Woody Allen................

[##Wardy##]

Boring Jewish bumbling New Yorker or comedy genius?

[Clanad]

Matter of opinion on which only the aficionado's will agree. Woody had been the darling of the New York elite until his marriage to the very young Soon-Yi Previn, daughter of his previous long time paramour, Mia Farrow... he seems to have dropped of the social radar. He looks more and more like Stephen Hawking as he ages. You're undoubtedly aware of the Woody Allen/James Bond connection, no?

[rugeleyboy]

i am really not bothered about his relationship with his former adopted daughter................ but my opinion on woody allen is that he is a pure 1 trick pony?

[andy-hughes]

She isn't his adopted daughter, she is Mia Farrow's adopted daughter with her husband conductor Andre Previn.

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow had a long relationship, but never lived together, they kept separate apartments on opposite sides of Central Park in New York.

Oh - comedy genius- watch 'Play It Again Sam' if you need to be convinced.

[##Wardy##]

Casino Royale no doubt.

Mr Hughes I need to be convinced. I watched "Manhatten" this evening for the fisrt time and failed to laugh.

I have seen "Hannah and her Sisters" which was OK. I shall look out for the sam one.

[willa]

As a film afficionado and former New Yorker (West 72nd St., between CPW and Columbus Ave.), I'd say he's both. Definitely both. I can sit through a few movies - and even enjoyed Small-Time Crooks - but much of his work is like angst-ridden fingernails across a chalkboard. Certainly, that's not to say he isn't good. But it's like Danish modern furniture: I can appreciate its contribution to the genre without wanting it in my home.

He's a very good clarinetist, though.

[noxlumos]

I don't mind him, my wife thinks he's a talentless oxygen thief with one or two odd exceptions in his work. He's not on my top ten of all time great comedy genius'.

[ugly_bob]

certainly not comedy genius.
I find nothing remotely humerous about anything of his I've seen. Occasionally interesting, but never funny.

[Tiny E. A]

What is the Woody Allen/James Bond connection?

[vehelpfulguy]

In the first Casino Royle film, made in the 1960s, Woody Allen played Jimmy Bond.

This was a spoof James Bond film (and a terrible film) that had about 3 directors.

A number of people in the film played James Bond including David Niven and Peter Sellars.

It was probably more fun to make than to watch.

[Tiny E. A]

Oh right, I always thought it was just Peter Sellers who played James Bond in it. Ta

Re, Woody Allen, I don't paticularly revel in his work, I'd never bother rewatching anything he's done

[LeMarchand]

Boring, though some of his one-liners raise a smile.

[andy-hughes]

It is possible to watch several Woody Allen films and think he is either pretentious or boring, or both - because the aim and material of his material varies considerably.

If you want genuine laugh-out-loud funny, then 'Play It Again Sam' and 'Annie Hall' will do the trick - promise!

[dr john]

And 'Love and Death'.

"Isn't all mankind ultimately executed for a crime it never committed? The difference is that all men go eventually, but I go at six o'clock tomorrow morning. I was supposed to go at five o'clock, but I have a smart lawyer."

[ugly_bob]

as I said, occasionally interesting, never funny.

It's not really side-splitting comedy is it?

[aurelia]

I have never enjoyed a Woody Allen film

[genius101]

Where was he born? I read something the otherday that stated he was born in a mountainous region in New York State - I didn't even know New York had Mountains!!!

[Clanad]

Upstate New York is quite mountainous... The Catskills, or more accurately the inns and hotels in that area gave birth to Vaudeville and especially Jewish based humor that developed in the Borscht Belt. Some of the best known entertainers that got their start there were Woody Allen, Morey Amsterdam, Milton Berle, Shelley Berman, Al Bernie, Mel Brooks, Lenny Bruce, George Burns, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, and many, many others.
Additionally, Lake Placid farther north has hosted two Winter Olympics... 1980 and I believe 1932... So much for the travelogue,,,

See here: http://geology.com/state-map/new-york.shtml

[-Zorro-]

dweeb