Per Johnsen I don't know if it was Monthy Python who inspired Woody Allen or opposite. Perhaps somehow it was both. I wanted to give Woody Allens series of segments 10 points, but i am afraid it lacks some quality to score that high. My favorite parts are with Gene Wilder falling in love with the sheep Daisy, maybe the best Gene Wilder ever got to do in terms of acting. And of course there's the ejaculation scene. Though the other scenes are funny enough, these two really stand out as something special. They both deserve 11 if it was possible. The main reasons to not giving this movie 10 points is the sloppy acting from some in the cast members, also by Allen himself, and that the directing seems to have been to hasty in several parts. That's too bad, because this could have been a real comedy classic.

oOoBarracuda Forever unwilling to go with the flow of conventional movie making, Woody Allen went to the "off limits" topic of sex with his 1972 feature Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask. Bringing together an all-star cast including Gene Wilder, Burt Reynolds, and Tony Randall, in a way only Woody Allen can, in a series of vignettes to explore the book by David Reuben of the same title. Seven separate episodes make one movie, and the only thing they all have in common is their subject matter and the fact that they were excerpts from Reuben's book.In the first episode, Woody Allen acts as a jester trying to seduce the queen in an effort to find out if aphrodisiacs work. The second segment delivers Gene Wilder as a medical doctor dealing with a man who brings the confession to him that he is in love with a sheep, only to fall in love with the same sheep. The third segment again features Allen, as a married man who is having trouble giving his wife an orgasm, unless they have intercourse in public. The fourth segment involves a married man, who is a cross dresser, at a dinner party who just can't stay out of his wife's dresses. The fifth segment involves a game show where people share their deepest sexual secrets with a panel of celebrities trying to guess what they are. The sixth episode features a team of scientists and a runaway breast. The final vignette features Allen, again, this time as a sperm to illustrate for the audience what happens during ejaculation. Each scene, of course, with the brilliant comedic writing of Allen is a joy to watch, no matter how guilty you feel watching it.This film reminds me why I love Woody Allen. Really, is there a better comedic writer than him? I was happy to see Gene Wilder's segment early on. It's tough to watch anthology movie just to see one actor, so his being early on was a nice treat. Even though I started out watching this only for Gene, you'll stick with it for Woody Allen. I love his brand of humor, just above the brow, and wish more comedies of today could be like this. Wilder's performance as an M.D. who falls in love and starts a relationship with a sheep shows his range as an actor. He was funny and serious when necessary and illustrates his comedic acting abilities! The most incredible part of his performance was the 24-second scene that showed his reaction to the man in his office confessing his love for a sheep. That reaction is something all actors should aspire to, and needs to be required viewing at film schools and the like. Watching Gene Wilder in a Woody Allen film is enough to make one nostalgic for what could have been if only the two had more pairings. Of course, the collaboration between Wilder and Mel Brooks was incredible, likewise was the joining of he and Richard Pryor, but I wish there had been more Allen/Wilder films. Maybe it's not too late, these two legends are still with us, and although Wilder is retired from acting, perhaps a great Allen script could be the one to bring him back. I'll hold out hope, while enjoying the film they did make.

SnoopyStyle This is seven segments of weird stories about sex. They are basically extended skits and with varying degrees of success.1.Do Aphrodisiacs Work? Woody Allen is a court jester and Lynn Redgrave is the Queen with a chastity belt. I like this one for Woody and Lynn. They have some fun together.2.What Is Sodomy? Gene Wilder and a sheep is a one joke skit. It runs out of steam and don't go anywhere truly surprising.3.Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm? The Italian is funny for about 5 seconds. Then it becomes style over substance. Other than a malfunctioning dildo, I don't think any of it is particularly funny.4.Are Transvestites Homosexuals? Sam Musgrave (Lou Jacobi) is a middle-aged married man trying out women's clothes. It's dated and it's also missing Woody. I can only imagine Woody trying to hide his cross dressing.5.What Are Sex Perverts? It's a black and white parody of the TV game show What's My Line? It's a bit weird as if in a surreal alternate universe.6.Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate? Researcher Victor (Woody Allen) and reporter Helen Lacey (Heather MacRae) are going to Dr. Bernardo (John Carradine), a former colleague of Masters and Johnson. He's got an assistant named Igor. It's classic Woody dealing with a madman. Carradine is hilarious as a Frankenstein-like character.7.What Happens During Ejaculation? This takes a look at a man's body like a NASA operation with many characters controlling him. This is the best segment and has the iconic sperm-Woody. This is by far the funniest. Woody left the best for last.

moonspinner55 Woody Allen wrote, directed and co-stars in this groovy comedy, an in-name-only movie version of Dr. David Reuben's best-selling sex encyclopedia, with episodes spotlighting aphrodisiacs, sodomy (or rather, bestiality), orgasms, transvestism, et al. Predictably a hit-or-miss affair, although the large cast (familiar faces, comedic hams and cut-ups--and a few very talented actors who are game to be cut-ups) appear to be having a high time. Allen can't seem to keep a good gag going, and so almost every chapter loses steam after a promising beginning. Still, the look of the picture (and the super soundtrack) helps to compensate for some of the dead weight. Allen wants nothing more than to be naughty and lascivious--not provocative--with jokes and slapstick taking the place of eroticism. It's just a doodle, a lightweight piece of fluff, yet one with Woody's customary wit and sense of burlesque. **1/2 from ****