Audience Member
Fascinating, sad, deppressing, yet endearing and somewhat uplifting tale of persistence, marginal talent and tradgedy. Worth the watch and the ride.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I went into this film knowing absolutely nothing of the man known as Larry 'Wild Man' Fischer. By the time of the end credits I was definently a convert of this man's extroardinarily bizarre, creative and primal music though. A true originator of Outsider music, throughout his career he worked with many big names (most notably Frank Zappa) but his career was always plauged by his manic depression and his paranoid schizophrenia. The film contains excellent interviews with Frank Zappa, Zappa's Wife, Dr. Demento, Wierd Al Yankovic, Barnes and Barnes, Devo, Family members etc. At times this film is very funny, and at other times it's heart breakingly sad. Definently a touching portrait of a difficult man, and one not to be missed for fans of outsider music. That being said, as with all outsider music, these songs won't appeal to the majority of people. While the music is emotionally engaging, often catchy, always heartfelt and sincere, less adventurous music fas will just feel alienated from it. If you enjoy boring msic like The Beatles or Coldplay or the fucking Eagles you probably won't like his music. Even still as a documentatry it is very well done and there are no complaints there. Recommended.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
December 9, 2005
After watching "Derailroaded," I knew I'd spent time with someone profoundly unique. If it's true the world only needs one of everyone, Larry "Wild Man" Fischer is the reason why. Such a statement isn't meant to sound derogatory. But those who recall Larry during his tumultuous life can attest to how much of a handful he can be. Heck, even I can verify it, and all I've done is watch the documentary.[/color]
[color=wheat]If the filmmakers - Josh Rubin and Jeremy Lubin - like delving into the extreme and bizarre, Larry's their man, a paranoid-schizophrenic who experiences waves of manic depression and hallucinations, manifesting people who are out to get him. At one point, he suspects Steven Spielberg. Poor Larry walks back and forth in his aunt's house, living and sleeping in filth. He cares for his aunt's dog and only recently returned from elusive traveling.
Nowadays, Larry seems harmless, but at 16 he was institutionalized for nearly stabbing his mother with a knife. When released, he wandered around Los Angeles where the streets became his personal concert venue, singing uninhibitedly and from the heart. He earned the nickname "Wild Man" and developed a cult following in the outsider music genre, which, we're told, involves singers with no professional training and rocking on whim. Larry must have done something right, though, since he cut his first album with Frank Zappa. Maybe you've heard his famous Rhino Records theme or passionate "Merry-Go-Round" song. It's not exactly pleasing to the ears, but it is catchy.
Rubin and Lubin's documentary reveals an incorrigible and insatiable man. Hitherto "Derailroaded," I'd never heard of him, but the film is a testament to how one person can lead an amazing life through unconventional means. How many people can say they've appeared on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in"? Or was the subject of his own comic book? And made it on the Top 50 charts in England and sang a duet with Rosemary Clooney? Interviews from Larry's family, Frank and Gail Zappa, Weird Al Yankovic (who swears he's not trying to kill Larry), and Dr. Demento provide compelling history on a man who lives by never losing his pep.
I'm glad I got a chance to meet Larry. While I'll probably never know him personally, his story contains the kind of nuance and poignancy that only real life can provide. But what is real life, after all, to someone like Larry? Only at the very end of the movie did I see how he went "off the track." Everything else was an adventure. For him, because he lived it. For us, because we got to see and hear about it.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/03/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Really touching stuff. Often funny, sometimes really sad. I already liked wild man fischers work before seeing this. DeRailroaded has made me aprehiate him even more as a true individual.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Much in the vein of "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" you get an interesting view into living with SPMI, the highs, the lows, and what it means to touch both genius and madness.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This is an interesting bio-documentary about schizophrenic musician Larry "Wild Man" Fischer. It features details about his professional career spanning decades, as well as some rather personal aspects of his life. This is one of the more revealing and interesting musician documentaries that I have seen.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/15/23
Full Review
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