Actor Woody Allen (1935)

Woody Allen wrote and directed Crisis in Six Scenes (2016) for Amazon Studios, a half-hour television miniseries. For the first time, he wrote and directed six episodes of the half-hour series for television. The series premiered on September 30, 2016, to generally unfavorable reviews. Allen said in May 2016 that there will only be one season to the series. It is available exclusively on Amazon Video. Amid a tumultuous era in America, a suburban family in the 1960’s is upended by an unexpected visitor in Crisis in Six Scenes, the comedy series that debuted on Amazon ...

The comedy film Fading Gigolo (2013), starring and directed by John Turturro, follows a wealthy dermatologist named Dr. Parker who mentions to her patient Murray that she and her friend Selima are interested in a ménage à trois and asks if he knows of any willing men. Murray, struggling financially after his bookstore fails, persuades his former employee Fioravante to take on the gig. With Murray acting as their pimp, they quickly establish a successful gigolo business. Meanwhile, Murray lives with Othella and her children, one of whom gets head lice. To treat the child, Murray takes him to Avigal, a widow of a Hasidic ...

To Rome with Love (2012) is a romantic comedy that incorporates elements of magical realism. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, who also makes his first on-screen appearance since 2006. It tells the story through four distinct vignettes: a clerk’s sudden rise to fame, an architect’s nostalgic visit to his old college neighborhood, a newlywed couple’s honeymoon adventures, and an Italian funeral director’s captivating singing talent that impresses his American future relative, an opera director. Hayley’s Story. While ...

Scoop (2006)  is a romantic crime comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It follows the story of investigative reporter Joe Strombel’s spirit, who finds himself on the barge of death with other individuals, including Jane Cook. Cook claims she was poisoned by her employer, Peter Lyman, an ambitious British aristocrat who she believes may also be the notorious Tarot Card Killer. This killer has been targeting prostitutes and leaves a card on each victim’s body. Sondra Pransky, an American journalism student vacationing in London, attends a performance by magician Sid Waterman, also known as ...

Anything Else (2003) is a romantic comedy film by American filmmaker Woody Allen. Jerry Falk and David Dobel, who bond over their shared profession as struggling comedy writers in New York City, quickly become close friends. While both are Jewish, they have differing beliefs – with David being an atheist. As they spend time together, they discover that they share a multitude of neuroses. Despite the age gap of forty years (with Jerry being twenty-one and David being sixty), they engage in deep conversations about life in the park. Though Jerry writes full-time and is even working on a novel, David still holds onto ...

Hollywood Ending (2002) is a comical American film both written and directed by Woody Allen, who also stars as the main character. Val Waxman, once a highly-regarded film director, has found himself relegated to directing commercials for television. After getting fired from his most recent project filming a deodorant commercial in the cold wilderness of Canada, Val desperately searches for a new opportunity in the film industry. His luck changes when he unexpectedly receives an offer to direct a high-budget blockbuster set in New York City. The catch? The offer comes from his ex-wife Ellie and her current partner Hal, ...

The crime comedy film, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), was written and directed by Woody Allen and starred him as well. In 1940 New York City, efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald had a hidden relationship with her boss, Chris Magruder. He assured her that once his divorce from his wife was finalized, they could be together publicly. During a dinner at the Rainbow Room, magician Voltan enlisted Betty Ann and her co-worker C.W. Briggs to participate in his hypnotism act. By using the trigger words ‘Madagascar’ and ‘Constantinople’, they were put into a trance before being awakened. Later ...

Small Time Crooks (2000), an American crime-comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of career criminal Ray and his cohorts as they hatch a plan to lease a defunct pizzeria. Their goal? To dig a tunnel from the basement of the restaurant to a nearby bank. In order to cover their tracks, Ray’s wife Frenchy cleverly disguises their activities, selling cookies out of the front of the establishment. However, their robbery scheme proves to be unsuccessful, while their cookie business becomes wildly popular. As they expand their enterprise through franchising, the once down-and-out duo become ...

Antz (1998) is an American animated adventure comedy film from DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images. The story follows Z, an anxious worker ant who struggles with feelings of insignificance in the colony. Even his therapist reminds him of his supposed meaningless existence. One night at the local bar, Z meets Bala, the princess of the colony who also seeks refuge from her stifling royal life. As the ant colony prepares for war against a termite invasion, Z sees this as an opportunity to see Bala again and switches places with his friend Weaver to join the army. There, he befriends staff sergeant Barbatus while remaining unaware of General Mandible’s ...

Deconstructing Harry (1997) is a dark comedy film from the United States that Woody Allen wrote, directed, and acted in. One evening, Lucy hails a taxi to visit Harry Block, a well-known author in Manhattan. Recently finishing his latest book, Lucy is upset to see that her own affair with Harry has been used as inspiration for the character Leslie’s affair with her sister’s husband Ken. Enraged by this public portrayal of their relationship, Lucy pulls out a gun she had concealed in her purse and threatens to take her own life. She then turns the weapon on Harry and begins shooting at him. As he runs away ...

