Werner Herzog hears Paul F Tompkin's Werner Herzog

On a recent episode of Studio 360 www.pri.org/st... Werner sits down and discusses the art of narration, and the host brings up Paul F Tompkin's character, and his famous Yelp Review of Trader Joes

[@crescentfresh8001]

The highest honor as a comedian would be making Werner Herzog laugh and forget about the cold unending abyss that is sentience for a split second.

[@roxxram9151]

Truly something remarkable

[@briancrawford8751]

I love the abyss. I love it against my better judgment.

[@Staunomat]

Simply overwhelming

[@TheHiddenNarrative]

Yessup. Or the overwhelming collective harmony of murder that is nature itself.

[@JustNiceStuff-ux5nz]

the horrifying... miracle... that is thought.

[@2Cerealbox]

Herzog's real voice is actually more exaggerated than the impression.

[@mightisright]

Herzog's voice overs in his documentaries are about the same as that Trader Joe's review. I think he even said "madness reigns" in one of them.

[@fujifilm5127]

Impoæsters

[@billyclifton5710]

Not more exaggerated but real!

[@nicholassullivan1239]

More measured

[@raylder6339]

It’s usually the case, I usually find there’s a tone of nihilism or disappointment in Werner’s voice that you have to nail before you can attempt the Bavarian accent.

[@anonymousLeroy]

"My congratulations" as a reaction to a good impression was the funniest part of this video holy shit

[@seph2967]

Its such a Werner Herzog thing to say lol

[@BigStarRealFamous]

I literally screamed out loud when he said it. I now desperately want to hear PFT hearing Werner Herzog say that.

[@DRPyne89]

What a great compliment to receive.

[@alenaivanov3868]

It's def an ESL thing. Especially if you were taught formal English growing up.. My dad responds to stuff like that with similar phrasing a lot.

[@danb9447]

he is congratulating PFT for the approval that he himself is giving

[@Grimwinn]

There's something wonderful about hearing Werner Herzog say the phrase "That's good stuff"

[@billyclifton5710]

He knows his achievements can withstand some parody and took it with good grace. A classy way to respond

[@brianr6651]

My congratulations

[@Pandameter13]

On Conan's podcast he said "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo" and I agree with Conan that it may the best sound clip ever

[@crotchman]

Up there with him watching skateboarders and going "that was a clean one."

[@joshwhalen17]

"There are many im POSTERS"

[@derrickcarbona9245]

🤣🤣💣

[@majuli8420]

Almost as good as his "unpaid STOOGES". :P

[@zakesters]

I"ll never believe he didn't say it that way _on purpose._

[@cgibabyhand]

impoasters

[@mr.wallace4193]

There are mayny impowsturs 👍

[@lukedodson3267]

Werner Herzog's voice is both soothing and terrifying. Like he's going to kill me, but I'm weirdly okay with it.

[@ilford6x6]

Give in to the inevitable and you'll find peace

[@zakari7-one-1]

The calmest pillow smothering ive ever experienced. And ive had a few.

[@devinthierault]

If he asked me to chop my fingers off I'd do it.

[@Bodudus]

Just being murdered by a man named "Werner Herzog" is... In a way I can't explain... Sort of bad ass?

[@Lethargie55]

He is nice a guy, but its just the German accent that reminds one of the danger.

[@mharbaugh]

Werner sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger doing an impression of Mr. Burns.

[@groverkiinmuppetborn714]

brilliant comparison

[@shamusbob7969]

Holy fucking shit!

[@jabroni3133]

oh...my....fucking.....god......hahahaha i am DEAD bro, i cannot unhear it now

[@param6525]

in other words, Rainier Wolfcastle doing an impression of Mr. Burns

[@patrickwhelpley1745]

McBain!! I still hear his stand up line...”that s the joke”

[@plattipuss1944]

"Madness Reigns" - I had to pause the video and clean the soda I spewed forth from my nostrils on that delivery.

