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Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, John Malkovich, Kathy Bates, Madonna ... see more see more... , Lily Tomlin , Donald Pleasence , Jodie Foster , John Cusack , Kate Nelligan , Fred Gwynne , Julie Kavner , Kenneth Mars , David Ogden Stiers , Philip Bosco , Josef Sommer , Kurtwood Smith , Robert Joy , Wallace Shawn , Eszter Balint , Peter Appel , Victor Argo , Andrew Mark Berman , Thomas Bolster , Charles Cragin , Katy Dierlam , Tom Riis Farrell , Michael Kirby , Anne Lange , Tim Loomis , William H. Macy , Peter McRobbie , Rebecca McRobbie , Fred Melamed , Remak Ramsay , James Rebhorn , John C. Reilly , Richard Riehle , Max Robinson , Camille Saviola , Robert Silver , Brian Smiar , Greg Stebner , David Strathairn , Michael P. Troy , Ron Turek , Dennis Vestunis , Daniel von Bargen , Ron Weyand , Ira Wheeler , Juliet Taylor , Paul Anthony Stewart

Woody Allen's black-and-white curiosity piece is a mixture of influences -- from German silent film expressionism to Franz Kafka's nightmare worlds to the contemporary fables of Wim Wenders. Woody All... read more read more...en plays the nebbish clerk Kleinman (in a throwback to his characters from Sleeper and Love and Death), who is awakened in the middle of the night by a vigilante group who want him to help capture a serial killer on the loose. Kleinman reluctantly agrees, but when he gets to the street, the vigilantes are gone and Kleinmen spends most of the film wandering the shadowy back alleys in search of the citizen's brigade. Meanwhile, a circus is in town. When sword-swallower Irmy (Mia Farrow) catches her creepy clown husband (John Malkovich) getting familiar with trapeze artist Marie (Madonna), she packs her bags and heads for town, where she meets up with Kleinman. This meeting sets up a number of plot lines that has Irmy befriending a trio of prostitutes (Jodie Foster, Lily Tomlin and Kathy Bates) at the local brothel and accepting $700 from a university student (John Cusack) who wants to sleep with her. She finally meets up with her husband, and they then find an abandoned baby which they decide to raise as their own. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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57% liked it

6,874 ratings

Critics

55% liked it

22 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Woody Allen

Release Date: March 20, 1992

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DVD Release Date: June 5, 2001

Stats: 288 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (288)

  • flixsterman
    February 26, 2012
    flixsterman
    Yet another Woody Allen vehicle centered around his trademark Semitic neurosis ...and yet again I smile and laugh and applaud. What is wrong with me??
  • JonathanHutchings
    February 25, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    Shadows and Fog, Woody's love letter to German Expressionism, boasts some cleverly detailed mise-en-scenes and 20s inspired shot scales, but it's little more than a replication.
  • RCCLBC
    April 1, 2009
    RCCLBC
    I'm not a HUGE fan of Woddy Allen's work, my general problem is primarily his presence on screen.

    While I can appreciate his work as a director / writer, I feel that as an actor he is a one trick pony. And unfortunately that "pony" is a sad, annoying and pathetic putz. Which... read more can be good for a chuckle once in awhile and in the right context, but when it's all that you do...it ceases to ammuse.

    While he is slightly less annoying (then usual) here, I feel that his presence really detracts from the film.

    Aside from that...the film is beautifully shot and wonderfully cast. The music is amamzing and perfectly suited to compliment the look and feel that Allen was going for.

