A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Incident at Loch Ness

Date of original theatrical release: 2004

Details:

Werner Herzog

Kitana Baker (yes, the Playboy Playmate of the Month, second billing)

Gabriel Beristain

Russell Williams

David A. Davidson

Michael Karnow

Robert O'Meara

Zak Penn

Steven Gardner

John Bailey

Director: Zak Penn

Score: -1/2

The Review: Mockumentaries have a hoary and sacred history, exemplified (for me) by Rob Reiner's This is Spinal Tap: irreverent, occasionally silly, usually quite funny. Incident at Loch Ness has essentially none of these redeeming characteristics, and when it's not boring, it wallows in reflexive Hollywood-ism.

This bizarre independent film-within-a-film starts off as John Bailey filming a documentary "Herzog in Wonderland" in digital video about the idiosyncratic director Werner Herzog, and then becomes layered as we watch Herzog and his producer Penn hie off to Scotland to film "The Enigma of Loch Ness" on celluloid. Painfully embarrassing interviews, everyone is playing themselves (many are moderately well-known directors, cinematographers, sound men), idiotic cryptozoologic pseudo-consulting, minimal acting (ahhh, it's supposed to be a documentary!), monotonic moody score (Lohner), no interesting scenery (an amazing oversight, considering they were on the edge of the beautiful Scottish Highlands), no local color, and two (yes, two different) Nessies (don't ask!). It looks like it was filmed a few feet from the pier at Fort Augustus instead of off Drumnadrochit near Urquhart Castle, where many of the past sightings were located. Much of what would make this an attractive film has been totally ignored.

Even though I am attracted to anything even vaguely related to Loch Ness, this reminded me more of the Blair Witch Project, but (thankfully) not quite as bad. But there's still nothing to recommend it.

(11-Mar-06)

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