If you had to name the greatest documentaries of all time, well, that’s tough, but if you had to name the greatest portrait documentaries of all time, well, at the very least, “Burden of Dreams” would easily be in the top ten and likely on the all-time list too. Directed by the late legendary documentarian Les Blank, the award-winning “Burden Of Dreams” (1982) centers on German filmmaker Werner Herzog, actor Klaus Kinski, and the nearly disastrous making of their third collaboration, “Fitzcarraldo” (1982).

Continue reading ‘Burden Of Dreams’ Trailer: Les Blank’s Classic Werner Herzog Doc Gets A 4K Restoration & Theatrical Release at The Playlist.

Next year, we’ll witness a unique venture from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho (known for his Best Picture-winning “Parasite”) as he returns to the sci-fi genre with his upcoming film “Mickey 17.” featuring the talented duo Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo. But that’s not all the South Korean filmmaker is cooking up. As recently revealed, Bong Joon-ho has been quietly crafting a new project, this time in the animation realm, exploring the fascinating world of deep-sea life.

Continue reading Werner Herzog To Voice Bong Joon-Ho’s Mysterious Hand-Drawn Deep Sea Animated Movie at The Playlist.

Even months after the fact, these days, the standard question every filmmaker seems to get is something about “Barbie” or #Barbieheimer, or maybe it’s just Piers Morgan. Filmmaker Werner Herzog was on Piers Morgan Uncensored recently, for some reason, to discuss his life and career, but also because it’s Morgan, “woke culture” in Hollywood, Putin, Israel, Hamas, and because it’s hard-hitting journalism, hypnotizing chickens.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Calls ‘Barbie’ As Close As It Gets To “Sheer Hell” at The Playlist.

It’s interesting to see how director Werner Herzog’s career has evolved in recent years, penetrating into the mainstream world of pop culture with a pivot to acting work on things such as “The Mandalorian,” “Jack Reacher,” “The Simpsons,” and even something as oddball as “Rick & Morty” (to be fair, he keeps cranking out docs and films, they just haven’t had the same cultural reach as late).

Continue reading Werner Herzog Recalls Working With Nicolas Cage On ‘Bad Lieutenant’ & His Gonzo Performance: “I Loved Every Minute With Him” at The Playlist.

Werner Herzog turned 80 on September 5, and he did so at a place that loves him dearly (and where he serves as an executive director): the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. There, you can be immersed in the festival’s fare thanks to a booming, massive theater named for the enigmatic director, smack-dab next to a mountain where you can tempt your own “Grizzly Man” experience. With such birthday timing, the festival world premieres an affectionate but broad documentary about his career, “Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer,” which distinctly takes a more literal route to understanding such an enigmatic figure. 

READ MORE: Venice Film Festival Preview: 16 Must-See Films To Watch

An oeuvre and mind like Herzog’s can inspire many entertaining third-person observations, which this movie shares right off the bat, like toasts at a party. Robert Pattinson (Herzog’s “Queen of the Desert”) remarks that “It’s impossible to see the world how he sees it.” Fellow cinema magnate Wim Wenders states that he “invented his own accent,” and later calls him “a mythological character.” Carl Weathers (who co-starred with Herzog on “The Mandalorian”) says about Herzog’s filmmaking approach: “That’s fresh, that’s new, that’s bad-ass.” Christian Bale and Nicole Kidman also share their amazement about previous collaborator Herzog, with excitement that does become infectious as the doc kicks off.

Continue reading ‘Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer’ Review: A Very Linear Look At An Enigmatic And Legendary Figure Of Cinema [Telluride] at The Playlist.

Werner Herzog’s “Theater of Thought” may be the most egg-headed documentary to ever open with a quote “ascribed to Chuck Berry.” To wit: “In my Theater of Thought I am rocking. / In the Dance of my Mind, I am swinging. / C’mon, babe, roll over to me.” A quick Google search finds no such quote ascribed to Berry, or, for that matter, anyone else. That’s Herzog for you.

Continue reading ‘Theater Of Thought’ Review: Werner Herzog’s Latest Is A Brainy But Plodding Affair [Telluride] at The Playlist.

Every week, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

There’s not much to speak of in terms of new releases this week, aside from a new (and enjoyable) Werner Herzog documentary, but no worries; we’ve got an embarrassment of riches from the catalog, including three great New York movies from Criterion, three engaging Clint Eastwood movies from KL Studio Classics, a pair of ‘80s comedies, and an Allison Anders gem that’s ripe for rediscovery.

Continue reading The 11 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Nomad,’ ‘Gone Girl,’ ‘Ghost Dog’ & More at The Playlist.

