Re Woody Allen, though I would not disagree with anything that lh has said, the reason I don't like Allen is that, to me he is boring. Don't get me wrong. When I was young, I enjoyed his stuff. He had a fresh point of view. But it has gotten to the point where I can look at any given situation and imagine how he would react. The formula has been revealed. The code has been cracked. We know what the 11 different herbs and spices are and we know how to mix them ourselves. This happens with all comedians. That's why some of the best from not too long ago are on talk shows or hosting game shows or reading other peoples' lines in movies. It makes new material by a comedian very predictable and boring. I feel exactly that way about Seinfeld.

Their schtick is played out. They are now only funny to people who have not seen them before (a small minority who are very young) or people who laugh out of habit. (a small minority who like the "idea" of Woody Allen the character or Jerry Seinfeld the character.)

The difference is, and I respect him for this, that Seinfeld knew when his time had come and had the grace to bow out before becoming a mediocre caricature of his more successful past.