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.

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Hannah and Her Sisters
Thousands of reviews of this film, millions who've seen it....
One of Woody Allen's Best
A Flawless Film
Allen's Best

Hannah and Her Sisters
Starring: Lewis Black , Michael Caine , Christian Clemenson , Allen DeCheser , and Mia Farrow
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00005O06J
Release Date: 2001-11-06

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Considered by many to be Woody Allen's best film, even over Annie Hall. Hannah and Her Sisters follows a multitude of characters: Hannah (Mia Farrow), who plays den mother to her extended family; her sister Lee (Barbara Hershey), emotional and a bit of a flake, who's involved with a much older artist (Max Von Sydow), who treats her like a child; and Hannah's other sister, Holly (Dianne Wiest), a neurotic who feels incapable of managing her life. Hannah's husband Elliot (Michael Caine) falls in love with Lee, which sets off a series of upheavals. Allen gives one of his best performances as Hannah's ex-husband Mickey, who--much like Allen himself--is obsessed with death and unhappiness. But a simple summary doesn't begin to capture the warmth and intimacy of this movie; though the story follows a capsizing family, the outcome is surprising, joyous, and richly human. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Brimming with laughter, tears and subtle beauty, Hannah and Her Sisters is a magnificent "summation of [Woody Allen's] career to date" (The New York Times). Winner* of three OscarsÂ(r) and featuring a brilliant all-star cast, Hannah and Her Sisters spins a tale of three unforgettable women and showcases Allen "at his most emotionally expansive, working on his broadest canvas with masterly ease" (Newsweek)! The eldest daughter of show-biz parents, Hannah (Mia Farrow) is a devoted wife, loving mother and successful actress. A loyal supporter of her two aimless sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne Wiest), she's also the emotional backbone of a family that seems to resent her stability almost as much as they depend on it. But when Hannahs perfect world is quietly sabotaged by sibling rivalry, she finally begins to see that she's as lo st as everyone else, and in order to find herself, she'll have to choose Â- between the independence her family can't live withÂ...and the family she can't live without. *1986: Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Wiest), Supporting Actor (Caine)

Customer Reviews:

Hannah and Her Sisters.......2007-07-06

One of Woody's most intricately plotted films, "Hannah" is also one of his most tenderly observed, right up there with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan." Plumbing the romantic entanglements and unspoken desires of its three titular characters, Allen draws out the inner worlds of his all-too-human subjects in rich detail. With an impeccable cast--Wiest and Caine both won Oscars for their supporting roles--and a wise, arch script by the Woodman himself, "Hannah" examines the chronic dissatisfaction that permeates our complex and conflicted lives.

Thousands of reviews of this film, millions who've seen it...........2007-04-17

And I suspect they will keep on coming. Woody always wanted to create a synthesis between his famous "wisecracking" style and the serious drama of Scandinavian directors such as Ingmar Bergman, he also wanted to created a portrait of a "fully rounded personality". Well he didnt succeed. He created five. Hannah ( Mia Farrow) , her sisters ( Barbara Hershey and Diane Wiest). Hannah's mixed up husband ( Michael Caine) and of course himself. I've seen this film so many times these characters have become part of my family.And there are many others - Hannah's parents - I haven't even mentioned. I don't think it's possible to make a cinematic film that could be better than "Hannah and her Sisters". It has no axe to grind, it doesn't take sides, it's beautifully acted, it's funny, it's touching, it's serious but then again not...If you haven't yet seen it, where have you been living the past couple of decades....?

