A short and humorous look at one (of many) director's travails of working with the difficult Klaus Kinski. Schmoeller speaks directly to camera about his experiences on the film Crawlspace and intercuts his commentary with clips of Kinski in full nutter mode. Being a huge Kinski fan myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this little portrait of his insanity. However, it should be enjoyable to most film fans as it is succinct, witty and, best of all, true.
7 Reviews
The director speaks.
poolandrews30 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Please Kill Mr. Kinski is a short nine minute documentary/interview written, edited & directed by filmmaker David Schmoeller who also happens to be the interviewee as he talks about his not that great experience making the horror film Crawlspace (1986) in Italy & in particular the problems he had with the notoriously difficult Klaus Kinski.
Now, first of all I have to mention that I just saw Crawlspace the film under discussion here not more than a couple of hours ago & was intrigued by the sound of this so found it on a certain video sharing website & took a look at it.
It's clear that Klaus Kinski hated director's & was well know for getting rid of them (having them fired or making them quit) but Schmoeller relects that while he wanted to fire Kinski & the Italian producer wanted to kill him for the insurance money while the crew wanted him dead simply because he was a horrible man he was determined to stick it out & finish his film, which evidently he did as I just saw it.
Brisk, fairly amusing & with behind the scenes footage that seems to back Schmoeller up this is an excellent little documentary to watch after you have seen Crawlspace the film proper before, which I did. You wouldn't want to see it again & it's nice to see & hear Schmoeller give Kinski a lot of credit at the end & still have the graciousness to call him wonderful despite the problems Kinski caused for him. If someone is a complete tw*t to you in real life & in particular at work most people wouldn't give them the time of day ever again so it's nice the documentary ends on a positive.
The perfect companion piece to Crawlspace, why the hell didn't MGM stick it on their DVD as an extra? Good for what it is but that's all it is, a one time watch & nothing more & since Kinski is, well, dead he doesn't have the right of reply.
Now, first of all I have to mention that I just saw Crawlspace the film under discussion here not more than a couple of hours ago & was intrigued by the sound of this so found it on a certain video sharing website & took a look at it.
It's clear that Klaus Kinski hated director's & was well know for getting rid of them (having them fired or making them quit) but Schmoeller relects that while he wanted to fire Kinski & the Italian producer wanted to kill him for the insurance money while the crew wanted him dead simply because he was a horrible man he was determined to stick it out & finish his film, which evidently he did as I just saw it.
Brisk, fairly amusing & with behind the scenes footage that seems to back Schmoeller up this is an excellent little documentary to watch after you have seen Crawlspace the film proper before, which I did. You wouldn't want to see it again & it's nice to see & hear Schmoeller give Kinski a lot of credit at the end & still have the graciousness to call him wonderful despite the problems Kinski caused for him. If someone is a complete tw*t to you in real life & in particular at work most people wouldn't give them the time of day ever again so it's nice the documentary ends on a positive.
The perfect companion piece to Crawlspace, why the hell didn't MGM stick it on their DVD as an extra? Good for what it is but that's all it is, a one time watch & nothing more & since Kinski is, well, dead he doesn't have the right of reply.
Bittersweet Tribute To A Great Actor
ladymidath8 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I am a huge fan of Klaus Kinski and I love his films, but there is no getting away from it, the man was a nightmare to work with. Werner Herzog once threatened to shoot Kinski on the set of Aquirre: The Wrath of God. It was well known that the actor as difficult as he could be, was a genius when it came to acting. Schmoeller retells the story of working with Kinski on Crawlspace,a 1980's horror movie and it is humorous, but at the end, he does admit to Kinski being a compelling actor. As difficult and antagonistic as he was, he elevated what could have been an average slasher to something much better. The short film tells an amusing story and in it's own way, helps to keep a great actor's legacy alive.
Both a wry humorous (and true) story and a tribute
orvuus31 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Great Fun
Michael_Elliott29 February 2008
Please Kill Mr. Kinski (1999)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
How many director's wanted to kill him?
