angry127 I always knew that Woody Allen had a Jazz band. I think anyone that has seen more than five of his movies probably knows that. Many of his films claim that the recordings for the soundtracks were done by Woody Allen and his band. I like the music his band plays. I'm not very familiar with New Orleans Jazz or Jazz in general. But, I still think I can understand and enjoy it the way Woody Allen says he enjoys it.This movie is a complete train wreck. I remember Francis Ford Coppola was contemplating suicide on film because he thought Apocalypse Now was going to turn out to be a complete and utter failure or an unfinished project. I could imagine the director of this documentary coming to the same conclusions.The problem is, Woody Allen is a more interesting character when he is writing or performing. Watching this movie shows us how average his life is (when taking into account the small things that make up life). This movie could have just as well been about a plumber unclogging pipes, or a mail man delivering mail. I don't see what makes a movie about a famous director staying in hotels grasping in any intellectual, philosophical, or emotional fashion.And that is basically what this movie is. Its him and his wife staying in hotels, going on airplanes, and doing gigs. The gigs eventually get as boring as the airplane rides. The movie feels more like a reality show than a documentary. Do we care that hot water was not working in Woody Allen's hotel? Do we care that he would rather get bitten by a dog than licked by one? Do we care about the omelets Woody Allen's wife orders for breakfast? If any of use answered yes to any of those questions, maybe we should re watch some Woody Allen movies to see the qualities that we were most certainly missing.

harry-76 If you thought you had be Jewish or from New York to fully appreciate Woody Allen, this movie proves otherwise.Documentarian Barbara Kopple took her hand-held camera on Allen's '96 European tour, in which he and his jazz band played a whopping 18 concerts in 23 days. She photographed him everywhere but in the "john": in airplanes, hotel rooms, lobbies, receptions, backstage, onstage, in the streets--everywhere. His deadpan quips and jousts buoy up what would have been a conventional travelogue. You're never sure whether Allen's being serious or satiric, but one finds one's self laughing at nearly all his comments. He's just an amusing guy. For comedic reasons, it certainly helps that Woody has one of the funniest faces around--even without his "vanishing creme and beauty gel" he comments is amongst his toilitry. As to his tour, this is a chance to see and hear what's been talked about for years. That is, an example of Woody's playing in that certain lower Manhattan pub where he's tooted his "licorice stick"--even being loyal to that group one year rather than bothering to go pick up an "Oscar."Playing the clarinet since age 15, Allen admits to practicing two hours daily--a "must," he says, "just to keep the chops in shape." It also helps that his playing is "only a hobby, to have fun." Judging from his New Orleans style jazz performance, he's probably being quite honest. But he also seems to be bringing some extra-musical attributes to his concerts--a whole range of associations with his past creative efforts. All the laughs, pleasures, joys, frustrations, and sorrows associated with his total body of work seem to be reprised as he--now a genuine icon--stands there, slim of body, pouring his heart out in every selection. Ably assisted by musicians on the trumpet, trombone, drums, piano, banjo and bass, Allen is clearly the star, appearing in a strictly all-musical format. There are only a few words of introduction and closing sentences from him. The rest is ninety minutes of pure music.How remarkable are his European followers! They simply love and adore him. They mob him outside his hotel, backstage and through the streets as he walks, taking endless photos ("It's the same photo," he quips). They wave ecstatically at him as he takes gondola rides in Venice. The staid English stand and cheer at the end of his London concerts. Nationalistic Parisians drool over his weak attempts to greet them in French. Europeans also love the more esoteric Allen films, like "Interiors," which flopped in the US. There's no doubt: Woody Allen is an overseas hero. An added final bonus is Allen with his mom and dad in their NYC apartment, they obviously proud of but publicly reserved about their son's accomplishments. "In spite of the fact that you beat me daily," Allen quips to his mom. We're fortunate to have this 105-minute documentary for posterity. It may prove increasingly valuable as time goes on.

julianb If it had been trimmed to about an hour (by removing some of the jazz) this film would have been very enjoyable. As it was, the natural, but dry, social humour of Woody Allen is annoyingly punctuated by long excerpts from indifferent performances. The best bit comes right at the end, back in New York after the gruelling whistle-stop tour of Europe, where there is some tickling repartee and friendly needling between him and his folks (who look about a billion years old). Only for die-hard Allen fans, who need a peek at the "real" person behind those heavy specs.

Plinger "Wild Man Blues" is a truly entertaining documentary about Woody Allen touring through Europe with his New Orleans Jazz Band. Every Monday they use to play at Michael´s Pub in Manhattan. It took a long time until Mr. Allen was persuaded to leave New York and to play in European concert halls, he knew too well that people would come to see him and not because of his inspired clarinet soli. Director Barbara Kopple accompanies him during his concerts and even into his luxurious hotel suites. Not unexpected it turns out that Mr. Allen has strange travel habits. The best moments of the film are when the people that always surround Allen never cease to to express their admiration for him, just like they do in his movie "Stardust memories"(1980) which was a disaster. His fans realized that this satire was directed at them and they recognised themselves in the characters of "Stardust memories". Kopples film reveals that Allen has learnt to live with them. He reacts with a warm smile and a little bit of sarcasm when every day he is told a dozen times "you are the greatest, I love your movies, mostly your earlier and funny ones, why can´t you go on making funny movies...". However, "Wild Man Blues" is a very funny film.