Will anybody go to see a new or old Woody Allen movie? Ever?

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Now that's a worthy topic, thanks for posting that.

I haven't seen his latest film yet A Rainy Day in New York (2019), but I loved his second to last film Wonder Wheel (2017)...I think the thing is, Woody isn't making the type of films that young people like. Which is good as we need diversity. We already have enough directors making superhero, sequels and action flicks...so it's good to have a different perspective and different type of film making that is the hallmark of Woody Allen's films.
I didn't really care for A Rainy Day in New York or Wonder Wheel, but for the most part, I have always found Woody's work worthwhile. I prefer post 1980 to pre 1980 and I'm sure I can count the number of films of his that I haven't seen, but I just have to say the same thing when people started buzzing about Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey...why do people around here have so much trouble separating the artist from what he does in his private life?



I didn't really care for A Rainy Day in New York or Wonder Wheel, but for the most part, I have always found Woody's work worthwhile. I prefer post 1980 to pre 1980 and I'm sure I can count the number of films of his that I haven't seen, but I just have to say the same thing when people started buzzing about Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey...why do people around here have so much trouble separating the artist from what he does in his private life?
To me, there's a big difference between Spacey & Allen vs Cosby. Cosby was convicted of being a serial rapist. Allen might not have done anything wrong and Spacey made some bad decisions but neither are as bad as Cosby in my book.



I am the Watcher in the Night
I never liked his movies, maybe they arent aimed at a British city boy but for me, they were boring boring boring. With all these allegations in his personal life, it makes it worse.
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Allen's problems are similar to people that were labelled as communists back in the 1950's and compounded by the fact that he's in his 80's, so an energetic comeback seems unlikely under any circumstance. Once a person is accused, there's no proof or redemption, our form of righteous puritanism. A Google search for his name reveals that he's still married to Soon-Yi AND that every month seems to bring some sort of scandal-sheet web horror about whatever he did, even after all these years of being quiet, so I assume that his public image is still not something a financial backer would invest in.

I admit to liking most of his movies in a strange way. There seems to be some sort of cultural predilection from the heartland to think that people who have incomes and live in northeastern or west coast cities must be morally incorrect or intellectually pretentious, or status and money obsessed, but Allen's movies dived into that region with no shame....as though we are actually just regular people. It's kinda fun to think that there's nothing all that awful about walking around in the city and discussing who has the best arugula sandwich, so his movies provided a safe, escape zone from dusty prairies and galactic star battles. I don't think he will be back.



...I don't think he will be back.
Dude that sounds more like your fantasy than anything else, same goes for the title of this thread. PLENTY of people watch Woody Allen's films and he is still making films! If he slows down or stops it will be because he's so old, not because you wish it. He married Soon-Yi in 1997 and since then he's directed these films:

2020 Rifkin's Festival (post-production)
2019 A Rainy Day in New York
2017 Wonder Wheel (directed by)
2016 Café Society
2015 Irrational Man
2014 Magic in the Moonlight
2013 Blue Jasmine
2012 To Rome with Love
2011 Midnight in Paris
2010 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
2009 Whatever Works
2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2007 Cassandra's Dream
2006 Scoop
2005 Match Point
2004 Melinda and Melinda
2003 Anything Else
2002 Hollywood Ending
2001 Sounds from a Town I Love (TV Short)
2001 The Concert for New York City (TV Special documentary) (segment "Sounds from the Town I Love")
2001 The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
2000 Small Time Crooks
1999 Sweet and Lowdown
1998 Celebrity
1997 Deconstructing Harry

Don't tell me no one has ever seen any of those



I just have to say the same thing when people started buzzing about Bill Cosby and Kevin Spacey...why do people around here have so much trouble separating the artist from what he does in his private life?
I have zero interest in Cosby, but I am sorry Kevin Spacey’s career appears to be in tatters. Excellent actor & I hope he will return.

No matter what he did, it doesn't change the contributions he made to the entertainment industry.
Agreed.

