ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary Encounters at the End of the World currently rates an impressive 8.8 at IMDB, with an extended run at the Film Forum. Owen Gleiberman gave it an A at Entertainment Weekly. So really, is there anything I can add to the chorus of cheers for the film, which I also enjoyed?

Well, as a longtime admirer of Ross McElwee, I was struck by how similar Herzog's film is to McElwee's films. Mind you, I'm not criticizing Herzog or suggesting that the approaches are anything close to identical. (McElwee tends to be more of a presence in his movies.) I'm just noting that both Herzog and McElwee document their fascinating journeys and the unusual people they meet in the style of a wryly humorous memoir-film with extremely serious undertones. It's an appealing formula, pulled off very well by both directors.

Here's a trailer for Herzog's Encounters.



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And here's a selection from McElwee's Sherman's March. It isn't a perfect illustration of the point I'm making, but it's pretty interesting in its own right.



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GRINDHOUSE! I've been really saddened about the jeering and handwringing and second-guessing over Grindhouse's "disappointing" box office. I saw the movie last week and, like loads of other people, I had a blast! At the time of this posting, Grindhouse has scored a whopping 8.3 out of 10 at IMDB, where it's ranked the 122nd-best movie ever--right between The Sixth Sense and Annie Hall, and way better than Fellini's La Strada (242), Truffaut's The 400 Blows (243), and Franklin J. Schaffner's Planet of the Apes (247). Impressive!

Of course, I realize that Grindhouse isn't for everyone's taste. Basically, you've got to have some tolerance for gory zombie flicks to sit through Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, the first of the two movies in this pseudo double-bill. If you can get over that one bloody hump (with or without a vomit bag--BYI), you're set to get a kick out of the whole package!

Now, there's just one other consideration for those going to see Grindhouse: the total length. Like a lot of movies these days, it's long, clocking in at more than 3 hours. The good news is that you get your money's worth; the bad news is that (also like a lot of movies these days), Grindhouse is something of an endurance test due to its lack of an intermission. Sure, there's a faux intermission between Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's relatively tame but still clever car stalker flick Death Proof, but it's filled with faux trailers you might not want to miss. Which could leave you and your bladder struggling with the dilemma of figuring out when to pee.

I suspect Tarantino might have been very aware of the potentially urgent peeing predicament--Death Proof has a couple-three moments that seem to indicate as much. Yet, in this age of YouTube, I think I've got a decent, um, solution to the problem--the intermission trailers themselves! There's a little more to the intermission material, but if you must take a bathroom break between the main features, at least you won't miss the following.



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My other Grindhouse tip: For the full experience, make sure you see it in a theater where people will be likely to call out jokes and such. If necessary, bring your own posse for this purpose. (I saw it on 42nd Street, for old time's sake.)

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING My favorite trailer is Don't.