4. Bananas (1971)
Co-writing the script with Mickey Rose for a second time, Woody Allen directs and stars in his 1971 comic treasure, 'Bananas'. Fielding Mellish (Allen) is a neurotic, fumbling New Yorker with the opposite sex constantly on his mind. After finding himself dumped by his activist girlfriend Nancy (Louise Lasser), he is inspired into going to a small Latin American country named 'Banana Republic of San Marcos' in an attempt to support the recent uprising and prove his rebellious nature. Arriving in the country, he narrowly evades death and is left with no other choice but to join the revolution. Fielding starts to learn about the radical ideas of the revolutionists and their way of life as he lives amongst the group. After a successful overthrow of the government, the rebellion leader is appointed president, only to let the power rush to his head and morph him into another single minded dictator. Eventually, Fielding becomes the new president, but is arrested on his return to the US, although he evades jail time on the condition that he doesn't move into the judges neighbourhood. The scene with Fielding trying to purchase a pornographic magazine is fantastic, nervously flicking through other reading material as he plots his sudden grab for the x-rated item. Other notable bits from 'Bananas' sees a young Sylvester Stallone playing a hoodlum on the New York subway and Fielding getting his hand stuck in the blindfold of an execution victim just before the firing squad take aim. 'Bananas' is an accelerated romp of comedic brilliance.