Book Description

From the author of the best-selling biography Woody Allen—the most informative, revealing, and entertaining conversations from his thirty-six years of interviewing the great comedian and filmmaker.

For more than three decades, Woody Allen has been talking regularly and candidly with Eric Lax, and has given him singular and unfettered access to his film sets, his editing room, and his thoughts and observations. In discussions that begin in 1971 and continue into 2007, Allen discusses every facet of moviemaking through the prism of his own films and the work of directors he admires. In doing so, he reveals an artist’s development over the course of his career to date, from joke writer to standup comedian to world-acclaimed filmmaker.

Woody talks about the seeds of his ideas and the writing of his screenplays; about casting and acting, shooting and directing, editing and scoring. He tells how he reworks screenplays even while filming them. He describes the problems he has had casting American men, and he explains why he admires the acting of (among many others) Alan Alda, Marlon Brando, Michael Caine, John Cusack, Judy Davis, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mia Farrow, Gene Hackman, Scarlett Johansson, Julie Kavner, Liam Neeson, Jack Nicholson, Charlize Theron, Tracey Ullman, Sam Waterston, and Dianne Wiest. He places Diane Keaton second only to Judy Holliday in the pantheon of great screen comediennes.

He discusses his favorite films (Citizen Kane is the lone American movie on his list of sixteen “best films ever made”; Duck Soup and Airplane! are two of his preferred “comedian’s films”; Trouble in Paradise and Born Yesterday among his favorite “talking plot comedies”). He describes himself as a boy in Brooklyn enthralled by the joke-laden movies of Bob Hope and the sophisticated film stories of Manhattan. As a director, he tells us what he appreciates about Bergman, De Sica, Fellini, Welles, Kurosawa, John Huston, and Jean Renoir. Throughout he shows himself to be thoughtful, honest, self–deprecating, witty, and often hilarious.

Conversations with Woody Allen is essential reading for everyone interested in the art of moviemaking and for everyone who has enjoyed the films of Woody Allen.

Customer Reviews (5)

Better Than A Bio
This is a great way to learn about Woody Allen, his craft, and his films.Organized thematically and chronologically, you see what films Allen really cares about and what he did just to fill the time.Some of his films were clearly throwaways for him.He made them because he's always working, but hardly remembers them and doesn't care to (Scoop, Small Time Crooks, Sleeper).Others are passions, like The Purple Rose of Cairo or Husbands and Wives.Allen is also, not surprisingly, self-depreciating, believing that his career is mostly self-indulgence that only a small audience appreciates.Of course, this underestimates himself and how impressive it is that he can have a regular output of one or two movies a year that, regardless of whether they are one of his best, are always well made, well acted, and interesting.The insights into how Allen works and how quickly, are interesting for fans.It also makes those of us who fancied ourselves writers realize what a true talent is.The best part of this book, there is no diversion into Allen's personal life which may be of interest to some, but not this reader.This is a great way to read about Allen's career, his collaborators, and his methods.

A must read for Woody Allen fans!!
If you are a die hard Woody Allen fan you will love this book. It's a ringside seat to what goes on in his brain from writing to casting to directing to when the film is released. If you aren't a die hard fan, but simply like some of his movies you will appreciate him as a writer and a filmmaker. It's a really interesting book about Woody and his movies over a 30 year period!!

Great for Filmmakers
This is one of those rare books where we actually get a clear insight into the creative process of a great filmmaker.Techniques, style, philosophy and approach are covered in great detail.Gives awesome insight into the man and the movies he made.I really enjoyed it.

take a walk through your salad days
Ok I don't like Mr. Allen...I simply thrive upon his presence in this universe.

I never just saw a Woody Allen movie, read a Woody Allen short story or listened to a Woody Allen monologue...I was a participant in them. No I don't think I am psycotic, maybe a semi-adjusted bipolar person, who is cynical and overly critical about most things in this life, however swimming in the wake of Mr. Allen I somehow manage to smile at the "awful grace" of this existance. I do feel guilty since he does the heavy lifting and I benefit from it.

Recalling his movies is like recalling my first kiss, scoring my first touchdown, pineing my first broken heart or noticing death for the first time.

I recall each flick; when, where, who I saw it with, and the state of mind I left the theater to pursue the endless nuances of the adventure.

To the book. I hesitated picking it up as it is four hundred pages and did I really want to be mesmerized by Mr. Alllen and Mr. Lax during this very busy time. I resisted for almost four days then I was seduced, trapped and on my way to an intellectual orgasm that seems to continue when I turn each page.

These two guys are like friends you wish you had who made you totally comfortable hearing them talk and thilled that you are allowed to just be in the room and honored to be listening.

If you are an educator you must study it, if you are a doctor you must examine it, if you are performing artist you must value it, if you are a writer you must consume it and if you are, like myself an everyday person you gotta love it.

Bravo guys you gave me a great holiday gift.

A Great Filmmaker Explains Himself
For sheer inventiveness and variety of films, the work of writer and director Woody Allen is unmatched.Their number, also, is impressive, almost forty movies since his first one, the hilarious fake documentary (it was made before anyone had coined the word "mockumentary")_Take the Money and Run_ in 1969.Not every one is a classic, but some certainly are, whether comedy (_Annie Hall_), comedy with a dramatic edge (_Manhattan_), fables (_The Purple Rose of Cairo_), comic intimations of the godlessness of our universe (_Crimes and Misdemeanors_), or drama (the recent _Match Point_).So if you are familiar with the movies, you will be fascinated with _Conversations With Woody Allen: His Films, the Movies, and Moviemaking_ (Knopf) by Eric Lax.Lax was a reporter in 1971 when he was assigned to check out the new director.The conversation didn't turn into an article, with Allen replying just "Yes" or "No" too often, but Lax tried again, this time for just a chat, which grew into more formal interviews, and as the years went by, discussions about his projects as Allen was working on them.Allen has participated in recent conversations with Lax just to make this book current, and has clarified and added to the text, so that the work is a unique look into the mind of one of America's great filmmakers.Because the conversations are with Woody Allen, too, they are funny and self-deprecating, but also generous in giving credit to others.

