(PRWEB) June 8, 2009
To celebrate the release of the hilarious Vicky Cristina Barcelona movie, exclusive to rent at Blockbuster on High Definition Blu-ray and DVD, the film buffs at Blockbuster have selected their top 20 favourite movies from writer, director, star and all-round comic genius Woody Allen.
A prolific filmmaker whose work is so distinctive it's almost a genre in its own right, Woody Allen had made a movie virtually every year since he began his film making career in the late sixties. "I'm not trying to achieve immortality through my work though," says the veteran funnyman. "I want to achieve mortality by not dying" a comment which typifies the droll humour which is often a feature of his films.
Over the last few decades, his films have passed through several transitions from the romantic comedies such as "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" to the self-destructive darkness of "Match Point". His latest movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is an instant classic with beautiful cinematography and is well observed and acted.
Unsurprisingly, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is at the top of Blockbuster's list and is an exclusive Blu-ray and new DVD release. The list does not just concentrate on his latest films it spans the "ages of Woody Allen" and includes selections dating back from 1971.
Included near the top of the list is The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), a fun light hearted story about an old-fashioned insurance investigator, (Woody Allen) who is hypnotized by a magician (David Ogen Stiers) into stealing jewels he is supposed to protecting. Based in New York during the forties there is much play on the traded insults between the investigator and a highly strung efficiency expert played by Helen Hunt
The well known classics, Oscar winning film Annie Hall (1978) and Manhattan (1979) both feature highly on the list. Diane Keaton starred in both films. Annie Hall is considered to be Woody's greatest movie and shows him in his most endearingly neurotic state.
Deconstructing Harry (1997) is about a neurotic author (Woody Allen) suffering from writer's block who reflects on his past and characters from his life, both real and fictional come back to haunt him; caustic, clever with a million funny lines.
In Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), a middle-aged couple (Woody Allen and Diane Keaton) enliven their relationship when they begin to suspect their next-door neighbour of foul play. This is a modern film-noir, with silliness instead of shadows and genuine affection between the characters.
The tale of a fictional jazz guitarist (Sean Penn), the second best in the world is the theme for Sweet and Lowdown (1999). He confronts gangsters and falls in love with a sweet-natured mute girl (Samantha Morton) who sticks with him despite his many flaws. This film is described as a love letter to jazz from lifetime devotee Allen.
Bullets Over Broadway (1994) is about a struggling playwright (John Cusack) who is forced to make endless artistic compromises after a mobster agrees to produce his work in this sparkling, Twenties-set period comedy. Dianne Wiest won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing a grand theatrical ham, but really this is one of those movies where every role's a gem, and every line's a corker.
A brilliantly balanced comedy/drama which sees a professor and his wife (Woody Allen and Mia Farrow) re-evaluate their relationship after their best friends (Judy Davis and Sydney Pollack) break up. The ups and downs of love, lust and friendship, explored as only Woody can in Husbands and Wives (1992).
Crimes and Misdemeanours (1989) covers two separate stories, one solemn, one silly, reveal what it means to be human. On the serious side, a man (Martin Landau) considers murdering his mistress, while on the comic, a documentary filmmaker (Woody Allen) falls for a much more suitable woman (Mia Farrow) than his wife. Dramatic, involving and when it needs to be, extremely funny.
A warm, amusing and unashamedly nostalgic look back at the golden age of radio focusing not only on the stars of the day, but also a typical New York family who live their lives with at least one ear glued to the wireless at all times. Radio Days (1987) is the kind of movie that makes you nostalgic for the forties.
Love and Death (1975) set in Tsarist Russia, a cowardly soldier and his distant cousin (Woody Allen and Diane Keaton) hatch a scheme to assassinate Napoleon. The plot and setting take a back seat to Woody's one-liners, which come thick and fast.
A 20th Century nerd (Woody Allen) wakes up 200 years in the future and falls in love with a woman (Diane Keaton) he hates in this wacky sci fi adventure full of robots, sex toys and giant vegetables. Sleeper (1973) was an early favourite.
Eager to impress a politically-minded girl (Louise Lasser), idiot New Yorker Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen) jets off to a tiny Latin American country and somehow becomes its President. Not much to make you think here, but lots to make you laugh in Bananas (1971).
Other featured movies in clued Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982), Stardust Memories (1980) and Everything your Always Wanted to Know about Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972).
All the movies in the list are available for either DVD or Blu-ray rental, online or from the Blockbuster Stores.
Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI and BBI.B) was founded in Dallas, Texas in 1985 and is a leading global provider of in-home rental, retail movie and game entertainment.
In 20 years, Blockbuster has grown from a single video rental store to nearly 9000 company-operated and franchised stores throughout the United States, its territories and 23 other countries.
The first Blockbuster store in the UK opened in March 1989 (Walworth Road, London) and the UK is now the largest Blockbuster business outside the US, with over 700 stores and about 4.2 million member accounts. Blockbuster.co.uk has over 1 million registered members and about 750,000 newsletter subscribers.
Blockbuster's goal is to be a complete source for movies and games, and the company is continually looking for ways to offer its customers more value, choice and convenience. To this end, in September 2002, Blockbuster UK introduced its online DVD rental service. This service has grown and now allows customers to have access to almost every DVD available in the UK.
Blockbuster.co.uk provides the latest releases and also gives its customers much more choice from classic titles, foreign films, music DVDs, interactive game DVDs, language DVDs and popular TV series. Through its links with the major film studios, Blockbuster also feature exclusive DVD rentals that you cannot rent or buy anywhere else at the time of launch. Past exclusives have included 3.10 to Yuma, The Mist, Saw V and the box office smash Taken.
In 2009, Blockbuster.co.uk launched Online Xtra, a selection of new online rental plans that have the distinction of also including Blockbuster store rentals as part of the same Blockbuster rental package. These new plans are exclusive to Blockbuster, and combine the range and convenience of online rental with the flexibility of being able to pick up rentals in-store whenever members like. With Online Xtra Blockbuster customers can get the best of both the online and offline worlds.
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