disk in the set does indeed have the original trailer for the movie. And with the exception of Annie Hall, all the movies have anamorphic widescreen transfers. The movies look beautiful, especially when you consider they're over 20 years old (some almost 30). The sound is presented the way is was originally recorded; seriously, do we really need a DTS soundtrack for a Woody Allen movie? And you can't blame MGM because there are no extra features; Woody Allen has stated that he wants his movies to speak for themselves, and he feels that extra features would take away from that so he does not want them included. Also, each disk does come with a 2-page booklet that lists some interesting facts about the movie.
Overall I think this is a great collection, and if your a Woody Allen fan you should definitely pick this one up.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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!
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!
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This collection of Woody Allen written and directed movies is well chosen in that it begins with his second writer / director effort and includes all eight in a row from that point on. The included films are:
Bananas
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask
Sleeper
Love and Death
Annie Hall
Interiors
Manhattan
Stardust Memories
This selection is great for a complete Woody Allen fan, but it has some drawbacks to people who are entertained by his comedies, but find nothing of interest in his other movies. And, there is no more `other movies' film than `Interiors', which has not a single joke, gag, laugh, or snicker. That is not to mean it is not pure Woody, as all of his most popular themes such as sex, death, creative freeze-up, parents, and relationships between partners.
`Stardust Memories' is also an `other movie', however, it is on more familiar ground as a parody with jokes. If fact, one can say that the object of parody in `Stardust Memories' is the earlier seven movies and Allen himself.
The one other movie worth noting in this context is `Love and Death'. Amazon's published review of the collection describes this movie as underrated. I think it is more accurate to say that it is much less well known, almost totally overshadowed by the earlier comedies and the great success of `Annie Hall'. In fact, I am almost inclined to guess that some of the changes toward more serious characters and plot may have come as a result of critical ennui with `Love and Death', even though these are by far two of Allen's most pregnant topics. I believe it is not `Love and Death' but `Stardust Memories' which is underrated.
For Allen fans and wannabe Allen fans, this is a great collection. For people who just happen to like his funny movies, do the math to see if the discounted price for the collection means you are getting `Interiors' and maybe `Love and Death' for free. Personally, I feel there are no losers in this collection, but that's me. I just don't know why they didn't bother to start with the first movie, `Take the Money and Run', since it is distributed by MGM, just like all the others.
Bananas
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask
Sleeper
Love and Death
Annie Hall
Interiors
Manhattan
Stardust Memories
This selection is great for a complete Woody Allen fan, but it has some drawbacks to people who are entertained by his comedies, but find nothing of interest in his other movies. And, there is no more `other movies' film than `Interiors', which has not a single joke, gag, laugh, or snicker. That is not to mean it is not pure Woody, as all of his most popular themes such as sex, death, creative freeze-up, parents, and relationships between partners.
`Stardust Memories' is also an `other movie', however, it is on more familiar ground as a parody with jokes. If fact, one can say that the object of parody in `Stardust Memories' is the earlier seven movies and Allen himself.
The one other movie worth noting in this context is `Love and Death'. Amazon's published review of the collection describes this movie as underrated. I think it is more accurate to say that it is much less well known, almost totally overshadowed by the earlier comedies and the great success of `Annie Hall'. In fact, I am almost inclined to guess that some of the changes toward more serious characters and plot may have come as a result of critical ennui with `Love and Death', even though these are by far two of Allen's most pregnant topics. I believe it is not `Love and Death' but `Stardust Memories' which is underrated.
For Allen fans and wannabe Allen fans, this is a great collection. For people who just happen to like his funny movies, do the math to see if the discounted price for the collection means you are getting `Interiors' and maybe `Love and Death' for free. Personally, I feel there are no losers in this collection, but that's me. I just don't know why they didn't bother to start with the first movie, `Take the Money and Run', since it is distributed by MGM, just like all the others.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of Woody Allen's best all in one collection
Great value for the price with some really good movies. Would have been nice if it was a chronologically accurate set but still good.
Published 3 months ago by jhmocha
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE Woody Allen
LOVE Woody Allen movies. Especially the early ones. He can find the humor in most anything. One bit of trivia, in the movie Bananas, done long before the "Rocky" movies,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Martha Combs
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ya gotta love Woody, but if I could construct my OWN Woody Allen...
I bought The Woody Allen Collection, Set 1 (featuring Annie Hall, Manhattan, Sleeper, etc.) as a gift to myself. Read more
Published 4 months ago by creativewave
5.0 out of 5 stars
Collection of early Woody Allen films
Of the Woody Allen film collections available this was my choice. It ended up costing less than $10 a film and has a good collection of the films that made him famous. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Peter Ashlock
5.0 out of 5 stars
I bought these movies for my husband.
My husband is a big fan of Woody Allen movies. This set included many of his favorites that I got rid of the videos.
Published 5 months ago by Cynthia A. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent gift!
It was a gift for my mother, excellent collection. I will be getting more for her this Christmas thank you!
Published 6 months ago by samira'smom
3.0 out of 5 stars
Expected an extra fancy case from description..
I went for the more expensive set because I thought it would be something special from the description. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Lois J. Paulus
4.0 out of 5 stars
funny and instructive
A funny movie about US interventions in Latin America. It is a comical rendering of the Cuban revolution in thinly veiled disguise. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Marco Carnovale
5.0 out of 5 stars
Woody Allen's great - you really need me to tell you that?
So yeah - I can't imagine anyone's been waiting for some guy from Colorado to validate Woody Allen's career as a filmmaker, especially the golden age that's represented in this... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Edward Holteen Jr
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some good--some below par
If you love Woody Allen, no matter what he does, then this set is for you. It is only partially for me. "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" were great. No disappointment there. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Shirley Peddy
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