Werner Herzog

[piginawig]

Perhaps the film industries greatest comedian? Discuss.

[BlodwynPig]

Close to the edge.

[danyulx]

I think so yeah. Along with being one of the greatest filmmakers who's ever lived ever course.. 'Stroszek' in particular is one of the very few films I deem unsurpassable.

His audio commentaries are LOL comedy gold. Intentionally or not, I'm not sure. The one on 'Heart of Glass' is my favourite, he comes out with some right head-scratching blinders on that one.

Whether he's aware he's being funny or not, I have no idea. He spends a good deal of the book 'Herzog on Herzog' (possibly my favourite book ever written on the art of filmmaking) claiming he has no understanding whatsoever of the notion of "irony".

[BlodwynPig]

What do you think of his team up with Lynch?

[danyulx]

'My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done'? I thought it was really good myself. Hardly a touch on his vintage feature-films or anything.. but, like I say, really good.

Werner Herzog. David Lynch. Udo Kier. Brad Douriff. It'd be hard fucking those ingredients up.

[BlodwynPig]

Yeh, loved the film - a low grain mixture of all the right ingredients.

[piginawig]

Have any of you seen his new one? I can't recall the name, but it's about death row. I have a great desire to view it.

[danyulx]

'Into the Abyss' - about as Herzog a title as it gets. I haven't yet, looking forward to it though.

There's going to be a "five-part spin-off series" broadcast later this year too. I'm not messing either.

[gmoney]

He was brilliant in that episode of The Boondocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4f9HNknKTU

[garbed_attic]

It is hard not to find oneself in awe. Wise enough to send himself up, but also wise enough to remain profound while doing so. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser is my personal favourite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4llQdc2mIxw

When Pachelbel's Canon ever needed redemption, Herzog came to its aid.

[danyulx]

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser is my personal favourite.

That'd have to be my second favourite Herzog film. It's one of the first films I saw - when I was about thirteen or something - that made me realise what film is actually capable of, as an artform. Thus it has a very special place in my heart.

I recently got my hands on a very rare 2003 documentary about Bruno S. entitled 'Bruno S. - Die Fremde ist der Tod'. I've been after it for years. Unfortunately it's in German with no English subtitles though, and my German is borderline useless. And from what I've read Bruno S. spoke his own very specialist dialect of, that most Germans can barely even understand. I'm still going to watch it though, soon.

I've heard he doesn't take too kindly to Herzog in it, in reminiscing.

INTERESTING BIT OF HERZOG / BRUNO S. TRIVIA: After 'The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser', Bruno was originally cast to play the lead role in 'Woyzeck'. Not long into pre-production Herzog realised he'd made a dreadful mistake, that Bruno was wrong for the role and that Klaus Kinski must play the role instead. Being told this upset Bruno very much, which in turn upset Herzog even more.. So much so that instead of making 'Woyzeck', he put it on ice a few years, and went away and wrote the script for 'Stroszek' in about four days, and made that with the money instead.

[Utter Shit]

Grizzly Man is great. He sounds like a Die Hard baddie.

[BlodwynPig]

[Jack Burton]

Funny you posted the image from Fitzcarraldo, as in a similar theme to danyulx's post I saw this film when I was very young (like 9 or something) and the imagery of the boat against the jungle has remained with me since.

I'm not an expert on his work but I watched 'Little Dieter Needs to Fly' recently having seen Rescue Dawn when it came out.  I imagine it's a time-restriction thing but I found it amusing when Werner's voice-over tended to interrupt an already-enthusiastic Dieter Dengler mid-flow when he became particularly spirited about lashing some reeds together or something.

[Sam]

The old Werner Herzog thread

http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=15942

Lots of discussion and recommendations here. Apologies if any of my old posts on the matter are OTT.

Conclusions:

Herzog one of the greatest directors ever.
One of the most interesting people alive.
The ending of Heart of Glass is one of the most glorious things ever created.
Buy the budget box sets.

[chocky909]

SAM! Good to see you!

Nothing else to add here...

[BlodwynPig]

I have the boxed set. Watched Stroszek the other night. "Wonderful, compelling, a triumph!"

Heart of Glass next.

I ended up ordering a Stroszek beer last night as well, the barmaid looked confused...I said "you know, the Czech one", it was Kozel...

[spock rogers]

Apologies if any of my old posts on the matter are OTT.

Nah, it's really nice to see someone talking passionately about stuff they love.

I've only seen a few Herzog films so far; all the ones from the Kinski box set apart from Cobra Verde, My Son My Son What Have Ye Done, Bad Lieutenant, and Cave of Forgotten Dreams. I really liked them. Even My Son..., which I didn't think was as good as the other stuff, has got something about it that will keep me coming back to it.

Aguirre's probably my favourite so far though, but I'm looking forward to working my way through as many of the rest of his films as I can.

Also, there's this coming up in March:
http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/News/Item/Werner_Herzog_Satellite_Q_A/

[Calistan]

My plan for today was to watch Fitzcarraldo. However, I need to know which version I should watch - the original (Spanish?) with subtitles, or what I perceive to be the dubbed English version?

Might just watch Stroszek instead.

[NoSleep]

Curiously, he provided the voice for the character of Ishnifus Meaddle, the High Holy Priest to the Church of the Black Klok, in the most recent series of Metalocalypse.

[Calistan]

Hmm IMDB has this to say: "Was shot in English, since many of the actors on the set couldn't speak German." So maybe it wasn't dubbed at all. Will download English subtitles anyway since the text at the start isn't translated.

[Ignatius_S]

Hmm IMDB has this to say: "Was shot in English, since many of the actors on the set couldn't speak German." So maybe it wasn't dubbed at all. Will download English subtitles anyway since the text at the start isn't translated.

English was the most common language between the actors (incidentally, this wasn't the first time Herzog shot in English and dubbed into German – most of Aguirre: The Wrath Of God was also shot in English). Herzog personally prefers the dubbed German version and IIRC, there is a very slight difference in the English version and the English subtitles - the latter is closer to what Herzog intended for the dialogue.

To be honest, I wouldn't worry about it too much – you (if you have any soul) will enjoy either... and I suspect will want to watch it again.

[Rolf Lundgren]

Still trying to get my head around Herzog being in the new Jack Reacher film. Actually I'm still trying to get my head around Herzog directing big Hollywood films with big Hollywood people like Christian Bale and Nicolas Cage.

[astrozombie]

I've only seen Grizzly Man, Aguirre: The Wrath Of God, Even Dwarfs Started Small, My Best Fiend and Bad Lieutenant by Herzog. All of which have been EXTREMELY excellent.

The last one I saw being BL - must say I was confused as to why they didn't just call it "Port of Call: New Orleans" or something else instead as it's nothing at all like the "original" (which is also a fucking masterpiece and one of my favourites by Abel Ferrara).

BL was just great though in my opinion a great black comedy.

I actually own the two Herzog boxsets in my collection one is just labelled Herzog (w/ Even Dwarfs, Stroszek, Kasper Hauser, Heart of Glass & Fata Morgana) and then a box labelled Herzog/Kinski (w/ Nosferatu, My Best Fiend, Aquirre, Fitzcarraldo, Woyzek and Cobra  Verde) - I think an extravagant marathon is due soon.