    I would have to say that while I haven't seen ALL of his films, of the handfull that I have seen...this is probably one of my top three "Woody Allen Films".
  • jennifxu
    December 1, 2008
    jennifxu
    This movie is kind of boring. And all that fog doesn't help. Sorry, Woody.
  • aliceinpunderland
    July 22, 2008
    aliceinpunderland
    About as scintillating as Scoop.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    October 16, 2007
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Funny homage to german expressionism from Allen.
  • Dannyrovira
    March 17, 2011
    Dannyrovira
    A truly usual and offbeat film by Woody Allen that is very original and extremely entertaining. About a homicidal strangler on a killing spree, that has terrorizes a fog shrouded unnamed city, and a nebbish little man named Klienman, played to perfection by Woody Allen who agrees... read more to help his neighbors who have formed a vigiliante group, to capture the roaming madman that only strikes at night. Astute direction by Woody Allen in what must surely be one of his must underrated films, which can best be described as a Kafkaesque -like nightmare with a mixture of dark humor, lt has magnificent black & white cinematography by Carlo Di Palma and a terrific production design by Santo Loquasto, the film is also blessed with a tremendous all-star cast in wonderfully acted roles which includes Mia Farrow, John Malkovitch, Kathy Bates, Madonna, Lily Tomlin, Donald Pleasence, Jodie Foster, John Cusack, Kate Nelligan, Fred Gwynne, julie Kavner, William H. Macy, John C. Reily, Victor Argo, David Ogden Stiers, David Strathairn, and Josef Sommer. A brilliant and vastly overlooked film that is a affectionate homage to the great film noir movies of the 1940s. Highly Recommendation.
  • thirdway821
    February 10, 2012
    thirdway821
    This is not one of Woody Allen's best film. I was distracted by the story and of Allen who plays a nervous clerk sent out by his vigilante friends to keep a look out for a serial killer. Then the story involves a couple who works at a circus, they break apart because the husband ... read moreis caught of adultury, so the wife (Mia Farrow) runs away and meets a prostitute (Lily Tomlin) who offers her to stay for the night but is offered $700 by a clientele (John Cusack). Then the Farrow character gets busted by the cops and is ordered to pay a fine and finally meets Allen's character to find the lurking serial killer.

    The slapstick humour was so plain and wasteful I wasn't really laughing because I thought to myself and said "Haven't I've seen this suff before?" Towards the end of the film I didn't care if Allen and his cast found the killer or not because the movie already dived and bombed. There is an excellent all star cast and a tremendous black and white look reminiscent to the films of German Expressionism and film noir, but imo it is better to rent or watch those films on DVD/TCM. If one is going to pay homage, might as well make it compelling and moving like "The Artist". "Shadows And Fog" is not a success.
  • StefanoEarnest
    December 15, 2011
    StefanoEarnest
    I can see why "Shadows and Fog" was met with such mixed reaction. There's not much of a plot and the final twenty or so minutes are completely preposterous. But that's not saying that I didn't find it interesting. The black-and-white cinematography is marvelous, the numerous cel... read moreebrity cameos are a treat, and Woody Allen's comedic performance is splendidly funny. Plus, there are several moments of truth, with topics ranging from religion to existentialism to family values. "Shadows and Fog" is not necessarily a "good" film, but it's very enjoyable.
  • Dracula787
    August 15, 2009
    Dracula787
    Woody Allen does tend to have a handful of stock formulas ready to go, this movie is a textbook example of the ?place the nebbish character in X old movie genre or other esoteric trope? formula. The genre Allen finds himself in the middle of here is German expressionism and ther... read moree are also clear references to the work of Franz Kafka. Not a lot to report on, except that the cast is particularly well stacked with celebrities even by Woody Allen standards. Also I?d say the visual style here is a bit more ambitious than usual for Allen, the guy really can display a good control of Mise-en-scène when he chooses to. Some nice lines, but overall its middling and for Allen aficionados only.

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Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
August 24, 2010
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

An artistic and commercial misstep, this b/w tribute to German Expressionism wastes the talents of Jodie Foster, Lily Tomlin, Kathy Bates, and many others. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
July 25, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Has few laughs. Full Review

Cole Smithey
December 19, 2005
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Beautiful vintage Woody.

Eric Lurio
December 21, 2004
Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette

When woody was goody.

David Nusair
February 16, 2003
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...never really amounts to much, though it does look great... Full Review

Ken Hanke
November 25, 2002
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Bizarre, underrated Allen film.

Alex Sandell
November 13, 2002
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

Leaves you hanging at the end, but it's fun putting your head in the noose.

February 23, 2012
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
September 7, 2011
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

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