German Directors - Werner Herzog

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German Directors - Werner Herzog

The Werner Herzog Collection Even Dwarfs Started Small/The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser/Lessons of Darkness Fata Morgana/Heart of Glass/Stroszek/Little Dieter Needs to Fly Werner Herzog Seven films spanning three decades in the career of enigmatic filmmaker Werner Herzog are collected for the first time in this impressive boxed set. Includes the audacious Even Dwarfs Started Small (1969, 96 mins.), cast entirely with dwarfs and midgets, about a bleak institution taken over by its inmates; The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974, 100 mins.), the story of a man of unknown origins kept in solitary confinement all his life who suddenly appeared in the city of Nuremberg in 1828; Lessons of Darkness (1992, 54 mins.), an apocalyptic documentary shot shortly after the Gulf War, capturing the terrible, disturbingly beautiful devastation in Kuwait; Fata Morgana (1971, 76 mins.), a non-linear film using Sahara Desert footage in an avant-garde retelling of the story of creation; Heart of Glass (1976, 94 mins.), a hypnotic film (literally, as the cast reportedly worked under hypnosis) about the desperate attempts of a small village to learn the formula for making special glass; Stroszek (1977, 108 mins.), the story of a Berlin street musician, a prostitute, and an aging eccentric who emigrate to Wisconsin, hoping for great opportunity but finding only despair; and Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997, 80 mins.), the unforgettable, mostly true story of pilot Dieter Dengler, who was shot down over Laos in 1966 and made a prisoner of war, which sees Dengler and Herzog revisiting the locations of the pilot's horrors. Germany, 1969-97, 618 mins. DVD $119.95

Herzog/Kinski Box Set Werner Herzog The five feature film collaborations between director Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski represent some of the most unique works of modern German cinema. This collector's boxed set includes all five of those features, plus Herzog's compelling documentary, My Best Fiend (1999, 100 mins.), about his relationship with the volatile leading man. The features are the incredible Amazon epic, Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972, 94 mins.); the harrowing drama Woyzeck (1978, 82 mins.); the intense and fascinating Cobra Verde (1988, 111 mins.); the German language version of the popular horror homage Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979, 107 mins.); and that grand saga of obsession, Fitzcarraldo (1982, 157 mins.). This is a six-disc set, with all films in original aspect ratios and in original German with English subtitles; Herzog commentary on Aguirre, Cobra Verde, Nosferatu, and Fitzcarraldo; theatrical trailers; behind-the-scenes segment on Nosferatu; other special features. West Germany/Germany, 1972-1988. DVD $119.95

Aguirre: The Wrath of God Werner Herzog "One of the great, mad, passionate, foolhardy masterpieces - as reckless and as brilliant as Greed or Apocalypse Now" (Roger Ebert). Shot on location in the Amazon, Klaus Kinski is Aguirre, searching for El Dorado - the mythical City of Gold. "...a cumulative power and genuinely hypnotic force that is hard to deny" (Derek Malcolm, The Guardian). German with English subtitles. The DVD includes audio commentary by Werner Herzog, theatrical trailers, German and English soundtrack options. West Germany, 1972, 94 mins. DVD $44.95

Cobra Verde Werner Herzog This was the last of the legendary, combative collaborations between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. Based on Bruce Chatwin's novel The Viceroy of Ouidah, the film stars Kinski as a farmer-turned-bandit in 19th-century Brazil who is exiled to West Africa to revive the slave trade. Herzog once again focuses on an outcast overwhelmed by a foreign environment, with grand visualizations of an untamed world. Kinski is, of course, Kinski - intense to the point of mania and a fascinating, furious center for the picture. In German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1988, 111 mins. DVD $44.95

Even Dwarfs Started Small Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's disturbing, uncompromising parable of repression and rebellion continues to startle viewers with its sheer audacity decades after it first sent shock waves through the international film community. Cast entirely with dwarfs and midgets, the film tells the story of a bleak and savage institution taken over by its inmates. The angry, violent population of this harsh world sets out to destroy the oversized objects - natural and man-made - that define their existence. Troubling, yet at times humorous, this is a wholly original vision of the bizarre. In German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1969, 96 mins. DVD $44.95

