Woody Allen was a surprise, sudden guest on Alec Baldwin’s Instagram. The pair spoke for just under an hour. Here’s what they talked about:
- Social media in general. Allen is aware he has a Facebook that someone else runs for him. He had to open an official Instagram to do the chat. It’s @woodyallenofficial
- Allen’s new book Zero Gravity. Baldwin says he had to look up some of the references in the book. Allen wrote the additional chapters during the pandemic. Allen’s humour writing heroes, including SJ Perelman, Robert Benchley, James Therber
- Allen talked about writing longer novels and his recent memoir Apropos Of Nothing
- He talked about being explicit in his films. He referred specifically to Mighty Aphrodite as a film where he went out his comfort zone. But he does swear all the time at home.
- Alec Baldwin talked about being a fan, specifically mentioning Radio Days and Broadway Danny Rose
- Allen talked about making a 50th film, set for 2023, in Paris. Allen says he will shoot at the end of summer/fall. So it suggests September/October?
- He said the thrill was gone when it comes to having his films released and he alluded to maybe he wouldn’t make films anymore. But he was talking very casually, and he says he will make one or two more. It’s worth noting Allen’s complaints were about cinema’s release, and over the decades he makes comments like this. He makes similar comments about Broadway.
- Allen would still write. He doesn’t want others to direct his work.
- He still loves going abroad for what it does to his films, and of course he likes to go with his family.
- He was a couple of plays ready to go.
- He never got COVID, and neither did Baldwin. Allen followed every protocol and got every shot. And typically, he says it was only luck.
- He doesn’t watch scripted TV, and just watches sports and old movies.
- Allen says he wished he could have worked with WC Fields, The Marx Brothers, Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope.
No big announcements or surprises overall. It was very odd and hilariously unprofessional.
But it’s nice to hear from Allen and to see more plans firm up. The interview also generated heaps of publicity. Book sales have apparently gone up because of it!
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