This is a story I’ve told a zillion times, and which I have probably written about on this site before, but if I’m going to boast and name drop, this is the story with which to do it.
I was visiting the set of Zak Penn’s The Grand in Las Vegas (with my erstwhile colleague Dave Davis!) and there was lots of down time. The set was low budget and none of the stars and featured cameo players had trailers or anything, so everybody just hung out. Dave and I were hanging with Brett Ratner when Woody Harrelson and Werner Herzog came over and we all started bullshitting. That very, very quickly gave way to Herzog telling stories for about an hour as we listened rapt with attention and laughter. He talked about being shot, about almost dying in a plane crash, about saving Joaquin Phoenix, about Klaus Kinski and about his various and amazing adventures. It was one of those moments when you look back at all your mistakes and dumb choices and say, ‘If they led me here, they couldn’t have been too bad.’
Now you’ll get your chance to be regaled with Herzogian tales – if you live in Los Angeles, anyway. He’ll be appearing at the New Beverly Theater this Wednesday presenting his apparently amazing new film, Encounters at the End of the World. Honestly, the exceedingly cheap New Bev ticket is worth it simply to listen to Herzog. I’ll be in London Wednesday, and as far as I’m concerned that’s about the only reasonable excuse for not being in the house.