"Money" for nothing

If you missed last evening's exploration of Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run" at our CineVerse meeting, here's a recap of what we discussed:

HOW IS THIS FILM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ALLEN MOVIES YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH?

• Like several early Allen pictures, it’s purely a comedy, with no serious dramatic subplots, and doesn’t take itself seriously
• It relies more on a series of loosely interconnected sketches and gags than any kind of strong storyline/plot
• It’s strength is a manic, quickly paced style loaded with slapstick, verbal and sight gags and self-effacing comedy
• It doesn’t explore existential and psychological themes that Allen was famous for doing in later movies
• Arguably, although the film is short, it could be trimmed down a bit, as there are some dull moments in between the hilarious ones that indicate a younger, inexperienced director

HOW DID THIS MOVIE SET THE TEMPLATE FOR THE CLASSIC WOODY ALLEN STYLE THAT WE’VE COME TO KNOWN AND ADMIRE? WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS THAT ALLEN USES IN THIS MOVIE THAT HE WOULD REPEAT IN SUBSEQUENT FILMS?

• Pairing humorous music with a serious subject matter
• Depicting a frustrating romantic relationship between a nerdy Jewish intellectual and a beautiful woman
• Parodies on psychoanalysis, fame, and success
• Breaking down the fourth wall: talking to the audience

HOW WOULD THIS MOVIE HAVE BEEN INNOVATIVE AND INFLUENTIAL?

• It is arguably the first feature-length Hollywood “mockumentary” film: a movie that presents itself as a serious documentary, but which is fictional

CAN YOU THINK OF ANY MOVIES, TV SHOWS OR OTHER WORKS THAT PERHAPS INFLUENCED TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN?

• Chaplin’s Modern Times
• I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
• The Defiant Ones
• Cool Hand Luke
• The 1950s TV game show What’s My Line
• The comedic style of Mel Brooks
• The zany, anarchic style of the Marx Brothers’ movies
• The slapstick and sight gags inherent in Buster Keaton silent comedies

EXAMPLES OF OTHER FILMS INSPIRED BY “TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN”

• Real Life (Albert Brooks)
• Airplane!
• The mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, including This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind
• Bob Roberts
• The Rutles
• Woody Allen’s own Zelig
• Austin Powers