A Few Words About A few words about...™ A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Woody Allen began directing in the late 1960s, and through the '70s and '80s, seemed to average about a film a year.  As of 2015, that hasn't slowed for a moment, and we are the beneficiaries.

To place things in context, Sex Comedy (1982), falls within one of the richest periods of the Allen canon.  Annie Hall (1977), Interiors (78), Manhattan (79), Stardust Memories (80), Zelig, followed by Broadway Danny Rose.

It isn't Annie Hall, however.  Nor is it Manhattan.

Within that canon, Sex Comedy almost seems apart from some of the rest, without broad comedy.  It's a low-key affair, and it might be considered secondary Allen.

But Allen, it remains.

As a Blu-ray, is a good-looking affair.  Apparently off an IP, with a bit of detritus here and there, but basically representative of what the film should look like.

Image - 4

 

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 4

Pass / Fail - Pass

 

RAH

I hadn't watched this film in years. When TT released it, I watched it with my mom and we both were laughing out loud more than we have in a long time while watching a film.

I always liked this film. I always felt that the "magic" that Allen referred to in the film was really about the invention of motion pictures.

I never considered this secondary Allen. I consider September, Another Woman, Alice, Shadows and Fog, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway, Everyone Says I Love You, Celebrity, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending and a few others to be secondary Allen.

zoetmb said:

I always liked this film. I always felt that the "magic" that Allen referred to in the film was really about the invention of motion pictures.

I never considered this secondary Allen. I consider September, Another Woman, Alice, Shadows and Fog, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway, Everyone Says I Love You, Celebrity, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending and a few others to be secondary Allen.

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I think EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU is one of his best.

zoetmb said:

I always liked this film. I always felt that the "magic" that Allen referred to in the film was really about the invention of motion pictures.

I never considered this secondary Allen. I consider September, Another Woman, Alice, Shadows and Fog, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway, Everyone Says I Love You, Celebrity, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending and a few others to be secondary Allen.

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trajan said:

I think EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU is one of his best.

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I suspect what we all consider first tier and second tier Allen is subject to personal tastes related to his style of comedy, though I know it seems like his ratio of second tier to first tier work has gone up in the last few years. We get gems like Midnight in Paris, Match Point, Vicki Cristina Barcelona, and Blue Jasmine among what most consider more mediocre Allen efforts like To Rome with Love, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Whatever Works, Scoop, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Anything Else.


I considered Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Bullets Over Broadway some of his first tier work.


"For me love is very deep, but sex only has to go a few inches." A great line from BOB I used fairly often after that film came out.

Mark Walker said:

I suspect what we all consider first tier and second tier Allen is subject to personal tastes related to his style of comedy, though I know it seems like his ratio of second tier to first tier work has gone up in the last few years. We get gems like Midnight in Paris, Match Point, Vicki Cristina Barcelona, and Blue Jasmine among what most consider more mediocre Allen efforts like To Rome with Love, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Whatever Works, Scoop, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Anything Else.


I considered Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway some of his first tier work.


"For me love is very deep, but sex only has to go a few inches." A great line from BOB I used fairly often after that film came out.

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I really liked TO ROME WITH LOVE

Mark Walker said:

I considered Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Bullets Over Broadway some of his first tier work.


"For me love is very deep, but sex only has to go a few inches." A great line from BOB I used fairly often after that film came out.

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So do I!

^ Same, hoping for a general-release "A" BOB BD. But I wasn't at all impressed with Vicki..., and I consider the thread subject film definitely second tier, at best. OTOH, to borrow an expression, "I'd rather have bad Allen than 'good' pick-somebody".


Edit: I may be in the minority, but except for Vicki... (I think my disappointment was because of my expectations due to the hype around it) I've quite enjoyed Allen's more recent output, and am glad I went back to him after having fallen astray for several years. Anybody else who's wandered should check it out too. ["A" BD access has been very sketchy/intermittent in Canada, but it's been worth the effort IMO.]

zoetmb said:

I always liked this film. I always felt that the "magic" that Allen referred to in the film was really about the invention of motion pictures.

I never considered this secondary Allen. I consider September, Another Woman, Alice, Shadows and Fog, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway, Everyone Says I Love You, Celebrity, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending and a few others to be secondary Allen.

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I love the diversity of personal taste. I dislike MIDSUMMER but greatly admire BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, SHADOWS AND FOG and EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU. So cool that people are so diverse. Keeps the world turnin'.