In any case, the interview reminds you that Allen's schtick - the smart neurotic who can dash off the name of Deep Thinkers with the ease of someone steeped in ethical particulars - is just that: schtick.
In any case, the post reminds you that Lileks' schtick- the Eddie Bauer-outfitted suburban dad channelling his impotent rage into tapping out hackneyed chunks of clogged prose in a vain attempt to validate his Blockbuster Video/Home Depot existence- is just that: schtick.
One could spend hours unpacking the silliness of Lileks' rant, but I'll just focus on this stunning blooper:
You can argue about which films were the best, but of the post-"Manhattan" period – the longest artistic coda in American culture - the ones that have the most emotional appeal are the ones that connect with the America of his childhood. “Radio Days,” “Purple Rose of Cairo” – indisputably American in tone and spirit, and both movies that profit from the absence of the director’s acting.
Figures that Lileks would submit two of Allen's most unchallenging films as his favorites. Post-Manhattan, to name but two, we have Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors. Hannah is a personal favorite, but it's clearly better than either of Lileks' mentions. Crimes is not only inarguably one of Allen's best films, it's one of the best American films of the last several decades. Some coda.
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