Yes, he’s a bit creepy but geniuses often are.

Happy Birthday to Woody Allen, 79 yesterday. And he really is a genius. I’m a huge fan of almost everything he’s done from his 1960s stand-up to most of his films. I love his dialogue, his characters and, in particular, his shrewd use of music. This track, which accompanied the opening titles of Manhattan, is the most celebrated example. Perfect but anachronistic. New York in 1979 was all about Blondie, The Ramones, disco and funk. But Woody Allen’s Manhattan has been described as more a Manhattan of the mind that has never borne much resemblance to reality. No black people, no Hispanics, nobody unfamiliar with Kierkegaard, and nobody having an affair with their stepdaughter.