WOODY ALLEN, WITHOUT GLASSES

It is nineteen sixty-five. A few years behind his iconic glasses and 60-year film career, Woody Allen is ready for his stand-up on “The Shadows” stage. He is a comedy writer in his early 30s then. He writes in humor magazines, occasionally shows up on Tv and performs skits. That’s it.

He is witty, quick with words and very capable of transforming his intellectual curiosity into simple jokes and jabber stuff. He tells about Swedish movies, the bizarre food etiquette of the Swedish, Eggs Benedict and science fiction scripts, some of which are from his own life. He relentlessly talks about “art house” movie theatres of New York and seems to have no problem with caricaturing his bohemian friends. His observations on romantic relationships are in their “seeds” yet, but he sometimes sprinkles them between his words. And the audience’s laughter is so loud that the record almost loses its quality.

It is an inspiring record to witness the journey of “stand-up” culture (and Woody Allen) in a world where the streaming channels like Netflix or Amazon is being too generous with today’s stand-up comedies. The record is worthy of attention for those who are interested in the genre (and in Allen, if there are still some left).