I first rented this film because I am a fan of Werner Herzog and had a suspicion that this was going to be a mockumentary. I guess that this kind of peaked my curiosity because Herzog seems to be such an unlikely person to be involved in a project like this. Herzog always seemed to be a very serious director and film maker. For me this is what really makes this film interesting. Everybody knows the stereotype of the German director; stern, resolute and at times tyrannical. I don't think that Herzog at any time fitted this stereotype, but he's always came of to me as being a serious film maker. This was different.
The story is that Herzog is brought on a production by Zak Penn. The project is to make a documentary about the Loch Ness Monster. They actually got some pretty qualified people to be involved in it. At first it seems to be really serious. However, things get goofy as Penn tries to make a commercial production out of the endeavor. He brings in a crack pot scientist and a former Playmate who is supposed to be an expert on sonar (the fact that she was wearing an American Flag bikini while setting a sonar sensor in the water should give everyone a hint as to why she was there). Tension builds between Herzog and Penn because of the attempts to turn the documentary into some Hollywood production. The crew begins to realize that the Loch Ness Monster may be real after strange things begin happening to the boat during the production.
All in all, it's pretty funny. Herzog did a good job (even though he was playing himself) and the others were pretty believable too. At times, the jokes seemed a little too set up. At one point, Penn points a flare gun at Herzog's head and orders him to film a fake monster (anyone who has heard about the rumor that Herzog did this to Klaus Kinski should realize that this was too perfect to not have been set up). Penn also makes a joke about dragging a boat over a mountain (Fitzcarraldo joke). They intentionally misspelled expedition (expeditition) on the back of their jump suits for God's sake. At other times, it is much more subtle. The production value had to have been at least decent, even though it is intended to be a B campy movie. If you take it seriously, you're not going to like it.
Oh, and check out the commentary on the DVD. If you didn't believe that this was a fake before, you'll get it after the commentary.
The story is that Herzog is brought on a production by Zak Penn. The project is to make a documentary about the Loch Ness Monster. They actually got some pretty qualified people to be involved in it. At first it seems to be really serious. However, things get goofy as Penn tries to make a commercial production out of the endeavor. He brings in a crack pot scientist and a former Playmate who is supposed to be an expert on sonar (the fact that she was wearing an American Flag bikini while setting a sonar sensor in the water should give everyone a hint as to why she was there). Tension builds between Herzog and Penn because of the attempts to turn the documentary into some Hollywood production. The crew begins to realize that the Loch Ness Monster may be real after strange things begin happening to the boat during the production.
All in all, it's pretty funny. Herzog did a good job (even though he was playing himself) and the others were pretty believable too. At times, the jokes seemed a little too set up. At one point, Penn points a flare gun at Herzog's head and orders him to film a fake monster (anyone who has heard about the rumor that Herzog did this to Klaus Kinski should realize that this was too perfect to not have been set up). Penn also makes a joke about dragging a boat over a mountain (Fitzcarraldo joke). They intentionally misspelled expedition (expeditition) on the back of their jump suits for God's sake. At other times, it is much more subtle. The production value had to have been at least decent, even though it is intended to be a B campy movie. If you take it seriously, you're not going to like it.
Oh, and check out the commentary on the DVD. If you didn't believe that this was a fake before, you'll get it after the commentary.