Opinion of Woody Allen

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

I've been reading about him recently and despite being a fan of his work, I'm having a tough time determining whether the man himself is a terrible person or not.

[Paul Kemp]

Same as Polanski: detestable person; excellent filmmaker.

[H. Ross Peron]

HP (normal)

[Dave from Michigan]

I like a several of his movies, I liked Midnight in Paris, but I hear he is personally a Horrible person.

[traininthedistance]

Same as Polanski: detestable person; excellent filmmaker.

Basically this.

Annie Hall is still one of the greatest films of all time.  Midnight in Paris was pretty good.

Manhattan was probably a great movie back when it was made... but watching it at any point in the past twenty years is just such a cringe-worthy experience, ruined by the fact that it hits a little too close to the more unsavory aspects of his autobiography.

[badgate]

Many artists have dark sides.


I voted HP tho, he's no Wagner. About on par with Walt Disney though.

[tmthforu94]

He's the one who ended up having an affair with his wife's adopted daughter, then going on to marry her, correct?

If so, HP as a person, neutral as a filmmaker since I've only seen one or two of his movies and wasn't particularly impressed.

[Dancing with Myself]

HP as a person.

As a filmmaker he's great. Love his early stuff like Bananas, Everything You Wanted to know, and his cameo in the awful comedy version of Casino Royale. I liked Jade Scorpion as a kid, I need to re watch it. So FF there.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Enormous HP.

[Horus]

Annoying HP. Slightly above average filmmaker.

[dead0man]

I agree with the majority, above average filmmaker, well below average human.  I don't really care about the marrying his "step daughter" (he was never a father figure to the girl), but there is a lot, A LOT, of rumor that he's done Polanski levels of crimes without the hard evidence to get a conviction.

[Paul Kemp]

I voted HP tho, he's no Wagner. About on par with Walt Disney though.

...?

Did I miss the part where Walt Disney left his longtime partner for her adopted step-daughter after previously (allegedly) molesting his own 7 year old adopted daughter?

[DemPGH]

Edge to FF.

His work is also an acquired taste - if you like his tone and pacing, you'll probably like most of them. His humor personally doesn't do anything for me and at his very best when he's serious he's mildly interesting. But I don't think his stuff is low quality at all. Just over-rated for my taste.

As to his personal life, I couldn't possibly care less unless he killed someone or defrauded people or something. He had sex with somebody younger or whatever - don't care. That garbage is for the tabloids.

[NewYorkExpress]

Neutral as a person... He's no Polanski, but he's not squeaky clean either

Lean FF as actor/director

[traininthedistance]

I voted HP tho, he's no Wagner. About on par with Walt Disney though.

...?

Did I miss the part where Walt Disney left his longtime partner for her adopted step-daughter after previously (allegedly) molesting his own 7 year old adopted daughter?

I had forgotten about that particular (and particularly horrifying) allegation.  If true (and it is quite plausible, alas), then he would certainly be an HP through and through.

Edge to FF.

His work is also an acquired taste - if you like his tone and pacing, you'll probably like most of them. His humor personally doesn't do anything for me and at his very best when he's serious he's mildly interesting. But I don't think his stuff is low quality at all. Just over-rated for my taste.

As to his personal life, I couldn't possibly care less unless he killed someone or defrauded people or something. He had sex with somebody younger or whatever - don't care. That garbage is for the tabloids.

How callous and insane to describe child abuse as "whatever-don't care" and "tabloid garbage".  Sure puts your defense of opebo in perspective, however.

[PPT Spiral]

Great films, but, er, questionable character.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I wonder if Woody joined the Atlas if he'd be banned for his behavior?

[DemPGH]

How callous and insane to describe child abuse as "whatever-don't care" and "tabloid garbage".  Sure puts your defense of opebo in perspective, however.

I guess, because when you ALLEGE stuff and then don't prove it, you have a problem.

The comment was insensitive; I've made insensitive comments before, and I'll make them again in all probability. Apologies.

[DemPGH]

How callous and insane to describe child abuse as "whatever-don't care" and "tabloid garbage".  Sure puts your defense of opebo in perspective, however.

I guess, because when you ALLEGE stuff and then don't prove it, you have a problem.

The comment was insensitive; I've made insensitive comments before, and I'll make them again in all probability. Apologies.

I want to clarify something I didn't get to earlier because I didn't have time.

I've spoken out publicly and on here a long time ago against Jerry Sandusky. The reasons are evidence, witnesses, established pattern of behavior, and he was using his position as a coach to do that awful stuff. He deserves to rot in jail. I will never defend pedophilia. Ever.

As to Allen, here is my concern: A lot of people are entirely too quick to pile on HP because of some sordid element in someone's background or some allegation when there's so much else to talk about. Like the fact that he was on a movie-a-year schedule and he is a very busy professional (Allen, I mean). And btw, I truly, honestly do not care to discuss peoples' personal lives really at all. It stems from the fact that I abhor - abhor - gossip and hearsay, most especially when it is damaging. It's one of the things in life that I have very little tolerance for and when I hear it or people start to go in that direction IRL during a conversation I stop listening. My mind wanders onto other things that are actually interesting or which I actually care to talk about.

Finally, if we have someone on here soliciting people or something like that, that's a problem. Then it becomes my concern. Okay?

I don't expect that others will think this way, and if they wish to conduct hearings about allegations in peoples' personal lives, go ahead. I won't join the mob. Hope that makes sense and clarifies my perspective just a bit.

[Oakvale]

Obviously a total weirdo but I'm hesitant to assume the allegations are true since, you know, a pretty extensive investigation didn't lead to any charges being pressed, and during (IIRC) the custody hearings a team of psychotherapists found that there was no evidence that the alleged abuse had happened. Why are we taking the "guilty until proven innocent" approach on this?

Of course Woody Allen is a deeply weird guy and pretty skeevy but it's worth remembering that he wasn't a father figure to his stepdaughter and while it's clearly a bizarre situation he wouldn't be the first great artist to have an unsettling private life.

(I accidentally voted HP because I'm dumb. I would have voted FF).

[Tetro Kornbluth]

The maker of Hannah and Her Sisters and Broadway Danny Rose can't be all that bad.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

"How's the wife and daughter?"

"Oh, she's fine."

[Lief 🗽]

Not sure why everyone treats him as guilty until proven innocent, especially since the case didn't go anywhere. Obviously he's a bit of a creep and a pervert, but still.

[Napoleon]

I agree with the majority, above average filmmaker, well below average human.  I don't really care about the marrying his "step daughter" (he was never a father figure to the girl), but there is a lot, A LOT, of rumor that he's done Polanski levels of crimes without the hard evidence to get a conviction.

And hundreds of other Hollywood figures. Its the darkest industry in America (sorry Wall Street haters its true).

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I agree with the majority, above average filmmaker, well below average human.  I don't really care about the marrying his "step daughter" (he was never a father figure to the girl), but there is a lot, A LOT, of rumor that he's done Polanski levels of crimes without the hard evidence to get a conviction.

And hundreds of other Hollywood figures. Its the darkest industry in America (sorry Wall Street haters its true).

I wouldn't call the financial sector an industry, given that it produces nothing.