Werner Herzog Interview

posted by Andrew James

Chief Imagination Officer

18
Nov
2009

With the awesomeness of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (our review) opening in many theaters this week and expanding steadily over the next few weeks, I wanted to share this great interview from Collider with the great Werner Herzog.

The film itself is fantastic and absurd bad-assery. Herzog takes Cage and harnesses his outlandish energy to the most positive. This is one of the better films of the year and I love hearing this unique director talk about this work.

Here are the cliffs:

  • I tell him how much I loved the movie and ask when did he come up with the movie. Talks about how fast this project came together.
  • I tell him thank you for bringing the great Nic Cage back and we talk about his performance.
  • Talks about how most of the movie was done on just a few takes. Also how he didn’t shoot a lot of coverage..
  • Did he delete a lot of footage and does he like extended cuts on DVD.
  • What did it mean to have 2 films in Toronto. He says it meant more to have 2 films in Venice.
  • What’s up with My Son, My Son, What Have You Done.
  • 8:15 – What is he going to do next. Gives a great answer.
  • Says he has 5 or 6 feature film projects and 2 or 3 documentary projects he wants to do.
  • Does he want to do doc than feature and back again. How does he pick.
  • What does he think of digital filmmaking and 3D.
  • I try and find out what he is going to do next and he says he is about to leave for Jordan to see if a film he is planning is doable but doesn’t want to talk specifics until he knows if it is.

“There is no ‘OK’ Nic Cage.”
“3D…would distract from quality of storytelling” – YES!

 

5 response about Werner Herzog Interview »

  1. I think he views Nic Cage similarly to his old friend Kinski: completely bonkers. Was it on Row Three that we discussed how Nicolas Cage is purposely trying to destroy Hollywood from within?

    Anyway, I don’t think that there is a filmmaker I find more interesting to listen to talk than Werner Herzog, although I found most of the questions in this interview not very engaging. Oh, and I’d love to here Herzog’s thoughts on fellow German filmmaker Uwe Boll. That’s a question I want to hear asked.

    Comment by Jonathan B. — November 18, 2009

  2. What a squandered opportunity. These questions read like a press junket template.

    Comment by Jay C. — November 18, 2009

  3. I’ve bookmarked this to watch AFTER I see the movie. T-2 hours!

    Comment by Marina Antunes — November 18, 2009

  4. Here is a better interview, and it is actually a festival Q&A, http://twitchfilm.net/interviews/2009/11/ask-him-again-his-soul-is-still-dancing-15-minutes-with-werner-herzog.php

    both a transcript and and abridged youtube video of the 2nd TIFF screening.

    Comment by Kurt — November 19, 2009

  5. This interview was so bad. There was mic noise throughout the whole thing and you set it up in front a reflection happy picture. have you ever done an interview before? The questions were also ridiculous, that other guy was right, it did read like a press junket. Herzog still made it interesting!

    Comment by derek — November 29, 2009

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