Continuing his streak of emotionally intelligent globe-trotting documentaries, Werner Herzog’s “Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds,” which he co-directed with University of Cambridge volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer and premiered on Apple TV+, is a rich speculative examination of the role of meteorites on religion, art, and society. While the film is somewhat casual in how it jumps between ideas, Herzog and Oppenheimer show a profound curiosity about the role of otherworldly meteors in creating our planet, and its possible destruction. 

Continue reading ‘Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds’: Werner Herzog’s Doc Is A Heartfelt Tribute To Scientific Exploration [Review] at The Playlist.

Apple TV+ is an interesting streaming service. Sure, it has the backing of one of the biggest companies in the world, but it also struggles to reach the masses in quite the same way that Netflix, Hulu, or even Disney+ do. You see, the primary way for people to access the streaming service is by the use of an Apple product. If you (like myself) don’t use Apple products, you better hope your TV has the TV+ app or maybe you have Roku or an Amazon Fire dongle.

Continue reading ‘Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds’ Trailer: Werner Herzog’s Doc About Mythmaking Arrives In November at The Playlist.

Like everything else this year, the 2020 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is looking a little different. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the film festival is undergoing some changes, starting with a reduced program and an unusual coalition with other festivals like Telluride, Venice and NYFF.

The TIFF organizers previously announced that the festival would have a physical component as well as digital screenings, with the first five days of the event hosting physical screenings.

Continue reading TIFF 2020 Line-Up Announced: New Films By Regina King, Werner Herzog & Halle Berry at The Playlist.

A sheet of ice is one of mother nature’s magnificent creations. Built upon freezing temperatures that refuse to let life exist without harsh adaptations, its promise and pitfalls are exquisitely captured in how one faces it. For those who grew up in colder climates, those sheets might as well be golden as they navigate them with precision skates and a puck frozen to perfection. Of course, these dreams of excellence all go by another grander name, hockey.

Continue reading ‘Red Penguins’ Trailer: Sequel Documentary Explores Ice Hockey’s Cold War Connections at The Playlist.

After taking some time away from documentary filmmaking to marvel at the cinematic achievement that is Baby Yoda, Werner Herzog is ready to get back behind the camera. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker will be teaming up with AppleTV+ and professor Clive Oppenheimer on astronomy documentary “Fireball.”

READ MORE: Werner Herzog Calls Baby Yoda “A Massive Achievement For Cinema”

Apple announced Friday that it will release “Fireball” on its AppleTV+ streaming platform.

Continue reading AppleTV+ Acquires Werner Herzog’s Astronomy Documentary ‘Fireball’ About The Impact Of Meteorites On Human Mythology at The Playlist.

Werner Herzog is one of Germany’s great filmmakers. French director Francois Truffaut called Herzog “the most important film director alive” and legendary film critic Roger Ebert was a huge fan of Herzog’s work.

Werner Herzog is also a huge Baby Yoda fan.

Having recently played the villain in the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” Herzog has repeatedly celebrated the series.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Calls Baby Yoda “A Massive Achievement For Cinema” at The Playlist.

The need for connection lingers in every human heart. Marriages and friendships both stem from the inherent desire to connect with another person, but no other relationship affects the human experience more than family. Mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters—you are born into the aforementioned roles without a choice and required to coexist in some capacity. Even in cases of neglect, abandonment, or adoption, the deprivation of a traditional familial unit affects the individual due to absence or misuse, which frequently leads to a unique sense of loneliness or an endless search for affirmation.

Continue reading Family Romance, LLC: Werner Herzog’s Rent-A-Family Drama Never Finds Its Way Home [Review] at The Playlist.

Even if filmmaker Werner Herzog sat in his home all day, every day, without any sort of social interaction, the man would still have one of the most interesting lives imaginable, based solely on the films he’s created. But the director doesn’t stay indoors. Sometimes, he goes outside and saves Oscar-winning actors, such as Joaquin Phoenix, from blowing themselves up after a car accident.

READ MORE: ‘Nomad’ Trailer: Werner Herzog Highlights The Work Of His Friend, Bruce Chatwin, In A New Doc

In a new interview with The New York Times, Herzog is reminded of a story about when, years ago, he found Joaquin Phoenix in a wrecked car on the side of the road.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Stopped Joaquin Phoenix From Lighting A Cigarette While Trapped Upside Down After A Car Accident at The Playlist.

Continue reading ‘Nomad’ Trailer: Werner Herzog Highlights The Work Of His Friend, Bruce Chatwin, In A New Doc at The Playlist.