It is fun to learn where he gets his ideas."When I go to sleep at night, put my head on the pillow, or walk down the street, I like to be thinking of story ideas.I'm always thinking about new plots.I would do anything to avoid that horrible moment of What do I do next?"It is a fruitful method; he knows he will have more story ideas than he can ever get done (he is now almost 72).It is part of his work, and it keeps the existential despair away: "To _practice_ the clarinet, to _get_ on the treadmill, to _get_ in the room and write - all that stuff helps.It helps militate against giving oneself over to the horrid gloom of reality."Allen has much to say about himself as an actor.He knows he has a narrow range: "I can play some versions of what I am, a New York character."He may be modest about his own acting talents, but over and over he praises the actors he has worked with.There have been many great ones, often repeatedly, and they must love working for him, since with his budgets (around $15 million a movie) they cannot expect star wages."You hire Ian Holm and Gena Rowlands, what does it take to get superb performances out of them?Nothing.You just have to tell them what time to show up and provide the coffee and doughnuts."He praises his audiences, too, and frets about over-explaining: "You think the audience is not going to get it, so you explain it, clarify it, but the truth of the matter is, they're _always_ far ahead of you. [_He smiles._]"

There is so much here about the making of specific films and specific techniques.It is a revelation, for instance, that a climactic scene within _Manhattan_, in a classroom where he chastises a buddy over moral issues and makes references to mortality based on the display skeletons in the room, that the skeletons just happened to be there in the classroom for the filming."I would not have thought to write them in."Here is his one-word explanation for why he so often uses long master shots: "Laziness".Shooting over and over again from different angles to be combined in the editing room is not (usually) for him: "We'll be here all day today and all day tomorrow doing this scene.I don't have the patience or concentration... I design a shot and will get all the information in and we'll finish it and move on."Long master shots are not from any artistic need, and he doesn't think of himself as any sort of artist."I see myself as a working filmmaker who chose to go the route of working all the time rather than making my films into some special red carpet event every three years.I'm not cynical and I'm far from an artist.I'm a lucky working stiff."I don't agree, but I do think his audiences are lucky to have such a great body of work to enjoy and to think about, and that they are lucky to have this book as a guide to his own interpretation of a long and successful career.
... Read more

Amazon.com
Fans of Woody Allen have long waited to hear him tell us in his own words about his life, his tastes, and his films, but until recently he has been reluctant to give lengthy interviews. This book is the conversation we've been waiting for, a dialogue with Stig Bjorkman in which Allen speaks openly about himself and his art. Bjorkman invites the writer/director to talk at length about his lesser-known movies as well as his famous ones. We also learn about Allen's filmmaking technique, his feelings about his stock company of actors, his influences, and why Stardust Memories and The Purple Rose of Cairo are his two personal favorites.Book Description

Customer Reviews (16)

My Dinner With Woody
Reading this book was like having dinner with Woody Allen while his films played on a wall behind us.I appreciated the European interviewer because it brought a fresh perspective to Allen's material.Getting Allen's insights into the characters in his films was worth the price, and, as you know, we all need the eggs.

A good book...
Great. Read it. Don't read this if you're a fan. Buy this book now. Don't waste time. I know i've always wanted to have a conversation with woody allen...even if it is someone else giving it. He's great. I admire him and adore his films. If you're a fan, you'll love his little tidbits and personal things. Remember - the man - not just the films...

Simply Amazing!!
The only reason that I didn't give this book 5 stars in because it only goes up to Husbands & Wives. For anyone who loves Woody and wants to hear him speak in detail about his films, other films and his ideas, this book does not disapoint.I have many other books by or about filmmakers and this is certainly up there with the best. Woody talks about Bergman, Godard, Fellini, Truffaut, Hitchcock and many other filmmakers and films he likes. He discussed in depth each of his films from What's New Pussycat? to Husbands and Wives. This book is a must for fans of Woody Allen and for fans of film.

Fans of the Director Will Enjoy
Conversations between Woody Allen and journalist Stig Bjorkman about the Woodster’s films, from “Take the Money and Run” to “Manhattan Murder Mystery,” along with interviews about his childhood and early acting roles. While there are sometimes less details than one would like (don’t look for more than a paragraph or two about “What’s Up Tiger Lilly” and “Casino Royale.” “Sleeper” only gets a page), but it’s very nice to read Allen’s insights about some of his work years later. Hopefully soon there will be an updated guide. I’m curious about what he has to say about “Deconstructing Harry” and even “Curse of the Jade Scorpion.”

Frank and enlightening discussion
A very relaxed and interesting discussion regarding the development of Allen's style and indivisual films that is very entertaining. This is an excellent companion to his earlier films. Bjorkman asks excellent questions that keep the discussion flowing in a chronological sense yet allow for Woody Allen to address many interssting topics related to his work.
The focus here is really the body of work and not Allen's personal life. Like sitting with a bottle of wine and talking to two intelligent filmmakers about their craft. ... Read more

Book Description
Comprising the classic bestsellers Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, this definitive collection of comic writings is from a man who needs no Introduction. Really–this book has no Introduction.

The Insanity Defense reveals many sides of Woody Allen as he holds forth on the most human of urges (“Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only for food: frequently there must be a beverage”); reflects on death (“I don’t believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear”); and notes the effect on history wrought by trick chewing gum, the dribble glass, and other novelties. There is also an inspiring story of the futile race to beat Dr. Heimlich to the punch: “The food went down the wrong pipe, and choking occurred. Grasping the mouse firmly by the tail, I snapped it like a small whip, and the morsel of cheese came loose. If we can transfer the procedure to humans, we may have something. Too early to tell.”

All Woody Allen fans will cherish this uproarious treasury–and those who don’t enjoy The Insanity Defense are just plain crazy.

“If you don’t care if you break into helpless whoops of laughter on buses, trains, or wherever you happen to be reading it.”
–Chicago Tribune, on Without Feathers

“Brilliant flights of fancy whose comic detail and inspired silliness are at once dramatic and controlled.”
–The New York Times, on Side Effects ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Absolutely Worth Whatever They Charge
I won't go into detail on this, but I defy anyone to read this and not laugh out loud.Do not bring to funerals or divorce proceedings.The topics and styles are so broad as to be nearly exhaustive.There is no stone unturned, but combined with Allen's hilarious, sometimes absurd, style I flew through these books.I've owned each of these individually, but having loaned them out many times I decided it was time to own a complete collection which I could keep for myself.And I still laugh every time I read it.

Don't buy this book, obtain the originals instead
I had already read Woody Allen's three previous books of essays ("Getting Even", "Without Feathers", and "Side Effects") and found them hilarious.But there is a serious problem in the subtitle of this book "The Complete Prose", even if the implication is meant to be that it is complete IF TAKEN TOGETHER WITH Woody's other 2007 publication, "Mere Anarchy". Despite its subtitle, "Insanity Defense" is NOT A COMPLETE COMPILATION OF THE FIRST THREE BOOKS, including only 46 of the 51 essays.The missing five (which are also not in "Mere Anarchy") are worthwhile and funny.Don't get me wrong--the 46 essays that are included are very good, but it does rankle me that they misleadingly claimed completeness.I recommendskipping "Insanity Defense" and obtaining the three original volumes via used-book sources, to go along with "Mere Anarchy".

No Defense for the Instany Defense... Guilty of being hilarious
Three great books all in one fun filled volume of sheer funny.Including:

Getting Even is the comedic genious at his ludicrous best. The reparte between the two chess playing opponents, via e-mail, is worth the price of the book alone. Very funny.

Side Effects was released in 1980. It is a very funny collection of Allen's work, much of which first appeared in the New Yorker and other publication. The books is pretty even, and rather funny. The high point here is The Kugelmass Episode which features a professor named Sidney Kugelmass who is, via a magician, tranpsorted into the novel Madame Bovary.

