Woody Allen and Philosophy

Author: Mark T. Conard
Publisher: Open Court Publishing
ISBN: 0812694538
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Book Description
Fifteen philosophers representuing different schools of thought answer the question what is Woody Allen trying to say in his films? And why should anyone care? Focusing on different works and varied aspects of Allen's multifaceted output, these essays explore the philosophical undertones of Anne Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Manhattan, A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy and reminds us that just because the universe is meaningless and life is pointless is no reason to commit suicide.

Woody Allen

Author: Vittorio Hösle
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 116

Book Description
In this extended essay, Vittorio H sle develops a theory of the comical and applies it to interpret both the recurrent personae played by Woody Allen the actor and the philosophical issues addressed by Woody Allen the director in his films. Taking Henri Bergson's analysis of laughter as a starting point, H sle integrates aspects of other theories of laughter to construct his own more finely-articulated and expanded model. With this theory in hand, H sle discusses the incongruity in the characters played by Woody Allen and describes how these personae are realized in his work. H sle focuses on the philosophical issues in Allen's major films by exploring the identity problem in Play It Again, Sam and Zelig, the shortcomings of the positivist concept of reality in A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, the relation between reality and art in The Purple Rose of Cairo, the objective validity of morality in Crimes and Misdemeanors, the power of evil in Shadows and Fog, and the relation between art and morality in Bullets over Broadway. He cites Allen's virtuosic reinterpretation of older forms of expression and his integration of the fantastic into the comic universe--elements like the giant breasts, anxious sperm, extraterrestrials, ghosts, and magicians that populate his movies--as formal moves akin to those of Aristophanes. Both an overview of Allen's work and a philosophical analysis of laughter, H sle's study demonstrates why Allen's films have more to offer us--morally, philosophically, and artistically--than just a few laughs. "In Woody Allen, Vittorio H sle goes a long way toward explaining everything you wanted to know about Allen but were afraid to ask. Just why exactly is he funny, and why does his humor have a strong appeal for academics? In his comprehensive analysis of Allen's work, H sle outlines a workable theory of humor, illustrates his conclusions by referring to the films and prose, and points out several philosophic motifs underlying Allen's deceptively complex comedies. H sle's work elevates the enjoyment of Allen's films from guilty pleasure to satisfying intellectual engagement with an intriguing contemporary thinker and artist." --Richard A. Blake, S.J., Boston College "Vittorio H sle presents a compelling overview of Allen's work in which he discusses different theories of laughter and argues for the priority of the incongruity theory as the only one able to answer the normative question, what distinguises good from bad laughter? On this theoretical basis he goes on to delve into both the humor and the philosophical profundity of Allen's films." --Sander Lee, Keene State College

Woody Allen's Angst

Author: Sander H. Lee
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476605963
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 417

Book Description
While Woody Allen is generally considered to be a master of the comic genre he created, his serious films are very important in understanding his role as one of this generation's more influential filmmakers. In this work such Allen films as Annie Hall (1977), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Mighty Aphrodite (1995) are analyzed for the common philosophical themes they share. Gender issues, Allen's love-hate relationship with God, narcissism and moral relativism, and the use of the so-called existential dilemma are among the topics discussed. The extensive research is augmented with a rare interview with Allen.

Apropos of Nothing

Author: Woody Allen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1951627377
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 319

Book Description
The Long-Awaited, Enormously Entertaining Memoir by One of the Great Artists of Our Time—Now a New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller. In this candid and often hilarious memoir, the celebrated director, comedian, writer, and actor offers a comprehensive, personal look at his tumultuous life. Beginning with his Brooklyn childhood and his stint as a writer for the Sid Caesar variety show in the early days of television, working alongside comedy greats, Allen tells of his difficult early days doing standup before he achieved recognition and success. With his unique storytelling pizzazz, he recounts his departure into moviemaking, with such slapstick comedies as Take the Money and Run, and revisits his entire, sixty-year-long, and enormously productive career as a writer and director, from his classics Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Annie and Her Sisters to his most recent films, including Midnight in Paris. Along the way, he discusses his marriages, his romances and famous friendships, his jazz playing, and his books and plays. We learn about his demons, his mistakes, his successes, and those he loved, worked with, and learned from in equal measure. This is a hugely entertaining, deeply honest, rich and brilliant self-portrait of a celebrated artist who is ranked among the greatest filmmakers of our time.

