Boycotting Woody Allen Films??

[Richard Kimble]

>I know of no untoward scandal involving Young

 

"On September 27, 1978, Young, age 64, married his fifth wife, a 31-year-old German actress named Kim Schmidt.

 

On October 19, 1978, three weeks after his marriage to Schmidt, the couple were found dead at home in their Manhattan apartment. Police theorized that Young shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself in a murder?suicide. A motive for the murder-suicide was never made clear" -- Wikipedia

 

>I've never really been a big fan of Salmi anyway

 

IMHO he was one of the great western villains. Maybe he was just playing himself.

[jamesjazzguitar]

As for supporting an artist one doesn't like or feel has character issues:

 

I can understand not directly purchasing product where the artist makes a good 'cut' from the sale. But not watching a movie being shown on TV isn?t a logical boycott as far as having any impact on the artist?s bottom line (which is the purpose of boycott, right?).

 

But I do understand that some people just like to have what I call a 'makes me feel good' boycott; one that has NO impact on the artist but instead makes one feel they are sticking it to said artist.

[kingrat]

Most classic movie fans seem to adulate Gloria Grahame, who had sex with her 13-year-old stepson. Today she would be considered a pedophile and would need to register as a sex offender.

[misswonderly3]

Richard Kimble, premier detractor of all things Woody Allen, stated:

 

>OJ was a far greater at his craft/art of football player than Woody Allen is at his of director

 

It's a silly comparison, but if you insist on going with it, I would have to disagree.

Allen is celebrated the world round, by respected critics, fellow-directors, and avid fans. His films often make "best 100" lists.

 

You can not like his movies, ok, I get that. But to say that he was not good at his craft is simply not true.

 

Look, unlike almost everyone else here, I'm not a particular fan of John Ford. But that's just a personal reaction to his films. I would never say he was poor at the craft of filmmaking, because whether I enjoy his movies or not, I recognize that he was a talented director.

As is Mr. Allen.

[Richard Kimble]

A few years ago Allen was quoted as saying that he did not consider himself a great director. I can't find the quote on Google and don't feel like spending hours wading through pages of Woody vs. Mia looking for it.

 

As for OJ, he was unquestionably one of the 5 greatest running backs ever to play football. Is Woody Allen one of the 5 greatest directors?

[BartonKeyes]

This is an unfair comparison. Running backs in football all do essentially the same thing.

 

But each great movie director is an artist, and therefore, in some respect, utterly unique. Who is to say whether Woody Allen is one of the top five movie directors ever? Many people (myself included) would be inclined to argue that Woody Allen is definitely among the greatest movie directors of all time. But many others could just as easily argue the opposite.

 

And as with all things in art, these sorts of lists (i.e. top five movie directors) are totally subjective. On the same list you might see Alfred Hitchcock's name as well as Woody Allen. Their styles of film-making are so different, it's virtually impossible to rationally compare the two.

[misswonderly3]

>A few years ago Allen was quoted as saying that he did not consider himself a great director.

 

So what? Almost all great artists - directors, writers, musicians, whatever - feel that they could always "do better", that they're not satisfied with their body of work.

I don't attribute this to modesty so much as to "the artistic temperament", meaning, artists, no matter how great they are, always seem to judge their own work and find it lacking.

 

What matters more than how Woody Allen assesses his own films, is how others - as I said before, critics, Allen's peers, and his fans - assess it. And overall, they are assessed very highly.

 

Besides, it's limiting in a way that is unproductive and irrelevant to the discussion here to suggest that if Woody Allen is not in the list of "top five" greatest film directors of all time, than he cannot be taken seriously.

As we all know, there are many, many great film directors, a lot more than five.

 

As RemyOrpen wisely puts it.

>This is an unfair comparison. Running backs in football all do essentially the same thing.

 

>But each great movie director is an artist, and therefore, in some respect, utterly unique.

>...And as with all things in art, these sorts of lists (i.e. top five movie directors) are totally subjective. On the same list you might see Alfred Hitchcock's name as well as Woody Allen. Their styles of film-making are so different, it's virtually impossible to rationally compare the two.

 

(Thanks, Remy.)

[AndyM108]

Most classic movie fans seem to adulate Gloria Grahame, who had sex with her 13-year-old stepson. Today she would be considered a pedophile and would need to register as a sex offender.

 

But back then she eventually got around to marrying him - - - two divorces later, but whatever - - - and they stayed married for 14 years and produced three children.

[Dargo2]

Wow Andy! What a coincidence! I'm pretty sure I just read somewhere that former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau's favorite classic movie actress was always Gloria Grahame!!!

 

(...and somethin's tellin' me it wasn't just because of Gloria's little "bee-stung" mouth!)

[ValentineXavier]

TikiSoo wrote:

 

 

 

>Do I like him personally? No, I just don't worry about how others conduct their lives, I have no control over it. EXCEPT, I do not support them with my dollars. I only see Allen's movies from the li-berry.

 

If you have MGMHD, they show a lot of Woody's films, and you won't be contributing any more than you would by not watching MGMHD.

[Hibi]

I havent paid to see a Woody Allen film since he ran off with Soon-Yi. Husbands and Wives was the last. I realized he was a moral fraud and a hypocrite and I wasnt going to support his career by paying money to see his films anymore. I'll watch them if they are on tv, but I wont go to a theater to see one. (and pay).

