The Woody Allen Collection, Set 2

 

 

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Hi there. My name is Marc-David Jacobs and I wsa the first person to review the original set of Woody Allen DVDs last year and I figured that, since no one has taken to reviewing this upcoming new set, I would. For those of you who have read the earlier review, I finally broke down and bought a player JUST so I could watch all of the wonderful new Woody Allen DVDs I had! Well, this second set contains Woody Allen's films in the five year period between "Radio Days" in early 1987 and "Husbands And Wives" in 1992, Woody decided to make five films with either completely humorless Bergmanesque cinematography (i.e., "September") and plots or films with an overall feeling of such (i.e., "Crimes And Misdemeanors"), save for "Oedipus Wrecks," a third of "New York Stories," which also had short films by Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Interestingly enough, the bordering years, 1987 and 1992, are the only years in which Allen released two of his own films in the same year, so these are kind of a set of their own, as they have been collected in here. I think these are the only films of his that contain an actual sense of FOREBODING. Sure, "Interiors" is incredibly claustrophobic and dramatically wonderful in it's storytelling and "Husbands And Wives" is a marvelous serious drama, but neither really has the sense of disaster that these have. Perhaps why few people went to see them. The period started with what I consider to be Woody's most serious piece ever, "September" (1987). The cold interaction between these six people in a Vermont countryside set to the pervasive Mendelsohnn theme make for a very great dramatic study. "Another Woman" (1988) is not as serious as "September," but is probably his very best "Bergman" piece ever, even using Bergman's cinematographer Sven Nykvist himself. This is a study of only one person, a woman who's above average life takes a turn for the worse when she discovers her husband is seeing the mistress of the title, amongst other things. "Crimes And Misdemeanors" (1989) is the best-known and most well-recieved film of this period. Martin Landau, Alan Alda and others bring a great quality to this split-screen story of two apparently unrelated people, one of whom, Landau, is the Bergman aspect. His life has been turned upside-down as his long-time mistress threatens to reveal their secret to his wife. Meanwhile, Allen is beset by a hilarious moral dilemma when he is asked to make a biography of jaded Hollywood personality Alda. And, of course, both stories come together at the end (see the cover of the DVD). "Alice" (1990) is the third in this inner trio of extramarital movies which features, for once, the woman (of course played by Mia Farrow [who is in all of these movies, the previously mentioned "Husbands And Wives" being her last with Allen]) thinking about the not-so-unthinkable. However, the moral dilemma placed here is not taken as seriously as Alice visits a Chinese herbalist who seems to have a few good tricks up his sleeves. Chaos ensues, as they say. Finally, we come to "Shadows And Fog," a very dark film, but only in the cinematographic sense. The story focuses around Allen who is divided between mobs in the city trying to find a very ominous killer who always seems to be one step ahead of everyone, causing each group to believe things about the others and about each other. In any other hands, this could be a straight drama, with the vigilante mobs like something out of "Frankstein" or "M" abducting the unwilling helper Allen (who very much resembles Joseph K in Kafka's "Der Prozess") to be either with them or against them. However, if Woody Allen's playing Joseph K, we suddenly have a very comedic piece, with only bits and pieces of the dramas of the others. Incidentally, this movie was adapted from Woody's one-act play "Death," which is anthologized in "Without Feathers," for those who would like to read it. After this stint (some would say "stunt"), Woody resumed his "normal" films with such gems as "Everyone Says I Love You" and "Deconstructing Harry." However, what I'm really waiting to see on DVD are Woody's films between this set and the previous set, from "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" on through "Radio Days." This, I believe, has got to be Woody's most creative period, spawning such oddly different films as the mockumentary "Zelig," the remincent "Broadway Danny Rose," one of Allen's funniest comedies ever and certainly Mia Farrow's best role in just about ANY film and the list goes on. As soon as those are release, every film directed by Woody Allen will be available on DVD, save "Husbands And Wives" and "New York Stories." However, since "Husbands And Wives" is available on VHS for the time being and "Oedipus Wrecks" is only a third of the other, what I'm really waiting for are these films, very few of which are even available on tape (just about everything except the enduring "Crimes And Misdemeanors" [the only one out of all has been out of print for years). So go out and get these films when they're released and especially get Set 3, set for release in about a year. And, while you're at it, go see "The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion" Woody's latest, which is being released August 15th at a theater near you! See you next year!

The whole idea behind a Box Set, is to attract fans. So if you're not a Woody Allen sucker, you'll probably never come to this point of the navigation, specially reading reviews. The fact is, this Box Set comes with more "noire" films from Mr. Allen, not the best comedy, but some very good drama though. The Sets 1 and 3 are better. But what can I say? The worst Woody Allen movie deserves 4 stars and a half, but I could't figure out how to give them. So I gave it a five. You're his fan too, you understand me.

I can't believe all the bad reviews this has gotten. This box doesn't hold a bad film, yet there's so many complaints about it not holding any comedy or being to serious or something. First off, "Another Woman" and "September" aren't really funny at all, but hey, they excellent anyways. And the other three, "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Alice", and "Shadows and Fog", are essentially comedies! Sure, "Crimes..." has a deathly serious side, but really... does that matter? "Alice" is one of those movies you can't really have any complaints about. It's really fun to watch. The weakest film here is, true, "Shadows and Fog", but that does not by any circumstances mean it is a bad film. It has excellent cinematography and it is really funny at times. Definitely worth seeing, even if it is one of Woody's weakest films. All in all, you pretty much get the best of Woody Allen here. Really funny, funny and whimsical, funny and sad, deathly serious, and more deathly serious. A fine box set. -Randy

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4.0 out of 5 stars The 'weakest' of the box sets, but weak is a relative term when dealing with a master
While this is, to my taste, the most uneven of the three Woody Allen box sets, it still has at least one truly great film in 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and solid work in 'Another... Read more

Published 13 months ago by K. Gordon

1.0 out of 5 stars PRODUCT DETAILS: WHAT PRODUCT DETAILS?
How about including the names of the movies contained in this boxed set in your so-called "product details" ? Read more

Published on May 15 2004 by Laurence J. Gillis

5.0 out of 5 stars Quit complaining.
I can't believe all the bad reviews this has gotten. This box doesn't hold a bad film, yet there's so many complaints about it not holding any comedy or being to serious or... Read more

Published on Oct 21 2001 by Green Arrow

5.0 out of 5 stars Shadows and Fog
Just for the record -- Shadows and Fog is NOT Kafkaesque, sorry Mr. Maltin. It's Brechtian. And only as such does it make sense, both as parody and tribute. Read more

Published on Sep 5 2001 by Benjamin A. Harrison

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 stars due to "Crimes and Misdemeanors"
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"Crimes and Misdemeanors" is the only reason to get this box, so get just that movie instead. Read more

Published on Jun 23 2001 by Holy Olio

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Allen set
These are 5 great movies from a wonderful director, and are finally available on DVD. These are in direct contrast with the first collection, his "early, funny ones,"... Read more

Published on Jun 7 2001 by Joren R. Cain

1.0 out of 5 stars What is this complete and utter insanity?!?!
What is this complete and utter insanity?!?! This "Set 2" was supposed to include Woody Allen's VERY best "little" film "Broadway Danny Rose"... Read more

Published on Jun 4 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars woody allen dvds
woody allen is one of the greatest actor/directors in film history. his caractor dipections are remarkable and i have yet to see a bad film allen has done. Read more

Published on May 26 2001 by brian schwertfeger

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