Fitzcarraldo Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's grand saga of an impresario's obsession to bring his own opera boat up the Amazon River and over a mountain into Peru where he will have Caruso sing. Klaus Kinski and Claudia Cardinale star in this legendary production made against nearly impossible odds that were well documented in Les Blank's Burden of Dreams. One of Herzog's most ambitious and impressive works. The DVD comes with audio commentary and Dolby Surround 5.1. English language. West Germany, 1982, 157 mins. DVD $54.95

Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's documentary tells the dark story of Carlo Gesualdo, the 16th century composer and Prince of Venosa. Filmed on location in Italy, the film explores Gesualdo's musical legacy as well as the sexual decadence, obsession and murder that marked his tormented life. Includes insights from Gerald Pace, director of The Gesualdo Consort; Alan Curtis, music director of the singing ensemble Il Complesso Barocco; Professor Ludica of the Archaeological Museum in Venosa, and more. Made for German television; with Dolby Digital Stereo. Germany, 1995, 60 mins. DVD $44.95

The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner / How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck? / La Soufriere Werner Herzog Three unusual and wholly enthralling documentary works from Werner Herzog's early career. The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner (1975, 45 mins.) explores the ski-jumping exploits of a Swiss woodcarver determined to confront his fear of "flying" head-on. "Beautiful, moving and exhilirating" (Vincent Canby, The New York Times). Herzog travels to Pennsylvania in How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck? (1976, 45 mins.), his fascinating documentary on the world championships for cattle auctioneers. Enthralled with the beauty and insanity of the rapid-fire incantations, Herzog uses a nearby Amish community to compare and contrast ways of living. Finally, La Soufriere (1977, 30 mins) is Herzog's astounding flirtation with death--a film shot in Guadeloupe in the moments before a volcano is set to erupt. "Provocative, contemplative and very beautiful" (Janet Maslin, The New York Times). In English and German with English subtitles. Germany 1975-1977 120 mins. DVD $44.95

Grizzly Man Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's compelling documentary focuses on the figure of Timothy Treadwell, an outdoorsman, author, and self-styled defender of Alaskan grizzly bears. In Treadwell, Herzog finds a powerful manifestation of many of the themes he's explored throughout his career--self-destructive behavior, the harshness of the natural world, and mankind's obsession with the unknowable. Using Treadwell's own video footage, interviews, and narration, Herzog sculpts a beautiful, complex portrait of an elusive figure. USA, 2005, 100 mins. DVD $44.95

Heart of Glass Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's brilliant, sensual, hypnotic film (literally, as the cast reportedly worked under hypnosis) about the desperate attempts of the people in a small village to learn the formula for making special glass, supplied by a wandering herdsman with extraordinary powers. Made with stunning imagery (cinematography by Jorg Schmidt-Reitwin) that achieves a mystical, surreal power. With Josef Bierbichler, Stefan Guttler, Clemens Scheitz, and Sepp Muller. Music by Popol Vuh. The DVD is letterboxed, and includes audio commentary by Werner Herzog and Norman Hill, production notes, theatrical trailer, and Herzog bio. German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1976, 94 mins. DVD $44.95

Invincible Werner Herzog Invincible marked Werner Herzog's return to dramatic filmmaking after a ten year absence. Herzog cast Jouko Ahola, the winner of a World's Strongest Man Competition, in the true story of a Jewish strongman who rises to stardom in Berlin at the onset of the Third Reich and becomes a champion of the Jewish cause. Tim Roth delivers an electric performance as the sinister, anti-Semitic nightclub owner/hypnotist who employs the strongman, not knowing that he's a Jew. Germany/Great Britain, 2001, 131 mins. DVD $44.95

Land of Silence and Darkness Werner Herzog Among the most beautiful and profoundly moving of Werner Herzog's many films, this documentary explores the inner world of Fini Strabinger, an elderly Bavarian woman who went deaf and blind in her early teens. Herzog uses a quiet, languid style to chronicle seemingly quotidian experiences--a trip to the zoo, passage on an airplane--that become profound and humbling when experienced with the resilient Strabinger. "One of Herzog's most extraordinary films" (Richard Eder, The New York Times Magazine). In German with English subtitles. Germany 1971 90 mins. DVD $44.95