Without Feathers is a witty humorous book with 15 or so short essays/stories on a variety of topics. The humor here is very funny and not dated at all. You most pay close attention as the one-liners fly off the pages. Simply hilarious stuff. Hard to believe this was released in 1975.

A 5 star book, well worth the price... enjoy!

Woody Redux
I had read much of this material in other venues.There was no intro or any other information so I don't know if they were presented sequentially, but it really seemed like it.The early going was often silly and inane, while the later stuff was really clever and funny.

Absolutely Brilliant
I first read the three collections compiled herein about 20 years ago.Then, as now, I found myself sputtering with convulsive laughter as I made my way through.I literally was afraid to read it around other people because I could not control my reaction.I've read a number of works of humor.Nothing has made me laugh out loud like this.The elegance of his language and the beautiful and profound absurdity is unparalleled.Pure gold. ... Read more

Book Description
“I am greatly relieved that the universe is finally explainable. I was beginning to think it was me.”–Woody Allen

Here, in his first collection since his three hilarious classics Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, Woody Allen has managed to write a book that not only answers the most profound questions of human existence but is the perfect size to place under any short table leg to prevent wobbling.

“I awoke Friday, and because the universe is expanding it took me longer than usual to find my robe,” he explains in a piece on physics called “Strung Out.” In other flights of inspirational sanity we are introduced to a cast of characters only Allen could imagine: Jasper Nutmeat, Flanders Mealworm, and the independent film mogul E. Coli Biggs, just to name a few. Whether he is writing about art, sex, food, or crime (“Pugh has been a policeman as far back as he can remember. His father was a notorious bank robber, and the only way Pugh could get to spend time with him was to apprehend him”) he is explosively funny.

In “This Nib for Hire,” a Hollywood bigwig comes across an author’s book in a little country store and describes it in a way that aptly captures this magnificent volume: “Actually,” the producer says, “I’d never seen a book remaindered in the kindling section before.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

The worst Woody Allen ever
Wow. This book was virtually unreadable. What a major disappointment after years of genius writing. Some vintage good ideas...but by far his worst writing ever.

Stale Bread
A collection of 'humorous' essays, most of which appear to have been first published in The New Yorker magazine.

The same serial characters appear variously in different stories (Max Endorphine, E. Coli Biggs, Camp Melanoma, Reg Millipede), most if not all suggested by bizzare newsclippings of the 'muffin-choker' type, some of which preface the chapters. But with the exception of a few divinely inspired belly-laughs, the jokes grow stale very quickly, and it was probabably more fun to read these as they originally appeared -- at random intervals. It's a shame to see Woody Allen grow formulaic.

BEST YET!
Woody pushes you over the edge constantly - with every line!With every sentence!

I laugh so hard reading it it's a struggle to maintain any sanity.Woody grips you and throws you into his insane world.You have no choice but to dwell there with him for a little while while you laugh hysterically at everything written.

The master of comedy in his greatest work!

I just wish Woody would write MORE.

This is Woody's best writing to date!HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book!

Disappointing and just not funny
or just merely boring? the latter, sadly, is the case when it comes to Woody Allen's new tome Mere Anarchy.

When I was in my late teens, early 20's, I read both Without Feathers and Side Effects with relish, and a side of laughter. Mere Anarchy, however, was ready with a lot of difficulty and at under 200 pages I had to force my way to the last line of the last short story before closing the book with a sigh of relief.

Allen writes in a style reminiscent of 1950's pulp detective side of the mouth fiction coupled with a schmeer of insecure Jew. Each and every short story is written in the same style and tone. More than once a story used the "main character attempts to flee scene stage right" trick in an obvious and supposedly humorous fashion (by the second time it's not). There's no change in voice, making it difficult to distinguish between stories and thus reducing each the ridiculous situation(s) Allen specializes in into yawnfests.

I found only two of the stories humorous."Strung Out" is an Allen take on the infamous "Sex Life of an Electron" short story that's been floating around for eons. Actually, I don't know if Allen is aware of the story, but reading it I couldn't help but make a comparison. "Surprise Rocks Disney Trial" is a highly original piece (for this book, at least) in which Mickey Mouse is deposed at the Michael Ovitz termination bonus trial where Mickey reveals some scandalous and salacious gossip about his fellow Disney costars.

Way Too Sardonic
I once saw a Woody Allen movie and thought it was funny.Ever since, however, his movies have not hit it off with me, and neither did this book.It's too dry and labored, with too many weird words, though he does have a very good vocabulary.I'll not try anymore Woody Allen material. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Born in 1935, Allen Stewart Konigsberg (better known as Woody Allen) is today one of the most influential figures in cinema. He has written and directed such memorable films as Annie Hall and Manhattan, and has acted in over 40 films. He is also the author of three books--Getting Even (1971), Without Feathers (1975), and Side Effects (1980). The Complete Prose of Woody Allen brings these memorable titles together for one bumper collection--a must-have for Allen addicts.

Getting Even is a collection of 17 of Allen's magazine pieces from the late 1960s discussing such bizarre topics as the invention of the sandwich, laundry lists, death, obesity, and, of course, rabbis.

Without Feathers delivers more of Allen's New Yorker-style humor. Worthy stand-outs include "If the Impressionists Had Been Dentists," a genius piece that puts oral surgery in a whole new, much more exciting, light.

Finally, Side Effects compiles Allen's best New Yorker essays from the late 1970s. Although not as outrageously funny as his previous books, this is still a classic piece of comedy. --Naomi Gesinger ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Great Fun
Three great books all in one fun filled volume of sheer funny. Including:

Getting Even is the comedic genious at his ludicrous best. The reparte between the two chess playing opponents, via e-mail, is worth the price of the book alone. Very funny.

Side Effects was released in 1980. It is a very funny collection of Allen's work, much of which first appeared in the New Yorker and other publication. The books is pretty even, and rather funny. The high point here is The Kugelmass Episode which features a professor named Sidney Kugelmass who is, via a magician, tranpsorted into the novel Madame Bovary.

Without Feathers is a witty humorous book with 15 or so short essays/stories on a variety of topics. The humor here is very funny and not dated at all. You most pay close attention as the one-liners fly off the pages. Simply hilarious stuff. Hard to believe this was released in 1975.

A 5 star book, well worth the price... enjoy!

Note: This collection is also available in paperback and titled The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose

brilliant
Brilliant Woody. Not the best of this type, but still fasciniating. I heartily recommend.

Belly-laughs a minute
I read the three volumes this book is comprised of years ago and, to this day, I've been hardpressed to find other books,
on a line to line basis, funnier than Woody Allen's works. It's
too bad he hasn't written any more since these books. It is our
loss. If you like to laugh until your brains dribble out your
ears, read this book. Highly recommended.

