8.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A comedian and an aspiring singer try to overcome their neuroses and find happiness.
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts (I), Carol Kane, Paul Simon (I)Drama | 100% |
Romance | 39% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
French: DTS 2.0 Mono
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
Italian: DTS 2.0
German: DTS 2.0
Spanish: DTS 2.0 Mono
Japanese: DTS 2.0
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Polish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
To a large extent, American humor is Jewish humor--even when we don't always realize it--and Woody Allen, who comes out of a comedy
tradition that stretches back to the days of vaudeville and beyond, is still arguably its prime practitioner. In interviews, he consistently downplays his
own influence on film and television, but that has to be his characteristic self-deprecation talking. Can you imagine Seinfeld without Woody
Allen? What about Curb Your Enthusiasm or Jon Stewart's sarcastic kvetching on The Daily Show? All are fundamentally
indebted to the comedic groundwork Allen laid in the 1970s.
Specifically, in 1977's Annie Hall. Allen had a healthy career before this--he'd done stand-up, made several films, and had his own TV special--
but Annie Hall marked the start of his maturation as an artist, an intentional move away from the broader comedy he'd previously done and
toward more personal, philosophical, and substantive stuff. It's certainly his most famous film--it won four Academy Awards, sparked women's fashion
trends, and paved the way for smarter, more cynical and sexual romantic comedies--and 35 years after its release it's still arguably his best. This is one
for the American comedy canon, right up there with Some Like It Hot, Tootsie, and Dr. Strangelove.
Don't be fooled when you boot up this disc and see the horribly muddled and ridiculously grainy image on the title screen. It's far from representative. MGM has given Annie Hall a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that makes for a satisfying upgrade over previous standard definition releases. This isn't one of those transfers that makes you gasp at how good the film now looks, but it does seem faithful to source and free from unnecessary digital meddling. I didn't spot any signs of excessive noise reduction or edge enhancement, and the print is in fantastic condition, with only a few errant white specks over the entire duration of the film. There are no scratches, stains, hairs, or heavy debris whatsoever, and the grain structure looks completely natural. (Although, be aware, grain is quite heavy even during many bright daytime scenes, and spikes considerably in darker sequences.) Any so-called flaws in the visual presentation seem to have been inherited from the original footage. No, the film isn't exceptionally sharp-- it's actually quite soft most of the time--but there's never any doubt that you're viewing a high definition image. And while the picture seems to lack punch at times, color is at least realistic and balanced. Could the film look any better in 1080p? It's hard to say, conclusively, but I'm pretty happy with this transfer. I do wish MGM could've put more effort into a decent menu page, though.
Instead of trying to wrangle some kind of half-assed 5.1 surround mix out of the film's original single-channel soundtrack, MGM has wisely stuck with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono presentation. And it simply does what it needs to do. If you've seen the film before, you know it's all dialogue. Almost every scene consists of the characters talking. Talking while driving. While walking. While lying in bed. While having dinner. Always talking. Fortunately, this track broadcasts the vocals clearly and cleanly, with no volume issues, no muffling, no crackles or pops. You'll also remember--if you're familiar with the movie--that there's hardly any music in the film at all, so I can't even comment on a score. The best I can say is this--the track is as full and clear and balanced as it needs to be. On a marginally related note, the disc includes several Dolby Digital mono dubs-- Spanish, French, Italian, German, Catalan, and Portuguese--and it's quite fun to flip between them and listen to the foreign language voice actors doing their own takes on Woody. There are numerous subtitle options too.
Woody Allen is notoriously anti-bonus features--he's especially against audio commentaries--so it's no surprise that you'll find nothing here but a high definition theatrical trailer.
Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Annie Hall is one of the great American comedies--a masterpiece of neurosis, existential absurdity, and relationships gone wrong--and as far as I'm concerned, it belongs in every Blu-ray collection. MGM has made this easy with a new high definition transfer that makes for a satisfying upgrade over earlier DVD releases. There aren't any special features--Woody has never been fond of them-- but if you're a fan you'll certainly want to pick this one up. Highly Recommended!
The Woody Allen Collection
1979
The Woody Allen Collection
1986
2008
2019
2016
1960
1978
2011
2010
2009
2010
2005
2015
1975
1994
2018
1970
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
2001
1987
1931