[@thetooginator153]

Plattipuss - I love your avatar! Excellent choice!

[@michaeldilullo8785]

Same!

[@mcoehlrich]

Dude, it gets me everytime

[@natrone2116]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4q6Xmh8odCcq9k

[@wowmachineradio]

The thought of Herzog smiling at Tompkin's Herzog leaves me with a dark pit in my stomach much like one experiences after everything that life requires is exhausted.

[@PeterPhinney]

Use toilet brother.

[@lohphat]

HERZOG-LIKE TYPING DETECTED

[@NormAppleton]

It feels like the cancer eating your flesh as you desperately try to escape the banal and futile parking lot.

[@AConquerorsVendetta]

I would say it is a bright darkness

[@Nozoki]

Paul F Tompkins is criminally under-appreciated by Hollywood. He should be a household name.

[@seymourglass26]

Werner Herzog is somehow the most serious man in the world while also being funny, relatable, and generally down-to-earth and lovable.

[@jeremyhopkins577]

I think that's a German thing.

[@BigRedShadevil]

“That’s good stuff.” High praise from Mr. Herzog. 🥰🥰🥰

[@mossryder]

Coming from Werner Herzog, that's a rave!

[@danalexander2149]

Werner Herzog has a great sense of humor; actually offers thoughtful criticism/critique of Tompkins’ impression/writing. What a great video clip. Tompkins deserves the pride he likely feels.

[@danalexander2149]

Carson Johnny - Werner Herzog feels differently. His opinion is more valuable than yours (and you know it). LOL! 🤣

[@EddieDubs]

Carson Johnny Carson Johnny doesn't like it. 😞

[@Rotinaj37]

His impression was damn near perfect at the beginning

[@AlephYobby]

@Carson Johnny not to mention he does much more accurately alot of the time, this clip i think sacrificed that for comedy of the text

[@SharinganMan]

How thoughtful really is "the accent could be better, but the text is funny"

[@Jack-pw4rz]

It looks like Werner Herzog is holding an action figure

[@mrleedra]

Or Herzog as a ventriloquist holding a dummy of himself.

[@AB-wg7qe]

I wondered whose ass his hand was up!

[@Sahiyena11]

Fuck this cracked me up belly laughing.

[@gatogreensleeves]

OMVoid I want a Werner Herzog action figure!

[@sauercrowder]

He's right about his voice being very distinctive and imitable, at the beginning when he was speaking I thought it was already the impersonation

[@slappy8941]

"Inimitable".

[@sauercrowder]

@@slappy8941 No, "imitable." Thanks though

[@AlephYobby]

@@slappy8941 wow

[@swimsanta3132]

@@slappy8941 oof

[@NormAppleton]

He's a bit like Shatner that way. Careful with praise.

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

Herzog is such an interesting person. Years ago I heard a radio interview with him and he was asked how terrible it must have been for him as a child in Germany during the war. he said no, it was wonderful. There were no adult males to supervise the children. He said he and the other children were like kings and could do anything they wanted and were oblivious to the war consuming the adult's attention. Another thing he mentioned was his style of directing and telling a story compared to American directors. He said the problem with Americans was they had to have every part of the room lit and explored in the story, where he preferred as in nature to have dark hidden and unexplained parts.

[@andijacobsen9148]

Werner Herzog was 3 when the war ended.

[@billyclifton5710]

His single mom mother took him and his siblings from Munich to a village in northern Bavaria to avoid allied bombing during the war. (Munich was bombed over 70 times.)

[@_LilRascal_]

Werzog’s reaction was actually filmed, but the sight of Werner smiling made the film kill itself

[@JapaneseDenim]

The one dislike is Klaus Kinski

[@kaydaw24]

Marry me.

[@shenotski]

The fact that he's dead still hasn't stopped him

[@interfusor]

That kook Kinski, he's only created 9 more youtube accounts in heaven just to dislike it more.

