Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 28, 2016

The six films included in this new set from Arrow comprise some of Woody Allen’s best known and best loved offerings, but they also provide a nice window into Allen’s evolution from a schtick and gag laden auteur to a filmmaker with something obviously a bit deeper on his mind than “only” going for the gusto in terms of laughs. Tracing the kind of frankly odd route from Bananas to Interiors may not provide much grist for a mill interested in narrative through lines, but it at least provides ample evidence that Allen, no matter how he’s seen currently within the context of his external “baggage,” has always been a relentlessly unique force in the contemporary film world. Allen’s filmmaking craft also increases exponentially over the half dozen films in this set, and one of the more interesting things to pay attention to is how his directorial chops noticeably improved in terms of even relatively simple things like framings and how to set up a shot for maximum impact. But Allen’s writing went through a similar metamorphosis, slowly but surely turning away from, or at least relying less upon, sight gags and just downright goofiness in favor of more intellectually prone humor. Allen continues to be a divisive figure, not just in the annals of cinema but (not to state the obvious) for some of the personal choices he’s made through the years (not to mention allegations that have been leveled against him), but these six films, most done before any major “brouhahas” had started to append “meta” analyses to his offerings, are an often stunning example of a brilliant comedic mind who also began to nurture his more dramatic tendencies.

For reviews of the films found in this set, please click on the following links. For some reason, Arrow is not providing review copies of Annie Hall (at least at this stage), and so there is no link pointing to a review of that release.

Bananas Blu-ray review

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* Blu-ray review

Sleeper Blu-ray review

Love and Death Blu-ray review

Interiors Blu-ray review

Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only supplemental material on each release is a trailer. Full details are listed in the above linked reviews. Arrow only provided check discs for the reviews, so I am unable to offer any assessments of non-disc components like essays included in the set's book.

Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

These six films offer a fantastic overview of Allen's early career, and also show the interesting evolution Allen made from shtick laden goofiness to something more thoughtful, and then, finally, to something completely dramatic. Technical merits are generally very good to excellent, and while supplements are in short supply, this set easily comes Recommended.