Woody Allen
Oscar winning director-actor-writer Woody Allen was once referred to as the best comedy film maker since Charlie Chaplin . . . until he offended the #MeToo Movement. Today, his kind of humor wouldn’t make it to the woke screen. Despite him being a left-wing liberal – nowadays, anything that isn’t “politically correct” won’t make it. Luckily we have physical media: DVDs, Blu-Ray, 4K and old VHS. The owners of these films – the mass-media conglomerates may (in the future), edit, or not show any film they deem offensive.
“Bananas” (1971) Movie Review
Woody Allen stars as Fielding Melish, a product tester who meets his dream girl Nancy (played by his then ex-wife Louise Lasser.) Nancy (partially based on Lasser) is a far-left feminist activist he seeks to impress. Through a series of misadventures, Melish becomes dictator of San Marcos, a banana republic whose main export is bananas.
Favorite line – Melish tells Nancy: “Because you’re a feminist, you’ll need a man to support you.”
The politically-incorrect sequence. Fielding Melish visits a bookstore selling porno magazine. There are long, lingering views of naked women on the covers. He buys a copy of “Orgasm”, then squeezes an old lady’s breast on the way out.
Most ironic scene – Nancy finally has sex with him when he’s disguised as a Castro-like dictator. Afterward, she describes it as “a religious experience.” When she finds out he’s her former boyfriend, Nancy says, “I knew something was missing!”
Future Oscar winner Marvin Hamlisch composed the score and a poignant love song titled “Cause I Believe in Loving”. (Lyrics by Howard Liebling.)
“Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) – 1972
A series of vignettes based on the questions provided by the then shocking book.
This movie would never be made today because it portrays women as “sex objects” and victims of the “male gaze”. When I saw these two films, the theater was packed and the laughter boomed. There is nothing like that happening today.
Funniest Segment: “Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research Accurate?”
Allen and a female journalist visit a Dr. Bernardo who performs bizarre sexual experiments. Bernardo turns out to be insane. His assistant Igor is left partially crippled from a 12-hour orgasm. All hell breaks loose when a giant breast escapes from his castle. Spoiler Alert – The breast is captured by a giant bra.
Allen’s description: “the fiendish boob”.
Louise Lasser segment: “Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching Orgasm?”
A satire of Italian sex comedies. In this, Louise Lasser (as Gina) is frigid. Allen discusses his problem with a friend who asks him if he’s “piccolinio”. Allen scoffs saying “It’s like French bread.” (The audience groaned at this.) As it turns out, Gina can only become aroused, when they do it in public, so…
“Do Aphrodisiacs Work?”
A medieval farce. A sexy Lynn Redgrave appears as the Queen with Allen as her court jester who “coppeth a feel” from “the Royal knockers”.
Lynn Redgrave with Woody Allen
Segment with the most Special Effects – “What Happens During Ejaculation?”
Parody of “Fantastic Voyage”, where we see the inner working of a man’s body attempting to get laid. Star Burt Reynolds, Tony Randall and then girlfriend/caretakers for Groucho Marx, Erin Fleming. All the sperm are dressed in white uniforms except one black guy who asks “What am I doing here?”
Tony Randall and Burt Reynolds
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