Woody Allen Collection Vol 1

Out Now

Synopsis

This first part of the fantastic Woody Allen Collection brings together five classic films that showcase Allen's madcap sensibilites and wickedly funny irreverence.

Bananas (1971): Bananas tells the story of Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen), a neurotic New Yorker who chases after the woman of his dreams, Nancy (Louise Lasser), to the imaginary Central American country of San Marcos, where she is a political activist in a revolution. Nancy rejects Fielding's affections and desires nothing more from him but to leave her alone. Fielding coincidentally becomes a guest of the country's dictator (Carlos Montalban), and winds up becoming the leader of San Marcos himself.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask (1972): Seven superbly silly satiric vignettes including a timid sperm, an oversexed jester, a sheep folly and a giant disembodied breast, all based very loosely on Dr. David Reuben's book...

Sleeper (1973): Drawing on the great tradition of silent comedy, Sleeper is Woody Allen's first film to tame his verbal wit and showcase his emerging skill with visual and physical comedy. Starring Diane Keaton (directed by Allen for the first time).

When cryogenically preserved Miles Monroe (Allen) is awakened 200 years after a hospital mishap, he discovers the future's not so bright: all women are frigid, all men are impotent, and the world is ruled by an evil dictator... a disembodies nose! Pursued by the secret police and recruited by anti-government rebels with a plan to kidnap the dictator's snout before it can be cloned, Miles falls for the beautiful but untalented poet Luna (Diane Keaton). But when Miles is captured and reprogrammed by the government (to believe he's Miss America!), it's up to Luna to save Miles, lead the rebels, and cut off the nose just to spite its face!

Love & Death (1975): Cowardly scholar Boris Grushenko (Allen) has the hots for the beautiful Sonja (Diane Keaton), but cold feet for the Napoleonic Wars. Devastated by news of Sonja's plans to wed a foul-smelling herring merchant, Boris enlists in the army only to return home a penniless hero!

Finally agreeing to marry him, Sonja settles down with poor Boris, to a rich life of philosophy, celibacy and meals of snow. But when the French troops invade Russia and Sonja hatches a zany scheme to assassinate Napoleon, Boris learns, in a hilarious but fatal coup attempt, that God is an underachiever, there are no girls in the afterlife and that the angel of death can't be trusted!

Annie Hall (1977): Winner of four Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Director, Annie Hall is Woody Allen's supreme masterpiece. Coming between such early, slapstick farces as Sleeper and Love and Death, and darker, more reflective comedies like Manhattan and Hannah and her Sisters.

Starring Allen as New York comedian Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton as Annie, the film weaves flashbacks, flash forwards, monologues, a parade of classic monologues, a parade of classic Allen one-liners, and even animation into an alternatively uproarious and wistful comedy about a witty and wacky on-again, off again romance.