Knuckle Sandwich
Member
Because he's one of the greatest of all time and even though he's lost a lot the movie will still probably be better than anything else she does.
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Daily Beast: "Why do young stars like Selena Gomez work with Woody Allen?"
- Thread starter WrenchNinja
- Start date
hydrophilic attack
Member
Working with a movie with him could be a huge boon to their career
Puck Beaverton
Banned
Ah the yearly Woody Allen conversation, love it.
Also Blanchett helped Blue Jasmine more than Allen. Anybody else in that role and we wouldn't be talking about it.
Also Blanchett helped Blue Jasmine more than Allen. Anybody else in that role and we wouldn't be talking about it.
Im sorry but your second sentence is naive as fuck lol
Blue Jasmine is one of the highest acclaimed of Woody's movies in like the last 25 years (and one of few Woody movies to actually be acclaimed over that same time period), largely if not entirely because of Blue Jasmine. Was his directing or writing just exceptionally better on that movie? Or was Blanchett's performance just exceptionally better than most of his leading men and women over the past couple decades?
Not to say he had nothing to do with Blue Jasmine being as good as it was, but Cate Blanchett is the main if not only reason that movie is held up as a great late period Woody Allen movie in the first place.
lightskintwin
Banned
Yes, let's act like Woody wasn't just coming off his universally critically acclaimed Midnight in Paris in 2011 and his highest grossing movie ever that was nominated in 2012 for 4
Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction) including winning Best Original Screenplay.
But somehow in 2013 Woody needed Cate Blanchett more than she needed him. LOL
Man, some of ya'll want to push a narrative so bad, you willfully blind yourself to obvious facts.
Well he wasn't. He was coming off To Rome With Love! :lol
I'm not pushing any narrative, I love Woody Allen's stuff. I never said he *needed* Cate Blanchett, I'm just saying Blanchett's contribution to Blue Jasmine (i.e. basically the whole movie) was a bigger bump to the reputation of Woody Allen's 2010s filmography than he was to Cate Blanchett's 2010s filmography.
lightskintwin
Banned
Woody has been writing and directing a movie a year for decades and has no trouble getting funding. (White) Actors are willing to take paycuts in order to work with him because he's a legend and among the small group of White male directors that these big name actors will go out there way to work with.
If it wasn't Cate Blanchett, he'd have gotten another A list actress to play the role and potentially receive the accolades. That's why they work with him.
lightskintwin
Banned
Ok, now this is nonsense.
Lionel Richie
Member
Why are you being specific about white actors willing to take paycuts to work with him? Do we know of any non-white actor not wanting to work with him? I feel like there's a point here that I'm missing.
lightskintwin
Banned
I point it out because these White male directors pretty much only make white narrative films with all white casts especially Woody Allen. These opportunities for actors are only for the White ones.
Are you offended at me pointing out facts?
Khaos Kontrol
Banned
Lionel Richie
Member
Oh yes, I'm terribly offended lol. I just thought it was a weird thing to be specific about and it felt like I was perhaps missing something.
lightskintwin
Banned
I didn't know, because my intent wasn't meant to offend. However it's just something that needs to be pointed out about the privilege of being a working White actor in this industry. There are so many great directors, that people of color actors know they'll probably never work with no matter how acclaimed, great, or high profile they are and how the business is set up for White actors to succeed and receive accolades.
IrishNinja
Member
so strange how this article highlights R Kelly's child molestation claims bearing weight, but not Woody Allen's
almost like people (rightfully) talking about Dre's background in domestic abuse, but not John Lennon's
so very strange
i don't know how young i was when i figured out the world does not, on any level, work this way...but it's been quite some time
you could literally apply most of the posts in this thread to answer that question as well
almost like people (rightfully) talking about Dre's background in domestic abuse, but not John Lennon's
so very strange
i don't know how young i was when i figured out the world does not, on any level, work this way...but it's been quite some time
you could literally apply most of the posts in this thread to answer that question as well
That's the worst thing I think I can say about the Woody thing, it's gross, it's icky but nothing like Cosby. They're both consenting adults and have both been married for decades now
Lionel Richie
Member
That's very fair, my question was also legit because I thought maybe there was some controversy that I was missing. And yeah Woody Allen movies are white as fuck but I always thought that was due to the fact that he's the one creative force behind them and he's white as fuck so probably he doesn't feel comfortable writing racially diverse characters. Here's a perfect example of what could go wrong if you do that.
