Werner Herzog’s plans to recreate the Chauvet Caves in France…outside of the caves.

I can't even make this stuff up anymore:

(click here to see the video series in which I play Herzog)

There is a plan to re-create the cave outside in some sort of what I called the Disneyland version. Since nobody’s going to be allowed in the cave, they will replicate the entire cave. They’ll replicate the paintings on the walls. And there was even a plan to re-create, in our imagination, the scent inside of the cave. Which means maybe some carrion of rotting cave bears, some fire, some … resins. I’ve found a master perfumer who fantasize[s] wildly about how the odor may have been 32,000 years ago. However, when you are entering there, it is slightly humid. There’s no significant traces of any smell of anything significant in there.

— Werner Herzog’s plans to recreate the Chauvet Caves in France…outside of the caves.

(via nprfreshair)

For more, see the 'Interview Highlights section here: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/20/135516812/herzog-enters-the-cave-of-forgotten-dreams

-WM

Liberty Call.

Spent several hours aboard this ship yesterday morning for work. She's 1 of the 2 remaining Liberty ships that are seaworthy, out of a fleet of 2700 made. They were designed & built--all of them-- within 12-18 months. All for the American War effort in WW 2. Can you imagine that undertaking today? This one was made in 52 days, I think, & made 11 trips between Britain & Normandy on-and-following D-Day. Each ship was designed to last 5 years. This one returned to Normandy for the 50th anniversary of D-Day, the only ship present for the original event that returned. As a former World War II junkie (in 8th grade), I enjoyed every minute of it, even when just standing around, with the ship rocking back and forth.

I played a Morse Code operator, was instructed by one of the ship's current custodian, and helped a certain tall, blonde Australian actress send a message in one scene. It was fun.

Look for Hemingway & Gelhorn on HBO sometime next year.