5 SPOT: Underrated and Overlooked Film Scores

Grizzly Man (2005)

Jim O'Rourke and Richard Thompson in Grizzly Man Sessions

And speaking of being eaten alive… coming from director Werner Herzog, a man who is known for his litany of documentaries with varied subjects and perpetual heavy focus, Grizzly Man may be his most notorious. It tells the story of Timothy Treadwell, whose passion for grizzly bears was so extreme that he dedicated years of his life to living among them in Alaska, which resulted in the unfortunate end of him and his girlfriend being devoured by a bear. Rather than highlight the tragedy of the event, folk guitar legend Richard Thompson recorded material, supervised by Herzog, that realized Treadwell’s bliss in spending so much time with the creatures. The result is earthy and inspiring. In the video above, taken from the recording sessions, multi-instrumentalist and production genius Jim O’Rourke drops by to lend an avant-garde hand, via prepared piano.