I worked on the marketing of many of Werner Herzog's notable early films, including "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" and "Fitzcarraldo." Among other things, I co-designed the American "Aguirre" poster.
Things didn't work out well in the end, and I haven't spoken to him in 40 years, since "Fitzcarraldo."
This is my story.
00:00 Definition of "fabulist"
00:26 First Herzog film I saw: "Even Dwarfs Started Small"
02:40 Second Herzog film I saw: "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser)
05:12 New Yorker Films
05:42 Getting into business with Werner Herzog
05:57 Researching Herzog at MoMa
06:43 Reading Werner's clippings
07:48 My first meeting with Werner
08:03 Did Werner really try start his own country in Africa?
09:00 I don't believe it.
09:55 Werner eats his shoe - I don't swallow his BS
10:39 The Great Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner
11:10 Land of Silence and Darkness
11:59 The art of Herzog is blending documentary and fiction
13:05 "Aguirre, the Wrath of God"
14:25 Making the "Aguirre" poster
15:19 Getting hired on "Fitzcarraldo"
16:07 Les Blank & "Burden of Dreams"
17:22 Dragging a real boat over a mountain
18:20 An article in Variety traumatizes me
19:20 I am done with Herzog
20:18 "Reconquest of the Useless" by Sam Pressman
21:06 I suggest to Sam that he re-edit "Reconquest" as Herzog would do it
23:22 Epilogue
Photo of Werner Herzog on my thumbnail is by cameraman Edward Lachman on the location of "La Soufriere."
For those of you missing the wonderful Popol Vuh music for "The Great Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner," I got a copyright claim on that, so I quickly composed a bit of my own music.
