MORE BRILLIANCE FROM HERZOG

I will definitely be posting a full review in the near future, but I just have to say that after watching Werner Herzog's fascinating, brilliant documentary ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, I am now completely convinced that he's one of the craziest, most important filmmakers ever to pick up a camera. Stunningly photographed and beautifully mounted, the film offers glimpses at a continent that one never really gets to see. I have never seen a Herzog film that I wasn't impressed with, but this is certainly one of his finest efforts, right up there with his masterpiece GRIZZLY MAN. How does Herzog find these people? How does he come up with some of his theories? He's one of our greatest treasures in the world of movies; there's nobody else out there like him. When I worked for Jerry Bruckheimer, I was always reminded of his mantra: I'm in the transportation business. I transport people from one place to another. That's the way he views himself as a producer. Well, Herzog also seems to subscribe to the same basic principle as Bruckheimer in that regard. Herzog always takes you somewhere special and new and completely unique in his films. ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, which is all about Antarctica and the people who live and work there, is another spellbinding addition to his already legendary body of work. And he's finally gotten Academy recognition; the film made the short-list (released yesterday) for Best Documentary at this year's Oscars. After the ridiculous snubbing of GRIZZLY MAN, it would have been beyond insulting not to include Herzog's latest film in the running for the Oscar.