| Author | Message | ||
     John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.131.51.242 |
So, a quiet weekend and a recommendation from someone in work (!) that if I loved Cannibal Holocaust I'd also love Aguirre, Wrath of God, meant it was time for us to settle down with a Herzog/Kinski box set to watch stuff hitherto unviewed by Probert eyes (either Lord or Lady). First up was Aguirre, which we both thought was stunning, falling easily into the sub genre we've dubbed 'Up the Creek Horror', which would include Deodato's picture, Apocalypse Now, Deliverance, and Valhalla Rising. Utterly mesmerising, atmospheric, weird, occasionally sci-fi and at one point even Jamesian. Herzog made two new fans with that one picture. Then we saw 'Fitzcarraldo', which oddly enough, while being about another insane trip into / across the jungle isn't a horror film at all, but a superb lunatic epic that at two and half hours doesn't feel a minute too long and combines opera, utterly mental feats of engineering, Klaus Kinski and a tribe of Indians who were apparently willing to kill him by the end of the shoot. We found that out in the third film 'My Best Fiend' - Herzog's documentary about his life with Kinski. Anyone else a fan? We've still got Cobra Verde, Nosferatu and Woyzeck to go! | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.183.79.254 |
Oh yes! I recall going to a season of Herzog's films many years ago at the NFT. I also own that DVD set - personally I think you've watched the best films in the set, but they're all worth a watch, and Nosferatu is excellent. The documentary - Burden of Dreams - all about the making of Fitzcarraldo is worth watching if you can get hold of it. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.253.77 |
I'm a massive Herzog fan, John...I have this box set, too - and the other one. 'Cobra Verde' is fucking astonishing, and the ending is almost as good, and insane, as that of 'Aguirre...' 'Woyzeck' is a really disturbing horror film in the same way that 'Taxi Driver' and 'I Stand Alone' are horror films, but my favourite has to be 'Even Dwarfs Started Small'. The man's a genius. | ||
| Hubert (Hubert) Username: Hubert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 178.116.57.88 |
Sounds like a couple of great films. I know Kinski, of course (he has a role in For a Few Dollars More!), but have to admit I'd never heard about Aguirre, Cobra Verde or Fitzcarraldo. Weird. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.203.151 |
Another Herzog fan here! I have the same boxsets Zed mentioned. Lord P, you should definitely watch his version of Nosferatu. | ||
| Kate (Kathleen) Username: Kathleen Registered: 09-2009 Posted From: 86.131.51.242 |
AGUIRRE struck us so much that, as soon as it was over, we immediately watched it straight through again with the commentary.  And I'm sure I saw NOSFERATU when I was in high school. I know I rented Kinski's JACK THE RIPPER then. But I can't remember anything much about either one. | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
Herzog is god! | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
I must admit I found Herzog's "Nosferatu" a poor substitute for the original, so I haven't really bothered with any of his other films. Perhaps I'm missing something good? | ||
| John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.138 |
I think you are Caroline. I seem to remember seeing the first ten minutes of Herzog's Nosferatu many years ago on Channel 4 and thinking it wasn't up to much. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 99.126.164.88 |
I really only know him from NOSFERATU too, and wasn't terribly in love with that film.... But anyone who makes a film with this as its cover art, must be doing something right: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080149/  |