I had never heard of this director, but I gotta say I like him. Holding that psycho in check, still completing the film, and even keeping his options open for a murder/insurance scheme. Nice.
There’s an old line about “those who seek peace should prepare for war”, personally I’ve always liked the Malcolm X quote “be polite, be respectful, obey the law, but if someone lays a hand on you send them to cemetery”. I can’t help wondering how close the director got to sending the prat to the cemetery.
@@mattscudder1975 correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't director Werner Herzog once plot to have Klaus Kinski killed at one point, due to being tormented from the actor's uncontrollable fits of rage? I read somewhere (might've been on IMDB several years back), that Herzog wanted to kill Kinski himself, but decided against it.
Jesus, imagine filming a suicide by firearm scene with an actor who actually believes the crew wants to kill him... method acting ain't got shit on this.
Well, halfway through the film most of the crew seriously wanted him "permanently sleeping with the fishes", if you know what I mean. LMAO. His paranoia was very justified. LOL. But there is a reason why the crew wanted him gone... he was an aggravating psychopath of epic proportions.
What’s wild about this UA-cam channel is that they highlight films I’ve never heard of and wouldn’t have ever thought I’d have an interest in, and yet I’m totally captivated by how this channel presents and how well researched they all are. It’s amazing. That’s talent of a storyteller right there.
He's alright is Cecil, he does review some really obscure and cheesy stuff but he has so much passion for the material that it's impossible not find pretty much everything he does entertaining and there's a shit ton of research and work goes into his "Exploring" videos, I class myself as a real film nerd but I learn loads of new things from them :)
@@GoodBadFlicks Been watching since you first started out and I've discovered so many great b movies thanks to you. I'm from NZ and you're the only person outside of the country who I've ever seen talk about Black Sheep, which my cousin was the production manager on. Ya never disappoint.
It isn't about his service though, a Nazi is a member of the Nazi party, not a soldier of the German military, the Wehrmacht, which, even during the Nazi dictatorship in Germany, was supposed to be "apolitical"... in theory. He was a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) with the air force, Luftwaffe, so a regular german soldier. I don't know of evidence that he joined the NSDAP, the Nazi party. If he would have been a member of the Waffen SS (the Nazi party's own private army (paramilitary)) then he most definitely would be a member of the Nazi party (Almost all SS people were, except for certain foreign forces under SS command.) It is a common misconception, especially spread in the english speaking world, to call all germans Nazis during the Nazi regime, which is outright nonsense, wrong and offensive. It's like calling all Scandinavians of the early middle ages "Vikings"...which is equally wrong & nonsensical. But these misconceptions have become sooooo popular (also due to massive propaganda of that time), that it will a long time to make people aware of that. Interestingly most english speaking historians or people that deal with history as a hobby don't make that mistake...guess why.
@@prince-solomon Thank you for making that distinction. My mother was German and her family were not fans of Hitler or the Nazis. That's like saying everyone in America loved Trump, Biden, or any president. But, many people love to generalize entire groups of people because it's easy. And if it's a group one does not like, generalizing them is a useful weapon. I am wary of generalizations and try to add qualifiers when I talk about any group.
@@prince-solomon ww2 was the British empire versus most of Europe....... Russia and Germany were allies and invaded Poland simultaneously....(.ribbentrop -molotov pact).....Italy was a fascist country that invaded ethiopia(abyssnia)..........,alongside,Finland, Yugoslavia,Croatia,Hungary,Romania,Spain,Estonia,Latvia, Lithuania,Austria,Vichy France, they all took part in the war against the British......when the British refer to **Nazis** ; it is a collective term for the previously, listed countries and their allies , that willfully, slaughtered millions to create a new fascist world ,.......all the while praying to a Jewish messiah(catholicism) + an Arab god (Abraham).....
The fact reverse psychology worked on Kinski shows how adolescent his mind really was but there is no doubt you can feel his presence in those shots from the movie. Another amazing exploring video. Thank you Cecil. I love your narration.
@@CGB_Crash This was the 80's, the American producer was most likely high as balls on some Bolivian Marching Powder so he didn't figure it to be anything but his coked up mind.
The story in this episode felt like a cross between a sketch on Saturday Night Live and an episode of The Twilight Zone in terms of how surreal this story was to listen to, I could hardly believe half the things that went on in that production, but my God, it all happened.
I've just Googled Klaus Kinski... I quickly found out he was more than just a total nightmare to work with... I found some really bad stuff, to put it extremely lightly.
You’ve gotta give Schmoeller credit for sticking with the production despite the maniac known as Klaus Kinski. Had to be a relief when the film was wrapped
I think a big part of it was that he had a flop which usually (unfairly cause it's often not the directors fault) ruins a career. If that doesn't, walking off a picture will for sure. Honestly I am amazed he made it through but he knew it would have been ended his career for good had he walked.
I like to imagine that Schmoeller just called a fake number that Kinski gives out when directors want to see how good he is to work with, and it was just Kinski doing a bad American accent he talked to. "Oh, hey, fellow American. That Kinski guy is totally wonderful to work with and the nicest guy to ever meet. I hear he is also extremely talented with the ladies."
Of course Kinski's behavior was horrible and inexcusable but just looking at the photos and quick scenes he shows... holy shit. What an amazing actor. The tear filled look of loving glee on his face as he's watching what I assume was his father or Nazis in general while he puts on the hat. My god. The look of love and derangement. It's a shame that our most talented humans are usually the most fucked up. If he could have been directed he might have produced some of the most powerful cinema we've ever seen.
