50a. Fitzcarraldo

(29 points, 2 lists of 24, highest ranking: #4 George Harrison)
Release date: West Germany, March 4 1982
USA October 10 1982
Directed by: Werner Herzog
From IMDB: The story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an extremely determined man who intends to build an opera house in the middle of a jungle.
My take:
An inspiring tale of a guy who wants to bring an opera house to a small Peru village. Really? Opera, one of the most boring goddamn forms of entertainment ever made? I think these people would have gotten more interest and culture out of a Punch and Judy show.
But no, he gets the bright idea to PULL A STEAMERSHIP over land. I wonder how many poor workers died so some fat chick in a Viking helmet can belt out indecipherable singing.
What have we learned?
Being a Rubber Baron is a real thing, not the setup for a porn parody.
Portage is only funny when it's done by an old timey comedy group, or a small red robot.
Holy crap, somebody actually parodied Fitzcarraldo! Metalocalypse episode "Dethcarraldo":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmaV3xXiDZ0Remake: The trailer for Les Mis looks well done, so I would give that director, Tom Hooper a chance to do something epic and a period piece again.
Maybe have it be about a movie theater instead of opera, and have James Franco star. Or if you want to go middle aged, Brendon Frasier.