[@ZCAB]

@@interfusor Heaven?

[@willhawthorne]

Kinski's up there frothing at the mouth because his coffee is luke-warm

[@mdnghtanml7164]

Holy shit, I thought it was Paul's impression at first lmao

[@invinciblesticks]

Same, for sure! 😂

[@moeezS]

Same, I thought the whole thing was a bit!

[@AlephYobby]

Is it not??

[@AlephYobby]

@@tronus98 its not the name of the full npr interview is in the description

[@dcauwatchtower]

same

[@baronroaster404]

Paul's gonna love this for sure

[@SgtMuffin]

twitter.com/PFTompkins/status/1129137173012180992

[@happilyham6769]

The first 5 seconds of Paul's impersonation are literally indistinguishable from Werner himself.

[@MaximTendu]

Nah

[@paintb0x]

​@@MaximTenduAmericans are literally blind to their American accents 😅

[@DoodooSwaggy]

No, it literally is not.

[@leofreaking]

@@paintb0x Well, my native language is German and I also thought the start of the impression was spot on. Of course the rest is very exaggerated and falls apart if you wanna be nit-picky, but as long as he kept it measured and soft, he nailed that one.

[@TheMisternyan]

​@@leofreaking I agree, started strong and then started pushing into Arnold "get-to-da-choppa" territory

[@anniehopkins8470]

Aside from the great impression... and the comedy of listening to "Herzog" do a Trader Joe's review... the description of the store as a whole is hysterically funny and accurate. "Though the aisles are wide... it is impossible to avoid physical contact with your fellow shoppers"

[@grandtheftmonkey77]

I love how you can tell he kinda doesn't care about how people characterize him with impressions and all that but he sounds like a good sport and happy to please.

[@sequorroxx]

HOLY SHIT. When he dropped the 'madness reigns' I fucking lost it.

[@glum_hippo]

I cannot get enough of Werner Herzog, long may he prosper

[@cornbredx]

Paul F Tompkin's doing Werner Herzog is legit one of those accents they tell you is "too close" when you do VO work. It's so good!

[@CharlesAmericanus]

I love how he says the accent is a little off, but to me it sounded literally exactly the same.

[@danielbecker5735]

Mr. Herzog is extremely graceful and wise.

[@elchasai]

whoever wrote that yelp review is genius

[@marlinperkins6910]

That impersonation was spot on. Without seeing them I couldn’t tell which was which.

[@TheJoshuamooney]

Tompkins does an excellent Herzog (with the requisite clever humor any good impersonation requires), and Herzog responds to it with the grace that a benevolent egoist is expected to exhibit. Well done all around! (I love 'em both.)

[@charlesmurtaugh3771]

Every time I listen to this I slightly tear up at Herzog congratulating PFT for the success of his impression. "That's good stuff." PFT deserves every award and bit of praise for which he's eligible, but I can't imagine any career achievement hitting more sweetly than that one.

[@uyscuti5376]

I love that Werner has a good sense of humor about it

[@sz5876]

That Trader Joes on Hyperion is the worst ever, total chaos in the parking lot! Edit: Andy Daly was a neighbor one street down on Adams Hill in Glendale for a number of years. I would see him around and talk to him every once in a while, my only regret is that back in 2014 before I moved, I only knew him from Reno 911 and not his incredible podcast work which I literally discovered on my drive to leave California 🙁😱

[@Teeveepicksures]

I fucking hate that place

[@psycold]

My favorite Andy Daly thing was Review with Forrest MacNeil

[@cornbredx]

He's pretty good in everything. The character he did in "A Haunted House" was great, his Rick and Morty stuff (as bit the parts tend to be) are great, his stuff on Mad TV (ya, you remember that! he was on Mad TV like 20 years ago you guys!), etc etc Andy Daly is one of those comedians they don't seem to know what to do with, but everyone knows he's funny. Or maybe he's so cartoonish some people don't like him so he's too "polarizing" - now I'm not sure.

