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This is part of Chicagoist's coverage of the Chicago International Film Festival.
Wesley Willis's Joyrides (screens 10/17, 10/25, 10/27)
A 300-pound chronic schizophrenic born into poverty on Chicago's south side would seem like an unlikely artist and rock star, but that's just what Wesley Willis was. In his short life (he died from leukemia in 2003 at age 40) he produced hundreds of drawings and at least 50 albums; he was celebrated as an outsider artist by several critics and was eventually signed to Jello Biafra's label Alternative Tentacles, appearing on MTV and Howard Stern. This documentary takes a short and sweet look at his life, speaking with members of his family and many of his closest friends, and featuring ample footage of the man himself. The movie also serves to encapsulate people's attitudes towards mental illness. Some viewed Willis as a genius, others as an eccentric or just a freak. Although Willis never had formal training in either art or music he had a gift for both. Many of his architectural drawings, large panoramic landscapes of Chicago, were executed using nothing more than ballpoint pens (he would use the edge of a pen as a straight edge instead of a ruler). The lyrics of his songs showcased his bizarre, often profane sense of humor, with a sweetness underlying the scatology. It's too bad the movie only lets us hear snippets; complete songs might have given us a better portrait of the man. The movie's technique might be little more than a conventional, talking-heads affair, but Willis's outsized personality (and determination despite the odds) easily carries it.
Terribly Happy (screens 10/22, 10/23, 10/26)
See if this sounds familiar: a cop from the Big City has gotten into trouble and as penance he's shipped off to a backwater burg to cool down. Of course the minute he gets into town skeletons start rattling around in the inhabitants' closets and before you know it he's in even deeper trouble than before. Classic film noir ingredients, right? But this isn't Where the Sidewalk Ends, or even Body Heat for that matter. It's the setup for Terribly Happy. The only novelties the movie brings to its well-worn plotline are a bleak Danish setting (which, including copious amounts of fog and odd-looking townsfolk, is admittedly fairly creepy) and a protagonist who's so borderline-unsympathetic that we can't help but feel ambivalent about his fate. When he hooks up with the town's battered wife it isn't hard to predict what happens next. Yet like so many neo-noirs the movie throws in a doozy of a plot twist halfway through and never really figures out what to do with it. At only 90 minutes the story moves along briskly enough. But it isn't something you haven't seen before, done better.
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Jesus is the answer! Jesus is the ANSWER! Jesus is the answer! JESUS is the answer! JESUS IS THE ANSWER! Jesus is the answer!
I remember seeing him at Simple Simon shows in the 90's, he would randomly head butt people in the middle of a conversation. God I miss that.
I assume Mancow is all over the Willis documentary?
"Outsider" are can be fascinating, but I always worried if Willis was just being used as a cheap laugh.
Say RAH!
"Wesley Willis's Joyrides"
Man, that makes me sad. Tonight I'm gonna pour out some liqour for all the orginal denizens( including Welsey!) and old heads of the old Wicker Park. Any body remember Lit X book store that was in the basement under what's now starbucks? I remember seeing Chuck Perkins preform.
"Outsider" are can be fascinating, but I always worried if Willis was just being used as a cheap laugh.
I used to wonder this too, although I didn't think "cheap laugh", more like "freak factor". I used to see him coming into Crash Palace (later Delilah's) and watch as these demure girls would cringe in terror at the sight of this hulking black man wanting to bump heads with them, only to watch later as they fawned over him when they found out he was "somebody" (though I suppose that could be true of any underground performer). That, plus hordes of frat brodudes who used to populate some of his shows made me wonder about why they were there.
Sorry, but I was pretty conflicted about the whole thing at the time. I'm sure there were fans who really loved him, but I'm also sure there were an equal number who were saying, "Hey let's go look at the freak."
Any body remember Lit X book store that was in the basement under what's now starbucks? I remember seeing Chuck Perkins preform.
Yes on the Lit X and yes on Chuck Perkins. Used to slam with him at Green Mill a LOONG time ago (not saying how long ago, but let's just say Reggie Gibson was just starting out and now is up for a National Book Award). And remember going to see Marvin Tate at a bar on Division when he hosted a poetry night. Forget the name of the bar but pretty sure it's been about 15 different places since then anyway.
"Hey let's go look at the freak."
Precisely. Muller was trying to make his own little "wacky bunch" back in the 90's (lo those many centuries ago). I was in high school and whenever Willis would come on screaming and playing his casio keyboard even stupid little high school me thought it was exploitive.
I miss you, Wesley.
I saw the final version of this film for the first time last night and thought it was excellent. Chris & Kim did a fantastic job.
"I assume Mancow is all over the Willis documentary?" -- Thankfully, no.
"playing his casio keyboard" -- Wes actually played expensive Technics KN series keyboards and sometimes other brands, but not the cheap Casios people tend to associate with him. You can see him negotiating with a keyboard salesperson in the film.
The filmmakers are sensitive to the exploitation aspect of Wes's story. As friends of Wes they were upset at some of the conditions Wes endured, particularly on tour, and they bring up that issue in the film.
I would have loved to have seen it at the Chicago Underground Film Festival, where the first Wesley documentary, Wesley Willis as Himself, debuted so many years ago. But the Chicago International Film Festival will probably expose more people to Wes who never heard of him before, so that's an up side. If Wes were alive I think he would have pissed off CIFF & CUFF by agreeing to screen it at both festivals.