Woody Allen
Janet Margolind
Directed by Woody Allen
Woody Allen plays Virgil Stockwell, a born loser in a life of crime. Starting when Virgil is a small boy, the film traces his career in and out of prison like a dramatised documentary. His various disastrous attempts at armed robbery are retained, in- cluding the bank job where no one can read the demand note, and the one where he and his crew impersonate a film crew.
There is also the sequence where there is a breakdown in communication amongst the inmates of the prison, so Virgil doesn't know that the mass breakout has been cancelled.
This film was Woody Allen's directorial debut in a feature length film. Apart from the odd trailer reel and an early TV show (once available in America) this film is so far the only example of Woody Allen to arrive on Super 8, so it is certainly a must for his many fans.
It is an extremely well balanced two reeler, containing as it does the best sequences from the film, which being of an episodic nature, lends itself to this sort of treatment.
Many of the shorter scenes have been retained, and included is the running- gag where Virgil is constantly having his glasses torn off by various people, who then jump on them.
The print though reasonably sharp, has slightly 'over saturated' colours but the sound transfer is good.
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Distributed in the UK by: Mountain |
The above review was printed in Super Eight Film Review issue
4. |
This page was last updated 02 Dec 2002