Posted on 08/29/2003 5:20:46 AM PDT by Pharmboy
VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - Woody Allen (news) is afraid of elevators, tunnels and even certain kinds of shower drains. Some people might call that neurotic -- he certainly does.
"I am a neurotic in a more benign way. I mean I have a lot of neurotic habits," the quirky American director and actor told Reuters Television.
"I don't like to go into elevators, I don't go through tunnels, I like the drain in the shower to be in the corner and not in the middle," Allen said in an interview after showing his new comedy "Anything Else" at the 60th Venice Film Festival.
His fear of elevators forced the cast, including Christina Ricci (news) and Jason Biggs (news), to climb three flights of stairs for a news conference ahead of the premier on the Lido.
"I cut my banana into seven slices every morning before I put it in my cereal," said the creator of off-beat characters like Isaac Davis in the romantic comedy "Manhattan" (1979). "These things don't hurt anybody else, but they are neurotic."
His famously unstable characters, frequently played by himself, have suffered a wide range of phobias, fears and neuroses, often seeking solutions on the psychiatrist's couch.
In his new romantic comedy, Allen, 67, plays David Dobel, an aging, neurotic schoolteacher who sees anti-Semitic plots all around him. But this character is more than quirky. His pent-up fears have made him paranoid and even violent.
Allen handed over the leading man role to Biggs, 25, who plays an aspiring comedy writer smitten by unpredictable Amanda, played by Ricci.
"I didn't want to give up the girl to somebody else, but I got too old to play that part," Allen said.
"I had to let Jason play the part that I would have liked to have played... I could have fooled around with (the girl) for a while, which would have been more fun than taking all those walks in the park."
His character, Dobel, spent a lot of time in Central Park giving advice to his young protege, played by Biggs.
Allen said he is currently working on a new "serious comedy," but attempts to lure Robert Downey (news) Jr. had fallen through, so he was still looking around for the right actors.
They never lived together, Allen had a residence nearby which he never gave up. And he always took the opportunity to publicly state that fact.
Soon Yi was probably well aware of the fact that her mother broke up the marriage of her true adoptive father, Andre Previn. Mia was friends with his wife Dory and honored that friendship by getting pregnant with Andre's child. Andre is not only a great conductor. Andre and Dory were a sucessful movie songwriting team, with Oscar nominations to prove their talents. Dory went into a tailspin when her marriage broke up. I remember her on the Mike Douglas Show singing her song "Beware of Young Girls" and she didn't hide the fact that Mia was the inspiration. When a child sees a glamorous mother betraying a friend and suffering no ill consequences, it must color her view of relationships.
Add to this Mia's actions when Roman Polanski, who directed her in "Rosemary's Baby", was arrested for drugging and raping a 13 year old. She wrote a charater reference to the DA. I guess she is only against underage sex if it involves her immediate family.
Sometimes karma bites you in the ass
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