COBRA VERDE - OR - LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY

For this week's post, please choose one of the following films to watch: either Herzog's 1987 fiction film Cobra Verde (streaming free online here) or his 1998 non-fiction film Little Dieter Needs to Fly (streaming free online here).  Both films are available for $2.99 at iTunes and Amazon, etc. as well.

Once you've watched the film of your choice, please let me know what you thought about it, especially in terms of how it does - or even more interestingly, does not - connect to the work and words of Herzog's we've been studying so far this semester.

Write whatever you'd like but please be sure to address the following questions within your response no matter what:

• Of the two films I offered here, why did you choose the one you did? Please explain.
• If you chose the fiction film Cobra Verde, please take a moment to detail any moments in that film that either were or seemed to be real or at least not fictional.
• And if you chose to watch Little Dieter Needs to Fly, please detail any moments here that either were or seemed to be not real or fictional.

Enjoy whichever film you choose to watch, please leave your comments here by no later than Wednesday at noon - and I look forward to seeing you and your final papers come Thursday morning!

BURDEN OF DREAMS | MY BEST FIEND

Although we won't have class next week because of Thanksgiving, I would like you to watch two Herzog-focused documentaries and post in a slightly more substantial way on our blog than usual.

Les Blank's Burden of Dreams is the first doc I want you to watch. And the other one (which I showed the beginning of in class a few weeks ago) is My Best Fiend by Herzog himself. Burden of Dreams is free on Hulu with a trial subscription, and My Best Fiend is free on Shout! Factory without one. Both films can be purchased and watched on iTunes or Amazon for $2.99 as well.  

For this week's beefed-up post, please let me know what more you feel you learned about Herzog - the man, the director, the Bavarian - from watching these two documentaries. Because I would like your comments to be even more thoughtful and thorough than usual, please take time to point out certain moments from the films that support and further explain your insights. The more specific you are and the more you tell me what stood out for you - about Herzog, about his process, or really about anything in the films that caught your attention - the better.

I look forward to hearing what you thought about these works, as well as how watching them contributes to your understanding of this director and his oeuvre. And as usual, please be sure your comments show up on our blog by no later than Wednesday, December 2nd at noon!

FITZCARRALDO

That's a pretty massive film, right?

There are no particular questions I want you to address this week, just tell me what you liked (loved?) and/or didn't like. And if you want to watch all or part of it again online (kind of a travesty considering this is one film that was made to be seen on the big screen), you can do that here.

I encourage you to freestyle as much as you like. All I ask is that you be specific and go deep (by Wednesday at noon, of course). I trust you will.

GOD'S ANGRY MAN | HUIE'S LAST SERMON

We watched two short-to-mid length films in class this week - God's Angry Man and Huie's Sermon - both of which were made by Werner Herzog in 1980. The first is available in six parts on YouTube here, and the second one is also on YouTube here.

For this week's post, please tell me what you thought of one of the two films, focusing in particular on how the work thematically, aesthetically or even holistically connects to other films of Herzog's you've seen so far this semester. And feel free to let me know what you think Herzog thinks about religion based on these two short works.

Oh - and we watched Les Blanks' short film Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe, too, which I love. If you have any comments about that, feel free to include them in your post as well - by no later than noon on Wednesday of course!

NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE

I wasn't sure if I would ask you to post to our blog about Nosferatu, but I couldn't resist because I really do want to hear what your impressions of the film are.

Please write whatever comes into your mind and heart, but I'm particularly interested in how you aesthetically and thematically connect Nosferatu to the previous work of Herzog's we've seen up to this point. I'm also curious to know what it is about this work that struck you the most.

As usual and in general, I welcome and appreciate whatever detailed insights you're inspired to provide - by no later than noon next Wednesday of course.

STROSZEK

The last time I taught a course on Herzog, the students proclaimed Stroszek their favorite film of the semester up to this point. Was this your favorite so far, too? If so, why? If not, why not?

Please write whatever you'd like, but I would of course love it if you were to get specific about the ways in which Stroszek is both similar to but also very different from the other films of Herzog's we've seen.

And what about Herzog's view of America? He says this film "does not criticize the country; it is almost a eulogy to the place." How so?

And what about the animal-oriented sequence that ends the film? What is it with Herzog and chickens, and was that an effective way to finish this story?

In general, I look forward to hearing what you thought of Stroszek (which is definitely one of my favorite Herzog films, too) - by no later than this coming Wednesday at noon of course.

THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER

So what did you think The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser? What about those dream sequences? And why did Kaspar himself describe his coming into this world "a terribly hard fall"?

You have been studying Herzog and his work for a while now, so for this week just write what you like. Please keep in mind that I really do love seeing you make connections between the film you're commenting on (in this case, Kaspar Hauser) and what you know about Herzog and the films of his we've already seen. I would be especially interested to hear about any similarities or differences - thematically, aesthetically or otherwise - that you see between Hauser and Aguirre, Woodcarver Steiner and Silence and Darkness.

Regardless, freestyle and enjoy. I look forward to reading what you write - by no later than noon on Wednesday, of course.