Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask

Director: Woody Allen

Overview

Woody Allen's in-name-only adaptation of the once notorious sexual reference guide by Dr. David Reuben contains seven episodes based on "helpful" questions answered in the book. In "Do Aphrodisiacs Work?," Allen appears as a court jester who uses a love potion to spark the erotic interests of the Queen (Lynn Redgrave). "What Is Sodomy?" stars Gene Wilder as a doctor who throws away his marriage, career, and position in the community when he falls madly in love with an Armenian sheep named Daisy. "Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching Orgasm?" is a parody of stylish Italian films of the '60s in which a slick playboy (Woody Allen) discovers his wife (Louise Lasser) can climax only when they make love in public places. In "Are Transvestites Homosexuals?," Sam (Lou Jacobi) has his little secret revealed at a most inopportune moment. "What Are Sex Researchers Actually Accomplishing?" features John Carradine in a great parody of his mad-scientist roles as Dr. Bernardo, whose research into human sexuality has led to a fearsome mutation -- a 50-foot tall female breast! "What Are Sexual Perversions?" takes us to a broadcast of the popular game show What's My Perversion?, in which Jack Barry leads a panel of celebrities (including Regis Philbin and Robert Q. Lewis) in guessing the erotic obsessions of their guests. And "What Happens During Ejaculation?" takes the audience inside the body of a man in the throes of passion; The Brain (Tony Randall) guides the body's functions, with the help of his assistant (Burt Reynolds), while Allen plays a nervous sperm cell not sure if he can make the big jump. While the quality of the episodes is uneven, the best rank with the funniest moments of Allen's career, especially Gene Wilder's touching romance with the sheep ("I think we can make this work, Daisy") and the final sequence inside the male body ("What if he's only masturbating? I'll end up on the ceiling somewhere!").

Product Details

Release Date:	09/20/2022
UPC:	0850035985441
Original Release:	1972
Rating:	R
Source:	Sandpiper Pictures

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Woody Allen	Cowardly Sperm,Fabrizio,Fool,Victor
John Carradine	Dr. Bernardo
Anthony Quayle	The King
Lynn Redgrave	Queen
Lou Jacobi	Sam
Gene Wilder	Dr. Ross
Tony Randall	The Operator
Louise Lasser	Gina
Burt Reynolds	Switchboard
Titos Vandis	Milos
Marcy Goldman	Actor
Inge Neilsen	Royal Executioner
Erin Fleming	The Gorgeous Girl
Oscar Beregi	Brain Controller
Geoffrey Holder	The Sorceror
Jack Barry	Himself
Elaine Giftos	Mrs. Ross
Toni Holt	Herself
Robert Q. Lewis	Himself
Heather MacRae	Helen
Sidney Miller	George
Pamela Mason	Herself
Regis Philbin	Himself
Stanley Adams	Stomach Operator
Alan Caillou	The Fool's Father
Dort Clark	Sheriff
Jay Robinson	The Priest
Ref Sanchez	Igor
Baruch Lumet	Rabbi Baumel
Tom Mack	Football Player
Robert Walden	Sperm
H.E. West	Bernard Jaffe
Don Chuy	Football Player

Technical Credits

Woody Allen

Woody Allen	Director,Screenwriter
Eric Albertson	Editor
Jack Brodsky	Producer
Terry Carr	Asst. Director
Fred T. Gallo	Asst. Director
Jack Grossberg	Associate Producer
James T. Heckert	Editor
Dale Hennesy	Production Designer
Jack Rollins	Producer
Charles H. Joffe	Producer
Mundell Lowe	Score Composer
Marvin March	Set Decoration/Design
John Strauss	Sound Editor
David M. Walsh	Cinematographer

Editorial Reviews

Gene Wilder gives one of his very best performances as the doctor who, quite unexpectedly, falls madly in love with a sheep. Comedy in Allen's films usually grows out of neuroses, not out of situation. This segment of the film displays both Wilder's range as an actor and Allen's range as a writer. The concluding segment, with Allen as a sperm, may be his purest declaration of comedic subject matter. For him, life is full of neuroses even before it begins. The best segments, like Allen's most accomplished pieces of short fiction, are perfect comedic gems that present not only a funny situation, but manage to find the humanity in them. Some of the premises are not developed beyond their initial setup. The sexual perversion variation of What's My Line? is a humorous concept, but not much else. The segment that parodies Antonioni works as an homage to the source, but doesn't really complement the subject matter in any meaningful way. Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask is certainly uneven, but since the film is nothing more than a series of blackout sketches, this is not too harmful. The good stuff ends perfectly, while the less than stellar material ends quickly enough that one never tires of the film.

All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert