1. Herzog Threatens To Kill Klaus Kinski, Then Himself

"I went up to him, very composed... and said 'You can't do this. The movie is more important than our personal emotions... even more important than our persons and this can't be permitted. This simply will not be!' He said: 'No, I'm leaving now.' I told him I had a rifle ... there'd be eight bullets in his head and the ninth one would be mine. He instinctively knew that this wasn't a joke anymore... he was very disciplined during the last days of shooting."

Klaus Kinski starred in 5 films directed by Werner Herzog. The first - and arguably best - collaboration was 1972's Aguirre, Wrath of God. It could have so easily been left incomplete. That is, if Herzog weren't insane. Kinski was known to routinely fly off the handle, often in reaction to the most minute of problems. One time Kinski threw a fit because some crew members and extras were loudly playing cards in a hut. He reacted the only way he knew how - by going groin-piercingly doolally. He grabbed a gun and shot three times in their direction. Miraculously, no one was killed in the incident - but an extra's finger was blown off. This did not deter Herzog from completing his film. Indeed, the only way Herzog would cease production is if both he and Kinski were killed. Seriously. According to Herzog, as documented in the excellent film My Best Fiend, Kinski suddenly lost his sh*t when the assistant camera man grinned during shooting, and legitimately attempted to abandon the project. Herzog, however, put the kibosh on that. Here's his account of the incident:We'd be disciplined too, Werner. Now go make another movie. Like this list? Let us know in the comments section below.