One of Woody Allen's Best.......2007-02-18

Considered by many to be Woody Allen's best film, "Hannah and Her Sisters" is not my favorite Woody Allen movie but it is my 2nd. The film won 3 Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine), and Best Supporting Actress (Dianne Weist)...And, yes, these awards were well deserved. "Hannah and Her Sisters" have all the elements that combine to make a great Woody Allen film. It's funny, dramatic, filled with great dialogue and great performances...It's truly one of his finest artistic achievements that people who despise Allen might like if they opened up their minds a bit. Mia Farrow plays Hannah, who is seemingly the backbone of her family, especially her two sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Weist). rom an outsider's perspective it looks like Hannah is leading a perfect life. She's got four children, a husband Elliot (Caine), and is always helping out her sister's in time of need. hat she doesn't know is that her marriage to Elliot is slowly crumbling, as he has fallen in love with Lee. Meanwhile, there's Mickey (Allen) Hannah's ex-husband, a hypochondriac TV producer who fears that there might actually be something wrong with him. As Lee accepts that Elliot is in love with her and tries to move away from her much-older boyfriend (Max Von Sydow), Holly, an ex-drug addict, attempts to get her love life on track. She briefly falls for an architect, only to have him stolen away by a "friend" (Carrie Fisher). This movie features one of my favorite Woody Allen-lines..."I don't know if you remember me. We shared the worst night of my life together." His dialogue is truly in top form here and for a director known for getting great performances by marquee names, "Hannah and Her Sisters" has some of the best. Weist and Caine deserved their Oscars without a doubt, but also worthy of acting nominations would be Farrow, Allen, and even Daniel Stern who makes a brief, but memorable, performance. "Hannah and Her Sisters" is a great film, but it's not a perfect one. I thought that it started off a little slow and didn't really get going until about 20 minutes in, but after that I was hooked. This film has what ranks in my mind as one of the best endings of a Woody Allen movie ever...This is a rare moment in movies that can actually improve upon everything you've just seen. I urge you, whether you're a fan of Woody Allen or hate him, to see this. This is a great film; you will laugh, you will cry...A terrific film on all levels.

GRADE: A

A Flawless Film.......2007-01-09

Hannah & Her Sisters is, in my opinion, a flawless film. Balancing subtle humor with the trials of a disfunctional family, it places Hannah as the fulcrum surrounded by people who depend on her to manage their messy lives. The film flows on a bed of beautiful music through three years of Thanksgiving dinners, leaving the viewer with a feeling of warmth and satisfaction.

Allen's Best.......2006-11-29

I have owned the video for several years and just purchased the DVD. Hannah and Her Sisters far exceeds Anne Hall as my favorite Allen picture. Such a joy. And the DVD is wonderful!

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Depends on whose mother we are talking about

Ultimate Mother's Day DVD Giftset

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Romantic Comedies | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
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Happy Feet (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

ASIN: B000NQQ014
Release Date: 2007-04-10

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This giftset includes 14 favorite heartwarming and hilarious romantic comedies including: Baby Boom, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma & Louise, Mystic Pizza, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hannah and Her Sisters, Mermaids, Not Without My Daughter, At First Sight, Women In Love, Paperback Romance, Heart Breakers, Moonstruck and Beauty Shop.

Customer Reviews:

Depends on whose mother we are talking about.......2007-03-17

This is really not a collection of 14 romantic comedies as the description says, but probably all of them could be classified as "chick movies". Nine of them are five star films and are so well known they really need no introduction - Baby Boom, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma & Louise, Mystic Pizza, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hannah and Her Sisters, Mermaids, Women In Love, and Moonstruck. The other five movies are between three and four stars - Not Without My Daughter, At First Sight, Paperback Romance, Heart Breakers, and Beauty Shop. None of them are bad films. "Not Without My Daughter" is definitely no romantic comedy, and neither is "Thelma & Louise". Both have serious dramatic content. "Not Without My Daughter" definitely looks like it was made as an Oscar vehicle for Sally Field, and may be hard to watch for some people due to its intensity. It is based on the true story of a woman trying to take her daughter out of Iran without her husband's consent. "Paperback Romance" is not what it sounds like. Rather than being some silly Harlequin-type romance it is a pretty smart film that has a lot to say about disability and how it is perceived. "Heart Breakers" sounded good - a mother and daughter team conning wealthy men - but it just never pulled itself together, and "At First Sight" was just too slow for my taste. I liked "Beauty Shop" a great deal, but I am a real Queen Latifah fan, and I can see how you might not like the movie as much as I did if you aren't a fan of hers. The best way I can describe it is a female version of "Barbershop", which I also liked.

I'd say this is a very economical way to own these 14 films, and would make a great gift for any fan of chick flicks, but that is not an assumption you can make about all or even most mothers.

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Hannah and Her Sisters
Thousands of reviews of this film, millions who've seen it....
One of Woody Allen's Best
A Flawless Film
Allen's Best

Hannah and Her Sisters [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000069JG1

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Hannah and Her Sisters.......2007-07-06

Thousands of reviews of this film, millions who've seen it...........2007-04-17

One of Woody Allen's Best.......2007-02-18

A Flawless Film.......2007-01-09

Allen's Best.......2006-11-29

I have owned the video for several years and just purchased the DVD. Hannah and Her Sisters far exceeds Anne Hall as my favorite Allen picture. Such a joy. And the DVD is wonderful!

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