PLENTY of people watch Woody Allen's films and he is still making films! If he slows down or stops it will be because he's so old, not because you wish it.
Agreed.
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I’m not aware that Polanski ever molested a child.

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_...ual_abuse_case



On March 10, 1977, Polanski, then aged 43, faced multiple charges involving drugging and raping 13-year-old Samantha Jane Gailey[10] (now Samantha Geimer).[11] A grand jury charged Polanski with five charges:
  1. Rape by use of drugs
  2. Perversion
  3. Sodomy
  4. Lewd and lascivious act upon a child under fourteen
  5. Furnishing a controlled substance to a minor[9]




Roman Polanski drugged and vaginally, orally and anally raped a 13 year old. He was found guilty after he fled the US in order to avoid sentencing.



⬆️ Already discussed & put to bed (hopefully) last week. Always a good idea to read prior posts.



The fact that he's been married for a long time is irrelevant as to whether he is an abuser or not- it's often the perfect smokescreen.

I don't think it's simply a case of people boycotting his films because of the abuse allegations; they're just out of fashion. He's had a long career and some of the recent ones maybe just weren't that good. I don't know of people who have suddenly stopped watching and liking his films, and many of his films are available on Prime.

If you want to enjoy a film without any personal sleaze attached, don't read tabloids and social media.



Yeah, it's an academic question for me since I already own Midnight in Paris and haven't been interested in anything he's done since. There are articles about how he phones things in, too, just using whatever quasi-decent first take goes through. He's in a holding pattern, we've seen what he does and I don't think there's anything else to see there, as glib as that sounds.



Pivoting: I’ve read that Clint Eastwood rarely does a second take & I don’t think I have ever liked a single movie he’s directed. Just saying.



I will go watch the mans movies. I own over fifty of his dvd's, both the good and terrible. I think he was, and could continue to be a great film maker if he would just apply himself. I will never put him on a pedestal, or defend him when I know he has done something wrong. I don't necessarily believe everything Mia says, but I don't know (as almost all of us don't know) whether he is guilty of rape or other crimes. I am not defending him now, because, as I said, I don't know what he did or did not do. Separate the man from his art. If he is guilty I hope they are able to convict him and treat him like any other criminal. But I will still enjoy his movies, just like I enjoy Polanski's Chinatown and the work of many artists that are guilty of crimes unknown.



I think he was, and could continue to be a great film maker if he would just apply himself.
Apply himself?



I will go watch the mans movies. I own over fifty of his dvd's, both the good and terrible. I think he was, and could continue to be a great film maker if he would just apply himself.....
At his age, given the strenuous demands of making movies and the probable reaction, it seems unlikely.




I believe that since his movie September, (About the time Mia found out about soon-yi and Woody) Woody has been distracted from his movie making. After September Woody made several forgettable movies with a few exceptions (for me Mighty Aphrodite) His movies Match Point and Cassandra's dream seemed to be an improvement and I don't think his other recent movies are as bad as that dead period listed above. I know he is old, and the likliehood of him spinning out additional masterpieces is unlikely, but I think he still has the ability if he would just focus on his art. His age and the situation he finds himself in now will probably ensure that won't happen.



I think he still has the ability if he would just focus on his art. His age and the situation he finds himself in now will probably ensure that won't happen.
If only people would let him alone to focus on his art. Not sure what you mean by “situation he finds himself in now”. He’s happily married for some decades & has 2 daughters. Sounds good to me.



If only people would let him alone to focus on his art. Not sure what you mean by “situation he finds himself in now”. He’s happily married for some decades & has 2 daughters. Sounds good to me.
For better or worse, at this point he's in that category of American "celebrities" who will never be forgiven no matter what he does. American puritanism never completely disappears and once you're on the bad list you never come off. Curiously, I mentioned him in some casual, in person conversations over the past few days out of curiosity and got that reaction, as though I was suggesting that we hire the Son of Sam as a Sunday school teacher since HE hasn't killed anybody in decades.