Play it Again, Sam
by Herbert Ross
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DVD details
Actor: Diane Keaton, Jerry Lacy, Susan Anspach, Tony Roberts, Woody AllenDirector: Herbert Ross
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-10-23
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of Play it Again, Sam
DVD Review: Very Quotable and very Rewatchable movie. Great Woody
Summary: 5 Stars
`Play It Again, Sam', based on a stage play by Woody Alan is high among those movies one cites when you tick off the Woodman's `early, funny' movies. It should probably be noted that this is not a typical Allen movie in that he did not direct, although it is an excellent bridge, with the performances of Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts to his most famous movie, `Annie Hall' and others he did with Keaton around this time.
Just before viewing the DVD of this movie, I watched `Meet the Fockers' and found this very recent film with its stellar cast, to be less funny and more contrived than the little classic `Play It Again, Sam'. Even hours of extras on the Fockers' DVD cannot make up for the almost total lack of rewatchability in the film.
I have not watched `Play It Again, Sam' for some time, although I believe I have probably seen it at least three times before, yet I was still surprised at discovering new things about the movie. For starters, I found at least two pieces of business that I swear were copied directly into scenes of `Animal House'. Since `Animal House' is a great comedy that easily stands on its own merits, I don't begrudge the borrowing. Another observation I had with this movie was how much visual comedy there was going on. None of it was the kind of over the top long scenes done by W. C. Fields, but it definitely contributed a lot to the interest of the movie. A third new observation was the fact that `Play It Again, Sam' begins with a clip from the final scene of `Casablanca' and ends with the characters of `Play It Again, Sam' reenacting that same `Casablanca' scene. This fact stood out so strongly for me this time around since I just got finished seeing exactly the same device used in Allen's `Stardust Memories'. This is yet another case where `Stardust Memories' is quoting from Allen's other pictures. This really makes me wonder how many of Allen's films begin with a clip from some other movie.
The best things about really great movies is that you can find problems with them without that activity's spoiling your appreciation of the movie. In fact, richly produced films simply add to your pleasure by offering an object of analysis and comparison with other movies. I feel absolutely no urge to analyze `Meet the Fockers' other than appreciate the performances of Hoffman and Streisand and wish DeNiro would go back to doing Marty Scorsese gangster movies.
The name of this movie, `Play It Again, Sam', has probably contributed its share to the myth that this is a direct quote from `Casablanca'. As most know, Rick never actually says these four words together in the `Casablanca' script. This is only fitting, because the Bogart character dreamed up by the Allen character behaves like neither Humphrey Bogart nor Rick Blaine, his character in `Casablanca'. Allen's fictional Bogart is a construct of Allen's imagination, possibly based on Bogart in `The Maltese Falcon', but even Sam Spade would probably have more respect for women than the spectral trenchcoat with Bogart's name in `Play It Again, Sam'. My biggest question is whether this skewing of the Bogart persona was intentional and part of the interest of the film, or was he just molding things to fit his premise.
While the movie is not pure Woody, it is a very important part of his body of work and an important early demonstration of how good he was with visual humor.
Now all I have to do is figure out the reason for the business of the Allen character's sliding the two fried eggs from a plate back into a skillet. Seems to be connected in some way to his total inability to cook.
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