This movie is amazingly uneven--with some of the absolute funniest and stupidest (this isn't meant as a complement) segments all in the same film. The film is broken into various episodes--funny, just okay and rotten.
The funniest segment, by far, stars Lou Jacobi as a middle-aged cross-dresser! His wife doesn't suspect, but when she's not around he simply can't stop himself from wearing her clothes! Well, they go out to dinner at the home of their adult child's in-laws. Lou excuses himself--saying he must use the bathroom. EXCEPT, he sneaks off to try the lady of the house's clothes! Through a series of bizarre coincidences, he falls out a window and then has his purse stolen! The neighbors and police come quickly to his assistance--during which time he struggles hard to convince them he is a lady!! It is absolutely hilarious and one of the funniest moments I have ever seen on film. While not quite as funny, the take off on the Fellini film with Louise Lasser is good for a few big laughs.
There were some segments that weren't particularly funny or bad, such as Gene Wilder playing a guy who is having an affair with a sheep. It's sick and mildly funny at first, but loses steam FAST. The game show isn't terribly great. The Court Jester sequence also isn't all that funny, but isn't exactly bad. The same that can be said about the sequence that shows the inside of a man who is having sex (complete with Woody as one of the sperm). It's funny but not tremendously so.
The one sequence that stands out in my mind as being just plain stupid is the mad scientist skit starring John Carradine. It's so juvenile and unfunny--with a giant scientifically created booby chasing Woody and his girl. It's crude but just not funny to anyone except 12 year-olds.
So, in summation, the film is wildly uneven. It's worth seeing for a few sequences but keep your hand on the remote to skip past the many slow parts as well.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask
1972
Action / Comedy
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask
1972
Action / Comedy
Plot summary
Seven segments related to one another only in that they all purport to be based on sections of the book by David Reuben. The segments range from "Do Aphrodisiacs Work?" in which a court jester gives an aphrodisiac to the Queen and is, in the end, beheaded to "What Happens During Ejaculation?" in which we watch "control central" during a successful seduction.
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the most wildly uneven of Allen's early films
An uneven film that hits more than it misses
Most of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask works very well and most of it is hilarious. It's not a visually sumptuous film, but it is still assuredly made especially Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm? with visuals reminiscent of Michelangelo Antonioni and it's very inventive in the What Happens During Ejaculation? The music is slinky and nostalgic, and the dialogue has Woody Allen's writing style all over it, the Do Aphrodisiacs Work?, Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate? and What Happens During Ejaculation? being the most quotable segments. It's all strongly directed by Allen that is in keep with the very silly and sometimes rude feel without losing control of it, and the performances are fine with Allen giving the most memorable performance, Tony Randall does great playing it straight, Lynn Redgrave allures and gives the dialogue a Shakespearean quality and John Carradine is just delicious. As said, most of the segments work apart from two, Are Transvestites Homosexuals? is completely unmemorable dialogue and gags-wise and the ending may leave a bad taste in the mouth and What Are Sex Perverts? has a clever idea that completely runs out of steam quickly and is very tasteless. Do Aphrodisiacs Work? is too long, drags a bit and a touch forced at times but is very quotable, Allen is endearing even with his character's intentionally awful jokes and Lynn Redgrave is great. Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate? is conceptually outrageous (and understandably will be too much for some),does start off a tad slow and the giant boob looks poor, but again once the boob has a mind of its own and goes on the loose it is outrageously funny and you cannot go wrong with Carradine as a mad scientist. Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm? does fall apart a little at the end but is very neatly done with very funny dialogue, the part with the electric dildo is most inspired, and the Antonioni-like visuals and the Fellini-esque atmosphere makes it a likable segment overall. Allen and Louise Lasser work very well together as well. What Is Sodomy? is strange but is hilarious from the get go and has a terrific performance from Gene Wilder, one of his funniest performances. The sheep's adorable as well. The highlight segment is What Happens During Ejaculation?, it's the most quotable and most consistently funny of the seven and with its surreal quality is visually the most imaginative as well. In conclusion, uneven but of the seven segments only two are misses, the others are either ones with shortcomings but have enough to make them work or strong hits. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox
varying degrees of comedy
This is seven segments of weird stories about sex. They are basically extended skits and with varying degrees of success.
1.Do Aphrodisiacs Work? Woody Allen is a court jester and Lynn Redgrave is the Queen with a chastity belt. I like this one for Woody and Lynn. They have some fun together.
2.What Is Sodomy? Gene Wilder and a sheep is a one joke skit. It runs out of steam and don't go anywhere truly surprising.
3.Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm? The Italian is funny for about 5 seconds. Then it becomes style over substance. Other than a malfunctioning dildo, I don't think any of it is particularly funny.
4.Are Transvestites Homosexuals? Sam Musgrave (Lou Jacobi) is a middle-aged married man trying out women's clothes. It's dated and it's also missing Woody. I can only imagine Woody trying to hide his cross dressing.
5.What Are Sex Perverts? It's a black and white parody of the TV game show What's My Line? It's a bit weird as if in a surreal alternate universe.
6.Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate? Researcher Victor (Woody Allen) and reporter Helen Lacey (Heather MacRae) are going to Dr. Bernardo (John Carradine),a former colleague of Masters and Johnson. He's got an assistant named Igor. It's classic Woody dealing with a madman. Carradine is hilarious as a Frankenstein-like character.
7.What Happens During Ejaculation? This takes a look at a man's body like a NASA operation with many characters controlling him. This is the best segment and has the iconic sperm-Woody. This is by far the funniest. Woody left the best for last.