The Woody Allen Collections

[StevenJ0001]

I am tremendously excited about this release and the other two box sets!!

But the first thing I thought of was "Please, please, please present the Annie Hall rooftop scene's 'thought' subtitles properly!"

So thank you to Calvin for bringing it up and thank you to Michael for passing the message on to the producers.

The original MGM DVD showed the subtitles as closed captions, and of course the Blu-ray has them in ghastly yellow. They should appear to be burned in and film-like, as they were in the release prints--the gag doesn't really work if they look like video subtitles added later.

Yes, I'm obsessed with this, just because it's one of my favorite films and it's been heartbreaking to see the DVD wreck this classic scene, and then the Blu-ray too!

[Ribs]

What's the situation with his later 90's stuff? I know there's a German release but are they with rights holders that would be willing to license it out for BD release in the UK or US?

Also it doesn't impact me but it seems a little unfair that TT gets to make all their Allen stuff region free (as does MGM's few own titles) but Arrow's forced to lock them.

[Orlac]

Is the box set limited?

[Ribs]

Is the box set limited?

They said on Facebook that details have not yet been finalized.

[Charles]

One more point about the rooftop thought subtitles (apologies if I missed someone saying it above): their original exquisitely comedic timing was thrown off in the replacement.

Thank you, MichaelB.

[movielocke]

Is this a USA release like battles without honor and humanity? Or a UK release only?

[swo17]

Arrow Academy is a UK-only line.

[MichaelB]

One more point about the rooftop thought subtitles (apologies if I missed someone saying it above): their original exquisitely comedic timing was thrown off in the replacement.

I've sent a detailed email to the disc producer.

Arrow Academy is a UK-only line.

Even if it wasn't, the US rights to most of the titles (possibly all?) are tied up elsewhere.

[domino harvey]

What's the situation with his later 90's stuff? I know there's a German release but are they with rights holders that would be willing to license it out for BD release in the UK or US?

I have all the Danish (I think, or is it Norway?) Blus of the Miramax and Dreamworks titles and I'm pretty sure they're region free. All are obvious improvements on the crummy DVDs. I got mine direct from DaaVeeDee

[StevenJ0001]

One more point about the rooftop thought subtitles (apologies if I missed someone saying it above): their original exquisitely comedic timing was thrown off in the replacement.

I've sent a detailed email to the disc producer.

Magnificent!!

[MichaelB]

...and it's been received - and she was already well aware of the issue, and will make every effort to get this one right.

UPDATE: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex has a similar issue, of course, and I can confirm that Arrow will be burning in subtitles on the "Antonioni" sequence. I suspect they'll be doing exactly the same thing on Annie Hall. There's no conceivable reason why anyone would want to switch them off, as the subtitles are an integral comedic part of both sequences.

[PfR73]

Hi Michael,
If you could also let the disc producer know that the Twilight Time release of Love And Death, along with previous DVD releases, is missing the opening bit of Prokofiev music that should be playing over the UA logo (seemingly due to the logo being updated to an MGM logo) and that if Arrow could rectify that on their release, it'd be wonderful!

The original opening with music can be seen here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8pZq2QP3gL0

[StevenJ0001]

...and it's been received - and she was already well aware of the issue, and will make every effort to get this one right.

UPDATE: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex has a similar issue, of course, and I can confirm that Arrow will be burning in subtitles on the "Antonioni" sequence. I suspect they'll be doing exactly the same thing on Annie Hall. There's no conceivable reason why anyone would want to switch them off, as the subtitles are an integral comedic part of both sequences.

Michael, you're a godsend! And the producer is also, by the sounds of it.

[Finch]

If the second set groups Hannah and her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanours and The Purple Rose of Cairo together, I'll get it regardless of what the other three films in the set are.

[swo17]

They will surely be broken out as domino suggests here, though I suppose Hannah could end up in either one.

[MichaelB]

It's actually quite easy to work out which box Hannah is in - just count the number of cast-iron classics per box, and put Hannah in the one with fewer.

[domino harvey]

That's why I placed it where I did, otherwise the last box is really only anchored by Crimes (though obviously almost all of these should be considered classics!)

[Ribs]

Is Radio Days not a classic? I was under the impression it was on about equal footing with Broadway Danny Rose. Is it just that the rest of Allen's 80s work is so good it might end up on the lower end of the spectrum in most people's ratings?

When he gets to 50 movies do we do a Woody Allen lists project?

[domino harvey]

I think it's the next most likely to be considered one from that last grouping, but people don't talk about it like Hannah or Crimes in my experience (I think it's a far better film than either of those too!)

[The Narrator Returns]

Radio Days only trails Purple Rose for me, but I'm probably not a good look at the consensus, since Everyone Says I Love You rounds out my top five.

[domino harvey]

What kind of monster doesn't like Everyone Says I Love You? At the very least the film offers the best explanation for Conservative / Republican beliefs ever

[domino harvey]

When he gets to 50 movies do we do a Woody Allen lists project?

That's actually a great idea for a mini-list!

[Ribs]

I think it's the next most likely to be considered one from that last grouping, but people don't talk about it like Hannah or Crimes in my experience (I think it's a far better film than either of those too!)

I've never really understood why Hannah became his most beloved film from this period - it's good and funny and everything, but it's a bit confusing considering pretty much everything else is just amazingly innovative and original to a far greater degree. Is it just a self-fulfilling thing of the film being nominated/winning major Oscars so everyone remembers it better? Or is it *because* it didn't do an outlandish, distinct premise that it stands out?

We should start an Everybody Says I Love You club.

[swo17]

When he gets to 50 movies do we do a Woody Allen lists project?

That's actually a great idea for a mini-list!

There are probably quite a few directors that would be good candidates for such a thing though my preference would be to prioritize those that are no longer active filmmakers.

[knives]

What kind of monster doesn't like Everyone Says I Love You? At the very least the film offers the best explanation for Conservative / Republican beliefs ever

The kind that hasn't seen it yet.