The Ultimate inIntellectual Humour
This is genuinely hilarious and intelligent prose. My favourites are "Mr Big", "Viva Vargas!" and "Reminiscences, People and Places". Prepare to convulse. People will stare at you while you gasp for oxygen. Pure genius. The only mystery is why Allen isn't as well recognised for his writing as his movies. If you read this you will also wonder.

Allen sometimes seems to step over the line separating sharp satire from outright cynicism, especially in the later writing - but who cares? It's still a class apart. Highly recommendable.

Hysterical.The Woodman cometh.
Disillusioned by, "Interiors" or "Hannah And Her Sisters"?Think Woody is just not funny?Man, are you wrong.This book (which contains pretty much everything Woody wrote in book form) just kills you from the beginning & never stops.As goofball and irreverent as you'd expect from a comedic genius(Think, "Bananas" or "Take the Money and Run"- era Allen), don't be frightened off by the fact that Allen's later movies quit being side-splittingly funny.This book recaptures all the great, classic humor that made the Woodman famous to begin with! ... Read more

Amazon.com
The title of Woody Allen's second collection of New Yorker-style sprint humor is a sly comment on Emily Dickinson's famous quote, "Hope is the thing with feathers."Without Feathers delivers Allen's hopeless schlub persona--you remember, what he used to be before he was either a lecher or an auteur, depending on your politics. In addition to being as funny as anything published since, to read Without Feathers is to return to a simpler time, when being a fan of his work was common, not controversial.

Though each piece is funny, two of them are particularly notable examples of Allen's distinctive style (borrowed in large part from S.J. Perelman by way of the Borscht Belt, but distinctive, nevertheless)--"The Whore of Mensa" and "If the Impressionists Had Been Dentists." Here's an excerpt from the latter:

Mrs. Sol Schwimmer is suing me because I made her bridge as I felt it and not to fit her ridiculous mouth! That's right! I can't work to order like a common tradesman! I decided her bridge should be enormous and billowing, with wild, explosive teeth flaring up in every direction like fire! Now she is upset because it won't fit in her mouth! She is so bourgeois and stupid, I want to smash her! I tried forcing the false plate in but it sticks out like a star burst chandelier.

Customer Reviews (23)

All Hail ...
My attempt to weave sarcasm, farce and humor into my writing is undoubtedly inspired by the writing of Woody Allen, and this book is a great example of his work... a style I can only aspire to achieve.

May Be Without Feathers, But Its with Humor
Without Feathers, by Woody Allen, is a witty humorous book with 15 or so short essays/stories on a variety of topics.The humor here is very funny and not dated at all.You most pay close attention as the one-liners fly off the pages.Simply hilarious stuff.Hard to believe this was released in 1975.

A recommended 4 star effort!

Woody Allen"s Without Feathers
Well worth buying and reading.Reading a humor book of short stories by one author all at once is not as good as spacing each story by reading something else. Too much like eating three desserts at once.

With out feathers
...worth the read!!!Allen's book is composed of a bunch of short stories, plots for operas, essays, plays etc.It's all hilarious. Once you start the book, you wont be able to put it down.

Wonderfully absurd...
I have never written a review before, but as this book is one of the funniest things I've ever stumbled upon... here goes. I was lucky enough to find Without Feathers about 10 years ago, in a hardcover edition along with Getting Even and Side Effects. I decided to take a quick look through it on the drive home from the book store (I was'nt the one driving!) and within minutes I was laughing uncontrolably! After the first paragraph I simply could'nt put it down. The other people in the car demanded to know what was so funny, but my attempts to read out loud were useless as I was crying with laughter and could no longer see the page!?! I handed the book over to one of my friends for him to read, and eventually we had to pull the car off the road due to the histerical giggling that ensued! "A Brief, Yet Helpful, Guide To Civil Disobedience" is possibly the funniest thing I've ever read!?! A decade has gone by since I first read these books and they are still as funny and unique. I read them whenever I'm dangerously close to forgeting how cathartic sheer silliness can be! Truly joyful prose! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Before Woody Allen set his sights on becoming the next Ingmar Bergman, he made a fleeting (but largely successful) attempt at becoming the next S.J Perelman. Side Effects, his third and final collection of humor pieces, shows his efforts. These essays appeared in The New Yorker during the late 1970s, as he showed more and more discontent with his funnyman status. Fear not, humor fans--Allen's still funny. He is less manic, however, than in his positively goofy Getting Even/Without Feathers days, and this makes Side Effects a more nuanced read.Woody picks and chooses when to flash the laughs, as in an article discussing UFOs:

[I]n 1822 Goethe himself notes a strange celestial phenomenon. "En route home from the Leipzig Anxiety Festival," he wrote, "I was crossing a meadow, when I chanced to look up and saw several fiery red balls suddenly appear in the southern sky. They descended at a great rate of speed and began chasing me. I screamed that I was a genius and consequently could not run very fast, but my words were wasted. I became enraged and shouted imprecations at them, whereupon they flew away frightened. I related this story to Beethoven, not realizing he had already gone deaf, and he smiled and nodded and said, "Right."

Customer Reviews (22)

Side Effects: Sore side from laughing
Side Effects, by Woody Allen, was released in 1980.It is a very funny collection of Allen's work, much of which first appeared in the New Yorker and other publication.The books is pretty even, and rather funny.The high point here is The Kugelmass Episode which features a professor named Sidney Kugelmass who is, via a magician, tranpsorted into the novel Madame Bovary.

A very funy four star offering from Mr. Allen.

Loved It
Discovered in the humor section at Borders, I couldn't resist one of my favorite director's/producer's/actor's books. Side Effects is a collection of Allen's short stories that read similar to skits that were too short or just not right to be put on the screen. They're humorous, beautiful, and intelligent in the usual Allen fashion. I will admit though that as far as short story mastery goes, Allen has nothing on Cheever or Carver but for any Allen fan they're a must read.

A pleased Allen fan
After watching mant of Allen's films and listening to Allen's stand-up I was more than pleased to read one of his books. His prose is the same as the dialogue that gushes from his character's mouths in his films, tinged with a twitchy neurosis that brings a smile across my face. This book is littered with moments that will make your stomach sore from laughing and others that result in a sly amused grin. Bring the existential alka-seltser.

nothing like it
this book is most definitely one of the funniest books ive ever read.a great laugh-out-loud and side-splitting novel.a wonderful mixture of short stories and passages that can keep you reading for hours.This is definitely an original and innovative book worth picking up and reading over and over again.

