Happy Birthday to one of the best filmmakers ever. From zany comedies to emotional dramas to witty relationship tales, and everything in between, Woody has done it and done it well. For my money, very few if any can come close to his mastery of film, both writing and directing. Of course, that might be subjective. Maybe this video will help.
Have a great birthday, Woody, looking forward to your next film!
Are you a fan of Woody Allen? Leave me a comment…
For the thirteenth year in a row, we traveled up north to Seattle for the annual Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. I’ll get some pictures on here soon. We had a few extra days too, to see the city, but of course the festival is the big draw. As in most years, some friends travel along, this time it was Cal and Laura, along with Sam and Mama O. What did we do? Well….
Wednesday August 28
All six of us had the same Southwest flight in the morning. Once in Seattle, we separated at various points. Petra and I took the light rail to our hotel, The Camlin. The room wasn’t quite ready so we had them hold our luggage while we went to lunch at one of our favorites, Cyber-Dogs, a wonderful vegetarian hot dog place. These dogs are more like meals and really delicious. After that we walked over to Whole Foods and got some supplies for the week. Then it was back to the hotel. Now the room was ready and we went up and unpacked. In a bit, we took the monorail over to the Seattle Center and met up with the rest of the party for a while. Then Petra and I had a nice vegan chinese food meal at Bamboo Garden, where everything is animal-free! And then the monorail back to the hotel. It was a good start for the trip.
Our local Blockbuster Video store is closing, as are hundreds of them across the country. I am sad to see them go, but they are having a huge sale. I got these titles for $16.37, including tax. That’s a pretty good deal, I would say.
Before you say it, two of these are obviously for the kids to watch. But the other four are for us. Some brief notes:
Sleepwalk WIth Me – comedian Mike Birbiglia’s film is quirky and funny. I saw it once but want to see it again.
Ruby Sparks – Clever modern romcom with some definite twists. Original and endearing. I saw it once but want to see it again.
One Day – Never seen it but it looked interesting.
Defending Your Life – I really like Albert Brooks films, but somehow missed this one. Always wanted to see it and now I own it.
Air Bud (Spikes Back) – for the kids
Wimpy Kid – ditto
Have you seen any of these? What did you think?
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Woody is perhaps America’s greatest living filmmaker. Certainly in the top five. I have loved his movies for as long as I can remember and I look forward to each new one. So I want to wish him a very happy birthday!
Let’s celebrate! Here are a few clips from his films.
More below…
I saw the new Woody Allen movie today. Friends know that I am a huge fan of his, and as such I may not be completely objective. So what. He’s one of the best filmmakers ever and a huge talent to boot. Sure, he’s made a few lesser films but overall nearly all of his films are good, very good, great, and/or amazing.
Really, you need to see each of his films a few times to truly appreciate the witty and incisive writing, the expert direction, the always-high talent level of the actors. And this one has all that. Set in Rome, it tells multiple stories but weaves them all into a enjoyable, funny, and clever film. Is it a drama with comedy or a comedy with drama? Dunno. Who cares. The characters are interesting and draw you in, and he gives them good lines and the leeway to create.
Here’s the trailer:
Woody is perhaps America’s best living filmmaker. Certainly in the top five. I have loved his movies for as long as I can remember and look forward to each new one. So I want to wish him a very happy birthday!
Here’s a clip from a very early movie, still funny over 40 years later…
What’s your favorite Woody Allen movie or scene?
Hello again, family, friends, and everyone else too. The pictures from our Seattle 2011 trip are now online! We had a great time as usual. There are Seattle pix, Bumbershoot Festival pix, and just some other weird pix we took on the trip.
Note: These photos came from my cell phone camera. There may be other pictures posted later.
Any questions, just ask. Besides Petra and me, you might even notice a couple pictures of our friends Mama O and Liz. Take a look! Leave a comment if you want, I’ll be waiting….
The new Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris will be released soon. He is certainly one of the great American filmmakers and his body of work is very impressive. Here’s the trailer for his upcoming effort. It has a fine cast, as always, and it’s a given that the writing and direction will be first-rate. Check out this teaser:
Looking forward to it, big time. What about you?
I wished him a happy birthday before, but this one is the 75th and that’s a milestone. So, Happy Birthday, Woody. I love your movies!
Here’s what I wrote a couple years ago:
Woody is one of America’s greatest filmmakers and humorists. A short overview of his life and career is here on Wikipedia. But that does not do it justice. The man has been making very-good-to-outstanding films since the 60s and continues today. And that is not to even mention his books, plays, or even his clarinet playing. He is one of the truly great artists of our time and I honor him by wishing him a wonderful birthday.
And it still rings true. Back then, I listed my top 11 Woody Allen Films, in case you were wondering about that too 😉
Why not leave me a comment below? It’s free and it just *might* make you rich and famous. Maybe not, but isn’t it worth a try?
Recently I saw the movie “Nowhere Boy” (official web site). It’s about the early years of John Lennon, specifically the teen years. Yes, before the Beatles were even a real group. The movie delves into John’s relationship with his aunt Mimi (who raised him) and also his mother who left him when he was a child. His hurt, anger, and confusion are real and justifiable and the film doesn’t sugar-coat those qualities, but his charm and sense of humor shine through it all. Take a look at the trailer for the movie below:
I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a Beatles fan and maybe even if not. The critics at Rotten Tomatoes give it a very high rating. Have you seen it? What did you think?
Recently I saw the latest Woody Allen film, You Will Meet A tall Dark Stranger. It’s a drama with a little humor here and there. As always with his films, the acting is top-notch, as are the actors. The writing is crisp and insightful and the direction is expert. The message is somewhat downbeat overall, which happens in many of his films. But then, life is not always happiness and sunshine either, is it? I found it very entertaining. Here’s the official trailer, take a look:
Woody explores the familiar theme of infidelity but also the ultimate question of whether happiness can last and is it even possible? And if it is, can we find it only if we leave reality behind? Heavy thoughts. It’s a very good film that should make you think but hopefully enjoy at the same time. Recommended, but remember it’s not a romantic comedy or a Bruce Willis action flick. Have you seen it? If so, what did you think?
