About The Book

Woody Allen holds a unique place in America’s consciousness. Over the past twenty-five years—as a filmmaker, actor, writer, and musician—he has portrayed contemporary American life with an unmistakable mixture of irony, neurotic obsession, and humor. From his early career as a cabaret comedian in New York City clubs to his most recent films, Woody Allen has examined the frailty of human relations and the pains and complexities of existence like no other artists working today.

Woody Allen on Woody Allen is a unique self-portrait of this uncompromising filmmaker that offers a revealing account of his life and work. In a series of rare, in-depth interviews, Allen brings us onto the sets and behind the scenes of all his films. With his early comedic efforts, Take the Money and Run and Bananas, Woody Allen emerged as a formidable new filmmaker with a distinctive voice; with Annie Hall and Manhattan, Allen reached a turning point in his cinematic style. Progressing from pure slapstick comedy to sophisticated Freudian one-liners and existential pratfalls, Allen established himself as a confident and mature filmmaker. More recently, Allen’s work has shifted in tone, if not in content, exploring the pains and complexities of contemporary urban life in such powerful dramas as Crimes and Misdemeanors and Husbands and Wives. In discussing these accomplishments, Allen shares his inspirations, anxieties, and frustrations, both personal and professional.

Woody Allen on Woody Allen is punctuated with his memories and opinions: afternoon movie-watching while growing up in Brooklyn; anecdotes about the film industry; discussions of favorite films, most inspirational actresses, most revered cinematographers; his love of jazz; his fascinating with the city of New York. From his youthful interest in the nonsensical surrealism of Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers to the poetic lyricism of Ingmar Bergman, the conversations in Woody Allen on Woody Allen reveal the broad influences of Woody Allen’s eclectic vision and bring him closer, in all his vulnerable complexity, than ever before.

Praise

“Woody Allen on Woody Allen is the best book ever published about Allen’s moviemaking. . . . This volume belongs topmost on every Allen fan’s must-read list.” –Hollywood Reporter

“Allen emerges as a disciplined worker, far different from his famed per­sona as self-pitying neurotic. This book will delight–and relieve–his fans.” –Publishers Weekly

“Allen’s thoughtful examination of his career should come as no sur­prise. . . . The conversation is rich in anecdotes, trivia and insight.” –Booklist