VOTD: A Retrospective Of Woody Allen Surrogates

Woody Allen famously has a habit of casting a stand-in for himelf in his comedies, and you can usually tell which one it is — while neuroses and Judaism aren't requirements, they're often indications that you're looking in the right direction. But in case there's any doubt, Film Drunk's Oliver Noble has Woody Allen surrogatism (which is not a real word, but you know what I mean) down to a science. He's put together a supercut of the director's stand-ins over the years, from John Cusack in 1994's Bullets Over Broadway to Owen Wilson in this year's delightful Midnight in Paris, and pinpointed the essential qualities that mark these characters as Woody Allen surrogates. Jesse Eisenberg*, I hope you're taking notes. Watch the compilation after the jump.

[via Film Drunk]

The video is far from comprehensive — Michael Caine (Hannah and Her Sisters) and Stanley Tucci (Deconstructing Harry) are two notable omissions — but it's still a great look at the fake Woodys from over the years. Now you, too, know the key ingredients for cultivating a Woody Allen-esque persona — though of what use that knowledge will actually be to you, I have no idea. Maybe you can use it to pick up some cinephile who really wishes his or her life were a Woody Allen movie.

* Okay, to be fair, we have no idea what role Eisenberg is actually playing in Bop Decameron – but it does seem like he'd probably be the Woody Allen stand-in, right? I mean, he's already got the stammering and the highbrow intellectualism stuff down. It's such perfect casting that I'm just surprised it took this long to happen.Discuss: Which Woody Allen surrogate is your favorite? Now that you know what goes into it, who would you like to see tackle the Woody Allen role next?