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Woody Allen

A Retrospective
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Woody Allen by Tom Shone is a comprehensive retrospective on the prolific filmmaker's career, tracing his journey from a young New York scriptwriter and stand-up comedian to an internationally acclaimed director and writer. The book includes commentary from Allen himself and showcases over 250 images, highlighting key moments and films such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Midnight in Paris, and Blue Jasmine. This richly illustrated volume celebrates Allen’s unique creativity and the evolution of his distinctive cinematic style across nearly fifty films.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This thoughtfully curated tribute suits readers interested in film history, cinema studies, and fans of Woody Allen’s extensive body of work. It appeals to those who appreciate in-depth analysis and visual retrospectives celebrating influential figures in the arts and culture.

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Woody Allen is a uniquely innovative performer, writer and director with nearly fifty movies to his credit, from cult slapstick films and romantic comedies to introspective character studies and crime thrillers. This book deals with his life and work.

The definitive illustrated monograph on one of the major writer-directors of modern cinema

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Other people finish a film. It's over and it's successful. They read the reviews. They have a party. There's some kind of relief. For me it's like stamping out cookies. I finish a film and I go on to the next one. β€” Woody Allen

In this retrospective, Tom Shone reviews Woody Allen's entire career, providing incisive commentary on his films and shedding light on this uniquely self-deprecating filmmaker, with the help of comments contributed by Allen himself. Superbly illustrated with more than 250 key images, this is a fitting tribute to one of the masters of modern cinema, published to mark Woody Allen's eightieth birthday.

Woody Allen is a uniquely innovative performer, writer and director with nearly fifty movies to his credit, from cult slapstick films and romantic comedies to introspective character studies and crime thrillers. Classics such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories, Broadway Danny Rose, and Hannah and Her Sisters still resonate, and more recently Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine have been notable successes.

Born Allan Stewart Konigsberg on 1 December 1935 and raised in New York City, he was destined for a show-business career when he began writing scripts for TV shows while still a teenager. He then achieved recognition as a stand-up comedian with the release of three albums of his nightclub performances. Allen first tried writing a screenplay in the mid-1960s for What's New Pussycat? Not satisfied with the final film, he decided that he would direct as well as write his next picture, What's Up, Tiger Lily?, in 1966.

Woody Allen's output has always been prodigious; he has made a film a year, more or less, since the early 1970s. Famously indifferent to award ceremonies, and having never accepted an Oscar in person, Allen has won numerous accolades for his directing and writing, including four Oscars, nine BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, and, in 2014, the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award for his contribution to cinema.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critical acclaim highlights include Shone’s "piercing analysis" and elegant prose praised by the Observer, an "intelligently constructed" narrative by the Independent on Sunday, and recognition of the book as a "luxuriant photo-history" with "behind-the-scenes shots and informative prose" by the Times and Prospect. This reflective biography is appreciated for combining insightful critique with an abundance of visual content.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780500517987

Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 11 September 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Illustration: With 250 illustrations in colour and black and white

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 247.0mm

Height: 290.0mm

Weight: 2030g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Tom Shone was the film critic of the Sunday Times from 1994 until 1999, when he moved to New York. His articles have appeared in many newspapers and periodicals, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Times Literary Supplement, Intelligent Life, AretΓ© and Vogue. He is the author of Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer, In the Rooms and Scorsese: A Retrospective, the last also published by Thames & Hudson. He currently teaches film history and criticism at New York University.

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