Main Cast: Woody Allen, Woody Allen, Woody Allen, Woody Allen, John Carradine, Anthony Quayle, Lynn Redgrave, Lou Jacobi, Gene Wilder, Tony Randall
Release Year: 1972
Country: US
Run Time: 87 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
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!"). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
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. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Jack Grossberg - Associate Producer, Terry Carr - First Assistant Director, Fred T. Gallo - First Assistant Director, Woody Allen - Director, Eric Albertson - Editor, James T. Heckert - Editor, Mundell Lowe - Composer (Music Score), Dale Hennesy - Production Designer, David M. Walsh - Cinematographer, Jack Brodsky - Producer, Charles H. Joffe - Producer, Jack Rollins - Producer, Marvin March - Set Designer, Woody Allen - Screenwriter
