Award-winning playwright, actor and director Danny Hoch is currently on Broadway in Relatively Speaking, a trio of one-act plays by Ethan Coen, Elaine May, and Woody Allen. But Broadway isn't where you usually find Hoch, who's known for rollicking and provocative solo performances such as Taking Over, a critically-acclaimed show that grappled with the ways gentrification methodically destroys communities in New York City. We caught up with Hoch last week to talk about gentrification, Williamsburg, and Broadway, where you can now catch him six nights a week—he appears in Coen's and Allen's plays, and he's very funny in both. more ›

Wanna spend the weekend with Woody Allen? That documentary we first mentioned in August is finally going to air on PBS starting this weekend, all three and a half hours of it. Allen hasn't historically been the most revealing public figure, so the American Masters documentary is pretty unprecedented, and it seems Allen only agreed to it because his longtime pal Robert Weide (the director of it) convinced him. more ›

Actress Diane Keaton has a new memoir coming out, "Then Again," which dives into her close relationship with her mother, as well as her long term romance/friendship with the one and only Woody Allen. She writes that dating Allen was just like being in a Woody Allen movie...except sexier? "He was even better-looking in real life. He had a great body, and he was physically very graceful," she wrote about ex-boyfriend Warren Beatty Al Pacino Woody Allen. more ›

Not everyone was a fan of Elaine's, the famed Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side that was a regular hangout to many famous New Yorkers (among them Woody Allen). While the place was never really known for its food, the reviews could be vicious: "Restaurant was probably good before Pizza Hut came out, but Pizza Hut has since raised the bar for overpriced Italian food," Grant E. complained. So how will the Yelp users who took to the Internet to semi-anonymously complain about the now-closed restaurant feel hearing that items from the restaurant—as well as souvenirs from the late Elaine Kaufman's apartment—brought in $385,734 at auction this week, an amount that surpassed pre-sale estimates ("Of course the decor is not that exciting"—A.K. on Yelp). more ›

Welcome back to our Instant Entertainment weekly feature, in which we offer you two bits of entertainment currently available on demand on Netflix Instant Watch, Hulu and/or Amazon Prime. Watched something online recently you think we should highlight? Send us a note at tips@gothamist.com. more ›

Recently Woody Allen talked about his absence from the silver screen, saying, "I can’t play the love interest anymore, and of course this is tremendously frustrating, because that’s really what I want to play. But that’s not as believable anymore." But his films, even when he's just behind the camera, have always had that trademark Woody Allen character, the complete neurotic package, and now someone has gone and made a supercut of them all. From Kenneth Branagh to Rebecca Hall (the only female "Woody Allen Surrogate”): more ›

At a recent press conference held on the Upper East Side (of course), Woody Allen discussed his new film Midnight In Paris (which is getting rave reviews)... but he also talked about his next film, which will have him acting again! Allen hasn't had a part in one of his films since 2005's Scoop, and told the press, "There just happened to be a part that I could play. I can’t play the love interest anymore, and of course this is tremendously frustrating, because that’s really what I want to play. But that’s not as believable anymore. I have to play Pops, the backstage doorman at the theater or something like that. But in this one there is a part for me." The film will also star Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg and Penelope Cruz... but alas, not New York City. more ›

It's been a while for Woody Allen. Although our extremely scientific office poll revealed that many people moderately enjoyed Match Point, with Vicky Cristina Barcelona a close second, it's been well over a decade since we've seen a classic Allen hit, a la Deconstructing Harry or Bullets Over Broadway. Until now! Maybe, hopefully. more ›

Legendary Upper East Side restaurateur Elaine Kaufman died yesterday at age 81, and the remembrances are pouring in today. In the Post's editorial, "There was always Elaine herself, larger than life in every sense, who in 1963 created a salon for the hip and famous where literary lions and actors rubbed elbows and downed drinks with journalists, politicians, society and law-enforcement types alike." more ›