The Sunshine Boys (1996) is an American comedy TV film, helmed by director John Erman and based on Neil Simon’s eponymous 1972 play. The story follows Al Lewis and Willy Clark, two cantankerous comedians who were once part of the famed duo ‘Lewis and Clark’, also known as the Sunshine Boys. However, after a successful 43-year run, they went their separate ways with a bitter falling-out and have had no contact since. Now, a major network is planning a reunion for a comedy history special.

Everyone Says I Love You (1996) is a musical film created by Woody Allen. Djuna Berlin, also known as D.J., acts as the narrator for the stories within the lavish and inclusive Park Avenue household she resides in. This home was formed through the union of her mother, the ever-dedicated activist Steffi, and Bob Dandridge, a lawyer. The only current issue in this household is Scott Dandridge, Bob’s son from his previous marriage, who has taken on conservative views. Steffi and Bob’s two children together, teenage Lane and Laura Dandridge, are inseparable but may run into conflict as they both have feelings ...

The American comedy film, Mighty Aphrodite (1995), written and directed by Woody Allen, also features him in a leading role. The opening scene takes us to ancient Greek ruins which serve as the backdrop for the introduction and narration of Lenny Weinrib’s story. Lenny lives in Manhattan and works as a sportswriter, while his wife Amanda is an ambitious art curator. They decide to adopt a baby boy who they name Max. As Lenny spends more time with Max, he realizes that the child is highly gifted. This piques Lenny’s interest and he becomes determined to uncover Max’s biological mother’s identity. ...

Don’t Drink the Water (1994), an American made-for-television comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, takes place in 1961 during the height of the Cold War. Mr. Magee, the US Ambassador to a smaller European posting behind the Iron Curtain, plays an important role in trying to end the war. His son, Axel Magee, is also part of the diplomatic corps at the same embassy and holds a Harvard degree. However, despite his education and position, Axel is known for being a total screw-up as a diplomat. Despite other qualified and capable staff members like Mr. Kilroy, Ambassador Magee appoints Axel as head of the ...

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), an American black comedy mystery film directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of Larry Lipton, an editor at HarperCollins, and his wife Carol. They have a pleasant interaction with their older neighbors, Paul and Lillian House, in the elevator. The Houses invite them to spend an evening together and during their conversation, the women share their exercise routines. Unfortunately, the next day Lillian unexpectedly passes away from a heart attack, which shocks the Liptons as she seemed to be in good health. As they start noticing odd behavior from Paul after his wife’s death, ...

Husbands and Wives (1992), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, centers on the lives of two couples: Jack and Sally, and Gabe and Judy. The plot begins with Jack and Sally informing Gabe and Judy at their apartment about their separation. Gabe is taken aback, while Judy takes it personally and feels deeply wounded. The four of them then head out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, still grappling with the situation. Some time later, Sally goes to her colleague’s apartment to start an evening at the opera and dinner. She uses the colleague’s phone to call Jack and accuses him of ...

Scenes from a Mall (1991), an American comedy directed by Paul Mazursky and co-written with Roger L. Simon, follows the story of successful couple Nick and Deborah. Married with children and thriving in their respective careers, they celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary by having their kids go out with friends while they themselves head to a Beverly Hills mall to pick up Japanese food for a home dinner with some friends, followed by gift exchanges. It is during this outing that Nick purchases Deborah’s book and reads a chapter urging couples to periodically ...

Shadows and Fog (1991), an American black-and-white comedy film by Woody Allen, is based on his one-act play Death (1975). Kleinman is awakened by a vigilante mob in search of a serial killer, enlisting his help. His landlady gives him a bag of pepper. Meanwhile, circus performers Irmy and her boyfriend Paul argue about marriage and having children. When Paul leaves for another tent and has sex with fellow artist Marie, Irmy runs away to the city and ends up in a brothel. There, she catches the eye of student Jack who becomes infatuated with her. He offers her increasingly larger sums of money until she finally ...

In the film Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), written and directed by Woody Allen, two main characters are introduced: Judah Rosenthal, a successful ophthalmologist, and Clifford Stern, a documentary filmmaker. Despite being a respected family man from the upper-class society, Judah is having an affair with flight attendant Dolores Paley. When Dolores realizes that Judah has no intention of leaving his marriage for her, she threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, Miriam. In addition, Dolores also knows about some questionable financial transactions Judah made before becoming wealthy which only adds to his worries. ...

New York Stories (1989) is an American anthology film featuring three segments with a central focus on the bustling metropolis of New York City. The first segment, Life Lessons, is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Richard Price. It stars Nick Nolte. The second segment, Life Without Zoë, is helmed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Coppola and his daughter,