"The most important question is, . . .
". . . is there anybody out there?And if so, do they have ray guns?" - - As Allen speculates in the chapter, "The UFO Menace".I wasn't driven to hilarity, but you gotta smile and chuckle as the master of the one liner keeps them coming non-stop.The Woodmeister is an acquired taste.For enhanced reading enjoyment, you MUST slow down and mentally impose Woody's audible accent onto what you are reading.Again, nothing here to cause you to lose control of your bodily functions, but you'll smile and laugh enough to make a little noise. If you have not read Woody Allen before, be advised that this does not have to be read in one sitting.Nice book to keep in the bathroom, or stick in the side pocket of your carry-on and leave there. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Woody Allen's greatness as a director rests squarely on his stupendous talent as a writer. In the glory years from 1977 to 1980 he released his best--and best written--movies. Included in this volume are the scripts of Annie Hall, Allen's first mature film and the winner of the Best Picture Oscar; Interiors, his first serious work, a Bergmanesque treatment of a tortured family; Manhattan, his greatest and most characteristic movie, which concerns a writer's attempt to find true love in the comic wilderness of New York City; and Stardust Memories, his most satiric and personal piece, about the effects of fame on a film director who is standing at a crossroads in his life.Book Description
This book contains the script to four of Woody Allen's movies: Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan and Stardust Memories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Do It For The Eggs
I bought this while studying screenwriting, assuming that owning ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN would somehow deliver upon me some kind of ability, perhaps a bit of greatness via osmoseous (sp?).

I was wrong.

I also realized that MANHATTAN is based more on the visual than I had realized--the script, while great, isn't on the same level as ANNIE HALL; INTERIORS, which dissapointed me on the screen is a very good script; and--this just confirmed what I already knew--ANNIE HALL is a great great GREAT film.

Did I mention that ANNIE HALL is a great film?

Truly pointless
If you're a cineaste, it can be quite enlightening and entertaining to read the original shooting script that a favorite film was based on.In addition to the screenwriter's comments and directions, you usually get several scenes that were cut from the finished movie as well as occasionalodd little changes in dialogue sprinkled throughout and an overall peek atsome aspects of the creative process that a film goes through frominception to completion.Unfortunately, that's not the case with thisbook, since the four "screenplays" included are merelytranscriptions from the finished films.VCRs were generally available whenthis book was first published in '82, so even back then this book was apointless rip-off.Watch the films, skip the book.

Must have omnibus for Woody Allen fans and script writers.
This book contains "screenplays" of Woody Allen's most famous films including Manhattan and Annie Hall. It doesn't say screenplays on the cover, but that's what I figured it would be. Instead, what I got was abook that's not even script formatted. The publisher also adds his noteswhenever he pleases to explain what's going on 'from the film' to thereader.

Hilarious
This great book includes the screenplays of two of Woody's best films,"Annie Hall" and "Manhattan."There's also"Stardust Memories" which is good, and "Interiors"which is, well...ok.Well worth the money.

Great read - Explores the human condition with insight.
This book cheered me along during a stay in hospital and so I will always remember it fondly.
To me, the scripts represent the best of Woody Allen as they are truthful and realistic. Humour is
sharp in the scripts (except for Interiors of course) as it exposes pretenses, hypocrisies & other human fallibilities. There is so much more
to this than clever lines. This should be a text for
aspiring scriptwriters. To any publishers reading
this, how about another compilation which has
"Husbands & Wives" and "Mighty Aphrodite" in it?! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Could have been a lot better.
The first thing to know about this book is that it is but one in a series."Woody Allen and Philosophy" is brought to you by the same folks who brought you "The Simpsons and Philosophy," "Seinfeld and Philosophy," and so on.I have not been impressed with this series.Generally, the pop culture topics chosen have no explicit philosophical inspiration.Philosophy must be read-in to otherwise superficial material.Some of these movies and sit-coms constitute good illustrative examples of philosophical topics (e.g. the tired observation that Seinfeld is a "deconstructive" comedy about nothing), but none of them was consciously embedded with philosophy.

Woody's work is different.The attempt to understand the intellectual references contained in Woody's early films is precisely what led me to study philosophy in the first place. They contain deeply philosophical themes and explicit philosophical references.Films like Annie Hall, Love and Death, and Bananas are absolutely packed with high-culture easter eggs waiting for a good interpreter.Sadly, the essays in this book miss pretty much all of them.

Of course, I admit I am the sort of snob who thinks that philosophy should not be the handmaiden to pop culture.I am embarrassed to see Schopenhauer wasted on Seinfeld.

The bottom line is that you will enjoy this book if you enjoy the series itself.Serious Woody Allen fans and philosophers alike will probably be disappointed.

In depth
Really heavy philosophical stuff. If you're an avid fan [like me] of Woody Allen and understand philosophy a little [like me] you will enjoy this book. I found out more than I thought I would ever know about Allen's films from reading this book. Thoroughly engrossing and fun to read.

Articles focus on Allen's philosophy and viewpoints
How often has the reader combed a casual survey of actor Woody Allen longing for insights into the witty sayings and cutting remarks Allen is notable for? Wonder no longer. In Woody Allen And Philosophy, Mark Conrad and Aeon Skoble edit a fine philosophical approach to Allen's sayings and life, presenting articles which survey his pragmatic optimism, his sex comedys and spoofs, and his artistic films alike. Articles focus on Allen's philosophy and viewpoints and provide plenty of personal insights in the process of analyzing his works.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

We had it all, like Bogie and.....er, Woody?
I don't know what it is about this particular Woody Allen vehicle, but no matter how many times I have viewed it over the years, I laugh just as hard at all the one-liners as I did the first time I saw it.Annie Hall and Manhattan may be his mosthighly lauded and artistically accomplished films, but for pure "laughs per minute", I would nominate this 1972 entry, with a screenplay adapted by Allen from his own original stage version. Ironically, it's the only "Woody Allen film" that wasn't directed by him (those chores went to Herbert Ross). Allen portrays a film buff who is particularly obsessed with Humphrey Bogart. He fantasizes conversations with Bogie's ghost (played to perfection by Jerry Lacy) who advises him on how to "be a man" and attract the perfect mate. He receives more pragmatic assistance from his best friends, a married couple (Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts) who fix him up with a series of women (the depictions of the various dating disasters are hilarious beyond description). A true comedy classic.

Excellent
I dont think this is as good as 'Take the money and run' but it runs a close second. This movie will appeal to people who have insecurites, are nuerotic, doubt themselves and become rigid with worry when around the opposite sex -basically 95% of the human race feel like that at some stages in life. It will also appeal if you just want a good old belly laugh without any profanities or over the top in-your-face comedies that come out today.

Allen Felix's (Woody)wife leaves him because she wants to 'live', participate in life and be a 'doer' and not a 'watcher', to run through Europe on a motorcycle, go dancing and skiing. She also doesnt dig him physically -then tells him for "gods sake dont take it personally"!After some prodding from best friends Dick and Linda, he decides to start dating again. After many disasters, he falls for his best friends wife which is doomed to fail.

Finally he comes to terms with being Allen Felix and no longer has to put out his 100 yard dash track record medal(that he payed 20 dollars for) put on the proper mood music, or try to be Humphrey Bogart. He learns if he is to succeed he has to accept and realise his own potential and walks off into the mist with 'As time goes by' playing. Its a low key and a pretty film with a very touching conclusion. It does tend to run out of steam toward the end but its still a classic with some great sight gags and one liners.

