Do people not recognize Allen's cinematic influences?
Has anyone who ever loved this film not bothered to go see the film that inspired the idea -- Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr.? Talk about a masterwork! Even more impressive to those who understand that CGI was not always present in Hollywood. The lengths to which Keaton went to to make his film in the infancy of motion pictures is absolutely stunning.
BTW -- many of Allen's films get their inspiration from classic cinema, even though the best one survive on their own without seeming derivative. How many can you recognize that have been inspired by others?