12 Creepiest Stories About Famous Movie Directors

4. Werner Herzog Plotted To Murder Insane Lead Actor Klaus Kinski

The Story: During the filming of Werner Herzog's 1982 classic Fitzcarraldo, the cast and crew had to put up with legendary maniac Klaus Kinski's erratic behaviour, such as raging about the quality of the food on the set. His actions offended the local tribesmen so much that a local chief actually offered to murder Kinski for Herzog. Herzog declined though reportedly considered giving the order.

And this isn't even the first time Herzog pondered taking Kinski out either. He pulled a gun on him on the set of 1972's Aguirre, the Wrath of God when he threatened to walk, and Herzog also attempted to burn Kinski's house down on one occasion, though Kinski was saved by his dog, who attacked Herzog.

Creep-O-Meter: 8/10

Because not everything on this list has to be about sexual abuse and general perviness, here's a little old-fashioned murder. Now, there are plenty of reasons to murder someone, and frankly, a lot of people wanted to kill Kinski during the 80s, but even so, this is a disturbingly unhealthy creative partnership, considering the two collaborated on five films through the 70s and 80s. The results are magnificent and speak for themselves, but was all that psychological torment really worth it? Herzog probably thinks so.