The Woody Allen Collection, Set 3 (Hannah and Her Sisters / The Purple Rose of Cairo / Broadway Danny Rose / Zelig / A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy / Radio Days)

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This Woody Allen boxed set captures the first half of what could be called Allen's "Mia period," his films from the early 1980s. The lighthearted A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, about the neurotic romping of a bunch of friends at a country house, marks the beginning of Woody and Mia Farrow's film relationship, followed by Zelig, Allen's clever pseudo-documentary of a man who just wants to fit in. Broadway Danny Rose, the tale of a mediocre talent agent who gets involved with a client's wife, is seen as a trifle by some but held as one of Allen's best films by others. But the next two are a pair of undisputed knockouts: The Purple Rose of Cairo, in which the hero of a movie (Jeff Daniels) steps off the screen to help a woeful waitress (Farrow). The ending is at first heart-wrenching, then finds a wistful hope. Hannah and Her Sisters is possibly, after Annie Hall, Allen's most loved movie, with its Chekhovian mix of love and sorrow in the lives of three sisters (Farrow, Dianne Wiest, and Barbara Hershey). Hannah won a number of awards, including Oscars ^® for best screenplay and supporting acting for both Wiest and Michael Caine (as Farrow's husband). Finally, the nostalgic Radio Days rounds out the set with a gentle look at entertainment back when people had to dream up their own pictures. These six films represent one of Allen's strongest periods; he moved fluidly from comedy to drama, avoiding big statements but ruefully exploring the foibles of humanity. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Anyone else dislike the color on "Hannah"? Haven't watched others yet, but .......2006-05-08

image is very pale and fuzzy...my 20 year old VHS of this one is much sharper with more vibrant colors...wtf?

Very good, fairly homogeneous selection of titles........2005-05-02

This Woody Allen collection of six (6) early to middle films is more homogeneous than the first. You do not have the very serious `Interiors' sitting between two of Allen's funniest movies. But, there are some bumps along the road if you start watching this from the top and are not familiar with Allen's works. The titles in this set are:

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
Zelig
Broadway Danny Rose
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Hannah and Her Sisters
Radio Days

The first and the last films are pretty lighthearted. The middle films have a fair share of bittersweet moments. In fact, I put `The Purple Rose of Cairo' into that rare class of movies such as Terry Gillian's `Brazil' which are so good at being poignant that they are literally hard to watch. Even the rampant parody, `Zelig' has some moments when you are really strongly influenced by the plight of the main character.

Although I suspect `A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy' may be the weakest of these six, it is the one I most enjoy rewatching. And, this is the one feature of Allen's movies I most highly value. I will enjoy a James Bond action flick once, but I will watch `Hannah and Her Sisters' over and over and over.

One of the most interesting things about `Radio Days' is that it came out in the same year as the very similar film of `Brighton Beach Memoirs'. And, as I recall, the critical opinion was that `Radio Days' was far superior. I agree.

Strongly recommended for both old and new Woody Allen fans.

I Appreciate the Movies Even More Today! .......2005-02-24

This is a series of movies made by a happy contented man who was able to look back on his past with affection. Too bad Woody messed up later on, but this period of his life allowed him to make many pleasant comfortable movies that stand the test of time. Hannah and Her Sisters stands up with Annie Hall and Manhattan. The film is one of his best works ever. There was a reason to like Woody Allen in "the old days". It only sad that he goofed up later in his life. I always saw him as needing his friends at United Artists and Orion to keep him on track, maybe it was true.

Great Collection.......2004-10-27

Every movie is good which is hard to beleive considering that he wrote a movie a year. I do not know any other screenwriter as prolific as Woody Allen. I higly recommend this set.

Wonderful survey of Woody's 80's years.......2003-05-19

This edition of the Woody Allen Collection is probably the best of the three box sets recently issued by MGM DVD. While Woody is probably best known for his early-70s slapstick comedies ("Sleeper," "Bananas") and his revolutionary reconstruction of the comedy with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan," three of his absolute best films appear in this set. "Zelig," whose technological advances foreshadow those of 1994's Academy Award favorite "Forrest Gump" by nearly ten years, is easily the better film, and the three years Woody spent making this film seems well worth the effort. About a "human chameleon," Leonard Zelig, whose insecure shapeshifting act ranges from pure novelty to affinities with fascism, is as funny as it is sharp. The best film in the set, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," also foreshadows the postmodern nostalgia films of the late 1990s, particularly "Pleasantville." Set during the Depression, this film is about a woman trapped in an awful marriage and an equally dissatisfying job. She escapes the misery of her life by watching films. She watches the same film over and over, and one of the characters comes off the screen to intervene in her life. A wonderful, complex and poignant examination of the conflation between fiction and reality, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," though a sad and dramatic film, is as powerful as anything Woody Allen has directed. The third wonderful film here is "Hannah and Her Sisters," which won three Oscars, is a return to the ensemble sensibility Woody perfected in "Manhattan." "Broadway Danny Rose" is probably the best of the remaining titles--about a hardworking theatrical manager who is failure at his work specifically because he cares so much about the personal wellbeing of his clients. Mia Farrow gives one of her best performances here. "Radio Days" is a narratively complex film about a Jewish family from Rockaway in the 40s whose lives are informed and entertained by the radio (just as we are entertained by the television and the internet today). The one weak film in the set is "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy," which is very similar to the much better Ingmar Bergman film "Smiles of a Summer Night." It involves three couples together in the country one weekend who all seem to be paired with the wrong lover. This set shows an intoxicating run of quality films by a director at the peak of his powers.

The Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore Collection (Widescreen Special Edition)

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The Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore Collection
Great Deal
That Veronica Vaughn is one hot piece of ace, I know from experience dude. If you know what I mean.
Billy Idiot
Sandler at his best!.

The Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore Collection (Widescreen Special Edition)
Starring: Bob Barker , Frances Bay , Julie Bowen , Ken Camroux , and Allen Covert
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00029RT2Q
Release Date: 2004-11-30

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Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler fans are sure to enjoy this no-brainer comedy, but everyone else is strongly advised to proceed with caution. Before scoring a more enjoyable hit with his 1998 comedy The Wedding Singer, the former Saturday Night Live goofball played Happy Gilmore, a hot-tempered guy whose dreams of hockey stardom elude him. But when he discovers his gift for driving golf balls hundreds of yards, he joins a pro tour to win the prize money needed to rescue his beloved grandma's home from IRS repossession. The trouble is, Happy's not so happy. He's got a temper that frequently flares on the golf course (he even dukes it out with celebrity golfer Bob Barker), but a retired golf pro (Carl Weathers) and a compassionate publicist (Julie Bowen) help him to perfect his putting game and adjust his confrontational attitude. How much you enjoy this lunacy depends on your tolerance for Sandler's loudmouthed schtick and a shocking number of blatant product-placement endorsements, but if you're looking for broad comedy you've come to the right teeoff spot. --Jeff Shannon
Billy Madison
For Adam Sandler fans only, this dopey comedy features the former Saturday Night Live star as an overindulged rich guy whose father insists he repeat grades 1 through 12 before taking over the family business. The scenario is perfect for Sandler's infantile leanings (which he has fortunately outgrown in more recent movies), and for the most part the jokes about being too old and too big for the experiment are obvious. Chris Farley and Steve Buscemi turn up in uncredited cameo appearances, but otherwise the film is pretty dismissible, except for those diehards who can't get enough of Sandler. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore Collection .......2007-02-14

Absolutely love Adam Sandler! I have ever since his "Saturday Night Live" days. I think I now own allof his Happy Madison production movies and all of the movies he has played in.

Great Deal.......2007-01-10

This is a great deal if you are a Adam Sandler fan. Two very funny movies that can be watched over and over again. Great value!

That Veronica Vaughn is one hot piece of ace, I know from experience dude. If you know what I mean........2007-01-07

I am not sure what the hell you want me to say about these movies. There great, and in the same box. Damn you Adam Sandler, taking all my money. It just feels so damn good. You can't go wrong with this box set, nor each movie by themselves. SO GO WATCH THEM. NOW! Then when your done, you tell me your review...

Billy Idiot.......2007-01-03

Happy Gilmore is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Then I watched Billy Madison and it was about a totally moronic spoilt rich kid. Total opposites sometimes don't atract.

Sandler at his best!........2006-04-28

I'll write a short review, both these films were fantastic and it shows us why Adam Sandler was one of the best and funniest cast members from SNL, Sandler's dumb and juvinile humor is perfect for these films so just kick back and enjoy don't take these films too seriously. Billy, the heir to the Madison hotel millions has wasted his life with booze, partying and hanging out with his dumb and lazy friends since leaving school.
When he discovers his father's plan to turn his fortune over to his Vice president, Billy decides to go back to school and make up for lost time. Very funny scenes involving Billy interacting with the young kids who all seem to think that hes slightly retarded and one scene that I thought was priceless was when a car with a family who all seem to be bullies slips on a banana peal and falls of a cliff while there still chanting O'Doyle rules, I guess you have to be in a silly mood to enjoy this or a good sense of humor.
Happy Gilmore is an ice hockey player with a bad temper his confrontational attitude is what gets him kicked out from the team so Gilmore tries golf instead and gets trained by Chubbs (hilarious role by Carl Weathers) also check out the annoying Shooter McGavin who is Gilmore's rival and Kevin Nealon whos low key performance was hillarious I had tears in my eyes. You also get the fantastic fight scene with T.V. show host Bob Barker. Yes both movies are dumb but they are slapstick goofball comedies and you are gaurnteed to enjoy them, I definetly recomend these films for a good laugh.

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