In her book Kindermund, Pola Kinski goes into graphic detail about the alleged abuse her father subjected her to. She states she was raped over 14yrs. Pola's claims are backed by her sister Nastassja Kinski who states he tried to abuse her too. Pola states, "I can no longer bear the fact that a person whose halo gets bigger from year to year is being glorified". [I wrote the book] "to create a very clear picture of who this person really is".
@@princeofcupspoc9073 I mean, the fact that the actor is a predator of the worst kind. A literal diagnosticed psychopath, seems quite bearing to contextualize some comments on a video that _is_ already largely about the actor himself.
@@Rodrigo_Vega I do agree; I remembered hearing about his daughter coming forward with it, and wondered when it'd come up. He was an even bigger piece of shit than people realized
"Give me Klaus Kinski and I'll make him a Nazi." You know what? I believe him. How would Herzog put it? "Give me Klaus Kinski and I'll make him a rat bastard" And that wasn't just in Nosferatu
Imagine for a moment what would have happened if Kinski had worked with somebody like Stanley Kubrick, a director who was well known for doing a countless number of takes.
Great video as always! I love how this channel reliably points me in the direction of fascinating little movies I had never even heard of, like this one. I did however want to point out that Herzog's documentary is entitled "My Best Fiend", not fRiend. Not that it matters at all; I just like that pun-tastic title.
Of course he declared war on the director. It's Klaus Kinski. In Germany he was infamous for picking fights with everyone, including other directors (Werner Herzog), his own audience (when he loosely recited the story of Jesus), talk show audiences, talk show hosts, his own family ... I guess Germany as a whole was the only one spared of his constant declarations of war.
@@Madbandit77 Because you have to be a danger to yourself or others. Even as one is a psychopath, they're not really that more likely than anyone else to harm people.
@@Madbandit77 If all psychos were committed, we'd have no politicians, lawyers, judges, CEOs, surgeons... The list goes on. There are careers where psychopathy is an asset.
Maybe working with Kinski is the reason Werner Hertzog always looks and sounds so depressed now. He's not only stared into the abyss, he's worked with it.
I had a friend who was a huge Herzog fan and even had a poster for that movie up in her living room, and she still called it "My Best Friend" until I pointed out the difference. I think the brain just sees the vague shape of a phrase it knows, and it sticks with it.
The making of the movie feels more like a horror movie than the actual film itself. A very interesting story, Cecil. Ok, now you need to tell us why Elizabeth Taylor is worse than Kinski in a future video.
You're young, ain'tcha. Read up on Cleopatra. The making of that film was all over the tabloids and legitimate news sources. And it's why "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" is such an amazing film. If you know the history of the actors, it adds a realism that is rarely seen in cinema.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 Agreed. If you know the history b/n Taylor and Richard Burton that movie takes on another dimension. Similar to 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' Maybe it happens if your movie title is in the form of a question.
If you want to see difficult actors gone wild, the only directors to suffer more than David Schmoeller would've had to have been Richard Stanley and John Frankenheimer on the set of THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU remake. The LOST SOULS documentary about the making of that film, would be more than enough to make anyone give up the idea of becoming a director!
@@DonaldRilea Werner Herzog, the same man who survived several films with Kinski-who also broke down in tears when he saw the Baby Yoda puppet in action on the set of Mandalorian. Now there's a contrast.
How can you be an actor but hate directors? That's like being a vet while hating animals. This is the first one of these I've seen where the lead actor was the biggest absolute nightmare for the production.
You should watch Werner Herzog’s documentaries My Best Fiend and the making of Fitzeraldo. His wars with Kinski are legendary, and locals were offering to kill him fir Herzog because of how shitty he was.
Kinski was a f**king monster. There's a new documentary about how bad he became: "Creation Is Violent: Anecdotes from Kinski’s Final Years" (2021). He actively sabotaged every production, and would attempt to sexually assault every actress he worked with. He would do this in love scenes, and the footage would appear in finished films. One of his daughters, Pola, claims Kinski sexually abused her from age 5 to 19. The other, Nastassja, supported Pola and describes sexual embraces (though not rape) that she suffered.
Kinski did a film in 1981 called Venom with another famous acting Hellraiser Oliver Reed, what a set that must of been to work on with those two involved in daily verbal exchanges.
I have watched many of your videos over the years, and I am always amazed at the amount of detail you dig up from events that happened decades ago, from long forgotten films.
Thank you Cecil for making a video about Crawlspace. I remember catching it almost at the ending around midnight several years ago and enjoying what I happen to watch. I like to think of this movie as a dark comedy / horror.
For a moment, I thought the video was about CRAWLSPACE - that Australian Sci-Fi flick about some inmates with psychic powers on the loose in an underground lab/prison. Really cool movie, by the way.
@@keithfulkerson It's like Scanners (psychic powers) + Cube (claustrophobic rooms and corridors) + Aliens (marines invading a complex and being butchered)! Not much originality, but fun as hell!
If you are interested in Klaus Kinsky, here's a couple of video from Italian TV: A comedy skit he made on a family friendly Sunday tv show with the host (who was the typical good guy your grandma could admire!) ua-cam.com/video/UzqW1FsshUk/v-deo.html (No subtitles but it mostly body language comedy) And here's a tv mini doc about him (with English subtitles) ua-cam.com/video/T2QVIPwcYGE/v-deo.html
This is totally what I've always heard about Klaus Kinski: a brilliant performer but extremely tormented & volatile (I do think acting was truly his calling for sure; like the Jackson Pollock of actors). I like "Crawlspace" though, and also recall seeing the VHS cover for rent in many places when I was a little kid; the cover art creeped me out for sure!