And on your point, I agree with you but I think it's a problem that is getting better. When Woody came around for instance you had Sidney Poitier and blaxploitation movies being the 2 biggest things most people were aware about involving black people in movies. 20-30 years later, the highest-grossing actor of all time was for a while a black dude and you have increasingly leading roles featuring racially diverse people. So I think the entertainment industry as a whole is showing some very clear signals of improvement and I don't see any reason for pessimism.
You could not, those are completely different legal situations.
True Savior
Member
Woody Allen is one of the greatest filmmakers alive. It seems natural that most actors would love to go through one of his movies, even if it's his lesser works.
lightskintwin
Banned
You've conflated and reduced a whole lot of things into a very simplified it's getting better. LOL The whole reason blaxploitation films existed and all black films exist to this day is due to how exclusionary Hollywood films have been and still are despite how impactful and influential African American history and culture has been to American history and culture.
For the bolded, Did you just use the Obama argument? LOL
Just to add, 18 performances from Woody Allen films have been nominated for Academy Awards. Also, Woody Allen has been nominated 24 times: 16 as a screenwriter, seven as a director, and once as an actor. Allen has more screenwriting Academy Award nominations than any other writer; all in the Best Original Screenplay category.
It's no wonder any actor wants to work with him.
Lionel Richie
Member
But it is getting better. I mean, there are only 3 options here: getting better, getting worse or being the same. We've moved on from blaxploitation movies to a fuckton of movies featuring black people in lead roles. Which of the answers is more likely?
For the bolded, you said "the business is set up for White actors to succeed" and yes, white actors still have a much easier time than black actors. But the representation issues in the industry are getting better, they're far from ideal but you can see a clear evolution in the trends regarding it. I apparently used the "Obama argument" to say that nowadays you could name a lot of non-white actors or gigantic movies featuring them in a leading role to a much higher degree than you could 20-30 years ago, heck even 10 years ago. Like I said, reasons for optimism.
Fancyarcher
Member
Because they think it'll help their acting careers / make them look like legit actresses, and being in an Allen film is usually good when it comes to major awards. Simple if you ask me.
She wasn't his step daughter technically. He and Farrow were never married.
She wasn't his step daughter technically. He and Farrow were never married.
lightskintwin
Banned
Yes, but it still doesn't address my original argument, which is in regards to Woody Allen and other great prolific directors like him who are legends in the industry but who's whole filmography are still White narratives with all White casts because he's not the only one. I could name a whole host of them. Matter of fact, the Black actors already know. LOL
Now i'm not saying they need to change, however it needs to be pointed out, because they continued to play a role in why the industry is the way it is.
It's why other people of color besides Black actors have it worse.
Anton Sugar
Member
Haha, I almost started a "Which director has the whitest filmography?" thread but don't really feel like the inevitable arguments right now. Similar complaints have been levied against Wes Anderson, too, with classist undertones, as well.
I thought Allen had been asked about it at one point and basically responded with, "I cast the right people for the roles, I don't think of race, etc." Basically, my movies are about white people.
uncelestial
Member
It's not that strange; there are tapes of the R Kelly incident and charges were filed. There was never any evidence in the case of Woody Allen, there was a lot of conflicting statements from the family, it all arose during an acrimonious breakup, and no charges were ever filed. That's pretty night/day, not to argue against your larger -- and correct -- point, that black celebrities are more apt to be treated like criminals.
PlayALLtheGames
Banned
Why does anyone cast Selena Gomez? When did she prove she can act?
Snarky(HEART)
Banned
She proved she's incredibly famous and attractive.
Emperor_Uriel
Member
And, were he not on death's door, people would absolutely do so.
I'm very, very against looking for the worst in people and fearing them when they've done nothing wrong... but Hollywood is absolutely a den of abusers protected by immense wealth and unparalleled connections.
It's the liberal equivalent of the Catholic church circa 1980.
PlayALLtheGames
Banned
Ok but does the average Woody Allen fan know who the fuck she is? Or care that she's attractive?
why do you believe them?
Woody Allen was accused of molesting one individual. These allegations are really dubious and he has not been without support in his defense of himself. For what it's worth, the police investigated and came to the conclusion that the allegations were baseless. This already makes the situation different from Bill Cosby, R. Kelly and Roman Polanski - not only do we not know if he did anything, but he has also not been charged with a crime (let alone tried and convicted) despite the accusations coming from a prominent and monied place (Mia Farrow).
What we do know about Woody Allen - besides the whole legendary director thing - is that he has (or had) a taste for younger women. Mariel Hemmingway complained that a mid-forties Allen hit on her while she was eighteen on the set of Manhattan. This was forty years ago, but it still happened. He also married his ex-girlfriend's adopted daughter and they've been married quite a long time since then. So there's ample evidence to suggest that Woody Allen likes women a lot younger than himself that are nonetheless above the age of consent.
