ADVENTURE: I absolutely loathe adventurers
December 11, 2014 9:45 AM Subscribe
Werner Herzog Inspirational Posters [SLTumblr] (brief but perfect)
Seconding Greg Nog in recommending Of Walking in Ice. It's a beautiful little thing. He breaks into vacation homes and hay shacks and is basically miserable the entire walk, but it is very enjoyable. I was unsuccessful at finding an ebook version but I did get it from the library and strongly considered never returning it, something which I suspect might have pleased Herzog.
posted by Corduroy at 10:03 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Corduroy at 10:03 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
It seems to be pricey as fuck, these days
Looks like a new edition is coming out this spring, priced like a normal book.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:10 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Looks like a new edition is coming out this spring, priced like a normal book.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:10 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Wow, I was just discussing when I should post this to Mefi Projects and decided to wait and fill it out a little more.
A new poster is going up every morning until I run out of quotes and/or strength.
posted by ardgedee at 10:30 AM on December 11, 2014 [30 favorites]
A new poster is going up every morning until I run out of quotes and/or strength.
posted by ardgedee at 10:30 AM on December 11, 2014 [30 favorites]
I third the endorsement of Of Walking In Ice; to read it distracted me for a moment from the indeterminate and random progression of events called Nature from whence we have appeared and into which we shall return.
posted by mr. digits at 10:47 AM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by mr. digits at 10:47 AM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Metafilter: merely a desperate attempt to imprint meaning onto the inchoate howls of the earth.
posted by lalochezia at 11:03 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 11:03 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm getting a little tired of this meme of Herzog being some kind of nihilist.
I'm no Herzog scholar, but I am a big fan, and it's clear (to me anyway) that this is his sense of humor, and all of these kinds of things are sort of zenlike half-truths.
There are two perfect examples I can think of right now, both of which I think are from My Best Fiend. The first is the most obvious: The sequence where he's talking about how he was driving with a gas can in his car to burn down Kinski's house with him in it, but he gets half way there and remembers that he's afraid of Kinski's dog. That is a joke.
The other is when he goes on this long spiel about how the jungle is an obscene place made entirely of sex and murder, and how it terrifies and disgusts him, ending up his rant with a thoughtful pause and, "I love it here." That is a shaggy dog joke.
I know I'm butchering these from memory, but this kind of ultra-bleak and deadpan humor is what makes him so interesting to me. It runs through all of his work, and almost none of the LOLHerzog stuff I see seems to understand that he's self-aware.
posted by cmoj at 11:07 AM on December 11, 2014 [12 favorites]
I'm no Herzog scholar, but I am a big fan, and it's clear (to me anyway) that this is his sense of humor, and all of these kinds of things are sort of zenlike half-truths.
There are two perfect examples I can think of right now, both of which I think are from My Best Fiend. The first is the most obvious: The sequence where he's talking about how he was driving with a gas can in his car to burn down Kinski's house with him in it, but he gets half way there and remembers that he's afraid of Kinski's dog. That is a joke.
The other is when he goes on this long spiel about how the jungle is an obscene place made entirely of sex and murder, and how it terrifies and disgusts him, ending up his rant with a thoughtful pause and, "I love it here." That is a shaggy dog joke.
I know I'm butchering these from memory, but this kind of ultra-bleak and deadpan humor is what makes him so interesting to me. It runs through all of his work, and almost none of the LOLHerzog stuff I see seems to understand that he's self-aware.
posted by cmoj at 11:07 AM on December 11, 2014 [12 favorites]
You can't be a nihilist and also have a sense of humor about it?
posted by Steely-eyed Missile Man at 11:15 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Steely-eyed Missile Man at 11:15 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Obligatory: "Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:18 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:18 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Was Kinski a nihilist, though? I mean, a guy who starts his autobiography talking about intercourse with his sister...
posted by mr. digits at 11:22 AM on December 11, 2014
posted by mr. digits at 11:22 AM on December 11, 2014
I also have the opinion that Herzog is only about 2/3 serious with these things. The suicidal penguin insanity bit, for instance.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 11:34 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jeff-o-matic at 11:34 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
> it's clear (to me anyway) that this is his sense of humor, and all of these kinds of things are sort of zenlike half-truths.
