"Scoop" debut

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There was a slight rigamarole in late April (or was it early May?) when Variety reported that Woody Allen's Scoop would be released in the late summer and one of my Focus Features pallies kept saying, "That's news to us." Anyway, it's official: Allen's comedy, a London-based runaround about a young reporter (Scarlett Johansson) and an older, somewhat suspicious man of wealth and schwing (Hugh Jackman), will open on 7.28 in the top 100 markets, at a running time of 96 minutes.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 23, 2006 at 9:39 AM

comment #1

Mike Schaefer says ...

I've seen the trailer 3 times now, and it just looks atrocious. And I *loved* "Match Point" and wa shoping it was a turning point of sorts. As I said in a previous comments thread a week or 2 back, it looks like "Curse of the Jade Scorpion 2", with Johansson filling in for Helen Hunt.

Posted by Mike Schaefer at June 23, 2006 12:47 PM

comment #2

Fielding says ...

Actually, Scoop was previewed about a week ago in Pleasantville, NY, and was very well received. It's also going to be the closing film at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan on Aug 6.

Posted by Fielding at June 23, 2006 8:22 PM

comment #3

Dixon Steele says ...

As a longtime Woody fan, I hate to say this, but the least effective element in the SCOOP trailer is Woody himself. Still doing the old jokes/schtick recycled from his earlier (better) films. Doesn't feel good saying this, but it's true.

And yeah, it does have a Jade Scorpion feel, and Woody miscast himself in that one too (he really shouldn't have bothered making that one and almost admitted as much in an interview).

Scarlett and Hugh Jackman...fine. MATCH POINT was first-rate. But Woody feels like an interloper, at least he came off that way in the trailer I saw before CLICK yesterday.

Posted by Dixon Steele at June 24, 2006 2:45 PM

comment #4

Fielding says ...

Woody is very funny in Scoop, and his role in it simply cannot be compared to Curse of the Jade Scorpion. In the latter he was playing a tough-talking Bogartesque investigator, and he only cast himself because he was running out of time and couldn't find anyone else. He didn't enjoy making it, but he was committed to it and had to see it through.

In Scoop, on the other hand, he's playing a part tailor-made for himself and more reminiscent of Broadway Danny Rose and Manhattan Murder Mystery.

Posted by Fielding at June 24, 2006 6:42 PM

comment #5

Dixon Steele says ...

That's the problem exactly, Fielding.

"Reminiscent" is the word. All too reminiscent.

Still, can't expect you to be biased against the Woodman, as you've named yourself after his character in BANANAS. Am I right, Mr. Mellish?

Posted by Dixon Steele at June 24, 2006 8:43 PM

comment #6

Fielding says ...

Yep, Dixon, I'm an unabashed fan, and definitely not one who quite ludicrously expects a man who makes a movie a year to produce something utterly unique and original with each or indeed any outing. Of course he's going to be echoing his past films at this point - he's been making them since 1969! That repetition does not bother me in the slightest - it's his outlook on life and filmmaking voice that's original and that I look forward to experiencing.

Posted by Fielding at June 25, 2006 3:21 AM

comment #7

Dixon Steele says ...

There's nothing at all ludicrous about expecting someone not to blatantly recycle his jokes in a such a public way. This isn't stand-up.

There's fans (like me) and fanatics (like you), and that's where we part.

Having said that, I've seen all his films and will continue to. And yes, no one has as prolific an output as Allen.

But a little self-editing wouldn't hurt either.

Posted by Dixon Steele at June 25, 2006 4:11 AM

comment #8

Fielding says ...

Actually, think of the jokes he's "blatantly recycled" and you'll come up with a very short list, which is pretty good considering he's been in the biz for 55 years or so.

And he's one of the most ruthless self-editors around.

Posted by Fielding at June 25, 2006 6:08 PM

comment #9

Dixon Steele says ...

He can be a little more ruthless, that's for sure. There's a reason people aren't going to his movies, Fielding. Even with the rave reviews and Oscar nomination for MATCH POINT (which was terrific).

The Soon-Yi thing? Maybe. I'm sure you'll passionately defend that too.

He has a great body of work, no one can take that away from him.

But when I saw that trailer, I had the same feeling I got watching his performance in ANYTHING ELSE. Which was...not again.

Now please don't tell me that was a great movie.

And don't get me started on HOLLYWOOD ENDING.

Posted by Dixon Steele at June 25, 2006 7:31 PM

comment #10

Fielding says ...

Anything Else was vintage Woody Allen - it wasn't groundbreaking, to be sure, but it was thoughtful, well-acted, beautifully directed and photographed and very funny. I also thought Woody's performance was one of his very best.

So you think no one went to see Match Point? Consider this: it made $23 million in North America from just 512 screens, which is an excellent result; it's made another $23 million from its US DVD release; and worldwide it's made $103 million and counting. Not bad for a flick that cost $15 million, don't you think?

His relationship with Soon-Yi was indeed inappropriate and hurtful but it didn't change my opinion of him one jot. Anyway, they're happily married and I have a feeling he actually has more in common with Soon-Yi than he ever did with Hollywood scion Mia Farrow.

Posted by Fielding at June 25, 2006 10:04 PM

comment #11

Dixon Steele says ...

I will concede that Match Point did OK. I'm glad it did; it was his best film in years, as I wrote.

But ANYTHING ELSE being vintage Allen. What have you been smoking? At least you didn't try to defend Hollywood Ending.

I'm glad that Woody gets to make more films. He's still a major talent and stands alone.

But as anyone with such a prolific output, some are going to be better than others. Some will be excellent (Match Point) some will be awful (Hollywood Ending), most in between.

And even his admirers, like me, will admit that he can miscast himself inappropriately at times (Jade Scorpion). And even when he finds a substitute, like K. Branagh in Celebrity, it isn't ALWAYS going to work.

And I'll still go to see his films, but movies have to earn their praise, or else, what's the point?

And I bet you he'd agree with that. Blindly praising him makes you like one of the "fans" in Stardust Memories. Take another look at that movie and you'll know exactly what he thinks of such fans.

Posted by Dixon Steele at June 25, 2006 10:31 PM

comment #12

Fielding says ...

C'mon, Match Point has done better than OK - much, MUCH better. And the cool thing about its success is that it was seen by a lot of young people who had never seen a Woody Allen film before and who were attracted by a fine trailer, great word of mouth, and gorgeous actors. Hopefully he's garnered a new generation of fans.

By the way, I do not blindly praise all his films. In fact, as a longtime admirer, I'm more acutely aware than most of the decline that crept into his work from Deconstructing Harry on and was most pronounced in Jade Scorpion. However, I will never describe any of his films as awful, either - that's just hyperbolically negative (and unfortunately the dominant mode of expression on forums such as this).

Posted by Fielding at June 26, 2006 1:31 AM

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