RIFKIN’S FESTIVAL Opens 68th San Sebastian Film Fest, But First a Funny Or Die Review?
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by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent
Official word is that Woody Allen’s world premiere venue for his latest film RIFKIN’S FESTIVAL, about a guy who goes to a film festival (imagine that), will unspool in Spain at the 68th edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sept. 18 through the 26th, 2020. It will run out of competition, possibly because the film festival in his new movie is the San Sebastian Film Festival, in a life-meets-art loop.
This comes on the heels of the dismissal without prejudice of his four-year, $80 M USD legal tussle with Jeff Bezos and Amazon that was settled out of court for “an undisclosed sum,” as they say.
Last summer Allen told The HollywoodReporter, “I don’t think of political movements or social movements (read: #MeToo, #TimesUp, Cancel Culture). I’m just not equipped mentally to have any deep insights on those things. I deal mostly with human relations and people and comedy. And as long as I stay focused, I don’t think I’ll ever retire. I’ll probably die in the midst of setting up a film shot one day on a set making a movie.”
Basically this auteur may deal “with human relations” on film, but he should have been more worried about public relations, including Crisis PR, since both career and reputation have been such a slow-motion car wreck for the 25 years or so.
He would have been better off to adopt Rosemary’s baby than to face off against the Mia Farrow clan in court, much less write a memoir “Apropos of Nothing” about everything from a close-fisted point of view.
Of course he did himself no favors by defending Rosemary’s Baby’s director Roman Polanski, dismissing Farrow’s onslaught of 1000 cuts by media, or having a public spat with Frank Sinatra’s boy, uh, Satchel Allen, uh, Ronan Farrow unarmed with a DNA test. Needless to say, less hell would have broken loose if he hadn’t married that Previn girl from the ill-advised nudie snapshots found by adoptive mother Farrow.
Plus he could have given ALICE, that mad-hatted, herbal tonic snorer (a Farrow-starrer, sadly) a miss for the good of his audience.
For the last couple decades and change, the jury has been out on Woody Allen and character. For now, in case you missed it, we compiled a Woody-o-graphy for the last 55 years.
But first, just to prepare you for his new picture, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and the upbraid-y bunch over at Funny Or Die offer an advance critique.
Funny Or Die Already Reviewed All Woody Allen Films, Including Rifkin’s Festival
ICYMI: Woody-o-graphy Since 1965
Rifkin’s Festival
Director, Writer from 2020
A Rainy Day in New York
Director, Writer from 2019
Wonder Wheel
Director, Writer from 2017
Cafe Society
Director, Writer, Actor, from 2016
Irrational Man
Director, Writer from 2015
Magic in the Moonlight
Director, Writer from 2014
Blue Jasmine – Oscar glory for Cate Blanchett in this masterpiece for its time.
Director, Writer from 2013
Fading Gigolo
Actor from 2013
To Rome With Love
Director, Writer, Actor, from 2012
Midnight in Paris – Biggest box office grosser, due to Owen Wilson, ps.
Director, Writer from 2011
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Director, Writer from 2010
Whatever Works
Director, Writer from 2009
Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Wow for Penelope Cruz, A+.
Director, Writer from 2008
Cassandra’s Dream
Director, Writer from 2007
Scoop
Director, Writer, Actor from 2006
Match Point – Whereby Scarlett Johansson croaks, later to disown the role.
Director, Writer from 2005
Melinda and Melinda – my personal unsung favorite film
Director, Writer from 2004
Anything Else
Director, Writer, Actor,, from 2003
Hollywood Ending
Director, Writer, Actor, from 2002
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion – Helen Hunt is awesome, later nixes Allen for scandal.
Director, Writer, Actor, from 2001
Picking Up The Pieces
Actor from 2000
Small Time Crooks
Director, Writer, Actor, from 2000
Sweet and Lowdown
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1999
Antz
Voice from 1998
Celebrity
Director, Writer from 1998
Deconstructing Harry
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1997
Wild Man Blues
Subject of Documentary from 1997
Everyone Says I Love You – Too much singing, even Drew Barrymore?
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1996
Mighty Aphrodite – Yes, Mira Sorvino Oscar-ed, but as a trafficking activist regrets it all.
Director, Writer, Actor from 1995
Bullets Over Broadway – Dianne Weist soars, “Don’t speak!”
Director, Writer from 1994
Manhattan Murder Mystery
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1993
Husbands and Wives – Director uniquely unsuited to make this movie, ps.
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1992
Scenes From a Mall
Actor from 1992
Shadows and Fog
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1991
Alice – In blunderland cinematically speaking.
Director, Writer from 1990
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1989
New York Stories (Director: Oedipus Wrecks segment) – Never heard of it?
Segment Director, Segment Writer, Actor, from 1989
Another Woman
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1988
Radio Days
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1987
September – Should carry a warning for depressives.
Director, Writer from 1987
Hannah and Her Sisters – Foreshadowing scandal, or lustful thinking?
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1986
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Director, Writer from 1985
Broadway Danny Rose
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1984
Zelig
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1983
A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1982
Stardust Memories
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1980
Manhattan – Mariel Hemingway later says she felt awkward, no surprise there.
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1979
Interiors
Director, Writer from 1978
Annie Hall – GOAT of his work.
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1977
The Front
Actor from 1976
Love and Death
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1975
Sleeper – Hyper-relevant today.
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1973
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) – TMI!
Director, Screenplay, Actor from 1972
Play It Again, Sam
Writer, Actor from 1972
Bananas
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1971
Don’t Drink the Water
Film Based On His Play from 1969
Take the Money and Run
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1969
Casino Royale
Actor from 1967
What’s Up, Tiger Lily?
Director, Writer, Actor, from 1966
What’s New Pussycat?
Actor, Writer from 1965
This list doesn’t include his books, essays, musical interludes, or personal guesting/grievances, or festival appearances, or where to buy a t-shirt, which his website doesn’t actually sell.
Allen hasn’t exactly sold out to merchandising, exploited his “brand” or hawked embroidered bomber jackets from his set with logo/movie titles.
Folks, Woody Allen’s latest movie, RIFKIN’S FESTIVAL (out of competition) as a world premiere at the 68th edition of the San Sebastian Festival on Sept. 18 in the Kursaal Auditorium isn’t the worst thing to happen this Fall – we have an election coming in the US, remember? 😉
CAST: Christoph Waltz, Gina Gershon, Louis Garrel, Elena Anaya Sergi López, Wallace Shawn, Steve Guttenberg, Damian Chapa, Georgina Amorós, Ben Temple, Andrea Trepat, Luz Cipriota, Yan Tual, Douglas McGrath, and Bobby Slayton.
Anyone care to take bets on who among those listed disavows the director come Award Season, lolz?
Cancel culture aside, this is one of our greatest living filmmakers. Before The Scandal of August 1992, that is. Maybe the perspective of world events 2020 will upend things again?
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