WOODY ALLEN

In an unprecedented television program last year Woody Allen spoke to the camera for the first time about the entire range of his work in an interview with Richard Schickel the distinguished film critic and historian Mr Allen talked about how he does it why he does it its roots in his early life and his current thinking about the state of his art The result Woody Allen A Life in Film was one of the most popular and critically acclaimed programs in the history of Turner Classic Movies But the presentation contained only a small fraction of Mr Schickel s four hour interview with the famed writer director actor This new book reprints the complete conversation between the two men and includes a long essay of introduction by Mr Schickel which places Woody Allen s entire career in critical perspective Readers will find Mr Allen s reflections on his major preoccupations the battle of the sexes the conflict between reality and fantasy in his major films mortality religion and the role that chance plays in the unfolding of our lives The book also offers insights into Mr Allen s working methods as a writer and the growth of his skills as a director as well as his assessment of himself as an actor and his surprising views of his long life in the publi