Rating: 
Summary: An excellent addition to a well-rounded DVD collection.
Review: There are several reasons to buy this collection of earlier Woody Allen films. First, it's an excellent buy and an easy way to add substance to your DVD collection. More importantly, it gives you an opportunity to own several movies you will enjoy watching again and again. Following the films chronologically you see Allen's progression from slapstick comedy to more character-driven humor. One is not better than the other, but the humor in later films, like Manhattan, is more subtle and sophisticated. Some would argue that Allen's best movies, including Hannah and Her Sisters, were made after the films compiled here. And, they may be right. But, you see here the evolution of an artist and the seed for those films. For Woody Allen fans and lovers of New York, these earlier films are required viewing. There is something to be said for each of the films in the collection. And, full reviews of each film are available elsewhere. However, one thing that is consistently enjoyable in all of the films is the quality of the performances given. The best example is what a joy it is to watch Diane Keaton in each of the films in which she appears. She is a wonderful actor. And, for people like me who aren't big fans of Mia Farrow, this collection is "Mia free." It is hard for me to imagine who wouldn't enjoy most if not all of the movies here. And, with the low per-film cost, there is little risk in owning them all. I look forward to a compilation in the future that includes Radio Days, Hannah and Her Sisters, Broadway Danny Rose and Mighty Aphrodite. In the mean time, I am glad to own these eight films.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for you collection
Review: This 8-DVD set is a great deal. The sound and picture are very good-or at least adequate for a Woody Allen movie, the booklets are informative, and the discs have the option of widescreen or pan-and-scan, not to mention the fact that these are wonderful movies. They chronicle the development of a filmmaker from slapstick (Bananas) to drama (Interiors) to the incorporation of both elements (Stardust Memories). If you're a fan of Woody Allen's, there's no reason not to get this. And if you're not sure if you're a fan, there's still no reason not to get this set-it should win you over. I'm just hoping we'll see his Orion releases on DVD sometime soon.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best of Woody
Review: This box set features Woody Allen's movies of the 70's (not counting 'Play it Again, Sam' and 'The Front'. These DVDs don't feature any special features - except for the trailers, and the sound is in mono. But an informitive two-page book comes with each movie.
'Bananas' is one the early comedy greats: with Woody traveling to a South American country and getting involved in the dictatorship politics there, including the rebels against the dictators.
'Everything you always to know about sex...' involved seven silly segments. One involving an affair with a sheep, one with a transvestite story, but the best was the last one where the characters are people inside a persons' brain - giving orders to other parts of the body. Woody has a good character in that sequence.
'Sleeper' was a Rip Van Winkle story. Woody's character awakens after 200 years of suspended animation in a world that has "martial law". Woody's character is persued throughout the movie, as well as the leading lady in the show - Diane Keaton (making her second Woody movie performance). This film was awful silly, worth checking out. In one scene, we get to see the power of futuristic fertilizer.
'Love and Death' came next. A story of going to war, in the time of Napolean. This was the first movie that started to intigrate seriousness into it. A good mix of comedy and philosiphy. In one brief scene - we see a "town fool" convention.
'Annie Hall' was Woody's big Oscar winning movie. A tale of couples in New York - Woody and his girlfriend (played by Diane Keaton). The film goes through certain stages that some couples deal with in relationships. The film became a little too real for me, reminding me of my own past at points. A fantasic display the many stages of relationships. You can always expect some good neurotic characters in Woody's movie, and neurotic relationships. This film's story has been said to do with Diane Keaton's real life -- her real last name is Hall! She had to use the name 'Keaton' because there was already a Diane Hall is the acting world.
'Interiors' was my least favorite from this set, mainly because there was no comedy in this one - and also no Woody Allen role. But the seriousness of this film grabbed me, I'm not saying that it wasn't a good film. The film deals with the story of a couple in their late 50's-early 60's getting a divorce, on the husband's request. The wife has a hard time dealing with the break-up - to the brink of not wanting to live anymore. The couple is survived by three daughters, one who which has a husband with a bad drinking problem. The film takes a new dreadful turn when we are introduced the husband's new girlfriend.