Lessons of Darkness/Fata Morgana Werner Herzog Two compelling and lesser-known films by Werner Herzog. Lessons of Darkness (France/Germany/Great Britain, 1992, 54 mins.) is a documentary shot shortly after the Gulf War, capturing the terrible, disturbingly beautiful devastation in Kuwait. Set to the music of Mahler, Wagner and Verdi, this real-life, apocalyptic vision was named one of the best films of the decade by J. Hoberman of the Village Voice. Fata Morgana (West Germany, 1971, 76 mins.) is a non-linear film using Sahara Desert footage in an avant-garde retelling of the story of creation. "...for me, it's Herzog's most interesting film" (Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader). Letterboxed (Lessons of Darkness), with optional English soundtrack on Fata Morgana, and includes audio commentary on Fata Morgana by Herzog, Norman Hill and Crispin Glover; production notes; Herzog bio. In German with English subtitles. Germany/France/Great Britain, 1992/1971, 130 mins. DVD $44.95

Little Dieter Needs to Fly Werner Herzog An unusual portrait of an unusual man, Werner Herzog's Little Dieter Needs to Fly shares the unforgettable, mostly true story of pilot Dieter Dengler, a German who came to America at age 18 and joined the navy. Flying a mission over Laos in 1966, he was shot down and made a prisoner of war. Revisiting some of the locations where Dengler experienced the horrors of war, Herzog recreated some of the events and reportedly suggested imagery that his clearly traumatized subject would then make a part of his story. "Herzog sees his mission as a filmmaker not to turn himself into a recording machine, but to be a collaborator. He does not simply stand and watch, but arranges and adjusts and subtly enhances, so that the film takes the materials of Dengler's adventure and fashions it into a new thing" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). Letterboxed; includes production info and Herzog bio. Germany/Great Britain/France, 1997, 80 mins. DVD $44.95

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Werner Herzog In 1828, a young man appeared in the town square of Nuremberg, his origins unknown, having apparently been kept in solitary confinement all his life. Five years later he was murdered by an unidentified assailant. Kaspar's brief, enigmatic destiny becomes a powerful metaphor for life in Werner Herzog's vision of the extreme edges of existence. Former mental patient Bruno S. delivers a sympathetic and powerful performance. "Herzog achieves a visionary, overcast style" (Pauline Kael, The New Yorker). Also known as Every Man for Himself and God against All. With Walter Ladengast, Brigitte Mira, Hans Musaeus and Willy Semmelrogge. The DVD is letterboxed, and includes audio commentary by Werner Herzog and Norman Hill, theatrical trailer, Herzog biography. German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1974, 110 mins. DVD $44.95

Nosferatu the Vampyre Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's retelling of the Dracula legend is truly an homage to F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent classic. Both reverent and funny, the film captures much of the look (including Klaus Kinski's make-up) and atmosphere of the original, while subtly crafting a mood all its own. Some of the scenes are shot-for-shot reproductions of Murnau's images, while others are pure Herzog. Isabelle Adjani plays the beauty that Kinski's vampire pursues, with Bruno Ganz as her unlucky husband. The German-language version runs eleven minutes longer than the English-language edition. The DVD is a two-disc set including both the German and English versions, and is letterboxed, 16x9 widescreen, with audio commentary by Herzog and Norman Hill, behind-the-scenes segment, theatrical trailers, and collector's booklet. West Germany, 1979, 107 mins./96 mins. DVD (German and English versions) $44.95

Rescue Dawn Werner Herzog Werner Herzog's narrative film version of his 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly. There were initial criticisms about Herzog making a Hollywood film based on the survival story of downed U.S. Navy pilot Dieter Dengler, but Rescue Dawn is far from a popcorn movie. An ironic undertone seethes throughout this outwardly patriotic film, which stars Christian Bale as the German-born pilot who was captured in Laos, tortured, left to starve in a prison camp, and escaped only to endure the physical and psychological horrors of the jungle before his rescue. As usual, Herzog's production was one of legend, fueled by stories of battles with the American crew over his unconventional approach to capturing "the ecstatic truth." In the end, the images photographed by DP Peter Zeitlinger in the jungles of Thailand are stunning and free of gloss. Co-stars Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies as fellow POWs. In English. USA, 2007, 126 mins. DVD $44.95