@@GoodBadFlicks You're very welcome. For what it's worth, I am waiting, as I type this, for the delivery today of my bluray copy of Vinegar Syndrome's release of "My Chauffeur". I bought it specifically after watching your "Exploring"-episode of it. Can't wait to finally see it. Thanks again.
WARRIORS OF THE WIND IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS! I burned a bunch of DVDs of it and gave it to friends. One of which was a Nausicaa cosplayer, and the texts she sent while watching were great! "Why's everyone got a midwestern accent?- THEY CUT THE MONOLOGUE!?- I hate you for showing me this." So worth it!
I was gonna finally see Nausicaa in a theater a couple years back, but the damn thing was sold out. Meanwhile, the same Ghibli movies keep playing yearly from Fathom.
Someone SHOULD make a movie about this movie. I was an extra in The Creep Behind The Camera which was about a horrific film making experience. It's a very neat and organic concept.
This movie is an absolute classic...like most things with Klaus. I was just telling my daughter after watching "Hider in the House" that it wasn't even the craziest movie about a crawlspace type environment. She's not ready for Crawlspace yet...but should be great when she is lol
@@brutallyhonest123 I try to look at movies in a vacuum and ignore the fact that many times the ppl in them are a total pos in real life. Otherwise there wouldn't be much fun in it. But I did laugh at your comment so thank you
@@rosselliswilkinson Yeah it was on Lifetime Movie Network / Lifetime Movies a ton in the late 90's. It's a fantastically ridiculous movie. And, of course, 1-year removed from his motorcycle accident, Gary Busy steals the show.
This is the most insane behind scenes story I heard from your exploring videos. Filmmakers need to hear this story as a motivation. If your inspiring filmmaker and had troubles with the actors? Just remember, at least they are not Klaus Kinski.
Someone right now is giving a presentation here in my classroom and as soon as I saw this video go up I immediately thought to myself " the hell with this GBF just uploaded a new exploring video, THAT'S more important!"
I really like that part of Klaus doing a Russian roulette after every kill before continuing to justify what he’s doing. It would be interesting if the actor was born later and in our timeline. Imagine how his social media account would look like.
Heard a lot about Kinski through the years. My favorite story is the rumor of Werner Herzog resorting to directing Kinski with a loaded gun from behind the camera. Hearing some of these old stories, I can buy it.
Great episode, Cecil. There's no doubt there is a good story behind the making of Crawlspace. I've read many stories about Kinski and his antics, but this video really took a deep dive into it. Much respect to director David Schmoeller, who may have survived a director's worst nightmare. The fact that Blade in Puppet Master resembles Klaus makes perfect sense now.
I feel as though the word BUMMER could be used alot in any tough situation, especially when dealing with an egomaniac that has no self control. Movie making MAGIC! Good episode!
Thanks you for this one, working in the back of shows people that watch movie sometimes have no idea of how difficult it is to do them and dealing with personalities is definitely a problem.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Schmoeller, when he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sin City Horror Festival here in Vegas, following a screening of the original PUPPET MASTER. AFAIK, he still teaches film at UNLV. I'm so glad I never asked him about CRAWLSPACE. Frankly, Kinski was THE perfect actor for that role, but his investment in it was so unsettlingly complete, it's never been a film I cared to watch more than once.
I'm so stoked this got on here... I've loved this movie ever since I watched it on a late night retro channel during a Halloween marathon... I remember it being super jarring to go from Ghoulies 2, to Crawlspace, to Elvira...
Anyone who hired that infamous actor and who somehow didn't know exactly what would happen with him in their film probably also shouldn't open a pottery shop ("How was I to know that bull I invited in would destroy EVERYTHING?!") or run a childcare centre ("But I thought all kids love fishes, right? I mean, the kids love 'Finding Nemo', they just love that film! So when I threw that shark in the paddling pool with them - well, colour me surprised what happened next, Officer!"). How on earth that guy didn't know, while working in The Biz, what would happen with a force of nature like Kinski on board, well...
Great episode!! 👍 I am glad I watched your video before watching the film. The film was very creepy and suspenseful until the last act which seemed rushed. I wished the film was longer so we can see more the other characters’ interactions with landlord. However, this episode at least explains why the film’s ending feels rushed. Great work!!
'My best fiend' by Werner Herzog is a must watch. You can see many of the tantrums Kinski threw during the 3 or 4 movies they did together with Herzog, but you can also see that Kinski and Herzog had a love/hate relationship. You also get to see that Kinski drove Herzog so crazy that at some point he stalked Kinski in order to actually kill him. Plus all the batshit crazy stuff that happened outside the Kinski stuff during the shooting 'Fitzcarraldo', 'Aguirre' etc. Also, the movies they've done together are great.
Klaus actually served as a Wehrmacht paratrooper in WW2. He was dropped in the Netherlands where he tried to go AWOL but got caught, and was tried and sentenced to be shot. But he escaped into the woods only to be shot in the arm by a British patrol, captured, and that was that. Dude's seen some things n shit. Interesting guy no doubt.
Lol! Great backstory info. Yes I’ve heard several stories about Klaus Kinski aka “Piece of work...!” The movie itself isn’t bad, but needless to say a very troubled shoot. I haven’t seen this in decades, I’ll have to check it out again. I also have seen the documentaries about Kinski...very interesting! Good stuff from GOODBAD FLICKS! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I love the depth and details you go into. I recently saw a movie called Meander that takes place in a large vent type system but it's full of deadly traps. Set my aliens?
Klaus was always a lunatic. This film was one of the reasons my childhood was traumatic. Left a real mark on my psyche...but I still had to watch it every time it came on cable.