I am pretty sure he's aware that his fame in the States, at least, derives from this reputation as a dour existential fatalist of a particular, stereotypically Teutonic sort. And that playing to the role helps him pay the rent with appearances on The Simpsons and so on.
But I also think he's being earnest. He's speaking his heart and expressing it the way he does for wry effect. Misery doesn't have to also be witless.
posted by ardgedee at 11:45 AM on December 11, 2014 [7 favorites]
I am pretty sure he's aware that his fame in the States, at least, derives from this reputation as a dour existential fatalist of a particular, stereotypically Teutonic sort. And that playing to the role helps him pay the rent with appearances on The Simpsons and so on.
But I also think he's being earnest. He's speaking his heart and expressing it the way he does for wry effect. Misery doesn't have to also be witless.
posted by ardgedee at 11:45 AM on December 11, 2014 [7 favorites]
Has no one mentioned Paul F Tompkins yet?
Then I am. He does an awesome Herzog.
Herzog reviews a hotel on Yelp.
Herzog talks about his role in Jack Reacher.
posted by blahblahblah at 12:26 PM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Then I am. He does an awesome Herzog.
Herzog reviews a hotel on Yelp.
Herzog talks about his role in Jack Reacher.
posted by blahblahblah at 12:26 PM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Only people who really like Werner Herzog understand how fun it is.
I wonder what Herzog would say about being liked?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 12:31 PM on December 11, 2014
I wonder what Herzog would say about being liked?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 12:31 PM on December 11, 2014
My favorite thing about the Amazon page for Of Walking In Ice is how the new price is $159, and the used price is $100, but Amazon helpfully offers to by a used copy, should I have one, in exchange for a $2 gift card.
posted by JHarris at 12:33 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by JHarris at 12:33 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
You can pick up a copy of Of Walking in Ice on abebooks.com for about $11.
posted by yoink at 12:35 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by yoink at 12:35 PM on December 11, 2014
Yes, but what does the white alligator think?
posted by Alles at 2:59 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Alles at 2:59 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
The poster gets one of my favorite quotes wrong:
posted by localroger at 3:03 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I believe the commonI also believe he said that without the slightest trace of jokiness or irony. I believe he thinks the most noble path is to understand that awful truth and to persevere and do the best you can with this fucked up world we have anyway.denominatorcharacter of the Universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder
posted by localroger at 3:03 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
You do know that Herzog provided narration for a Disney movie, right? (Watch the whole thing after the opening narration: cartoon Herzog appears at 2:10).
posted by maudlin at 3:31 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by maudlin at 3:31 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
"Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness."
I need to get a print of that quote. It's perfect. I really kind of mean that; it would make a great addition to my cheerfully fatalistic existing decor. That, and a quote that isn't his: "You only live once. You will die."
I definitely need to look into his work.
posted by quiet earth at 9:30 PM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
I need to get a print of that quote. It's perfect. I really kind of mean that; it would make a great addition to my cheerfully fatalistic existing decor. That, and a quote that isn't his: "You only live once. You will die."
I definitely need to look into his work.
posted by quiet earth at 9:30 PM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
Madagascar is Dreamworks, not Disney. But there could be a sly reference to Disney, what with Herzog encouraging the crew to shove the penguins off the cliff.
posted by dumbland at 9:34 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by dumbland at 9:34 PM on December 11, 2014
Surely I can't be the only one who finds his sentiments vaguely comforting...
...right? (Bueller?)
posted by delight at 1:07 PM on December 12, 2014
...right? (Bueller?)
posted by delight at 1:07 PM on December 12, 2014
After Greg Nog's recommendation and zabuni's update, I bought Of Walking in Ice for my Kindle and read it over a couple of days. There is an awful lot of breaking and entering, eating tangerines and drinking milk, terrible weather, and despair and loneliess (with the occasional moment of euphoria, largely brought on by the tangerines). Thank you ardgedee, both for prompting this post and creating the inspirational posters!
posted by Huw at 2:12 PM on December 17, 2014
posted by Huw at 2:12 PM on December 17, 2014
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posted by polywomp at 9:54 AM on December 11, 2014 [7 favorites]