Sina's favorites : Udo Kier

He is the master of horror, the actor that gives every character that "creepy" flair. And he also is one of the only few actors who made it in Hollywood. Even Warhol was fascinated by him and dedicated him main roles in his movies. He is Udo Kier.

You all have seen him in one or another movie. You all know his face and you can name a few movies you liked him in. But he is one of the "It's that guy again"-faces. But Udo Kier surely doesn't worry about it. Around 180 movie parts made him an honoured and well known actor in Hollywood, even though young Udo had not really planned on getting famous. In the late 60s when Udo started up he caught roles because he was a nice looking young guy and it wasn't Hollywood he was heading to. In the early 70s that changed when Warhol dedicated his movies "Blood for Dracula" and "Flesh for Frankenstein" to the German actor. And it was unwritten law that everyone who was in touch with Warhol had to be good. In the 80s Madonna showed interest for him doing her "Sexbook". Schlingensief did most of his movies with him and Uwe Boll discovered him for his video games adaptations. 180 movies and 40 years later Udo Kier confesses that he also did a few bad roles but why would he bother when all those movies made him a star.

Unfortunately Udo Kier is also famous for negative news such as being drunk already when he comes to a party, leaving interviews because he doesn't like the questions ect. but actually that shouldn't keep anyone from showing respect to 40 years of acting and working with the big ones.

(from the movie "My own private Idaho" we reviewed earlier)

My personal Top 5 roles:

• Masters of horror - Carpenter's 'cigarette burns'
  
• Blade
  
• One point 0
  
• Gate to heaven
  
• Flesh for Frankenstein
  

Editor's note:

Dear Udo,

stop the drinking. Concentrate on your work and if you are tired of that on your art collections. I know it's harsh to say but I'm tired of hearing of your antics on various parties. Is a life as a movie star really that hard to take? You got your dogs, you got your houses, your lamps, your art, your furniture. And you got hella lot talent. Don't ya waste it and better provide us with some new blockbusters!

I'm still plannin on dedicating one of my exhibitions to you, maybe in 09, so keep up the great work, Udo!

Greetz from one of ya biggest fans and from Leipzig

My own private Idaho - The road that never ends

"My own private Idaho" is a movie that takes some interpretation instead of a straight review so well let me tell you the story from my point of view:

There is this guy, Mike, with his best friend Scott. They both work in street-prostitution even though only one would have to. Scott actually comes from a rich family and could live a better life if he wouldn't stick to Mike who on the other hand is kinda secretly in love with his best friend - we just dont find out if these boys are actually gay. They sell themselfs to everyone, rich guys, bored housewifes and perverts, everyone who would stop his car.

Mike suffers from narcolepsy and everytime something gets too exiting or nervous he just falls asleep and his friend has to carry him around. Mike decides to find his mother he always dreams of but who left a long time ago. He gets on the track to follow her through states and even countries, in the end left behind alone when Scott at his 21st birthday decides to get back to his safe and rich life instead of the streetlife he lived for a few years.

"My own private Idaho" is a movie to philosophize about, watch it a few times and you still do understand some more about it. In time I realized that it actually is shot like a stageplay, the scenes are a bit too surreal from time to time and Gus Van Sant worked with alot of movie-uncommon aspects.

The cast is great. We got Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix as maincharacters and Udo Kier, James Russo and William Richert next to them. This probably is one of the 2, 3 movies I find Keanu Reeves good acting in. He usually gives a movie that "dumb"-feeling, at least thats my point of view, for example as Johnny Mnemonic. But yeah in this one right here he did some very good acting!

And although the movie was shot in '91 you may get the feeling you are looking on a very latest piece of movie history. I totally recommend you to watch it!

Short rev: Gate to heaven

Nisha works as cleaner at the airport, and would like to be a stewardess, where she meets Alexej whos an illegal immigrant trying to get a fake passport by working for a dubious guy - and would love to be a pilot. They fall in love but Nisha has a problem. In India shes still married to a guy from who she escaped because he beated her up but she had to leave her little son behind and now wants to take him with her to Germany. Alexej tries to help and also Mr. Nowak, a kinda boss at the airport, offers help.

"Gate to heaven" was produced in 2003 and is a total German production with a bit of a Bollywood flair inside the hard reality of illegal immigrants with no chance on a visa. Great performances of Valeri Nikolayev and Masumi Makhija and Udo Kier as Nowak make this movie a must see - but beware if you dont like romantic comedy movies you will find it quiet boring.