The Top Five Woody Allen Movies Now Playing on Satellite TV

Woody Allen has certainly become an institution in American cinema.  About to go into his fifth decade of filmmaking, he has refused to be put in the category of over-the-hill or irrelevant.  By coming out with Matchpoint in 2005, he made most of his critics rethink their lukewarm assessments of recent films.  Is he back?  That remains to be seen, but Allen has used Europe for his latest films, such as the recent Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Here are his top five films of all time, all of which can be found on satellite TV.

5. Love and Death. 'How long does he have to live?' Diane Keaton asks of her unwanted husband.  'With proper medical attention, he can live another ten minutes,' the doctor replies.  There are plenty of slapstick moments in this Russian war classic (you can start laughing, already) and Woody plays the ultimate coward in a sea of machismo.  Watch Woody be shot out of a cannon on his way to becoming a war hero.  See it on satellite TV's Turner Classic Movies.

4. Bullets Over Broadway.  John Cusack is way too sensitive and delicate to be involved in a Broadway production.  Fortunately, there's a bullish Mafia thug (Chazz Palmentieri) on hand to offer ideas and eventually commandeer the script.  A great period piece, Allen gets to poke a lot of fun at the creative process while paying homage to old Broadway.  See it on the Independent Film Channel in HD.

3. Matchpoint. Call it a comeback.  After a series of clunkers and generally ignored pictures, Woody came back with a vengeance with this film starring Scarlett Johansson as a much-desired American and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as a social-climbing sociopath.  Satellite TV's premium channels still feature this film from 2005, which delves into the dark side of Woody Allen's work.

2. Annie Hall. One of the most quintessentially Woody Allen films, the awkward relationship between a character very much like Woody and his New York girlfriend (Diane Keaton) is explored.  Also starring Paul Simon in an L.A. interlude, Annie Hall is a bittersweet comedy about the impossibility of love in the modern age.  Diane Keaton shines in an Oscar-winning role, along with wins for Best Director (Allen), Best Picture and Best Screenplay (Allen).

1. Manhattan. Just watching the opening scene -- a montage of black-and-white iconic scenes from New York -- it's obvious you are in for something special.  Woody's homage to the big city is actually a realistic look at New York relationships and some hilarious moments of living in the city (the scene of waiting in line for movie tickets is legendary).  Check out the TCM program guide for regular showings of this film in HD.

Woody Allen's career has given him fans of all ages.  To get the biggest number of his films, make a <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.satellitetv-site.com/content-index.id-6.htm">Directv vs. Dish</a> comparison.  His films continue to make us laugh and capture our attention.  The great deals from the <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.satellitetv-site.com/dishtv/direct-tv-special-deals.html">Dish Network</a> will help you catch Woody Allen's best films.

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