CHECK OUT THIS WOODY!
If you are not sure if you will like a "Woody Allen" movie, I suggest you start with this one. It is one of his more straight forward films and it is funny! I am a fan,but I must admit that I like his earlier films (Play it again Sam,Banana's,Take the Money and Run,Sleeper,Manhattan,Annie Hall). There are some really funny scenes in this one. The scene where he is introduced to a blind date at his apartment is hilarious! The DVD transfer looks good,but the treatment could be better.

A Cowardly Nebbish Would Never Fall For His Best Friend's Wife. Or Woody?
Woody Allen plays film magazine writer Allan Felix, a man who, since his wife left him, has been an amalgam of devastation and cowardice. Allan is a disheveled mess. An uber-schlemiel.

Helping him get back into the dating world is his apparition of Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Lacy). He's Allan's hidden, tough-guy interior longing to come out, but Allan's too scared to let him take the leap. Allan's no Bogart, but will he be by the end of the movie?

Besides Bob Hope, who Woody admittedly lifted his "faux nervous guy" from, PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM marks one of the first appearances of Hero Neuroticus. There doesn't seem to be a wasted sweat bead, grunt, or record toss (more on this later). It's also the first pairing of Woody and the magnificent Diane Keaton.

SAM is also a great movie to watch if you've never seen a Woody Allen movie, or if you have and aren't impressed. This is because it was made before Woody wanted to make serious movies. This was one of his "early funny ones." It's a nice mixture of smart jokes and sight gags, one such being when he is at a loss for words after his date asked him about his ex-wife. He is holding a record, and when he casually tosses his arms up to nervously shrug off the question, the record goes sailing out of its jacket and crashes off screen. Perhaps one of the funniest sight gags I've ever seen. I've heard secondhand that Woody didn't tell the crew he was going to do that, so when they broke up laughing, they ruined the shot.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM, adapted by Woody Allen from his Broadway play, was directed by Herbert Ross and photographed by Owen Roizman, both of whom have laundry lists of commercial successes. It's an adeptly structured romantic comedy, for love eventually does find Allan Felix in the end. And like Bogey, he handles it with class. Here's looking at you, Woody.

PLAY IT AGAIN, INDEED!
Here is another early Woody Allen social commentary heavily dependent on his long time love affair with film noir and its characters, in this case the legendary tough guy/yromantic figure Humphrey Bogart. Now this may be a film that seems dated compared to today's new sensibilities around the `woman' question. It is not clear that it would be politically correct to ask advice of the legendary Bogart on the woman question today. Bogie, except in the case of Lauren Bacall, was rough on his lady friends (or for the politically incorrect `dames'). But not to worry Woody is the same old bungling ball of nerves and anxieties as he is in most of his films. The real surprise here is that such a cerebral actor/ comedian/ director uses so many sight gags in his repertoire. Does the woman question get resolved here for poor Woody? Well watch the film and find out. You will be glad you did.
... Read more

Amazon.com
After three decades of prodigious film work (and some unfortunate tabloid adventures as well), it's easy to forget that Woody Allen began his career as one heck of a great comedy writer. Getting Even, a collection of his late '60s magazine pieces, offers a look into Allen's bag of shtick, back when it was new. From the supposed memoirs of Hitler's barber: "Then, in January of 1945, a plot by several generals to shave Hitler's moustache in his sleep failed when von Stauffenberg, in the darkness of Hitler's bedroom, shaved off one of the Führer's eyebrows instead..."

Even though the idea of writing jokes about old Adolf--or addled rabbis, or Maatjes herring--isn't nearly as fresh as it used to be, Getting Even still delivers plenty of laughs. At his best, Woody can achieve a level of transcendent craziness that no other writer can match. If you're looking for a book to dip into at random, or a gift for someone who's seen Sleeper 13 times, Getting Even is a dead lock.Book Description
The classic, with 316,000 copies sold to date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Getting Even = Hilarious
Getting Even, by Woody Allen, is the comedic genious at his ludicrous best.The reparte between the two chess playing opponents, via e-mail, is worth the price of the book alone.Very funny.

A 5 star delight.

Woody Allen.Chess By Mail.need i say more?also, mafia
accounting [of the office supplies] ~

these two ALONE are worth the price of admission, especially used in the z shops...

i can STILL laugh over the Gossage-Vardebedian papers [the chess by mail] 30+ years after i first bought this for a friend in the hospital [i wasn't thinking ~ he'd had a hernia operation... and couldn't get past the first line]

timelessly funny ~

Getting Even
If your a fan of Allen's work than you'll enjoy this book.Otherwise you may not like it. If you're not familiar with his work than I highly recommend his prose for their witty, bizzare, and humorus content.

In, "The Gossage-Vardebedian Papers," you'll find humor in the trials and tribulations of chess, via letter writing.

In, "Mr. Big," I question if the beautiful existentialist really killed God.Yeah, she probably did. (GOD that's too bad.)

awkward, funny, weird, smart, read...

Bad taste, boring stupidity with an occasional funny line
I had hoped upon rereading this work to cancel the original impression I had of many of these pieces when I read them some years ago in 'The New Yorker'. Unfortunately, my taste seems not to have changed and I found most of these pieces stupid, and in bad taste.
Allen can write the occasional very funny line but much of this is low- level predictable parody.

As funny as as dated as the early Woody Allen comedies
Getting Even is one of three early collections of Woody Allen's short humorous articles. The others are Without Feathers and Side Effects. Many of the pieces in Getting Even appeared in magazines, mostly The New Yorker, but also Playboy, and Evergreen Review. While others first appeared in this anthology. In total, there are 17 articles in the collection. Considering that they were written over 35 years ago, there are some references that do not come across well today. Yet as a group they are still quite funny.

The Metterling Lists is a piece of satirical literary criticism of The Collected Laundry Lists of Hans Metterling Vol. 1, a supposedly scholarly work of 437 pages that analyzes the first six laundry lists. Fortunately Mr. Allen only takes seven pages to mock this fictional piece of scholarship.

A Look At Organized Crime provides a very brief history of organized crime in America including the murder of Kid Lipsky by Albert (The Logical Positivist) Corillo who locked Lipsky in a closet and "sucked all the air out through a straw."It also provides a description of a Mafia initiation ceremony and ends with some tips on fighting mobsters.

The Schmeed Memoirs are represented as the recollections of Hitler's barber. Yet they can't be taken too seriously because he claims he didn't know Hitler was a Nazi and thought he worked for the phone company. There is a funny where Hitler fears that Chruchill will grow sideburns before he can. It is humorous to view World War II from the perspective of Hitler's hair.

My Philosophy consists of the Critique of Pure Dread, the Eschatological Dialectics As a Means of Coping with Shingles, and The Cosmos on Five Dollars a Day. It ends with two Parables and a short list of Aphorisms.

