Alex Sheremet

There have been plenty of Woody Allen books produced over the decades; from biographies to critical considerations of his works: so many that one might wonder at the need for yet another.

But as with any good work, it's all about approach and delivery - and Woody Allen: Reel to Real offers something truly different as it takes Allen's complete body of cinema works and translates it into 'Digidialogue': a process whereby the author's analysis results in a discussion between himself and his audience. Basically, it's dialogue and inquiry brought to light in the form of a text debate, and is linked to a website at http://www.woodyallenreel2real.com: multimedia at its finest.

Readers anticipating another production based on text analysis should be advised that this website is an integral key to the process; not a tertiary adjunct as with so many multimedia productions. It's here that one will discover summaries of the book's concepts, reproduction of one key chapter in its entirety, and a set of book-inspired dialogues that are the whole purpose and point of Woody Allen: Reel to Real.

This is no light coverage: paragraphs are long and analytical and present critical views that may prove controversial - but that's the best part of such an intersection of minds: the ability to provoke thought and dialogue in the critical thinker.

So go ahead: imbibe. Just keep in mind that this is no light read, and is especially well suited to college-level cinema analysis students who will find Woody Allen: Reel to Real's discussion-oriented focus is especially accessible and intriguing. And: the book promises to be updated once a year with new, free material by the author. In the meantime, readers can visit http://alexsheremet.com/ for more essays on cinema and art.… (more)