Woody Allen, That's What I Call Neurotic

Reuters ^ | Aug 29, 2003 | Nicola Christie

[Pharmboy]

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - Woody Allen (news) is afraid of elevators, tunnels and even certain kinds of shower drains. Some people might call that neurotic -- he certainly does.

"I am a neurotic in a more benign way. I mean I have a lot of neurotic habits," the quirky American director and actor told Reuters Television.

"I don't like to go into elevators, I don't go through tunnels, I like the drain in the shower to be in the corner and not in the middle," Allen said in an interview after showing his new comedy "Anything Else" at the 60th Venice Film Festival.

His fear of elevators forced the cast, including Christina Ricci (news) and Jason Biggs (news), to climb three flights of stairs for a news conference ahead of the premier on the Lido.

"I cut my banana into seven slices every morning before I put it in my cereal," said the creator of off-beat characters like Isaac Davis in the romantic comedy "Manhattan" (1979). "These things don't hurt anybody else, but they are neurotic."

His famously unstable characters, frequently played by himself, have suffered a wide range of phobias, fears and neuroses, often seeking solutions on the psychiatrist's couch.

In his new romantic comedy, Allen, 67, plays David Dobel, an aging, neurotic schoolteacher who sees anti-Semitic plots all around him. But this character is more than quirky. His pent-up fears have made him paranoid and even violent.

Allen handed over the leading man role to Biggs, 25, who plays an aspiring comedy writer smitten by unpredictable Amanda, played by Ricci.

"I didn't want to give up the girl to somebody else, but I got too old to play that part," Allen said.

"I had to let Jason play the part that I would have liked to have played... I could have fooled around with (the girl) for a while, which would have been more fun than taking all those walks in the park."

His character, Dobel, spent a lot of time in Central Park giving advice to his young protege, played by Biggs.

Allen said he is currently working on a new "serious comedy," but attempts to lure Robert Downey (news) Jr. had fallen through, so he was still looking around for the right actors.

[Pharmboy]

"These things don't hurt anybody else, but they are neurotic."

Woody, Woody, Woody: dontcha think you're being a little bit easy on yourself? Marrying your stepdaughter didn't "hurt" anyone?

YOU--you little twerp--give new meaning to the term POS.

[najida]

Funny how knowing about someone will change your ability to watch them. I used to enjoy his movies.

Now when they are on, all I can see is an old pervert who married his adopted daughter. The guy is beyond scum.

[liberallarry]

"Anything Else" is supposed to be his best movie in 15 years. I hope so. I used to like his stuff. In any case he uses it to trash psychoanalysis...so it can't be all bad.

[ClearCase_guy]

I suspect that every actor or director who ever lived has said (and got friends to say), "My current film is my best ever."

I imagine Ben Affleck said it about Gigli. Warren Beatty probably said it about Ishtar. So, Woody Allen's new film is his best in 15 years? I wonder if it's true -- or if that's just part of the promotional package?

[Paul C. Jesup]

Oh my God. Woody Allen has been misdiagnosed, he isn’t neurotic, he’s obsessive compulsive, note the ‘banana cut into seven slices before he puts it in his cereal every morning’ statement. And they can treat that with medication.

My god, he CAN be cured.

[liberallarry]

So, Woody Allen's new film is his best in 15 years? I wonder if it's true -- or if that's just part of the promotional package?

Just quoting a review I read somewhere. As I said I hope it's true. Ben Affleck has made some good ones, Warren Beatty too. It's hard as hell to create something worthwhile...so I don't demand perfection from those who can.

[Pharmboy]

I guess I called Sun Yi his "stepdaughter" because I thought it was Mia that adopted her and that when he married her, Sun Yi became his stepdaughter. But you are prolly more correct.

[Imal]

He would just say you're wrong, and that you that you had just wasted fourty-four words lying about him.

[Pietro]

I thought everybody in New York was nuerotic. How could you live there and not be?

I'm good for about four days in manhattan before I just gotts ta get the hell outta there. Them peoples nuts.

[Steely Glint]

He sounds more OBCD than neurotic.

As to his wife, well, it was consensual, she was an adult, and she wasn't related to him by blood. In the grand scheme of bad things, that's not all that terribly bad; lots worse things than that happen every day all over America.

[Pharmboy]

Yes...worse things do happen; but for a husband to run off with the adopted daughter of his wife is a family-ruining act. Because worse thing smay happen is no excuse for this outlandish and morally corrupt behavior from a person who pondered and lectured us for years about the meaning of life. He's a self-obsessed phony.

[Alouette]

"I didn't want to give up the girl to somebody else, but I got too old to play that part," Allen said.

HA HA HA

[doberville]

Who gives a rat's a** about Woody Allen or his films.

He's a self-absorbed little schmuck who represents the navel contemplative narcissists and everything wrong with this country.

[Steely Glint]

Pharmboy, I read the local newspaper and I see reports of rape, real incest, and statutory rape. Compared to this, what Woody Allen did is pretty trivial.

Sure, it wasn't right or moral, but then he was never a Christian anyway.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Woody was never married to Mia. So it's the adopted daughter of his girlfriend.

They did adopt two children and had one together. That son, who is now 12, just graduated from college and is a genius going on to grad school.

[Pharmboy]

I thought they did tie the know; thanks for the clarification.

[John123]

My god, he CAN be cured.

And when he wakes up in the morning, he will divorce his step-daughter, apologize to United States for supporting the French, and start making serious movies?

I'll wait until pigs can fly and he** freezes over.

[nwrep]

Not to defend Woody, but to set the record straight, please understand the following points:

1. Woody and Mia did not marry. She adopted kids, both before and after she was dating him. He did not. She has adopted more than a dozen kids. Woody was just her "boyfriend", so please do not suggest he and Mia adopted Sun Yi together.

2. Sun Yi was old enough (19 or 20) to be of a consensual age. That does not excuse WOody's behavior, but it is now a matter of extremely poor taste and unfaithfulness to his girlfriend (Mia) than something sinister that you imply.

[Pharmboy]

Well, it sounds like you ARE defending him. He met Sun Yi when she was a child, and he was what...62? 63??

He waits for her to be legal and then completes the seduction. Nice.

[cars for sale]

woodie for kids was a twerp way before the step daughter entered his life