This is a great insight about the difficult parts of directing. I was somewhat interested in this movie, but after this episode it's hard not to put it on the "to watch list".
I had never heard of this director, but I gotta say I like him. Holding that psycho in check, still completing the film, and even keeping his options open for a murder/insurance scheme. Nice.
There’s an old line about “those who seek peace should prepare for war”, personally I’ve always liked the Malcolm X quote “be polite, be respectful, obey the law, but if someone lays a hand on you send them to cemetery”. I can’t help wondering how close the director got to sending the prat to the cemetery.
@@mattscudder1975 correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't director Werner Herzog once plot to have Klaus Kinski killed at one point, due to being tormented from the actor's uncontrollable fits of rage? I read somewhere (might've been on IMDB several years back), that Herzog wanted to kill Kinski himself, but decided against it.
That’s not how you make a good film. That’s how you make the GREATEST film.
Tourist Trap is an all time horror classic. This movie is pretty weak though.
Can’t say I’d have the same disposition. There’s a good chance I’d punch the dude’s lights out and get blacklisted from Hollywood
"The movie where the lead actor declared war on the director"
"Huh I wonder what happened....oh they casted Klaus Kinski...yeah make sense."
I thought the title sounded familiar and went hunting in the comments looking for Klaus Kinski or marlon brando haha
Yep. Kinski'll do that for yer every time.
@@natakamura1Brando may have been a nutter, but he was nowhere near as much of a nutter as Kinski.
I remember the novel. Seemed kind of ridiculous.
The moment I heard that name, I knew where this was going.
"He's gonna kill Kinski for the insurance!"
"Cowabummer, dude."
*hangs up*
“He’s Gonna kill our lead actor!”
“This sounds like it’s a you problem.”
BUMMER😐
*Hangs Up*
Spider-Man "I forgot the part where that's my problem"
“Oh well, what can you do…”
@Velzek "With great Power comes. You know what. It's your problem." :)
Jesus, imagine filming a suicide by firearm scene with an actor who actually believes the crew wants to kill him... method acting ain't got shit on this.
Even better the crew really did wanna kill him. I'd tell the DP keep it rolling no matter what happens.
Wouldn't it be a shame if they accidentally used a real bullet
Well, halfway through the film most of the crew seriously wanted him "permanently sleeping with the fishes", if you know what I mean. LMAO. His paranoia was very justified. LOL. But there is a reason why the crew wanted him gone... he was an aggravating psychopath of epic proportions.
Imagine the weight that was lifted off of Schmoeller's shoulders once the filming for this movie was over.
I've never felt so bad for a director....Klaus was an amazing actor, but DAMN, what a maniac.
What’s wild about this UA-cam channel is that they highlight films I’ve never heard of and wouldn’t have ever thought I’d have an interest in, and yet I’m totally captivated by how this channel presents and how well researched they all are. It’s amazing. That’s talent of a storyteller right there.
Cecil does good work.
He's alright is Cecil, he does review some really obscure and cheesy stuff but he has so much passion for the material that it's impossible not find pretty much everything he does entertaining and there's a shit ton of research and work goes into his "Exploring" videos, I class myself as a real film nerd but I learn loads of new things from them :)
I know right. It really goes to show there are some classic gems out there completely unknown to the general public.
Thanks to everyone! I try to put as much as I can into each episode :)
@@GoodBadFlicks Been watching since you first started out and I've discovered so many great b movies thanks to you. I'm from NZ and you're the only person outside of the country who I've ever seen talk about Black Sheep, which my cousin was the production manager on. Ya never disappoint.
"Kinski isn't old enough to play a Nazi." The guy actually served in the German military during WW2.
Yikes.
It isn't about his service though, a Nazi is a member of the Nazi party, not a soldier of the German military, the Wehrmacht, which, even during the Nazi dictatorship in Germany, was supposed to be "apolitical"... in theory. He was a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) with the air force, Luftwaffe, so a regular german soldier. I don't know of evidence that he joined the NSDAP, the Nazi party.
If he would have been a member of the Waffen SS (the Nazi party's own private army (paramilitary)) then he most definitely would be a member of the Nazi party (Almost all SS people were, except for certain foreign forces under SS command.)
It is a common misconception, especially spread in the english speaking world, to call all germans Nazis during the Nazi regime, which is outright nonsense, wrong and offensive. It's like calling all Scandinavians of the early middle ages "Vikings"...which is equally wrong & nonsensical. But these misconceptions have become sooooo popular (also due to massive propaganda of that time), that it will a long time to make people aware of that. Interestingly most english speaking historians or people that deal with history as a hobby don't make that mistake...guess why.
@@prince-solomon Thank you for making that distinction. My mother was German and her family were not fans of Hitler or the Nazis. That's like saying everyone in America loved Trump, Biden, or any president. But, many people love to generalize entire groups of people because it's easy. And if it's a group one does not like, generalizing them is a useful weapon. I am wary of generalizations and try to add qualifiers when I talk about any group.
@@GODCONVOYPRIME yeah how dare he be alive then. (sarcasm you snowflake)
@@prince-solomon ww2 was the British empire versus most of Europe....... Russia and Germany were allies and invaded Poland simultaneously....(.ribbentrop -molotov pact).....Italy was a fascist country that invaded ethiopia(abyssnia)..........,alongside,Finland, Yugoslavia,Croatia,Hungary,Romania,Spain,Estonia,Latvia, Lithuania,Austria,Vichy France, they all took part in the war against the British......when the British refer to **Nazis** ; it is a collective term for the previously, listed countries and their allies , that willfully, slaughtered millions to create a new fascist world ,.......all the while praying to a Jewish messiah(catholicism) + an Arab god (Abraham).....