Yes, But Can The Steam Engine Do This? provides a humorous take on the scientific research saga with a history of the Earl of Sandwich's research into developing the sandwich. Starting with his birth in 1718, thetale is filled with bread experiments, research into cold cuts and cheeses, and years of failures followed by his final success and lasting fame.

Death Knocks is a short play in which an inexperienced angel of death, who comes to claim Nat Ackerman's soul, is lured into a losing game of gin rummy and returns empty-handed.

Spring Bulletin is Woody Allen's satirical take on college course descriptions. It includes a course called Introduction to God which is described as "Confrontation with the Creator of the universe through informal lectures and field trips."

The next piece, a guide to the interpretation of Hassidic tales, includes tales like the following and Mr. Allen's interpretations of them.
A man journeyed to Chelm to seek the advice of Rabbi Ben Kaddish.
"Rabbi " the man asked, "where can I find peace?"
The Hassid surveyed him and said, "Quick, look behind you!"
The man turned around, and Rabbi Ben Kaddish smashed him in the back of the head with a candlestick. "Is that peaceful enough for you?" he chuckled.
There are six other tales and their interpretations in this piece.

The Gossage-Varbedian Papers tells the sad story of a chess game played at a distance via letters. The correspondence starts out with a missive from Gossage stating that one of his letters must have gotten lost in the mail since his chess board is set up differently than Verbedian's. The insults and the confusion worsen as the letters go back and forth. A must for any chess fan.

Notes From The Overfed, Mr. Allen claims, was inspired by reading Dostoyevski and a Weight Watchers magazine on an airplane trip. In it an Atheist is converted when he decides that, if God is everywhere, He must be in food. Then consuming everything in sight, he achieves sanctity and obesity through compulsive eating.

A Twenties Memory mocks the name-dropping memoirs of the post-war lost generation. Filled with references to Gertrude Stein, Picasso, Earnest Hemingway, Alice B. Toklas, and many others, a non-entity tries to gain fame by the shared light of his famous contemporaries.

In Count Dracula the famous vampire wakes up early due to confusion caused by a solar eclipse, and visits the baker and his wife for what he thinks is an evening snack with disastrous consequences.

In A Little Louder, Please a true afficionato of the arts confesses his one failing - an inability to understand the gestures of mimes.

Conversations With Helmholtz consists of notes taken by the student of a famous elderly psychoanalyst of their conversations together. Senility has certainly gotten the better of the older man, but his reputation and fame keep the younger man from realizing this with humorous results.

Viva Vargas is subtitled Excepts From The Diary of A Revolutionary, and reveals much of the same humor that the author later used in the movie Bananas.

The Discovery And Use of The Fake Ink Blot provides a humorous social history of a device used in practical jokes.

The last story in the volume, Mr. Big, is my favorite. It is narrated by a Philip Marlowesque detective who is hired by a lovely woman claiming to be a Vassar student. She wants him to find a missing person, God. The mixture of Raymond Chandler's format with the existential search for the meaning of life is extremely funny even after the passage of many years.

All in all, if you like the early Woody Allen movies, you will love this book - even though some of the material is no longer as fresh. ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive guide covers all of the music used in Woody Allen's films from Take the Money and Run (1969) to Match Point (2005). Each film receives scene-by-scene analysis with a focus on how Allen utilized music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Play It Again, Woody!
If you, like me, are interested in the music Woody uses in his films and want to find out more then get a copy of this excellent book.It lists all of the music (together with writers and performers) in each film and tells you where it appears.So, you are now able to pinpoint any piece of music that you might like, even if you do not know what it is.This is especially helpful with some of the earlier ("funny") movies such as "Bananas", "Sleeper" and "Love and Death" where the songs are not listed in the end credits.There are also a number of useful appendices, including one which details where to find the same recordings of the music used by Woody.This isn't just a book of lists though.There is a detailed introduction which overviews Woody's interest in music and goes into some detail to describe how he employs music in his films, with numerous quotes by the director himself.Altogether this is a well-researched and thorough guide to Woody Allen's soundtracks, filling in the gaping hole in the literature about this film maker. ... Read more

Book Description
Three delightful one-act plays set in and around New York, in which sophisticated characters confound one another in ways only Woody Allen could imagine

Woody Allen’s first dramatic writing published in years, “Riverside Drive,” “Old Saybrook,” and “Central Park West” are humorous, insightful, and unusually readable plays about infidelity. The characters, archetypal New Yorkers all, start out talking innocently enough, but soon the most unexpected things arise—and the reader enjoys every minute of it (though not all the characters do).

These plays (successfully produced on the New York stage and in regional theaters on the East Coast) dramatize Allen’s continuing preoccupation with people who rationalize their actions, hide what they’re doing, and inevitably slip into sexual deception—all of it revealed in Allen’s quintessentially pell-mell dialogue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Adultery
These are not terrific comedies about infidelity. For the long-term Woody Allen fan, they will not reveal a desire on Allen's part to explore significantly new thematic material.

For whatever reason, Allen has in recent years revived his interest in theatrical writing (many years ago he had hits with "Don't Drink The Water" and "Play it Again, Sam"; the short plays "Death" and "God" were included in his collections of New Yorker pieces). There are other (dramatic) plays that have not yet appeared in print - "The Floating Lightbulb" (circa 1980) and "A Secondhand Memory" (2004).

"Central Park West" is the least interesting of the three newer plays included in this handsome paperback. It originally appeared in 1995 on a triple bill called DEATH DEFYING ACTS with one-acts by David Mamet and Elaine May. It anticipates a love-quadrangle scenario Allen would explore more effectively in his film "Deconstructing Harry" (1997) - that of a man leaving his wife not for his long-term mistress but for another, much younger, woman. Of course, the mistress initially thinks she is the one with whom the husband will be running away.

The play is, I guess, meant to be a kind of satire of rich New Yorkers. It doesn't really come off. One must resist temptation to seize upon this line and turn it against its creator -

"You're a failed writer, Howard - judging from the characters you create you shouldn't even be a writer - you should be in the cardboard business."

(For a laugh, and an insight into the pains of a director who must deal with the whims of three playwrights, check out the diary of the director that was published in the New Yorker in 1996.)

WRITER'S BLOCK was presented as a double-bill directed by Allen in 2003. "Riverside Drive", the best play in the book, focuses on a cheating writer who, while waiting to meet his soon-to-be ex-mistress in a secluded spot by the Hudson, is harrassed by a mentally unstable homeless writer. The action goes on to revisit shades of the Martin Landau plot of 'Crimes and Misdemeanors'.

"Old Saybrook" is similiar to "Central Park West" albeit with a post-modern twist. Halfway through this play about cheating couples in Connecticut, we discover these characters are actually characters from an abandoned play by a playwright named Max Krolian ("It's dark in the drawer," explains one character). Krolian joins in on the action to try to figure out an ending to the play. ... Read more

Amazon.com
This affectionate biography of Woody Allen is the best account of his life you can buy. Eric Lax, a longtime friend of Allen's, does not recite Allen's story by chronological rote. Instead, he begins in the present day and digresses from it to past events. The result is an anecdotal account that manages to give all the details of Allen's development as an artist and a man while remaining consistently entertaining, enlightening, and funny.Book Description
The definitive biography and national best seller, now back in print and fully updated.