Signs of Life Werner Herzog The breakthrough first feature from Werner Herzog. A young German soldier is stationed on a small Greek island, cut off from the larger traumatic events of the Second World War. The island's beauty tempts him with the promise of peace, but ultimately he cannot accept the potential of this enchanting place. DVD includes audio commentary by Werner Herzog and Norman Hill, trailer, and more.German with English subtitles. West Germany 1968 90 mins. DVD $44.95

Stroszek Werner Herzog Bruno S., from The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser, stars in Herzog's bleakly humorous view of the American dream made barren. A Berlin street musician, a prostitute, and an aging eccentric emigrate to Wisconsin, hoping for great opportunity but finding only despair. "[Herzog's] view of that country is the most askance since the films of Monte Hellman" (Chris Petit, Time Out). Also starring Eva Mattes and Clemens Scheitz, with music by Nashville legend Chet Atkins and harmonica great Sonny Terry. The DVD is letterboxed, and includes audio commentary by Herzog and Norman Hill, production notes, theatrical trailer, and Herzog bio. In German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1977, 108 mins. DVD $44.95

Wheel of Time Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (Nosferatu, Aguirre: The Wrath of God) turns his unique gaze towards the east to document the Initiation of the Kalachakra, a sacred Buddhist ceremony promoting peace and tolerance. Shot in Bodh Gaya, India, the site of the Buddha's own enlightenment, and in Graz, Austria, home to a committed Buddhist enclave, the documentary records the sights and sounds of the ceremony and its participants, with exclusive access to secret rituals and interviews with the Dalai Lama, who presides over the proceedings. Herzog also captures stunning footage of a pilgrimage to the Holy Mount Kailash in Tibet. Germany/Great Britain/France 2003 80 mins. DVD $44.95

The White Diamond Werner Herzog Werner Herzog returns to the wilds of the Amazon with a documentary tour-de-force that revisits many of the themes present in the director's best works, including man's relationship to nature and the beauty and harshness of the world's most exotic locales. The film follows experimental airship engineer Graham Dorrington, an eccentric scientist who designed a vehicle to collect medicinal herbs from the jungle canopy in Guyana. When a fatal miscalculation leads to the death of Dorrington's close friend, the scientist returns to the jungle to confront his demons. USA 2005 90 mins. DVD $44.95

Where the Green Ants Dream Werner Herzog Werner Herzog brings his distinctive eye for the exotic to this culture-clash drama, nominated for the Palm d'Or. Two tribes of Aborigines, the Wororas and the Riratjingus, preserve their ancient legends, songs and laws of creation in the heart of Australia. They come into conflict with the laws of modern Australia when a large company tries to mine uranium in one of their holy places, the place where the "Green Ants Dream." With Bruce Spence, Wandjuk Marika, Roy Marika. In English. West Germany/Australia, 1985, 99 mins. DVD $44.95

The Wild Blue Yonder Werner Herzog Hypnotic and baffling, Werner Herzog's self-described "science fiction fantasy" stars Brad Dourif (Exorcist III) as an alien telling the story of his people's plan to colonize the nearly-uninhabitable earth, while humans rove space in search of a new home. By combining this plot with actual NASA footage, the gorgeous underwater photography of Henry Kieser, and interviews with leading scientists, Herzog renders the natural world strange and makes unreality his narrative universe. "Mr. Herzog has gathered a trove of ravishing images in which you can get lost, especially if you don't get hung up on how they fit together" (New York Times). Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2005 Venice Biennale. In English. Great Britain/USA/France/Germany, 2005, 81 mins. DVD $37.95

Woyzeck Werner Herzog Woyzeck represents one of the most extraordinary events in the history of literature. Written in 1836, just before its author's death at the age of 23, Buchner's drama anticipates by some 50 to 100 years the literary movements of the 20th century. Herzog's version of Woyzeck is a film without shadows. This caustic tragedy of an ordinary man's headlong plunge into madness and murder is filmed with a terrible clarity, punctuated by bursts of unexpected lyricism. In the title role, Klaus Kinski delivers a harrowing and unforgettable performance, as stark and unsentimental as the razor with which the hero carries out his chilling destiny. With Eva Mattes. German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1978, 82 mins. DVD $44.95