comment #1

rr3333 says ...

The script was in Woody's drawer for 30 years. That in itself should be a bit of a red flag.

comment #2

DeafBrownTrashPunk says ...

even young moronic females can date and marry hateful, older men. It happens all the time.

comment #3

corey3rd says ...

In Manhattan Woody was 42. Muriel was 17. A 25 year difference kinda creepy, but the guy was working in TV at the time and taking her to great places to eat.

Whatever Works has Larry David at 62 hooking up with a 22 year old - 40 years apart.

What's next for the Woody in pushing the Old Man - Young girl envelope? Abe Vigoda hooking up with Angelina Jolie's latest fetus?

comment #4

JChasse says ...

You know what was my problem with "The Godfather"? It's about criminals.

comment #5

jamesO.incandenza says ...

Would anybody else be fine with never, ever seeing/hearing Abe Vigoda's name used as a punch line again, even if it meant never seeing/hearing Abe Vigoda's name again?

comment #6

rr3333 says ...

Sadly, 'Fish : The Motion Picture' was just put in turnaround.

comment #7

George Prager says ...

I'd rather get a blowjob from Abe Vigoda than see/hear Abe Vigoda's name used as a punch line again.

comment #8

Travis Crabtree says ...

What're you talking about, Prager? I thought the Abe Vigoda joke was hilarious.

- Yours Truly,
Using Bea Arthur's Name As a Punchline

comment #9

Gordie Lachance says ...

Bruce Handy didn't exactly put up much of an argument against Allen's film. And his revelation that smart characters don't lend themselves to comedy is very telling. I know he loves that Seth Rogen.

Still, a mediocre Woody Allen film is better than 90% of Hollywood's output.

comment #10

TVMCCA says ...

Here's Ronnie Scheib of DAILY VARIETY with his review: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940107.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

comment #11

Phatang! says ...

rr3333: if the script is 30 years old, then he wrote this around the same time he wrote Zelig! It should be vintage Woody!

(or, possibly, there's a reason he hasn't made it until now...)

comment #12

TVMCCA says ...

Phatang! wrote:
rr3333: if the script is 30 years old, then he wrote this around the same time he wrote Zelig! It should be vintage Woody!

(or, possibly, there's a reason he hasn't made it until now...)

In the VARIETY review, it indicates that Woody wrote the original script with Zero Mostel in mind for the lead.

comment #13

TM says ...

Wells, there WAS a real-life parallel when Woody made MANHATTAN. It was based on his life and his relationship with Stacy Nelkin -- which began when she was a 17-year-old student at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. My grad school roommate was in her class at Stuyvesant and he confirmed the relationship. Woody has never publicly commented on it, although it has been written up in biographies.

comment #14

frankbooth says ...

If you could send a terminator robot back in time to kill Woody and save his reputation, what year would you pick?

Some might say 1994, 'cause Bullets Over Broadway was pleasant enough -- but you could make a pretty good case for 1987.

Now, if you could somehow terminate individual movies...

comment #15

corey3rd says ...

all my Charles Lane jokes are worthless now that he's dead - thus you gotta go with Abe Vigoda. The man needs the love everyday.

Plus Abe looks good on wheat toast.

comment #16

Steven kaye says ...

I agree, frankbooth! With his last 4 films grossing about $235 million worldwide (recouping their total cost of $60 million somewhat handily), an Oscar for VCB, and Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas signed up for his latest project, he's obviously an artistic pariah.

comment #17

Gordon27 says ...

"In Manhattan Woody was 42. Muriel was 17. A 25 year difference kinda creepy, but the guy was working in TV at the time and taking her to great places to eat."

I feel like 'Manhattan' is more open about how creepy the relationship is, though. He seems like he knows it's wrong, but he does it anyway. After that, any movie he makes with that as a subplot, it seems to be just accepted as entirely natural and normal.

comment #18

Gordon27 says ...

"Some might say 1994, 'cause Bullets Over Broadway was pleasant enough -- but you could make a pretty good case for 1987."

I love 'Radio Days' as much as anybody, but I can't believe anybody wouldn't want 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' to exist.

Although, when you realize that the niece character is the surrogate for Soon-Yi, that movie becomes a little creepier too.

comment #19

TVMCCA says ...

TM wrote:
Wells, there WAS a real-life parallel when Woody made MANHATTAN. It was based on his life and his relationship with Stacy Nelkin -- which began when she was a 17-year-old student at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. My grad school roommate was in her class at Stuyvesant and he confirmed the relationship. Woody has never publicly commented on it, although it has been written up in biographies.

If this is the same Stacey Nelkin who went on to an acting career, then MANHATTAN might make a good DVD double bill with 1980's SERIAL, where Ms. Nellkin plays a teenager who has a fling with Martin Mull.

comment #20

MAGGA says ...

Woody has made more very good movies this decade than almost any other director. No need to save anyone's reputation, the guy's a God. Melinda and Melinda, Match Point, Cassandra's Dream, Vicky Christina Barcelona. The nineties have several great movies from him as well.