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| Woody Allen on the cover of Enrico Giovannelli's book |
MILAN - Discover Tutto Woody Allen, Gremese’s definitive volume marking the genius’s 90th birthday. A comprehensive analysis of his films, books, theatre, jokes and life. The most comprehensive volume ever published in Italy on the New York genius Woody Allen, to mark his 90th birthday. On 30 November 2025, Woody Allen turns ninety, and to mark the occasion, Gremese Editore is publishing a work that aims to be the most comprehensive tribute ever produced in Italy to the great New York filmmaker: Tutto Woody Allen, a volume written by Enrico Giacovelli with contributions from Roberto Chiesi, Giampiero Frasca, Diego Gabutti, Patrice Lajus, Jean-Max Méjean, Barbara Rossi, Piero Spila and Simone Tarditi. Halfway between a dictionary and a critical essay, yet conceived as a book to be read with pleasure and in one sitting, Tutto Woody Allen – subtitled: The films, the books, the theatre, the television, the statements, the jokes, the life (and everything else) – does not merely list films and trivia: it recounts them, connects them, and examines them from different perspectives.
Woody Allen's books, plays and television appearances
It is a vast journey into the creative universe of an author who, having set out with the idea of becoming ‘a new Tennessee Williams’, became, in the words of the editor himself, ‘much more: a new Chaplin, a new Molière’. Books about Allen, as well as those written by him, have certainly not been in short supply over the decades. But this new publication represents a complete novelty in terms of scope, variety and rigour. The volume explores not only his entire filmography – from masterpieces to lesser-known experiments – but also his books, plays, TV appearances, adverts, and many other related elements that help to understand Allen’s view of the world. It ranges from recurring cultural references (Groucho Marx, Ingmar Bergman, psychoanalysis, jazz, New York) to more eccentric yet equally revealing details, such as the young Woody’s lookalikes, rollercoasters, rain, or the famous list of ‘things worth living for’ from Manhattan, discussed here with irony and affection. This is by no means an uncritical tribute.
With All About Woody Allen, Giacovelli has produced one of his most ambitious works
Giacovelli has crafted a lucid work, rich in information and references, which manages to combine the precision of an encyclopaedic dictionary with the lightness of popular narrative. It is a book that does not blindly celebrate, but rather explores, contextualises, dismantles and reassembles a creative universe that continues to challenge our times. The collection of materials in the appendix is another of the book’s great assets. It brings together Allen’s most famous quotes, a complete list of the soundtracks used in his films, and well over 500 lines and dialogues drawn from cinematic, theatrical and literary works, as well as live performances. The real novelty is that, for the first time, these texts are presented in literal translation from the original American versions, offering Italian readers a new, more authentic insight into Allen’s thinking, which is often lost in dubbed or adapted versions. The project bears the hallmark of Enrico Giacovelli, a historian and film critic with many years’ experience, who has previously authored books for Gremese such as Once Upon a Time: Italian Comedy, Mozart and Cinema, and the monumental History of American Comedy Cinema. With Tutto su Woody Allen, Giacovelli has produced one of his most ambitious works: an intellectual and heartfelt tribute to a creator who has traversed – and often redefined – cinema, theatre, literature, music and comedy. Having just turned ninety, Woody Allen remains a central figure in contemporary culture, and this book captures his full complexity: ironic, melancholic, brilliant, contradictory, deeply human. Tutto su Woody Allen is now available in all bookshops and online stores.
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