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Woody Allen's Top 10?
	Topic by: underdog Posted: January 29, 2009 - 4:20 PM PST Last Reply: January 30, 2009 - 9:07 PM PST

author	topic: Woody Allen's Top 10?
underdog	post #1  on January 29, 2009 - 4:20 PM PST   Paste Magazine compiled their own list of Woody Allen's 10 Best, good fodder for discussion of nothing else. I'd rank 'em somewhat differently, though the top 3 or so are pretty hard to argue against. What would be your picks for Woody's best? (And worst for that matter.) I'll post my own here later.
shiftless	post #2  on January 29, 2009 - 5:50 PM PST   Hmmm, no Bananas or Annie Hall, probably the two movies that made me love Woody Allen to begin with. Melinda and Melinda was rightfully left off. Just saw it and... blech.
shiftless	post #3  on January 29, 2009 - 5:51 PM PST   Whoops Annie Hall is there, damn mouse scroller goes too fast!
DLeonard	post #4  on January 29, 2009 - 6:02 PM PST   > On January 29, 2009 - 5:50 PM PST shiftless wrote: > --------------------------------- > Hmmm, no Bananas or Annie Hall, probably the two movies that made me love Woody Allen to begin with. > > --------------------------------- You must have missed number 3. Number 3 ????!!!!!!
underdog	post #5  on January 29, 2009 - 6:08 PM PST   It's often the case that Manhattan gets slightly more critical love from cinephiles and critics than does Annie Hall, probably because the former is the more beautifully shot one (hard to argue that, the B&W cinematography by Gordon Willis is amazing) and of course it's a love poem to NY so NY critics even more so get excited by it. It's a really good film. And Annie Hall is still my favorite. It's like the slightly sloppier but more lovable sibling to Manhattan. Hannah and Her Sisters is also in my top 3 or 4. Love and Death is in my top 5 as well. Should almost divide his films up by periods. i.e., "early, funnier films", middle classic period, later solid period, recent uneven period. There are even some of his "duds" that I enjoy, like Anything Else. There are some I will never watch again, like September (yawn).
shiftless	post #6  on January 29, 2009 - 8:45 PM PST   Even though I liked Match Point, I really don't think that, when considering Woody Allen's entire carer, that I'd put it in the top 10. I liked Deconstructing Harry and even Radio days better. Also, putting Vicky Cristina Barcelona in this list smacks of pure marketing for his current film, so the entire list is suspect as just a not-very-considered piece of paid-for promotion.
ABernstineIII	post #7  on January 30, 2009 - 12:11 PM PST   > On January 29, 2009 - 4:20 PM PST underdog wrote: > --------------------------------- > Paste Magazine compiled their own list of Woody Allen's 10 Best, good fodder for discussion of nothing else. I'd rank 'em somewhat differently, though the top 3 or so are pretty hard to argue against. > > What would be your picks for Woody's best? (And worst for that matter.) > > I'll post my own here later. > --------------------------------- Woody Allen's best, in no particular order: RADIO DAYS ALICE EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX... BULLETS OVER BROADWAY DECONSTRUCTING HARRY HOLLYWOOD ENDING PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO SMALLTIME CROOKS SLEEPER ZELIG
underdog	post #8  on January 30, 2009 - 2:10 PM PST   I agree Shiftless, that seemed a little suspicious having Vicki CB up so high, so soon. It's a good movie, but not sure it's that good, and some perspective (time passing) would seem to be in order. Okay, here goes mine: 1. Annie Hall 2. Manhattan 3. Hannah and Her Sisters 4. Love and Death 5. Bullets Over Broadway 6. Crimes and Misdemeanors 7. Stardust Memories 8. Deconstructing Harry 9. Purple Rose of Cairo 10. Zelig tie Sleeper (With quite a few others I'm also quite fond of, of course, like Bananas, Husbands and Wives, Radio Days, etc.) Best Woody Movie Not Directed By Woody: (by far) Play It Again Sam. He wrote it and starred in it, and even tho he didn't direct it it's still like a Woody film. Great Bay Area scenery too. Love it.
Vanamonde	post #9  on January 30, 2009 - 9:00 PM PST   underdog! I am pretty much in agreement with you, except that "Alice" is somewhere in the top 10 - Mia Farrow was never better. Still, I imagine she would like to see Woody do 10 to 20 or so. Years in prison that is.
Vanamonde	post #10  on January 30, 2009 - 9:07 PM PST   And for second best Woody Allen not directed by Woody Allen, I vote for "Scenes from a Mall" He was so good with Bette Midler. Paul Mazursky directed. And actually got him out of New York!