The fact reverse psychology worked on Kinski shows how adolescent his mind really was but there is no doubt you can feel his presence in those shots from the movie.
Another amazing exploring video. Thank you Cecil. I love your narration.
You are very welcome!
I will gladly donate to the "In Search of Kinski" documentary Cecil. This exploration was brilliant (as usual), I was glued to it.
Thanks!
American producers: fire him. Italian producers: kill’em
you see, here in Italy we do things a little bit differently..
@@Eisenwulf666 yep we do not fuck around XD
@@Eisenwulf666 Just reading that, I _had_ to do some hand movements.
Also American Producers: He's gonna kill em'? Damn, das crazy bruh. **hangs up phone**
@@CGB_Crash This was the 80's, the American producer was most likely high as balls on some Bolivian Marching Powder so he didn't figure it to be anything but his coked up mind.
The story in this episode felt like a cross between a sketch on Saturday Night Live and an episode of The Twilight Zone in terms of how surreal this story was to listen to, I could hardly believe half the things that went on in that production, but my God, it all happened.
I've just Googled Klaus Kinski... I quickly found out he was more than just a total nightmare to work with... I found some really bad stuff, to put it extremely lightly.
Just googled for myself…
Jesus…
Honestly the fact that Werner Herzog worked with him 5 times shows you that he is just as crazy as Kinski
The only person who could ever control Kinski was Werner Herzog. And he did it by being crazier than him during his shizo fits.
I'm surprised this behind the scenes madness hadn't been made into a movie itself.
Cecil says pretty much the same thing near the end of the video.
You’ve gotta give Schmoeller credit for sticking with the production despite the maniac known as Klaus Kinski. Had to be a relief when the film was wrapped
I think a big part of it was that he had a flop which usually (unfairly cause it's often not the directors fault) ruins a career. If that doesn't, walking off a picture will for sure. Honestly I am amazed he made it through but he knew it would have been ended his career for good had he walked.
I guess flop isn't the right word cause The Seduction made money...everyone just hated it!
We also wouldn’t have gotten the original “Puppet Master” had he walked. Course could’ve happened anyway, but who knows
I like to imagine that Schmoeller just called a fake number that Kinski gives out when directors want to see how good he is to work with, and it was just Kinski doing a bad American accent he talked to. "Oh, hey, fellow American. That Kinski guy is totally wonderful to work with and the nicest guy to ever meet. I hear he is also extremely talented with the ladies."
One of the times the production ends up being a better horror story then the product
Sounds like the behind the camera story would make a better movie than what was in front of the camera
Of course Kinski's behavior was horrible and inexcusable but just looking at the photos and quick scenes he shows... holy shit. What an amazing actor. The tear filled look of loving glee on his face as he's watching what I assume was his father or Nazis in general while he puts on the hat. My god. The look of love and derangement. It's a shame that our most talented humans are usually the most fucked up. If he could have been directed he might have produced some of the most powerful cinema we've ever seen.
What? He had a decent career with a few major high points, eg Aguirre.
Most actors couldn't dream of achieving the same.
@@louievito5701 I think he is saying that he could be even greater if someone could direct him.
He was scum. A real Nazi.
@@Mirphise Exactly, thanks. Didn't see either of your comments when originally posted.
"He's going to kill Kinski for the insurance!"
Well.... that's show business.
In her book Kindermund, Pola Kinski goes into graphic detail about the alleged abuse her father subjected her to. She states she was raped over 14yrs. Pola's claims are backed by her sister Nastassja Kinski who states he tried to abuse her too. Pola states, "I can no longer bear the fact that a person whose halo gets bigger from year to year is being glorified". [I wrote the book] "to create a very clear picture of who this person really is".
It's weird that the video didn't mention it at all. It's one of the first things I noticed in his wikipedia article.
@@Rodrigo_Vega It has no bearing on the discussion of the production of this film. However it would make an interesting video about the actor himself.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 I mean, the fact that the actor is a predator of the worst kind. A literal diagnosticed psychopath, seems quite bearing to contextualize some comments on a video that _is_ already largely about the actor himself.
@@Rodrigo_Vega I do agree; I remembered hearing about his daughter coming forward with it, and wondered when it'd come up. He was an even bigger piece of shit than people realized
Yes, he’s wasn’t comedically chaotic, like Oliver Reed, he was an outright psychopath.
"Give me Klaus Kinski and I'll make him a Nazi."
You know what? I believe him. How would Herzog put it? "Give me Klaus Kinski and I'll make him a rat bastard"
And that wasn't just in Nosferatu
Those both seem like low bars for transformation.
That's like saying 'Get me 80s Ahnold and I'll make him a weightlifter!'
Big accomplishment.
I never heard of this film but that behind the scenes drama is just riveting
Imagine for a moment what would have happened if Kinski had worked with somebody like Stanley Kubrick, a director who was well known for doing a countless number of takes.
I imagine that production would have ended in a double murder.
Let me guess, halls awash in blood?
kinski once addressed this, saying he would have to give him a kick in the pants, because of all those takes.
@@31webseriesA la, the river of blood in "The Shining"?
By the ten minute mark Kinski's reactions to whatever the director said are starting to sound like a Dr Seuss story haha.
Great video as always! I love how this channel reliably points me in the direction of fascinating little movies I had never even heard of, like this one. I did however want to point out that Herzog's documentary is entitled "My Best Fiend", not fRiend.
Not that it matters at all; I just like that pun-tastic title.