 

As far as boycotting Mia Farrow films, what films has she made to boycott? I dont know if the sexual abuse charges are true or not.....

[Sepiatone]

> "On September 27, 1978, Young, age 64, married his fifth wife, a 31-year-old German actress named Kim Schmidt.

 

 

 

Not exactly the same situation as Woody's is it. Unless Kim Schmidt was Gig's adopted daughter. Which I'm guessing she WASN'T. At any rate, I'm NOT boycotting Woody Allen movies, so I miss the point of your question.

 

 

> On October 19, 1978, three weeks after his marriage to Schmidt, the couple were found dead at home in their Manhattan apartment. Police theorized that Young shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself in a murder?suicide. A motive for the murder-suicide was never made clear"

 

 

This is more tragedy than scandal. Gig apparently had a lot of problems, and felt there was no other way out. We'll never know as to the WHY of this action, and it would be unjust to assume anything about it.

 

If you're trying to make an O.J. connection, it also isn't the same thing. I mean, if Gig was simply accused of shooting his wife, and acted as cavalier during and after the trial as O.J. did, it would be a different story.

 

Sepiatone

 

Edited by: Sepiatone on Mar 24, 2014 12:04 PM

[AndyM108]

I dont know if the sexual abuse charges are true or not.....

 

Okay, but then you say

 

I havent paid to see a Woody Allen film since he ran off with Soon-Yi. Husbands and Wives was the last. I realized he was a moral fraud and a hypocrite

 

So is Allen a moral fraud because he married a much younger woman, to whom he's remained married for 17 years and counting? Or is he a moral fraud because underneath it, you really believe Mia's charges?

 

And what's "hypocritical" about any of this? Did Allen ever go on record as condemning other May-September pairings? Did he ever come out against miscegenation? I can understand a visceral reaction against the idea of a mid-50's man and a 19-year old woman, but I can't see the "moral fraud" or "hypocrite" bits.

[Hibi]

My feelings were based on the Soon-Yi behavior only. He set himself up as some sort of moral arbiter in many of his films or the films' themes in themselves made judgements. His "I've done nothing wrong" statements during the affair turned me off totally on him. I wont pay to support his career..........

[darkblue]

I feel that everyone deserves to receive fair compensation for their work and creativity, regardless of any human foibles that may be associated with them in the other compartments of life.

 

We'd all want to be able to go on making a living no matter what is said about us, wouldn't we? It's important to always remember that people can say anything, truthful or not.

[Hibi]

Hey, I didnt say he couldnt make movies, I'm just not going to pay to see them. My choice. I used to like him a lot.

[TomJH]

Oh, the fun we have sitting around in judgment on others.

[jamesjazzguitar]

What about if the facts about a person are clearly known? i.e. NOT speculation but clear facts. e.g. the person was convicted for their crimes.

 

Note that I don't support boycotting an artist becuase I'm selfish; i.e. If the work from that artist is something I enjoy I wish to enjoy it, period.

 

I clearly don't support a boycott based on speculation, but I understand those that feel they have to boycott based on well documented character issues.

 

Also, you're sitting around in judgement of others if you question those that judge others and their motives for doing so (but we all do this!).

[misswonderly3]

>Also, you're sitting around in judgement of others if you question those that judge others and their motives for doing so (but we all do this!).

 

Ok, I'm trying to get my head around this (as the expression goes.)

 

You're saying that those who claim people are being judgmental are themselves judgmental, because they're judging others for their judgmentalism.

 

It's logical, and yet somehow it doesn't feel right.

[Hibi]

LOL.........

[DownGoesFrazier]

He's just done so MANY movies, he's worn out his welcome. There's something to be said for doing one film every 5 years, so that the public is eagerly anticipitating the next one.

[AndyM108]

My feelings were based on the Soon-Yi behavior only. He set himself up as some sort of moral arbiter in many of his films or the films' themes in themselves made judgements. His "I've done nothing wrong" statements during the affair turned me off totally on him. I wont pay to support his career..........

 

I can see that as an initial reaction, and I could see it even more if Allen had just been treating Soon-Yi as some sort of plaything, and had subsequently ditched her for another woman.

 

But after 17 years of seeing Allen and Soon-Yi in a stable marriage, when she's now in her 40's, don't you think it might be time to consider that your initial reading might have been off, and that there might have been something genuine underneath the surface?

 

I'm not saying you shouldn't refuse to see Allen's movies in theaters if even today that's your honest response to their relationship. I'm just wondering at what point "the facts on the ground" have a chance of making themselves heard in your mind over the initial "yuccck" factor.

[darkblue]

> He's just done so MANY movies, he's worn out his welcome.

 

To you, not to me.

 

He continues to prove his excellence in movie craftsmanship. Until he loses the ability to create a film that holds my attention, I welcome his work.

[darkblue]

> It's logical, and yet somehow it doesn't feel right.

 

Perhaps it's what's known as circular logic?

 

Or maybe it's just another way of stating that old retort "I know you are but what am I".

[TomJH]

I'm in agreement with you, Andy. Woody and Soon-Yi have been married (presumably happily) longer now than many marriages that didn't have an age difference.

 

That should count for something, I would think, even for those suffering from the "yuck" factor over their initial union. There must be strong feelings between these two people.