Kinski, Cozzi, and Caminito: NOSFERATU IN VENICE (1988), PAGANINI HORROR (1989), and WHITE HUNTER (1990).
Sometimes, when doing even cursory research on some of the key figures involved in a film, one discovers a thread in which the careers of two or three figures happened to intersect at different times, and it’s an especially strange coincidence that all three figures named in the above header – Klaus Kinski, Luigi Cozzi, and Augusto Caminito – are connected through prior professional associations which collided with one giant turd, Nosferatu in Venice (1988), the disastrous attempt at crafting a sequel to Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake of Nosferatu.
Klaus Kinski in NOSFERATU IN VENICE (1988).
According to a lengthy and highly informative career interview with the French website Narnarland.com, Caminito’s efforts to bring his Nosferatu sequel to life came nearly 10 years after the original’s release, it went through several directors (including combustible star Kinski), and had Cozzi do some second unit direction after producer Caminito took over direction to save a mess arguably ignited by Kinski.
Very loud noises upsetting the heroines in Luigi Cozzi’s PAGANINI HORROR (1989).
Cozzi’s original role was as visual effects supervisor, but he filmed several scenes in Venice, including a character’s tumble from a bell tower. Nosferatu also co-starred Donald Pleasence, and when Cozzi’s biopic of famed Italian violinist / composer Paganini fell through, he pitched a supernatural thriller titled Paganini Horror, which featured some of the locations used in Nosferatu in Venice, and Pleasence as a demonic peddler of cursed music.
Klaus Kinski, the Great White Hunter in GRANDI CACCIATORI (1990).
One would assume the failure and troubled production both Kinski and Caminito experienced in making their bungled vampire sequel would’ve caused the two to part ways, but they subsequently collaborated on what is often regarded as Kinski’s last formal film, Paganini / aka Kinski Paganini (1989), in which the film’s star / director / editor / writer played the violinist, and yet Grandi Cacciatori / White Hunter (1990) followed, with Caminito directing and producing, and Kinski reteaming with Nosferatu in Venice’s co-star Yorgo Voyagis, after which the shrieking, fiery-eyed enigma passed away in 1991.
Kinski had in fact appeared in 6 films produced by Caminito, going back to Grand Slam (1967), A qualsiasi prezzo (1968), and The Ruthless Four (1968), so one can presume the producer had a good sampling of the star’s temperament, and perhaps shared a special affinity for Kinski’s manic energy which more often than not transcends generic and substandard material.
Case in point: Jess Franco’s Count Dracula (1970), which is another intriguing but sloppily made production that offers a few solid bouts of energy, including short scenes with Kinski as (who else?) Renfield.
Thanks for reading,
Mark R. Hasan, Editor
KQEK.com
Category: EDITOR'S BLOG
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