Thanks! My brain totally missed that it was "fiend". Clever title.
Of course he declared war on the director. It's Klaus Kinski. In Germany he was infamous for picking fights with everyone, including other directors (Werner Herzog), his own audience (when he loosely recited the story of Jesus), talk show audiences, talk show hosts, his own family ... I guess Germany as a whole was the only one spared of his constant declarations of war.
Fun fact: Kinski was hospitalized early in his career and was diagnosed as a psychopath.
How the hell was he never committed?!
@@Madbandit77
“Hospitalized”
@@Madbandit77 Because you have to be a danger to yourself or others. Even as one is a psychopath, they're not really that more likely than anyone else to harm people.
@@Madbandit77 If all psychos were committed, we'd have no politicians, lawyers, judges, CEOs, surgeons... The list goes on. There are careers where psychopathy is an asset.
@@_lithp He stalked his theatrical sponsor and tried to strangle her to death, which is what led him to being hospitalized.
16:06 - My Best "Fiend" - Kinski even has a fiendish expression on his face.
Maybe working with Kinski is the reason Werner Hertzog always looks and sounds so depressed now. He's not only stared into the abyss, he's worked with it.
@@fattiger6957 he did endured getting shot in the stomach with an air rifle
Lol, I noticed that he said "friend" instead of "fiend" as well!
I had a friend who was a huge Herzog fan and even had a poster for that movie up in her living room, and she still called it "My Best Friend" until I pointed out the difference. I think the brain just sees the vague shape of a phrase it knows, and it sticks with it.
The making of the movie feels more like a horror movie than the actual film itself. A very interesting story, Cecil. Ok, now you need to tell us why Elizabeth Taylor is worse than Kinski in a future video.
You're young, ain'tcha. Read up on Cleopatra. The making of that film was all over the tabloids and legitimate news sources. And it's why "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" is such an amazing film. If you know the history of the actors, it adds a realism that is rarely seen in cinema.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 Agreed. If you know the history b/n Taylor and Richard Burton that movie takes on another dimension. Similar to 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?'
Maybe it happens if your movie title is in the form of a question.
If you want to see difficult actors gone wild, the only directors to suffer more than David Schmoeller would've had to have been Richard Stanley and John Frankenheimer on the set of THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU remake. The LOST SOULS documentary about the making of that film, would be more than enough to make anyone give up the idea of becoming a director!
No one gets to talk about the queen Elizabeth Taylor.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 I think back then, actors did lab on the fly and got the crew as lab rats for that
Klaus Kinski is a legend in Germany. Craziest person in the film industry here.
Yeah I've got him tattooed.
@@pinkimietz3243 tattoo of a rapist? Ouff...
Yup, and the relationship between him and Werner Herzog is interesting in itself.
@@DonaldRilea Werner Herzog, the same man who survived several films with Kinski-who also broke down in tears when he saw the Baby Yoda puppet in action on the set of Mandalorian. Now there's a contrast.
@@JnEricsonx That very one and the same!
Kinsky declared War on every Director...
And Audience...
And Talkshow Hosts...
And Taxidrivers...
And ...
How can you be an actor but hate directors? That's like being a vet while hating animals. This is the first one of these I've seen where the lead actor was the biggest absolute nightmare for the production.
You should watch Werner Herzog’s documentaries My Best Fiend and the making of Fitzeraldo.
His wars with Kinski are legendary, and locals were offering to kill him fir Herzog because of how shitty he was.
Kinski is notorious for not only causing problems but being VERY nuts
But his daughter, Nastassja, was a real looker. My mother always wondered how he managed to father such a beautiful and talented actress.
Kinski was a f**king monster. There's a new documentary about how bad he became: "Creation Is Violent: Anecdotes from Kinski’s Final Years" (2021).
He actively sabotaged every production, and would attempt to sexually assault every actress he worked with. He would do this in love scenes, and the footage would appear in finished films. One of his daughters, Pola, claims Kinski sexually abused her from age 5 to 19. The other, Nastassja, supported Pola and describes sexual embraces (though not rape) that she suffered.
@@MrDarrylR Yikes, wow
Kinski did a film in 1981 called Venom with another famous acting Hellraiser Oliver Reed, what a set that must of been to work on with those two involved in daily verbal exchanges.
Actually, the replacement director Piers Haggard thought the Black Mamba snake was the nicest person on set, how about that! hahaha
I love the director's reverse psychology; it's not deceptive, it's just a last option.
I have watched many of your videos over the years, and I am always amazed at the amount of detail you dig up from events that happened decades ago, from long forgotten films.
Thanks!
Thank you Cecil for making a video about Crawlspace. I remember catching it almost at the ending around midnight several years ago and enjoying what I happen to watch. I like to think of this movie as a dark comedy / horror.
For a moment, I thought the video was about CRAWLSPACE - that Australian Sci-Fi flick about some inmates with psychic powers on the loose in an underground lab/prison.
Really cool movie, by the way.
That sounds pretty good.
@@keithfulkerson It's like Scanners (psychic powers) + Cube (claustrophobic rooms and corridors) + Aliens (marines invading a complex and being butchered)!
Not much originality, but fun as hell!
@@VideotecaNaturista I am now intrigued.
If you are interested in Klaus Kinsky, here's a couple of video from Italian TV:
A comedy skit he made on a family friendly Sunday tv show with the host (who was the typical good guy your grandma could admire!)
ua-cam.com/video/UzqW1FsshUk/v-deo.html
(No subtitles but it mostly body language comedy)
And here's a tv mini doc about him (with English subtitles)
ua-cam.com/video/T2QVIPwcYGE/v-deo.html
Will become clear soon enough.
