4. Werner Herzog
Regularly coming top of '
Craziest Directors' lists, Werner Herzog's difficult nature is best encapsulated in his relationship with bug-eyed actoring maniac Klaus Kinski ('best fiends' Herzog and Kinski fought often, the pinnacle being the time Herzog threatened to shoot Kinski dead if he tried to leave the set of Aguirre, Wrath of God). But Herzog's madness doesn't begin and end with Kinski - the man has put other actors through extreme trials (Christian Bale was submerged into torture devices and dragged behind buffalo for Rescue Dawn), as well as extras (Fitzcarraldo's steamship-lugging natives could've been crushed at any moment) and crew (Herzog quickly assembled a crew and headed to an active volcano for documentary La Soufriere, knowing full well the volcano was about to erupt). Just being AROUND Herzog is dangerous - see the
footage in which he came under gunfire during an interview with Mark Kermode, or the time Joaquin Phoenix suffered a terrible car accident and Herzog
swooped in to save the actor. Crazy must just be able to smell when crazy is in trouble.