[@ilford6x6]

@@Teeveepicksures you hate Glendale? Why?

[@Teeveepicksures]

@@ilford6x6 Its in Silver Lake and that parking lot is one of the circles of hell and has been for 15+ years

[@mr.peanutbutter6969]

P. F. Tompkins sounds like a great fellow

[@joedunphy5064]

@@smetupp05 lol never got that from him

[@finsfan86]

Mr. Peanutbutter and Werner Herzog? What is this a crossover episode? ... ERICA! How are you looking so beautiful? I'm furious!

[@lesclaypoolonbass9431]

@@smetupp05 lmao I've been listening to comedy bang bang for years. He must be the most undercover dick ever then

[@roebuckmckinney]

I might him once when he was doing a week of shows with Superego in Charleston. I went to two nights. He was super nice to me when I met him the first time and he even remembered my name when he saw me the second night. In my limited experience, he's a really nice guy.

[@mr.peanutbutter6969]

@N N R U I feel like I've read this somewhere else. Seems vaguely familiar. If not what a dick. My orginal comment was because he voices Mr. Peanutbutter.

[@TheGeesetreats]

I have been soooo hoping Werner Herzog would hear Paul F. Tompkins' impression of him, for years. I can't believe this exists.

[@blackcat1642]

THE ACCENT COULD BE BETTER LOOOOOOL

[@odradekk]

PFT: "That's good stuff, let's face it ." (Werner Herzog)

[@blackbird5634]

LOVE IT!!! Werner's got a depth and seriousness but he's clearly a deep enough well to include a sense of self deprecation and humor.

[@SockFullOfCatLitter]

Werner is the man who single-handedly saved Baby Yoda from being CG. Talked the show runners out of it.

[@MrInsaneA]

No he didn’t, just in one shot. Y’all don’t know shit

[@constonks]

in other words, he wanted to see the baby

[@BrokVoekler]

Baby Yoda IS cg

[@thatgreenslime9517]

Wait why do you think it's a puppet

[@wildheart192]

he said, "just use the puppet you cowards!" IIRC

[@bilbo1778]

Hearing "My congratulations" from Werner Herzog would be exactly what you wear hear from Death after beating him in game chess where the stakes were your immortal soul...

[@josephalexander4561]

well said!!

[@crispy6311]

Werner Herzog listening to a man doing a Werner Herzog impression reading a Werner Herzog review..... that's Herzogception.

[@KAWrite26]

Herzog prime probably didn't write it; PFT did.

[@marks.3303]

That was a brilliant. Too often people try to do a Werner Herzog impression by doing a generic German accent or worse, Schwarzenegger's Austrian accent. And of course what he actually says is important too and this is spot on.

[@mistercr0wbar400]

This is Mr. Peanutbutter doing a Herzog impression that's the best part

[@mightyfilm]

Werner Herzog AND Mr. Peanutbutter? What is this? An SNL crossover sketch?

[@BigStarRealFamous]

@@mightyfilm What is this? An SNL crossover sketch for ANTS?

[@toddklempan105]

I think you’re right. Do you know that for sure or only guessing?

[@51516]

The universe is in alignment.

[@JeewanthaBandara]

This is why the internet is wonderful

[@riverc.820]

Paul F. Thompkins is the greatest thing ever!

[@krishall9225]

I'm still not sure this isn't Paul doing Herzog, reacting to Herzog's actual Yelp review.

[@SmokeymcJoint420]

Paul goes a little heavier on the accent that Herzog does.

[@liferiot]

"That's good stuff!" Man, love that guy.