Filmmaker Woody Allen, who recently told a reporter "there's no real difference between a fortune teller or a fortune cookie and any of the organized religions," is in full support of the Islamic community center and mosque proposed for Lower Manhattan. At the post-premiere party for his new film, Allen told he Daily News, "Of course I think they should build the mosque. The only people that have a right to weigh in on are the people that were personally involved in 9/11... All of the other people weighing in are doing so for political and exploitation reasons. I feel those people should shut up and just let the people who were personally affected make their case." You may recall that last month one Fox News commenter suggested building the mosque in Woody Allen's building, which was deliciously skewered by The Daily Show: more ›

In an interview yesterday, the now 74-year-old Woody Allen was asked about his comment about shooting movies in New York becoming too expensive (again). He told the NY Times, "My first choice would always be New York. It would be my fondest wish—to work where you live is of course the most luxurious privilege, and I’m sure I will film here again. But the few dollars I have go further in certain places.... London, Paris, Barcelona—these are very cosmopolitan, and they’re like New York." more ›

Woody Allen spoke to the Times of London this week and said, "Nobody wants to see a guy who’s 74 hitting on a woman of any age. But I don’t want to make geriatric movies about old people because they bore me too." But it's okay to have 60-something Larry David marrying the nubile Evan Rachel Wood in Whatever Works? more ›

Now that the American Apparel mess is behind him, Woody Allen can get back to talking about what he loves: movies and New York City. USA Today and Tribeca Film have interviews with the director, who says he's getting priced out of Manhattan! He told them, "I wish I could afford to be here all the time, but it's a very expensive city to work in. It's gotten worse for me. It's gotten better in that they give you tax breaks. But everything (else) has gone up. I work on a very limited budget." He noted that it would cost about an extra $3 million to film in New York in comparison to overseas. more ›

Following yesterday's announcement that American Apparel settled the lawsuit Woody Allen filed against them for $5 million, the director now speaks out about Dov Charney & Co. Upon leaving the courthouse yesterday he said, "It's, of course, possible by going through the trial a jury might have awarded me more money, but this is not how I make my living" (the NY Post points out it is, however, more money than Vicky Cristina Barcelona made during it's opening weekend, by about $1.5 million more). He's hoping the big payout will discourage other companies from illegally using his image, even though Charney has insisted he wasn't using him to sell product. While American Apparel's head honcho would like to meet the director on friendlier terms, it's unlikely Allen would ever allow it. He told the press yesterday, "Threats and press leaks by American Apparel designed to smear me did not work, and a scheme to call a long list of witnesses who had absolutely nothing to do with the case was also disallowed by the court. I suspect this dose of legal reality led to their 11th-hour settlement." Aaaaand scene. more ›

Sadly, the world won't see Woody Allen face off with Dov Charney in a courtroom. Not today, at least. American Apparel has posted the following statement on their website: "Today the lawsuit filed against American Apparel by Woody Allen will settle whereby he will receive a $5M payment. The vast majority of this payment will be paid by our insurance carrier who is responsible for the decision to settle this case and has controlled the defense of this case since its inception. Naturally there is some relief of not having to go through a trial but I also harbor a sense of remorse and sadness for not arguing an important issue regarding the First Amendment, particularly the ability of an individual or corporation to invoke the likeness of a public figure in a satiric and social statement." more ›

In Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, The Supreme Court of the United States unanimously proclaimed: "At the heart of the First Amendment is the recognition of the fundamental importance of the free flow of ideas and opinions on matters of public interest and concern. The freedom to speak one's mind is not only an aspect of individual liberty - and thus a good unto itself - but also is essential to the common quest for truth and the vitality of society as a whole. We have therefore been particularly vigilant to ensure that individual expressions of ideas remain free from governmentally imposed sanctions."Of course, using Hustler as an example when you're trying to prove you aren't a barely legal loving perv isn't exactly the way to go (nor is flooding the internet with images like the above), but we do agree with this whole First Amendment thing. However, is it really possible that Mr. Charney was using Woody Allen as a way to draw parallels to his own public image, and not to, like, sell things? It's sort of an outdated comparison, and Charney's mesh tanks aren't exactly on par with cinematic classics like Annie Hall. What do you think? more ›