That delivery was golden.
This is totally what I've always heard about Klaus Kinski: a brilliant performer but extremely tormented & volatile (I do think acting was truly his calling for sure; like the Jackson Pollock of actors). I like "Crawlspace" though, and also recall seeing the VHS cover for rent in many places when I was a little kid; the cover art creeped me out for sure!
The relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski is one of the most interesting in cinema history
'..please kill Mr. Kniski...' was the most unintentional laugh I've had in a while. Bravo!
I always love the details that are put into threes videos.
This is awesome. Videos like this are the reason I subscribed. So much behind the scene information. And KLAUS!!!! You guys rocked it... as usual!
Thank you so much!
I love the work you do, Cecil. This video was as hilarious as it is sincerely brilliant.
Well done, sir.
Thanks!
@@GoodBadFlicks You're very welcome.
For what it's worth, I am waiting, as I type this, for the delivery today of my bluray copy of Vinegar Syndrome's release of "My Chauffeur".
I bought it specifically after watching your "Exploring"-episode of it.
Can't wait to finally see it. Thanks again.
Wait, how bad Elizabeth Taylor was if Kinski is "not that bad"? !
Pass for being "the most beautiful woman in the world" plus diva.
I can imagine Caligula was probably a puppy in comparison.
Her divaism during the shooting of Cleopatra are legendary.
WARRIORS OF THE WIND IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS!
I burned a bunch of DVDs of it and gave it to friends. One of which was a Nausicaa cosplayer, and the texts she sent while watching were great!
"Why's everyone got a midwestern accent?-
THEY CUT THE MONOLOGUE!?-
I hate you for showing me this."
So worth it!
I was gonna finally see Nausicaa in a theater a couple years back, but the damn thing was sold out. Meanwhile, the same Ghibli movies keep playing yearly from Fathom.
I saw this dub on cable years before seeing the real thing. Still a better title than Clash of the Bionoids.
@@CantankerousDave _Clash of the BIONOIDS?!_
Someone on MySpleen created a fan edit of *Warriors of the Wind* using the blu-ray
So if you want an HD widescreen version, let me know.
Someone SHOULD make a movie about this movie. I was an extra in The Creep Behind The Camera which was about a horrific film making experience. It's a very neat and organic concept.
Director has a natural parenting instinct.
This movie is an absolute classic...like most things with Klaus. I was just telling my daughter after watching "Hider in the House" that it wasn't even the craziest movie about a crawlspace type environment. She's not ready for Crawlspace yet...but should be great when she is lol
Discussing your love for Klaus Kinksi with your daughter is one Wikipedia search away from being very awkward
@@brutallyhonest123 I try to look at movies in a vacuum and ignore the fact that many times the ppl in them are a total pos in real life. Otherwise there wouldn't be much fun in it. But I did laugh at your comment so thank you
@@rosselliswilkinson Yeah it was on Lifetime Movie Network / Lifetime Movies a ton in the late 90's. It's a fantastically ridiculous movie. And, of course, 1-year removed from his motorcycle accident, Gary Busy steals the show.
This is the most insane behind scenes story I heard from your exploring videos.
Filmmakers need to hear this story as a motivation. If your inspiring filmmaker and had troubles with the actors? Just remember, at least they are not Klaus Kinski.
Seriously, he was a monster to work with.
Late 70s: *Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now are praised critically, successful commercially*
1985: *“America isn’t ready for a Vietnam war movie!”*
"Platoon" and "Born On The Fourth Of July" are having a good laugh.
LMAO, yeah, I guess he'd overlooked just how many Vietnam themed films, had been released, by 1985!!
There's always that one guy who rejects the Beatles or tells Harrison Ford he's "not star material". (Both real incidents.)
To me, crazy behind the scenes stuff, like this, make it a must see.
Someone right now is giving a presentation here in my classroom and as soon as I saw this video go up I immediately thought to myself " the hell with this GBF just uploaded a new exploring video, THAT'S more important!"
What would be great is if a student did a presentation on Klaus Kinski. That would get my attention right away.
I really like that part of Klaus doing a Russian roulette after every kill before continuing to justify what he’s doing.
It would be interesting if the actor was born later and in our timeline. Imagine how his social media account would look like.
He would be canceled by his second tweet.
@@WinterRose4444 It's not cancelling if it's the result of your own actions.
@@leetri True.
Like Trump's
I love the Forensic Files-esque intro to ur "exploring" content. The music, the font, the semi shitty background, it's all just right!!!
We need one of these on The Island of Dr Moreau - you know the one I mean!!
Critical Drinker has a video on it.
Isn't there a whole documentary on that?
Heard a lot about Kinski through the years. My favorite story is the rumor of Werner Herzog resorting to directing Kinski with a loaded gun from behind the camera. Hearing some of these old stories, I can buy it.
In Germany Klaus Kinski has long since become a meme. Comedian Max Giermann owes much of his success to his Kinski impersonations.
Great episode, Cecil. There's no doubt there is a good story behind the making of Crawlspace. I've read many stories about Kinski and his antics, but this video really took a deep dive into it. Much respect to director David Schmoeller, who may have survived a director's worst nightmare. The fact that Blade in Puppet Master resembles Klaus makes perfect sense now.
I feel as though the word BUMMER could be used alot in any tough situation, especially when dealing with an egomaniac that has no self control. Movie making MAGIC! Good episode!
Thank you!
One of your best episodes. Klaus kinski is one of my favorite actors. I would love to see a movie about the making of crawlspace that would be great.
