Haven't seen that one yet but, based on Alice, trust that it's good stuff.

[explaining to Alice why he wants to have an affair with her]
Joe : There's nothing sexier than a lapsed Catholic.

[explaining what the Professor means when he tells Alice she's 'deep']
Muse : Very deep is exactly where he wants to put it.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Tosh
"What can I read by or about this guy and his screenwriting/comedy writing? This guy is witty as hell:

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Witty indeed. Woody Allen is a living legend. The king of the one-liner. Set up, punchline. Set up, punchline. And the oh-so self-depricating humor. And unbelievably prolific -- the guy is a machine. He started as a standup comedian in the 1960s, and his subsequent job titles have included playwright, author, screenwriter, director, actor, and producer. His career spans 40 years, in which time he's directed 39 films. He won the Best Director Oscar for ANNIE HALL, and was nominated for Best Director an additional 5 times. He won two Oscars for Best Screenplay (ANNIE HALL, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS) and was nominated for an additional 11 writing Oscars. He was even nominated for Best Actor for ANNIE HALL, before the world realized he was just playing himself and would play the same character in every movie he made. He continues to this day, although his latest films have lacked the -- shall I say, zest? Edge? -- that has earlier work had. But A-list actors are still lining up to work with him. His ensemble casts are always filled with big names. His latest film, MELINDA AND MELINDA, stars current king-of-the-comedy-block Will Ferrell. Allen completely embodies the spirit of New York City (he was heavily courted to make appearances following the Sept. 11 tragedy, because through his work he's almost become a spokesperson/face/voice for the entire city).  

I'm sure there are some great biographies about Allen. He wrote a few books himself, consisting of hilarious short stories and essays. The two best ones are supposedly GETTING EVEN and WITHOUT FEATHERS.

If you haven't been exposed to much Woody Allen, I'd recommend ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN as the films to start with. They're by far his best. His early career displayed a much more broad sense of humor, a lot of slapstick and wacky gags. The best of them are SLEEPER, BANANAS, and TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. His later works (there are plenty of significant titles among them) are more serious (by serious I mean 'weighty', not less comedic necessarily) and experimental with titles like A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY, BROADWAY DANNY ROSE, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (Oscars for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Caine, and Best Supporting Actress for Dianne Wiest), RADIO DAYS, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, HUSBANDS AND WIVES, MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (Best Supporting Actress Oscar for DIanne Wiest) and MIGHTY APHRODITE (Best Supporting Actress Oscarf for Mira Sorvino).

Honestly, although I recognize Allen as a comedic genius and landmark filmmaker, I'm by no means the world's biggest Woody Allen fan. I can't take too much Allen at once -- the overly-talky/analytical films start to feel a bit familiar for me after a while. I quickly tire of the whiny character Allen plays in almost all of his movies. But that's just me personally. Again, I recognize how important his work is, I jus can't take too much of it at once. Check out ANNIE HALL or MANHATTAN and let us know what you think!