This is a very short piece by the director of Crawlspace (1986) in which he echos pretty much the same sentiment as Herzog did in My Best Fiend. Crawlspace was done right before Cobra Verde (1987), a movie that Herzog in fact seriously threatened to shoot Kinski if he left the set. He was totally out of control and roundly hated by the crew. Herzog mentions how he found out the local crew was planning to kill Kinski at one point, if I recall correctly. So to say that this film is not fully justified is ridiculous.
Warning - possible spoiler: In the end of the film Schmoeller states that he really wished he could have eulogized Kinski more, and he does so here. Despite all his unpleasantness, he was interesting to watch. It is fortunate, too, that Kinski had people to direct him, much as he hated the idea, because his own film Paganini is a mess and might have been salvageable without endless gratuitous shots showcasing Kinski playing Paganini but acting like Kinski. Herzog got the best out of Kinski, because he was not professional enough to subsume his ego into the making of the movie if he could bully enough people, therefore he acted mostly in crap pictures after his relation with Herzog ended, because he would do most any role if given enough money. An interesting comparison might be made with the longer film made by Harry Kumel that is included on one DVD of Malpertius about Orson Welles. Welles was another difficult person to work with, but unlike Kinski, just when everything was about to go under due to Welles being difficult, he showed up and ran through everything just like the director wanted. This is the difference between a true professional and an egotist. Also abusing people and cursing at them is never a good thing regardless of how "great" an actor, director, or anyone else thinks they are. This is a little gem by Schmoeller.
Incidentally I pretty much hated Crawlspace, but I believe his much earlier film Tourist Trap (1978 on the film credits) would have been as big a hit as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) but for marketing problems, and would be now considered more of a classic than it is. So the other reviewer who needlessly slurred Schmoeller's name by including this in their denunciation should know few would agree with that assessment of his film. It is also low to slander someone with remarks about their presumed sexual orientation (which I know nothing about and don't want to), so if that's the level one has to stoop to comment about this harmless amusing film then one should get their head examined. Like Kinski maybe should have.
Warning - possible spoiler: In the end of the film Schmoeller states that he really wished he could have eulogized Kinski more, and he does so here. Despite all his unpleasantness, he was interesting to watch. It is fortunate, too, that Kinski had people to direct him, much as he hated the idea, because his own film Paganini is a mess and might have been salvageable without endless gratuitous shots showcasing Kinski playing Paganini but acting like Kinski. Herzog got the best out of Kinski, because he was not professional enough to subsume his ego into the making of the movie if he could bully enough people, therefore he acted mostly in crap pictures after his relation with Herzog ended, because he would do most any role if given enough money. An interesting comparison might be made with the longer film made by Harry Kumel that is included on one DVD of Malpertius about Orson Welles. Welles was another difficult person to work with, but unlike Kinski, just when everything was about to go under due to Welles being difficult, he showed up and ran through everything just like the director wanted. This is the difference between a true professional and an egotist. Also abusing people and cursing at them is never a good thing regardless of how "great" an actor, director, or anyone else thinks they are. This is a little gem by Schmoeller.
Incidentally I pretty much hated Crawlspace, but I believe his much earlier film Tourist Trap (1978 on the film credits) would have been as big a hit as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) but for marketing problems, and would be now considered more of a classic than it is. So the other reviewer who needlessly slurred Schmoeller's name by including this in their denunciation should know few would agree with that assessment of his film. It is also low to slander someone with remarks about their presumed sexual orientation (which I know nothing about and don't want to), so if that's the level one has to stoop to comment about this harmless amusing film then one should get their head examined. Like Kinski maybe should have.