https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYxHpdDBZMQ
Our latest video pays tribute to Radio Days, the sprawling 1987 film that is one of our personal favourites. It was one of Allen’s most elaborate, most complicated and most expensive films up that point. But how well do you know it?
Our video explores some of our favourite bits of trivia about the film. Including
1. The songs that inspired the film
2. The inspiration of Frederico Fellini‘s Amarcord
3. The story behind The War Of The Worlds scene
4. The story behind the girl in the well
5. Seth Green‘s role
6. Julie Kavner, pre The Simpsons
7. Lots of cameos from Allen’s acting troupe
8. Lots of cameos from the actual golden age of radio
9. That house on Rockaway Beach
10. The beautiful Radio City Music Hall
It’s the 15th in our series exploring our favourite bits of trivia from Allen’s films. With 15, we are around a third of the way through. We prepared the video as we did research for the latest volume for our book series – The Woody Allen Watcher’s Guide. It is the most comprehensive guide to Allen’s films you’ll ever find!
If you like the video, make sure you ‘like’ the video on YouTube! It really helps us out.
Here’s all our videos so far.
1 Comment
I’ve always thought, or probably more accurately hoped, that Woody acquired some of his ideas for Radio Days from the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story. Both films are set in relatively the same time period. Both involve an older narrator recalling anecdotes from their precocious childhood with very childish, but still heartwarming comedic observation. Additionally, keeping in line with Woody’s style of humor, both films delve into Freudian psychology to some degree. Regarding, A Christmas Story the (phallic) rifle and Ralphie’s desire to attain it and learn how to shoot it, is the most perfect cryptic metaphor for puberty and masturbation that’s ever been done on film. “You’ll shoot your eye out” is tantamount to “If you keep playing with it . . . you’ll go blind.” Ralphie enjoys rubbing the lamp of the leg wearing the thigh-highs. Whats the curse word he says helping his Dad change the tire f**k? His Dad gets blue bowling ball (blueballs?). Folks, this Holiday Season turn on Radio Days, turn on A Christmas Story, sit back in your chair, light up a stogie, or put some quarters in the machine that makes your bed vibrate and see these films as Woody or Freud would see them. Its all there!!!!
GO WOODY!!!!! GO RALPHIE!!! AND GO KIRBY KYLE!!!!!!