Chalk one up for Woody Allen, a judge ruled that he doesn't have to justify his opinion that American Apparel ads are "sleazy," the NY Post reports. The company had wanted the director to back up his accusations by identifying specific ads he found distasteful, and as much as we'd love to picture a scenario in which Woody Allen brings in stacks of past Micro-Mesh campaigns into a courtroom, that request was ridiculous. (American Apparel, need we remind you of the 40-foot beaver shot or the giant rape ad?) As such, Manhattan federal Judge Thomas Griesa ruled that Allen has clearly shown "he would not have voluntarily agreed to endorse" the company's products. The case goes to court on May 18th, and last week we received an internal memo from an employee at American Apparel that attempted to express the company's point of view on all this. more ›

Yesterday more court papers were filed for the upcoming American Apparel/Woody Allen showdown, and the NY Post's Cindy Adams thinks it's going to get uglier than a Nylon Spandex Micro-Mesh Bodysuit. more ›

Woody Allen, Dov Charney and young women go together like legwarmers, metallic spandex tights and a deep v-neck tee, yet the battle between Woody Allen and American Apparel continues! After the company used the director's image (without permission) on one of their billboard campaigns, he filed a $10 million lawsuit saying it damaged his reputation. He called the company "sleazy" amongst other things, and the company retaliated noting that he already tarnished his image when he married his young stepdaughter, Soon-Yi Previn. WCBS now reports that "Lawyers for American Apparel have complained that Allen has refused to turn over much of the information they have demanded to prepare for trial. Among their demands were documents concerning any endorsement requests that were withdrawn after the sex scandal with Farrow and Previn became public." The request included nude photos Allen allegedly took of Soon-Yi Previn—but don't get your hopes up Charney, his lawyers say that request is not relevant to the case. more ›

Last year Woody Allen filed a $10 million suit against American Apparel after they used his image (taken from Annie Hall) on their billboards in 2007, explaining at the time that he doesn't promote products in the U.S. This has now pit creepy underage-girl-loving Dov Charney against Allen, who clearly cannot relate to anything remotely, um, unconventional. He is calling the company, amongst other things, "sleazy, adolescent, and infantile," according to the NY Post. The tabloid also reports that yesterday American Apparel verbally retaliated "by demanding records showing whether his 'highly publicized sex scandal and custody battle' involving ex-girlfriend Mia Farrow and her adopted daughter Soon-Yi—Woody's current wife—had affected his earnings." Can there even be any winners in this case? (Besides Rupert Murdoch, of course.) more ›

Watchmen hasn't been getting the best reviews, but Slate thinks it could be worse. What if Woody Allen directed it! Allen's would be set on the UWS, of course, and the site imagines a romantic comedy "where wealthy dermatologist Dr. Herbert Manhattan (Allen) suffers a freak accident with his dermabrasion machine. How will his blue skin and omnipotence affect his relationship with beautiful but scatterbrained silk importer Laurie Juspeczyk (Scarlett Johansson)?" Other what-if scenarios include the bromance-obsessed Judd Apatow, Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry, Sofia Coppola and Pedro Almodóvar—but who else would(n't) you like to see reinterpret it? How about a Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan directed Bollywood take on the comic? A Dr. Mumbai dance number may be just what this movie needs. more ›

MOVIE: Woody Allen's '77 classic, Annie Hall, makes a week long appearance at the Film Forum. Catch a screening of the anxiety-ridden romance that "defined New York" sometime before the end of the run next Tuesday. More details on times, here. more ›

If more NYU kids were like John Waters, the university’s downtown super-saturation would at least be a bit more colorful. In a recent interview with Details, Waters took a nostalgia trip back to his NYU days, when he, uh, did a lot of tripping:

Back then you weren’t very interested in school. Who lasted at NYU longer, you or Woody Allen? I bet Woody went longer, because I think I was there from September to October. I only went to one class. I went to the movies on 42nd Street. It wasn’t NYU’s fault, I don’t blame them. I was out of my mind. I never went to class. Back then I was on LSD. Speed. Diet pills. I was up a lot. I had to see four movies a day; I couldn’t be going to class except to steal textbooks and then go sell them back so I had money to go to the movies.