[@mr.mediocregamer9653]

I was at a party in Venice back in 2019, Werner Herzog was there. A crowd had gathered around him and he was describing the audio clip he'd heard of Timothy Treadwell's last moments as he was being killed by the bear. But he was doing it as a comedy bit. The crowd was eating it up. He was like, "The bear, with all the cunning of a fox on opposite day simply walked up to the man's tent and knocked on the door... The man, so enraptured in his own living legend and hubris answered, believing the bear to be a dinner guest at a fancy party. It turned out, he, was the guest of honor... then suddenly the audio changes in pitch and tone to the sound of a Japanese teen being deflowered by a lazy, blind train conductor on his day off. It starts with a yelp of pain, then shouting, almost as though the surprise turns to anger before finally he settles on a whimper... The bear, making nearly no noise at all, though dull, still polite enough not to speak with his mouth full..." It was surreal.

[@darthvestius7771]

Love him on the Mandalorian. Perfect voice and character

[@norwoodeye2580]

"That's good stuff." Tompkins probably swooned when he heard that.

[@MatthiasPowerbomb]

It's so weird to hear Werner Herzog laugh! "What's his name?" Werner asks, thinking "Whoever he is, he won't life to see another sunrise."

[@ZachClossin]

I'd love to hear Christophe Waltz do a Herzog Impression, he's halfway there already.

[@cecilyerker]

That’s not fair they’re both German

[@jeremyroberts9065]

@@cecilyerker Christoph Waltz is Austrian actually. It is admittedly much closer to German than American, but it's not exactly the same thing.

[@AlephYobby]

Other quotes from this interview: *"Sometimes when I come home and am tired, I don't know how to order my thoughts, I switch on crazy cat videos and immediately I am rejuvenated."* *"My wife found a cat that was just about eaten by a coyote. So we took in an orphan."*

[@Campusanis]

I thought you were joking until I listened to the whole thing. WOW

[@PolycultureArt]

@@Campusanis ditto ha ha! www.pri.org/stories/2019-05-16/werner-herzog-art-narration-gorbachev-and-cat-videos

[@gatogreensleeves]

I love both Werner and PFT SO much. Long live RiffTrax too, who've done so many great Werner bits in their riffs!

[@Atarius]

I wish I had done something well enough for Werner Herzog to say "My congratulations".

[@BHallBrowser]

Good comedy, all around. And hats off to Mr Herzog for being able to take a joke!

[@poposterous236]

I remember hearing it for the first time on Andy Daly's podcast and it stuck out even among the sea of incredible comedy that is the Andy Daly Pilot Podcast Project.

[@420JackG]

"Was it the N-word?"

[@seamusburke639]

Also an accurate summation of what it feels like to shop at Trader Joe’s.

[@mattfox6263]

I would give anything to have Werner to actually read the yelp review himself. That would be gold.

[@CVZemo]

I’ve always wanted to see a super-hero movie directed by Werner Herzog. Also, he would narrate it. "...it is at this precise moment that Barry Allen broke through the barrier of his own limitations, and became one with the Speed Force, transcending his very existence." --Werner Herzog's THE FLASH

[@duncanthompson957]

CVZemo I enjoyed your commentary deeply. And indeed feel that you perfectly captured the very heart and spirit and grist, the detailed articulate minutiae, of Mister Herzog's persona and animus in its entirety. You would love his penguins.

[@NemeanLion-]

“Be sure to get the dark chocolate peanut butter cups, they’re right by the register….” 😂😂😂

[@fodsaks]

I lived to hear the sound of Werner Herzog laughing.

[@BenMartinez]

He's such a good guy.

[@thenewf01]

What a great sport about it. "Congratulations" hahaha Excellent

[@spacewolfRIFF]

Damn, everyone’s missing the real lesson of this video. Do not get caught sleeping on those dark chocolate peanut butter cups. 🤤

[@DMegaTronMD]

Or don't get caught sleeping on PFT, he's a fucking genius.

[@exerciserelax8719]

Yummy

[@earlholler7872]

"I was in prison in Siberia. I spent my first winter wearing a dead mans coat. A hole in one pocket. I chewed these fingers off before the frostbite could turn gangrene. These I gave up to avoid working in the sulfur mines. That is how I survived when so many others didnt."