'Manhattan' in this one - which was praised by many - Woody Allen dates a 17-year old, who is madly in love with him, and he isn't sure how he feels about her. When a new woman comes into his life (his best friend's mistress), he decides to dump the teenager to persue this other one. Woody's character becomes discouraged when his ex-wife writes an unflattering book about their past relationship. Like 'Annie Hall', this is another good film about couples. My favorite line in the film has got be be: (when told that he thinks he's God) Woody says - "Well, I've got to model myself after somebody."
'Stardust Memories' is about Woody's character who is a flimmaker who is contimplating suicide after a career he's grown bored of. But there might be something out there to change his mind.
All in all, this box set is worth it, great laughs and some great drama. Two other box sets are availible - one from the early to mid 80's. The other from the late 80's, early 90's.
If you're wondering why Woody's other 90's films aren't availible in a box set - it's because these three box sets (spanning from '71 to '92) are all made by the same production company (MGM, who was recently bought out by Sony). Further films throughout the 90's were done by different companies. But there is a box set of Woody Allen's last four movies: Small Time Crooks, Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending, and Anything Else.
Rating:
Summary: One of the finer things in life
Review: This collection is excellent. Eight classic movies, beautifully packaged and transferred carefully to DVD. One point to note - in fact, something I hadn't read anywhere else: With the exception of Manhattan, all the DVDs here are double-sided, containing both a standard and a widescreen version of the movie in question. The Manhattan DVD is one-sided, containing only the widescreen edition. I personally think this is no bad thing, as you lose a sense of panorama when you see a panned-and-scanned version. However, I know widescreen isn't for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A DVD review
Review: This collection is the best value compilation that I have come across. It has some of my favorite Allen movies. The picture quality is adequate but the sound is very monotone. Each DVD comes with a trailer. Only 'Annie Hall' comes with English subtitles the rest have Spanish and French subtitles only. Despite the lack of DVD features, this is an excellent value to add to any DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Woody Allen's best movies
Review: This is a great box set, compiling the films from early in Woody Allen's career, in which he made his best movies, in my opinion. Included are such masterpieces as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Sleeper, Bananas and Love And Death. These are classics with Woody Allen at his absolute funniest. I would liked to have seen Take The Money And Run and What's Up, Tigerlily included in this set. I don't know who has the rights to those two. It's about time these films are made available on DVD. It's unfortunate though that they were not released as lavish special editions. These movies are must-haves for film fans.
Rating:
Summary: great collection of DVDs
Review: this is a great collection of movies-- a must have for fans of woody allen!
Rating:
Summary: In Response to the Below Review
Review: This is in response to the below review which states that there are "No extras, no remastered sound or video, no trailers even!" I happen to have this set, which I seriously doubt this person does, and I am very pleased with this collection. Every disk in the set does indeed have the original trailer for the movie. And with the exception of Annie Hall, all the movies have anamorphic widescreen transfers. The movies look beautiful, especially when you consider they're over 20 years old (some almost 30). The sound is presented the way is was originally recorded; seriously, do we really need a DTS soundtrack for a Woody Allen movie? And you can't blame MGM because there are no extra features; Woody Allen has stated that he wants his movies to speak for themselves, and he feels that extra features would take away from that so he does not want them included. Also, each disk does come with a 2-page booklet that lists some interesting facts about the movie. Overall I think this is a great collection, and if your a Woody Allen fan you should definitely pick this one up.
Rating:
Summary: In Response to the Below Review
Review: This is in response to the below review which states that there are "No extras, no remastered sound or video, no trailers even!" I happen to have this set, which I seriously doubt this person does, and I am very pleased with this collection. Every disk in the set does indeed have the original trailer for the movie. And with the exception of Annie Hall, all the movies have anamorphic widescreen transfers. The movies look beautiful, especially when you consider they're over 20 years old (some almost 30). The sound is presented the way is was originally recorded; seriously, do we really need a DTS soundtrack for a Woody Allen movie? And you can't blame MGM because there are no extra features; Woody Allen has stated that he wants his movies to speak for themselves, and he feels that extra features would take away from that so he does not want them included. Also, each disk does come with a 2-page booklet that lists some interesting facts about the movie. Overall I think this is a great collection, and if your a Woody Allen fan you should definitely pick this one up.
Rating:
Summary: scary....
Review: this is just a thought. isn't it scary that the screen says that the most people who bought this set also bought manhattan. that doesn't make sense
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