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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24469 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-07-05
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Number of discs: 8
• Running time: 88 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Witty Woody Allen...an excellent collection of his best!
This collection features some of the best of Woody Allen. Bananas was simply outrageous fun along with Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex.
"Sleeper" is a look at life in 2073 a la Woody Allen. This too was a fun movie. "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" were perfect depicting life and love in New York City. I am hoping to see Stardust Memories and Interiors soon since I just received this collection. If you admire the work of Woody Allen then this collection is for you. Too bad "Take the Money and Run" is not in this bunch. I had to order it separately but "TTMAR" was hilarious for Woody's first movie! Enjoy!

Prelude to the Later Masterpieces
I've seen these films over the the years numerous times, never really loved them, but recognize them now as the necessary practice of a developing talent, who has grown enormously over the years. Yes, "Annie Hall" is a kick, but compared to "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Hannah and Her Sisters," and "Deconstructing Harry," it must be seen as a young work, well-conceived, but lacking the depth of his more mature work. Others disagree, of course, and why not? There are numerous bright spots in these films. Certainly "Manhattan" is a unique love-poem to the city. Woody's preoccupation with Dostoevsky is shown to great affect in "Love and Death," but all in all I prefer his late work, and believe that Mia Farrow played a crucial role in inspiring his mature phase. Woody himself has expressed reservations for his work overall. There are indeed limitations, and it is doubtful that he will ever be compared to the greats. But he is certainly great enough for me. He remains the most exciting director of our generation.

The best Woody Allen collection
Enjoyed Annie Hall again last night - Best Picture, 1977? My husband loved Bananas and all of the earlier movies.