[@sheykumar1152]

From where did y get this

[@earlholler7872]

@@sheykumar1152 Jack Reacher

[@dreamquesttv]

@@earlholler7872 Playing the character of "Werner Herzog".

[@jack_k2136]

A good sport; Werner is someone with whom I would like to sit and have coffee.

[@derekmartin518]

Paul F Tompkins is a national treasure.

[@lesclaypoolonbass9431]

one of the guys I would be legitimately upset if he ever gets canceled for a joke or something. Same with Scotty Auks

[@derekmartin518]

@@lesclaypoolonbass9431 PFT seems like a stand up guy. I don't think we need to worry about that.

[@lesclaypoolonbass9431]

@@derekmartin518 ya I doubt that would happen

[@ethanpost9774]

At the beginning I thought that was PFT lmao

[@user-jv7ig6ie5b]

Me too!!

[@kidv2]

Aww his reaction is awfully sweet😀

[@ThreeToesofFury]

OMG....ive heard Paul do this bit for YEARS....ive always wondered if it would somehow, someday, make it to the real Werner. THANKS FOR SHARING. I looooooove the Werner was so down with it. Briliant.

[@Spongebathe830]

I repeatedly listen to this

[@mshef140]

Madness reigns

[@reverendrobertparsimony8475]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@ZERO_O7X]

"Werner Herzog Ecounters the Trader Joes on Hyperion" is one of the funniest bits I've ever heard.

[@derrickcarbona9245]

This guy sounds like a legend! Both vocally and personality wise.

[@SmokeymcJoint420]

You should do a bit of research on him....because he is a legendary.

[@seymourglass26]

Well, then the package matches the reality, because this dude is almost-beyond-description legendary.

[@yake222]

I love Paul F Tompkin so much

[@makinoahcelloduo9008]

That's clever writing.

[@cbaile]

"That's good stuff."

[@stephanclemens2348]

The introduction is spot on and probably as close as one can get, from the point on the review starts it stops sounding like Herzog. Does the guys do Arnold too? There was a hint of Arnold Accent in some parts for me

[@used-bmw-money2966]

He doesn't do Arnold, but it isn't an impersonation, so the accent doesnt matter so much... it is more a caricature because he does extended improv pieces as the character. Look him up on Comedy Bang Bang podcast...

[@jensdroessler3575]

I love Werner Herzogs voice. So recognizable, so expressive while being not expressive at all. And all that while his English isn't perfect...

[@JasonHoningford]

Thanks for making me think I have a bad pixel on my screen!

[@abab3050]

This is unbelievable, amazing!

[@MrElliotc02]

We love Werner.

[@YourNewBuddy]

Wow! That is amazing! Cool that he laughed and enjoyed it.

[@mon0theist_tv]

PFT doing Werner Herzog on Doug Loves Movies was the best. I didn't realize it wasn't actually Werner for the longest time

[@younahmsayin]

This made my day

[@NaaimSiddiqi]

I searched for this clip and was surprised to see that it was posted by someone I know!

[@brianthomas2434]

Having seen and heard this, there is very little reason to keep living.

[@ScreaminSavior]

That's actually an incredible impersonation.

[@Agoonga]

Is that Paul as Werner reviewing himself while in character?

[@jackwood8307]

I just came to like him even more. He has a great sense of humor!

[@ingo_cutbirth]

So glad he was a good sport about it.

[@julian9898]

That's awesome that he's such a good sport about it

[@chenzenzo]

I do a spot on impression of Werner.

[@pixelartiste1]

"..My congratulations" Perhaps sounds like Verner just signed your death warrant, Jack F. Reacher

[@duncanthompson957]

What a lovely man. And brilliant actor! For a director (or actor).

[@ryanfwood]

I've always hoped I'd get to see this reaction.