Funny short film from director David Schmoeller about his one film with Klaus Kinski. Kinski was known to hate directors and Schmoeller talks about them two making the horror film Crawlspace and how his crew was personally asking him to kill the actor. There's some very funny footage of Kinski being interviewed and venting about directors.
If you're a fan of Kinski then this is a must see.
Available on DVD through Troma.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
How many director's wanted to kill him?
Funny short film from director David Schmoeller about his one film with Klaus Kinski. Kinski was known to hate directors and Schmoeller talks about them two making the horror film Crawlspace and how his crew was personally asking him to kill the actor. There's some very funny footage of Kinski being interviewed and venting about directors.
If you're a fan of Kinski then this is a must see.
Available on DVD through Troma.
Trying to be humorous, but falls a little short.
DhavalVyas13 September 2006
This is a short 9-minute filmed made by a horror director who looks back on his experience when he made a film with international star Klaus Kinski. The film was called 'Crawlspace', and it was yet another junk film Kinski made for the sake of making money. The director is trying hard to be funny, but the film isn't that funny. It is a little interesting to see how Kinski acted behind the camera. He was well-known for being very hard to work with. His ego is prevalent within the first minute of the film when he talks about how "allergic" he is with other directors. Enough though he was a talented actor, did Kinski really need to act like this? He looks exactly like one of those stereotypical snobby actors who walks with his nose in the air. Maybe that is not important. We the audience should only care of what is the final product on the screen.
Schmoeller the ingrate
UncleBobMartin25 April 2008
Scmoeller's first film was "Tourist Trap," a bit of hackwork for producer Charlie Band, starring Chuck "The Rifleman" Connors, made in 1978.
Over the last 30 years, the only seconds of Schmoeller film I have seen that have not been a total waste of my time, are the few minutes Kinski spent on-screen in the course of "Crawlspace." Schmoeller has no gift for directing actors, as clearly demonstrated by any of his films. That the abundantly talented Kinski should resent that his gift would be filtered through Schmoeller's myopic directorial vision is no surprise.
That Schmoeller should elect to assassinate Kinski 8 years after his death, and 13 years after making "Crawlspace," is unfathomable, except as an act of Lilliputian spite against an artistic giant. Perhaps the filmmaker realized that his films without Kinski were monumentally uninteresting. hence this vanity piece as an attempt to jump-start his stalled career.
Herzog had no less difficulty with Kinski. But he was always grateful for the opportunity to capture Kinski's living fire on film. Schmoeller seems oblivious to this gift.
Here, Schmoeller comes off as a raging queen -- not that it matters whether he is gay, but he seems totally unaware that he comes off as a stereotype that even most gays find annoying. Perhaps this lack of self-awareness is a key to what he lacks as a filmmaker?
Over the last 30 years, the only seconds of Schmoeller film I have seen that have not been a total waste of my time, are the few minutes Kinski spent on-screen in the course of "Crawlspace." Schmoeller has no gift for directing actors, as clearly demonstrated by any of his films. That the abundantly talented Kinski should resent that his gift would be filtered through Schmoeller's myopic directorial vision is no surprise.
That Schmoeller should elect to assassinate Kinski 8 years after his death, and 13 years after making "Crawlspace," is unfathomable, except as an act of Lilliputian spite against an artistic giant. Perhaps the filmmaker realized that his films without Kinski were monumentally uninteresting. hence this vanity piece as an attempt to jump-start his stalled career.
Herzog had no less difficulty with Kinski. But he was always grateful for the opportunity to capture Kinski's living fire on film. Schmoeller seems oblivious to this gift.
Here, Schmoeller comes off as a raging queen -- not that it matters whether he is gay, but he seems totally unaware that he comes off as a stereotype that even most gays find annoying. Perhaps this lack of self-awareness is a key to what he lacks as a filmmaker?
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