When it first appeared in 1991, Eric Lax's splendid biography, written with nineteen years of access to Woody Allen, was universally hailed as the definitive portrait of a film genius. The next year, as Allen's long relationship with Mia Farrow disintegrated amid scandal, a new phase of his life and work began. For this edition, Lax has written a chapter on the break-up and the personal and professional changes that followed. He chronicles the last eight films, from Shadows and Fog to his latest Small Time Crooks, and again offers Woody's candid opinions of his art and himself. Published to coincide with Allen's sixty-fifth birthday, this updated biography will continue to be "required reading for Woodyphiles" (Kansas City Star). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This one doesn't rip him apart in matters that don't matter
A natural stage in my succession of becoming a Woody Allen freak was picking up a biography. Any single one would have suited my needs, because I knew only as much as somebody who had seen ten or so of his movies and was beginning to show some serious interest in this singular personality.

It turned out that by accident I had picked out just the right book. Eric Lax delivers over 400 pages of what seems to be a very detailed and reliable account of Woody's life. Contrary to the tabloid-like obsession with Allen's women which many writers of today appear to revel, Lax's primary emphasis is on his work, influences, and progress as a comedian. A special section was added to the end of the book to summarise the events of the last ten years (the first edition of this biography was published in 1991), including the row with Mia Farrow and Woody's marriage to Soon-Yi Previn. But it remains a biography of the man it boasts in the title, not a collection of second-hand conjectures and prejudices about what he might seem to be. Indeed, this is left to the army of Woody admirers who like to derive his character from the roles he has played or written.

The shattering of preconceived images that surround the private self of Woody Allen is probably one of the major strengths of Lax's book. Woody is shown as somebody who has been engaging in his beloved trade for years and now shows genuine surprise about all the fuss that is being raised around his straightforward life. Nevertheless, I refuse to buy such a portrayal, simply because I am one of those blind followers who have merged Woody on-screen with the real-life Woody. True or not, it is an illusion I am prepared to live, for that is the main attraction of his movies.

Reasonable bio of one of America's great artists
It's a commonplace that many artists have questionable private lives. What Mr Allen does or doesn't do in his private life is of passing interest to me. That he likes younger women doesn't make him much different, maybe unfortunately, from millions of other men (is Rupert Murdoch a classicexample or what?) If I want gossip I read a magazine. Mr Allen's work onthe other hand interests me very much. This bio by Mr Lax is good forexcerpts from Mr Allen's comedy routines and in revealing the movie makingexperience from the editting point of view, shooting, casting, writing andrewriting. I don't think the prose skill of Mr Lax is especially high butthe book's subject matter is interesting enough, and Woody Allen's writingamusing enough, to carry it along.

under his thumb
I read this book long before Woody Allen's personal troubles became public. (I've always been an admirer of Allen's films.) It is, hands-down, the worst biography I ever read. Lax is more than reverent of Allen; he isobsequious and subservient. At a very early point in the book, I began tosense that every word had been approved by Allen. By the end, I thoughAllen's publicist and psychiatrists had probably signed off too.

P.S. IfI had an option of giving this book no stars, I would have done so.

under his thumb
I read this book long before Woody Allen's personal troubles became public. (I've always been an admirer of Allen's films.) It is, hands-down, the worst biography I ever read. Lax is more than reverent of Allen; he isobsequious and subservient. At a very early point in the book, I began tosense that every word had been approved by Allen. By the end, I thoughAllen's publicist and psychiatrists had probably signed off too.

P.S. IfI had an option of giving this book no stars, I would have done so.

A Superior Introduction to a Superior Filmmaker
When I first picked up this book, I knew very little.When I put it down, I had become a lifelong "Woodyphile".It is a great introduction to Allen's life and work.By having exclusive access to Allen, Eric Lax presents a side of Allen that the average person could never know.A must read for anyone, whether they be a friend or foe of Woody Allen ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

stunning
Stardust Memories is a brilliant tribute to Fellini and Bergman that still manages to give us some of that classic Woody Allen humor every so often to lighten things up just a bit. The plot moves along at a good pace and I enjoyed the flashbacks that are interjected so masterfully into the film. The convincing acting held my attention all the way and the black and white footage is very tastefully done.

The action begins when overstressed movie director Sandy Bates (Woody Allen) is pushed into attending a two day film festival in his honor. At the festival they show his "funny films;" and Bates is lauded for that by his adoring--and endlessly pestering--fans who want many more comedies from Bates. Trouble is, however, that Sandy Bates no longer wants to make funny movies. Instead, he now prefers to make artistic, meaningful movies that reflect the human condition--or perhaps Sandy may even want to quit the film industry altogether and go into some type of profession in which he can help other people.

There are not one, not two, but three women in Sandy's life. His relationship with his former lover Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) is portrayed very well in flashbacks; and his current romance with Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault) is a bit shaky at times but it's still ongoing. Sandy also flirts with another woman he meets at the film festival; he likes Daisy's (Jessica Harper) artistic and sensitive qualities.

Look for excellent performance by Tony Roberts who plays himself; and Helen Hanft plays Vivian Orkin, the "MC" of the film festival.

Overall, if you've seen Fellini's 8 1/2, you're going to appreciate this film more than if you haven't. At the same time, however, other people will still get a lot out of this even if they haven't seen 8 1/2. I highly recommend this film for Woody Allen fans and people who enjoy artistic cinema with very high quality control.

Bergman/Fellini redux
Stardust Memories is an underappreciated Bergman/Fellini homage by Woody.It's really funny and has great cinematography.After Broadway Danny Rose,it's a favorite.

One of my favorite Woody Allen films....
Critics did not like this film very much, calling it cruel and bleak, for example.I think it's one of Woody's funniest, most intelligent films, with classic scenes to rival his other films.This was one of the first films to really examine the stalker like quality of obsessed fans.Sandy Bates (Woody's character) is bombarded with people at the festival looking for some great insight into life, when Sandy really has none.There's a woman who sneaks into his hotel room thinking sleeping with him will by a mystical experience (and her boyfriend approves of it, at least she says).There are also tons of people who have "causes" who want him to talk at their function.27 years after this film was made, many of these things are now commonplace.Cinematically, this is one of Woody's best film.The black and white photography is beautiful, and many of Woody's compositions are the best of his career.And I love the use of Moonlight Serenade during the "balloon" scene.This is a much more complex film than most people give credit to.The critics fell all over Interiors (an overly serious film which was good, but not great), but they didn't like this one at all for some reason.This has turned out to be one of my favorite Woody Allen films.

Woody meets Federico in the Stardust Hotel