The Wild Blue Yonder
January 19th, 2007
Only Werner Herzog would attempt to remake 2001: A Space Odyssey as documentary. Brad Dourif plays an alien stranded on earth; Roswell and microbes are involved somehow, and NASA footage is slyly repurposed to illustrate a space mission to his home planet. Real-life mathematicians explain how to slingshot around planets, and for the exploration of Dourif’s home world, Herzog uses gorgeous imagery from an ice dive. Narrative is kept to a minimum; it’s all just an excuse to show people floating through bizarre black and blue environments–which is something I can watch for hours, especially if it’s after midnight.
The Wild Blue Yonder. Werner Herzog, 2005. ***
[tags]film, 3 stars, werner herzog, nasa, aliens, diving, space, mathematicians, science, brad dourif, blue, light, ice, jellyfish, scifi, documentary[/tags]
January 20th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Yeah, I really wanted to see this in the theater but didn’t get my act together (I better hustle to Children of Men and Pan’s Labrynth . . .I’m a little behind right now) Glad to know this is out on DVD — though I bet this is the type of thing that’ll pop up at BAM or Anthology or IFC or something in the next little while if I keep my eyes open.