Woody Allen and Philosophy

Author: Mark T. Conard
Publisher: Open Court
ISBN: 0812697464
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Woody Allen

Author: Jason Solomons
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781787390515
Category : Motion picture producers and directors
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The quintessential illustrated guide to Woody Allen's lifetime of work, updated to include Cafe Society (2016) and Wonder Wheel (2017). Woody Allen has celebrated more than 50 years of filmmaking, averaging one movie per year. Respected critic Jason Solomons examines each of these films, from What's New Pussycat (1965) all the way to Wonder Wheel (2017). In addition to interviewing Woody himself, Solomons looks at the impact of Allen's comedy, his work as an actor and writer, and his profound effect on popular culture. Filled with fantastic shots of his films, as well as behind-the-scenes information, Woody Allen: Film by Film is a must-have for Allen fans new and old.

Dread & Superficiality

Author: Stuart Hample
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
ISBN: 9780810957428
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Collects three hundred "Inside Woody Allen" newspaper comic strips by Stuart Hample from between 1976 and 1984, shot off the original art and based on the life and jokes of Woody Allen.

Side Effects

Author: D.B. Wright
Publisher: FriesenPress
ISBN: 1460291921
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 230

Book Description
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) is a trauma that can occur in anyone who witnesses the suffering of others or helps another through a traumatic experience. Those at risk include health care providers, first responders, people in journalism, law, teaching, correctional services, animal health care and those caring for loved ones at home, among others. STS can profoundly impact both your professional and personal life. Dismissing the symptoms only make matters worse. But STS does not need to be a life sentence. Overcoming traumatic stress is possible and can even be transformational as this heart-warming and sometimes humorous memoir suggests. This book provides information about STS, its symptoms and treatment, as well as ways to help prevent it.

Mere Anarchy

Author: Woody Allen
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1588366200
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Book Description
“I am greatly relieved that the universe is finally explainable. I was beginning to think it was me.”–Woody Allen Here, in his first collection since his three hilarious classics Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, Woody Allen has managed to write a book that not only answers the most profound questions of human existence but is the perfect size to place under any short table leg to prevent wobbling. “I awoke Friday, and because the universe is expanding it took me longer than usual to find my robe,” he explains in a piece on physics called “Strung Out.” In other flights of inspirational sanity we are introduced to a cast of characters only Allen could imagine: Jasper Nutmeat, Flanders Mealworm, and the independent film mogul E. Coli Biggs, just to name a few. Whether he is writing about art, sex, food, or crime (“Pugh has been a policeman as far back as he can remember. His father was a notorious bank robber, and the only way Pugh could get to spend time with him was to apprehend him”) he is explosively funny. In “This Nib for Hire,” a Hollywood bigwig comes across an author’s book in a little country store and describes it in a way that aptly captures this magnificent volume: “Actually,” the producer says, “I’d never seen a book remaindered in the kindling section before.”

Woody on Rye

Author: Vincent Brook
Publisher: Brandeis University Press
ISBN: 1611684803
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Book Description
Although Woody AllenÕs films have received extensive attention from scholars and critics, no book has focused exclusively on Jewishness in his work, particularly that of the late 1990s and beyond. In this anthology, a distinguished group of contributorsÑwhose work is richly contextualized in the fields of literature, philosophy, film, theater, and comedyÑexamine the schlemiel, Allen and women, the Jewish take on the Òmorality of murder,Ó AllenÕs take on Hebrew scripture and Greek tragedy, his stage work, his cinematic treatment of food and dining, and what happens to ÒJew YorkÓ when Woody takes his films out of New York City. Considered together, these essays delineate the intellectual, artistic, and moral development of one of cinemaÕs most durable and controversial directors.