In 1985, Director David Schmoeller found himself in the unenviable position of directing the crazed actor Klaus Kinski in the horror film Crawlspace.
A short and humorous look at one (of many) director's travails of working with the difficult actor. Interested viewers might also want to check out Werner Herzog's legendary documentary on his relationship with Kinski, My Best Fiend," available on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment. Also, if you want to read the most scatalogical, disturbing film-related autobiography ever written, check out Kinski's book Kinski Uncut. It'll stay with you like a traumatic childhood beating...
Enjoy, and if you happen to be a director who is currently frustrated beyond all measure by the actors you're stuck with, watch on gentle viewer, and count your blessings!
Schmoeller, a hack director, became aware that no one was interested in any of his product over a 30-year film career, except for the few minutes of good screentime he got from Kinski during Crawlspace. So he made this assassination attempt 8 years after Kinski's death hoping to use interest in Kinski's name to jumpstart his dead-in-the-water career.
ReplyDeleteBut his raging flame-queen manner in the short is even more off-putting than his obvious resentment of a greater talent.
Your criticism of Schmoeller may be valid, but Kinski was truly nuts. Try reading his autobiography sometime, entitled "Kinski Uncut." A great talent, without question, but also a miserable human being, by all counts, not the least of which was his own!
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