Maybe this is something you consider creepy or weird, but it's not criminal, and Woody Allen definitely does not deserve to be put in the same category as a serial rapist or a man who molested a child and then spent subsequent decades avoiding prosecution for a crime that there is no question that he committed.
What we do know about Woody Allen - besides the whole legendary director thing - is that he has (or had) a taste for younger women. Mariel Hemmingway complained that a mid-forties Allen hit on her while she was eighteen on the set of Manhattan. This was forty years ago, but it still happened. He also married his ex-girlfriend's adopted daughter and they've been married quite a long time since then. So there's ample evidence to suggest that Woody Allen likes women a lot younger than himself that are nonetheless above the age of consent.
Maybe this is something you consider creepy or weird, but it's not criminal, and Woody Allen definitely does not deserve to be put in the same category as a serial rapist or a man who molested a child and then spent subsequent decades avoiding prosecution for a crime that there is no question that he committed.
Lionel Richie
Member
I understand you. Personally however I think it's important to note in these cases whether or not there was any kind of malice involved. When it comes to Woody Allen, it's tough because he's by all account the sole creative force in his movies and he is white as fuck so maybe he'd fumble up any non-white character anyway and that leads to some jarring shit like that Human Revolution character. Going by what we've seen of him outside of movies, I sincerely doubt he's prejudiced against non-white people in any way though.
I've gotten way out of topic however lol. I asked that initial question because I thought there was some full blown controversy over his movies, to which I would be completely unaware of.
Not sure why you keep lecturing me on who Woody Allen is, how he works, etc. I know already!
You're taking a lot of offense to this for some reason. All I was saying is that Cate Blanchett was the best/main part of one of Woody's best films of the last 25 years (which includes maybe a half dozen good movies at most), and that her performance -- and the accolades around it -- were a bigger boost to Woody Allen's late-period reputation than her own.
So the part of Allen fooling around with the adopted _daughter_ of the woman he was in a committed relationship with doesn't phase you whatsoever? What role do you think Allen filled in that household vis-a-vis Soon-Yi and the kids he adopted with Farrow?
Christ.
Pyrrhus
Member
She didn't adopt Soon-Yi with Woody Allen. She adopted her with Andre Previn, the guy she was actually married to at the time of adoption. To hear him tell it, Woody wasn't part of the household when Soon-Yi was little and was never a father figure to her. The chain of events was weird and creepy without a doubt, but not illegal or even necessarily predatory. The child predator label is from his alleged sexual abuse of Dylan Farrow and that accusation was made immediately after the relationship with Soon-Yi was discovered, so the timing is indeed rather suspect. Given the severity of the charges and the resources of Farrow, the fact that no formal charges were ever filed is also suspect.
For what it's worth, Moses Farrow, another of the 10 adopted children of Mia Farrow, was 14 when that all went down and was initially very against Allen when the accusations were made, publicly saying he hoped Allen would commit suicide. But he has since reconciled with Woody Allen and says he believes nothing happened and that Mia Farrow used the kids as pawns and was physically and emotionally abusive to get what she wanted out of them. Moses works as a family therapist, so you would expect him to be particularly sensitive toward issues of sexual abuse in the family, but he's embraced Allen and Previn. So, really, just a very murky situation all around.
Mos def was definitely not right. In terms of racism existing sure. No shit. Woody Allen did not molest and marry his step daughter. Elvis Presley had plenty of soul and is one of the most important musicians of all time. I wish I actually knew something about music other than rap music when black on both sides came out.
He didn't play any role in that household vis-a-vis Soon-Yi. Ironically, he was pretty distant with the kids and it was Farrow who encouraged him to actually interact with them in the first place, which is what led to his and Soon-Yi's courtship.
It's a pretty weird way for any relationship to start, so I don't blame anyone for thinking strangely of it, but it's a far fucking cry from child molestation. The fact is he and Soon-Yi got together when she was an adult, there have been zero charges or accusations of abuse toward Soon-Yi, and they have been in a committed relationship together ever since.
QuantumZebra
Member
It's pretty shitty honestly. With how fucked up Hollywood is there's no telling what accusations are true and which are meant to slander and defame.
IrishNinja
Member
your post really should've stopped there
also: Elvis is important for stealing & whitewashing the music of big momma thorton & others
Elvis certainly had his influences. How many people do you think Elvis Presley inspired? Would the Beatles even be a band without the King?
EDIT: I would also recommend you actually go and listen to Elvis and actually research what people, black artists and peers included, thought and think about Elvis. The talent and voice is unquestioned.