Dude literally raped his daughters I personally believe no level of theatrical talent would warrant him being anyone's favorite anything
OMG a type of mockumentary style movie about the making of would be sooo perfect.
Thanks you for this one, working in the back of shows people that watch movie sometimes have no idea of how difficult it is to do them and dealing with personalities is definitely a problem.
I love the end of your videos.. always a bonus cut.
A movie length documentary about the making of this movie - YES! I had to pause this review and go add Crawlspace to my playlist I was so fascinated!
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Schmoeller, when he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sin City Horror Festival here in Vegas, following a screening of the original PUPPET MASTER. AFAIK, he still teaches film at UNLV. I'm so glad I never asked him about CRAWLSPACE. Frankly, Kinski was THE perfect actor for that role, but his investment in it was so unsettlingly complete, it's never been a film I cared to watch more than once.
It sounds like Klaus, like every bully ever, desperately needed someone to stand up to him, get in his face, and probably kick his ass.
No, he was crazy. I’m sure he came home from many a night drinking with a black eye. Guys like that revel in the pain.
Werner and him got into a lot of fights. Kicking his ass didn't help.
Hi I love your content keep it up As a movie fanatic myself it’s nice to learn the backstories of movies we know and love you’ll never get old
Hey, thanks!
We are going to need a difficult actor series of videos now
Chevy Chase is a notorious pain in the ass.
This is one of the best exploring videos ever! I haven’t laughed out loud like this in a long time
Thanks!
Still loving your videos and the work you put into them!
Thanks!
This is as entertaining as the documentary Lost Soul about Island of Dr Moreau. Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm so stoked this got on here...
I've loved this movie ever since I watched it on a late night retro channel during a Halloween marathon... I remember it being super jarring to go from Ghoulies 2, to Crawlspace, to Elvira...
Anyone who hired that infamous actor and who somehow didn't know exactly what would happen with him in their film probably also shouldn't open a pottery shop ("How was I to know that bull I invited in would destroy EVERYTHING?!") or run a childcare centre ("But I thought all kids love fishes, right? I mean, the kids love 'Finding Nemo', they just love that film! So when I threw that shark in the paddling pool with them - well, colour me surprised what happened next, Officer!").
How on earth that guy didn't know, while working in The Biz, what would happen with a force of nature like Kinski on board, well...
Most of his work was in Europe. Hollywood is a very insular community, and have little to no contact with other "production empires."
9:47 omg that was god tier
If Klaus Kinski is still alive today, it'd be interesting to see relationship between him and Uwe Boll.
😳
Kinski died in 1991.
@@Madbandit77 read my comment again, but slowly.
@@azozazoz9196 I wasn't under the impression that you watched the whole video. So please don't be so fucking condescending towards me.
@@Madbandit77 How about learn to read my comment first BEFORE replying me and started acting like a smartass?
This was fascinating to learn about all the headaches the actor caused behind the scenes. I don't think i could put up with that as a director.
Then you will never be a director. KY Jelly is a requirement.
Great episode!! 👍 I am glad I watched your video before watching the film. The film was very creepy and suspenseful until the last act which seemed rushed. I wished the film was longer so we can see more the other characters’ interactions with landlord. However, this episode at least explains why the film’s ending feels rushed. Great work!!
Thanks! After all the director and crew went through, its amazing this film was finished at all!
"David, please kill Kinski!"
Now was that whispering on the set or voices in Schmoller's head?
It can be both.
what do you mean whispering? xD
Never before has murder sounded to me like a totally reasonable way to deal with an annoying person.
AMAZING EPISODE! That was really intressting.
What a great story! Thanks for doing a vid on it Cecil!
Another excellent overview!
'My best fiend' by Werner Herzog is a must watch. You can see many of the tantrums Kinski threw during the 3 or 4 movies they did together with Herzog, but you can also see that Kinski and Herzog had a love/hate relationship. You also get to see that Kinski drove Herzog so crazy that at some point he stalked Kinski in order to actually kill him. Plus all the batshit crazy stuff that happened outside the Kinski stuff during the shooting 'Fitzcarraldo', 'Aguirre' etc.
Also, the movies they've done together are great.
Klaus actually served as a Wehrmacht paratrooper in WW2. He was dropped in the Netherlands where he tried to go AWOL but got caught, and was tried and sentenced to be shot. But he escaped into the woods only to be shot in the arm by a British patrol, captured, and that was that. Dude's seen some things n shit. Interesting guy no doubt.
Lol! Great backstory info. Yes I’ve heard several stories about Klaus Kinski aka “Piece of work...!” The movie itself isn’t bad, but needless to say a very troubled shoot. I haven’t seen this in decades, I’ll have to check it out again. I also have seen the documentaries about Kinski...very interesting! Good stuff from GOODBAD FLICKS! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Klaus Kinski: Genius is always bound to be misunderstood
I guess it's alright to be an asshole if you're good
I love the depth and details you go into. I recently saw a movie called Meander that takes place in a large vent type system but it's full of deadly traps. Set my aliens?
Klaus was always a lunatic. This film was one of the reasons my childhood was traumatic. Left a real mark on my psyche...but I still had to watch it every time it came on cable.
This is a great insight about the difficult parts of directing. I was somewhat interested in this movie, but after this episode it's hard not to put it on the "to watch list".
Tane did "Burning In the Third Degree"? Awesome. Best scene in one of the greatest movies of the 80s.
Man you are my inspiration, I followed you since day 1
Nice one Cecil, man what a behind the scenes story!
Kinski’s Grandchildren: “My grandfather was a very sick man.”
I remember this movie. I really enjoyed your video.
Thanks!
Amazing work as always