Click here for the review of Into the Abyss

SPOILERS must be tagged with the "SPOILER" tag!

Was not expecting this after the flurry of good reviews this movie has been receiving. However, the subject matter always appeared to be more suitable to a television news program. Also, how can this movie compare to fictional films that revolve around capital punishment, such as "Dead Man Walking," "A Short Film about Killing," and "In Cold Blood."

JB never reviewed Encounters at the End of the World, did he? I'm interested to know what he thought of that one. I recently saw it and loved it, and only partially because of the Herzog craziness.

That is a really good documentary and one that warranted the big screen treatment. It also has my favorite depiction of a penguin thus far in a film (Jory, you must know what I'm talking about).

The one that kept walking away from the group?

That was sad beyond description.

It was simultaneously tragic and awe-inspiring in a way only hereof can capture. To quote manohla dargis, the penguin is a "herzogian creature that may trouble your dreams."

What really troubled me was the penguin expert who said that even if you picked up the penguin and put him back on the right track, he would keep breaking away and going in the wrong direction. I often get depressed watching wildlife movies and TV shows because everybody agrees not to interfere with nature, but here, knowing that there was nothing that anyone could possibly do was horrifying. It's just about the saddest fucking thing I've ever seen in a movie. Not just because it's an innocent animal and doesn't understand, but it makes you think of people who go down a wrong path and just keep going no matter what you do in an attempt to help.

Although his Antarctica movie was not my favorite, any Herzog documentary is a must-see in my book. I really loved Grizzly Man. Here is the story of a guy who is either a complete idiot, or a raving maniac, or both. Herzog doesn't give away his opinion, but lets you make up your own mind.

I'm keen to see this movie because although I'm against any form of capital punishment, no matter the crime, I'm absolutely fascinated by the many ways in which people have been punished and executed throughout history (and the reasons why).

You'll love the Fred Allen segment, which comes during the final third. It's easily the best part of the film and probably the only claim INTO THE ABYSS can make toward uniqueness. The rest of it really has a "seen it before" feel to it. Maybe I spent too many hours watching 48 HOURS MYSTERY to fall asleep.

Any idea what the distribution of this movie is like? Considering they only showed 'Straw Dogs' for a week over here...

As usual, I'm late in seeing this. Movies like this never show up in theaters in my neck of the woods, but it's now available on Netflix streaming.

With all due respect, I have to disagree with JB on this one. I found this to be a compelling documentary. Surprisingly, the film is by no means simple anti-capital punishment propaganda. Although Herzog clearly states his opposition to capital punishment, he lets his subjects express their own opinions. The last word on the subject came from the daughter/sister of two of the victims (to whom Herzog dedicated the film), who expressed her relief at the execution of her family's killer.

The movie is principally about the dark underbelly of Conroe, Texas, and the sad lives of a set of uneducated and violent people. Herzog is slow to reveal the details of these lives, and the film constantly surprised me as more of these details were revealed.

While the film is not perfect (for example, it left out a lot of details about the life of Michael Perry, the guy on death row), Herzog's ability to bring out frank and honest responses from his subjects once again created a memorable experience.