Derailroaded

Derailroaded might be about music, but Wild Man Fischer isn't particularly musical in any conventional sense. More of an outsider artist, or maybe just an exploited freakshow, suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and creating during his manic peaks. This is more a study of mental illness than anything else, and we see Fischer beginning to treat the film crew as he has finally treated everyone who has tried to help him in the past. Notable scenes include a re-enactment of an interview between Dr. Demento & Frank Zappa, done with puppets, in which each reveals to the other just how beyond-the-pale crazy Fischer is.

It is hard to separate a documentary from it's subject. The film was entertaining and insightful. It captured the life of Wild Man in a way that was honest and insightful. I really enjoyed the inclusion of his family as well as his past friends and collaborators. What I found hard to stomach in this film was his music - and a few of his 'critics' who thought his music was original outsider art/music. I could not fathom anyone thinking his lyrics and especially his music anything but naive babble. I know that a big part of outsider art is it's naiveté and that it is sometimes hard to find the core of creativity in this. But usually something - composition, a vision, a perspective - something comes through to make it art. His music is mostly spontaneous ramblings that have no coherence. I've heard much of this sort of thing coming from toddlers and preschool children. I composed some great tunes to my dog last night (but I may have obscured my tunes in too much irony to qualify as outsider music?) One of the critics, I believe it was the Rhino records executive, started to analyze one of Wild Man's tunes as if it were a clever comment on society and I laughed out loud. I think he is most akin to the dadaists - and most of their work has not stood the test of time - and is more important as a historical movement than an artistic one. Can you name a Dadaist - besides Man Ray or Marcel Duchamp (both of whom may also be classified in other artistic movements). But opposed to the Dadaists, his music is not really protesting anything - and is not (as the really annoying Mark Mothersbaugh in this film suggests) reacting to prevalent musical trends occurring in the late 60's and 70's - resulting in a nascent punk genre? Mothersbaugh's contention that the white-get-drunk-party 'concert' rock of the 70's as being bereft of meaning and conformist is ridiculous. His music is the answer? I have Devo albums and although I like them still - they are silly, pretentious at times, and hardly have any deep meaning. I also have some Styx albums (an example of the concert rock genre) - and although also silly and contrived at times, I believe have more heartfelt and sincere sentiment (mostly non-conformist at that) in the lyrics than most new wave (is this even a music term anymore) or punk tunes. 'Concert' rock was perhaps over-produced, and punk - under - but both were often saying very similar things. Disco however.... (Although I like some Disco too - usually in an ironic way - but then again that foot sometimes starts tapping itself into places where the ears fear to tread).

Now I have to compare this to another documentary that I saw a few years ago - 'The Devil and Daniel Johnston' the subject of whom is mentioned in Derailroaded (most annoying title of a film?). See this film if possible - it's finally released. This film is amazing! It brought me to tears - in several scenes. The film haunted my dreams, early morning groggy thoughts, and daydreams. And Daniel Johnston, as opposed to Wild Man, is an artist. His music has a point and is almost pure emotion that sometimes tears you apart. (Not so sure about his visual art). Wow.

The pathology of each of these people is rather similar, although mention was not made of Wild Man's drug use (if there was any), and it was a prominent part of Daniel Johnston. However, the personality of each is markedly different. Wild Man - I find very annoying - I think that I am on the side of his family here. I did not believe his depiction of his mother, Frank Zappa, or most other people in his life. Not only is he schizophrenic, and bi-polar (I think manic depressive is actually more descriptive here), but he is also self absorbed, selfish, and egocentric. Daniel Johnston is none of these things. So this makes it also hard to separate these films - Johnston is likable - Wild Man is not. I've know a few people like Wild Man (without the extreme pathology) and have had to work with them - it is not fun - extremely exasperating only touches the surface of a description of the experience. Maybe this personality type is so antithetical to mine that I can not judge the merits of this film objectively - but isn't that true for many of us?

Derailroaded played at the Kansas Film Festival on 09/10/05 and I got a ticket. The documentary is of Wild Man Fischer, a Rock singer from the 1960's. I never heard of him but Frank Zappa produced one of his albums and he was the initial pitchman for Rhino records and recorded the Rhino radio jingle. Wild Man Fischer suffers from paranoid schizophrenia which has profoundly impacted his life and career. In some of the concern footage from the early 60's you see him jamming with Frank Zappa (very nice to see him again) and see glimpses of what might have been. For years Dr. Demento was a big fan. In fact he played once at Giants stadium with Zappa, Janice Joplin, The Byrds and Hendrix so he wasn't a hack. If you have never been around true mental illness this film is an eye-opener. Mental illness isn't funny; in fact it is extremely scary. Fascinating movie. Two things stand out for me. The first is Billy Mummy (the kid from "Lost in Space") turned out pretty well. In fact he seemed to have his stuff together. He might be Wild Man's only friend. The second was the Dr. Demento puppet show where Frank Zappa finds out how crazy Wild Man really is and breaks it off. The family interviews are touching and tragic. His family has pretty much stuck by Wild Man all these years and seem to truly care about his welfare. From the Aunt dying of cancer who gives him a place to live to his brother dropping off groceries. A wonderful glimpse into the birth of Rock and Roll and a life completely out of control. See it.

Derailroaded has to be one of the worst, most unnecessary pieces of filmaking ever. The object of this film is Larry "Wildman" Fischer a quasi musician of dubious importance. We learn Wildman Fischer enjoyed some minor success as a fringe artist in the seventies. I use the term artist in the most liberal terms, as Larry's artistry consists of screaming nonsensical lyrics into the microphone. Absolutely awful sounding. It couldn't really be fairly described as music.

They follow the exploits of Fischer, a paranoid schizophrenic, from his early years through the near present. Most of the current footage is done with a camera and microphone in Larry's face with predictably obvious results. The audience doesn't need an hour and a half of this to see the poor fellow needs some help. The whole wretched thing has a carnival side-show feel to it. This film is so over the top that for a while I thought it was a docu-drama spoof in the vein of Blair Witch Project.

In the end you wonder if this was about mental illness or the fall of a Rock Musician. Sad to say I don't think many people have even heard or care about Fischer as a musician. Even fewer will care about the films treatment of schizophrenia. Either way it's a complete flop.

I don't care how many celebs and quasi artists tout this guy as the next coming. He's untalented and this doc is really a giant waste of time. It's not even interesting.

The doc on Daniel Johnston is way more interesting and at least he had some musical ability and interesting tunes. This dude just rants the same crap over and over. Oh Linda Oh Laura, Who cares?

So stoopid. And he actually thinks he's in the "music business."

No wonder his one record bombed.