We are now living in a post-Baby Yoda world. If you’ve somehow missed the introduction of Baby Yoda in the first episode of “The Mandalorian,” you’ve likely been disconnected from pop culture of the last few weeks. The little green guy has been a fixture on social media, in numerous gifs, memes, and videos, already becoming one of the most adored additions to the “Star Wars” universe.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Scolded ‘Mandalorian’ Filmmakers For Almost Ditching The Puppet Version Of Baby Yoda: “You Are Cowards” at The Playlist.

If you are one of the 10+ million folks that signed up for Disney+ on launch day earlier this week, it stands to reason that you probably at least gave “The Mandalorian” a shot. And if you did, then we’d hope you watched the whole episode, or at least up until the point Werner Herzog appeared on-screen. Because if you did, it’s safe to say that Herzog, though a small part in the first episode, is pretty great.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Loved Acting In ‘The Mandalorian’ & Calls The Disney+ Series “Cinema Back At Its Best” at The Playlist.

Lucasfilm has long been obsessed with doing something set in the criminal underbelly of a galaxy far, far away. Before George Lucas decided to sell Lucasfilm and “Star Wars” to Disney, the creator had been working on a “Star Wars Underworld” TV show (scripts were written, the project ultimately shelved), Josh Trank’s standalone “Boba Fett” film with writer Simon Kinberg, before it was unceremoniously canceled, centered around the most iconic bounty hunter of them all.

Continue reading ‘The Mandalorian’: A Promising Start & Crossroads Negotiates The Past & Future Of ‘Star Wars’ [Review] at The Playlist.

Werner Herzog is perhaps the most peculiar member of the cast of Lucasfilm’s new Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian.” That’s not because he doesn’t act much (he has a fair number of roles under his belt), but instead, it’s because you don’t immediately think that the filmmaker would find himself on the set of a “Star Wars” project. But yet, he was.

Continue reading ‘The Mandalorian’ Star Werner Herzog Is Too Busy Watching ‘Wrestlemania’ & Criterion Channel To Subscribe To Disney+ at The Playlist.

Werner Herzog has been a very busy man. The acclaimed filmmaker has two documentaries set to release this year (“Meeting Gorbachev” and “Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin”). He’s also got a starring role in the upcoming “Star Wars” live-action TV series, “The Mandalorian.” And if that wasn’t eclectic enough, later this month, the director will premiere his Japanese-language feature “Family Romance, LLC” at the Cannes Film Festival.

Continue reading ‘Family Romance, LLC’ Trailer: Werner Herzog’s New Feature Is A Japanese-Language Drama Debuting At Cannes at The Playlist.

When you hear about “The Mandalorian,” there’s plenty to get excited for. The first live-action “Star Wars” series is coming to Disney+ in November, and sounds like it could be special. The series is spearheaded by Jon Favreau, with an all-star group of directors and actors, telling a story that we haven’t really seen explored on screen. And for film fans, there’s the added bonus of seeing Werner Herzog acting in a “Star Wars” project.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Praises ‘The Mandalorian’ While Also Admitting He’s Never Seen A ‘Star Wars’ Film at The Playlist.

To play a broken record: there’s absolutely no rest for the wicked. The film industry rarely takes a break. The SXSW Film Festival dominated March, we’ve had a few cons and festivals in between (CinemaCon, True/False Festival), the Cannes Film Festival is on its way in May and spring in New York is always about the Tribeca Film Festival.

The 18th annual iteration of the Festival, which runs April 24 to May 5, will showcase debut works from emerging talent and new works from notable filmmakers.

Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival: 15 Must-See Movies at The Playlist.

It’s 2019 and technology is all around us, in ways that were probably thought impossible just a decade ago. And because of that, industries of all kinds are changing very rapidly, including Film and TV. With that in mind, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Werner Herzog thinks the old ways that aspiring storytellers break into the business are antiquated.

In a new interview with The Verge, Herzog talks technology’s place in filmmaking and how it makes the typical film school curriculum obsolete.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Wishes Traditional Film Schools Would Die & Is Utterly Confused By The Lack Of Real, Physical Violence In Pokémon Go at The Playlist.

On the docket for 2019, filmmaker Werner Herzog has two projects that couldn’t be further apart. First, he has his upcoming documentary, “Meeting Gorbachev,” which made the fall film festival rounds and is finally coming to theaters soon. And if you’re more of a sci-fi/fantasy film fan, and not so much a political documentary person, he’s also going to show up in the upcoming “Star Wars” live-action series “The Mandalorian.” And recently, he spoke about both, explaining why he chose “Star Wars” and why the world needs to relax more with Russia.

Continue reading Werner Herzog Reveals He’ll Play A Villain In The ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off TV Series & Unveils A Trailer For ‘Meeting Gorbachev’ doc at The Playlist.