Happy People: A Life in the Taiga
Werner Herzog never hesitates to express his point of view on film, especially through the omniscient voiceovers that are the backing track of many of his recent documentaries. In Grizzly Man, he waxed poetic about the cruel and terrifying emptiness of nature’s fury. In Into The Abyss his contempt for the death penalty was on full display. And in Herzog’s new documentary, a collaboration with Russian filmmaker Dmitry Vasyukov called Happy People: A Life in the Taiga, he posits that the Russian trappers who live in an extremely remote part of Siberia are indeed happy as they face extreme hardships... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsJude Law Joins Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert Cast
Jude Law is reportedly joining the cast of Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert, according to Hollywood Reporter.... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsWerner Herzog to Direct The Killers for Webcast
Following a series of legendary bands paired with equally legendary directors for American Expressed Unstaged, The Killers have teamed up with German director Werner Herzog for a live concert webcast. Past pairings include David Lynch and Duran Duran, as well as Gary Oldman and Jack White.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsInto the Abyss
Into the Abyss, the latest work from acclaimed documentarian Werner Herzog, lives up to its weighty title. The captivating film takes us into the endless depths of the human soul as it explores life, death and everything between.... read more
Found in: Movies, Reviews2010 Person of the Year in Documentary Film: Alex Gibney
It's safe to say that Alex Gibney just turned in one of the most impressive years in the history of documentary film. After winning an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side, he shot no less than four complete documentary features... read more
Found in: FeaturesWerner Herzog reads "Where's Waldo?"
OK, so it’s clearly someone impersonating Herzog, but it’s no less Herzogian. Finding Waldo has never been so existential. There are many great lines, but my favorite is the little aside, “Wait a minute. Who is that man with the beard?….” Some of the funniest 2 minutes and 35 seconds I’ve witnessed in a while. ... read more
Found in: Blogs, Awesome of the DayFilm Friday: Werner Herzog Goes Nuts Twice (and Other Observations About Crazed Filmmakers)
A new movie called Bronson by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is traveling around the country, three screens per week. It’s about a man (true story) who’s so incorrigible that British authorities had to lock him up in a jail (or rather, a gaol) for 30-odd years. He’s the kind of chap who hauls off and belts people just for being within arms’ reach: school teachers, police officers, you name it. Bald, mustachioed, and hard-knuckled like a carnival strongman, he has no place in a civil society, even though his crimes don’t seem to warrant three decades in solitary confinement, either.... read more
Found in: Movies, Features, ColumnsThe 25 Best Documentaries of the Decade (2000-2009)
Upton Sinclair, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein may have set the standard for muckraking in the 20th century, but their heirs apparent are as likely to pick up a video camera as they are a pen when they fight the battles of the 21st... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayWerner Herzog's Bizarro Nic Cage Flick Railroaded on Theatrical Release
Although it played Toronto with some top critics championing it, Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orleans has been scheduled for a split-second theatrical run on Nov. 20 followed by a DVD release on Feb. 23.... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsWerner Herzog: Now Accepting Film-School Applications!
Werner Herzog is now accepting applications for his weekend-long film seminars. For $1450 plus a $25 application fee, students hand-picked by Herzog will attend a 48-hour long seminar with the director, which he says "will not teach anything technical related to film-making. For this purpose, please enroll at your local film school." Instead, the classes will teach filmmakers "a way of life."... read more
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