Advertisement

Wolf Files: Celebrity Phobias

(Page 8 of 9)

8. Woody Allen: Anhedonia

Woody Allen turned his neurosis into a career. "I've been killing spiders since I was 30,'' he boasts to Diane Keaton in Annie Hall.

In addition to various insects, Allen also claims to have morbid fears of sunshine, dogs, children, heights, small rooms, crowds, cancer and various illnesses, and any place on earth outside Manhattan.

Is he really such an emotional wreck? Or is it just well-worn schtick that pays for the therapy bills? It's hard to say.

There might be a clue in the original title of Annie Hall. Allen wanted to call it Anhedonia — the inability to feel pleasure.

United Artists couldn't come up with an advertising campaign explaining the meaning of the word. Allen compromised on naming the film after Keaton's character three weeks before the premiere. [Next: Billy Bob Thornton]

Marketplace