Derailroaded : Inside The Mind Of Larry Wildman Fischer

Few artists have been as "tortured" by their success (or perhaps, lack thereof) as Larry "Wild Man" Fischer. Derailroaded (2005) is a moving, sensitive, and above all realistic journey to the center of Fischer's mind. Viewers are taken deep beyond the grooves of his so-called "outsider music" and into the artistry of a certified manic/depressive paranoid schizophrenic. The majority of Fischer's infamy and antics have been dismissed by the superficial pop world. Yet his association with Frank Zappa, Barnes & Barnes, and as the first act to be signed and recorded by Rhino Records lent him enough cachet to develop a loyal cult following. Yet the reoccurrence of Fischer's illness -- which yielded perpetually erratic behavior -- made him in many ways his own worst enemy. In that respect the film is as much about the effects his bipolar state has on his art as it is about the fact that the two are irrevocably intertwined. One of the most engaging aspects of the entire saga is the personal tragedy that Fischer had to overcome as an essentially unwanted child of an abusive single parent. In one moving interview, Larry's brother David Fischer describes the heartbreaking loneliness that plagued Larry as a child. They likewise discuss the incidences that led to their mother having Larry committed to a mental institution -- where he was kept medicated and sedated with shock-therapy treatments. Despite that, Fischer was able to remain focused on creating and selling his songs for spare change in and around Southern California. After being "discovered" and befriended by Zappa in the mid-'60s, the two made the highly influential An Evening with Wild Man Fischer (1969). While the double LP did not sell particularly well, Fischer was able to parlay his relationship into a guest shot on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and even live shows throughout the Los Angeles area. Many stories are told in first-person interviews by those who had worked with Fischer. Among the impressive list of his coterie were Gail Zappa and Frank Zappa -- the latter seen in vintage footage lifted from an excellent Dutch VPRO documentary -- as well as Dr. Demento, Barnes & Barnes, "Weird" Al Yankovic, Mark Mothersbaugh, Solomon Burke, and Fugly the Clown. In addition to the nearly hour-and-a-half main feature, there is another 45-plus minutes of deleted scenes, outtakes -- including a Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolomite) one-on-one -- and two absolutely riveting full-length commentaries. The first is by the two filmmakers as they give their insights behind getting Derailroaded made. The second is a montage of disturbing telephone conversations between Fischer and the filmmakers. Plus, there are a couple of odd answering machine messages from a variety of the project's participants. Without question or hesitation, Derailroaded is an absolutely not-to-be-missed endeavor that should be viewed by any and everyone who thinks they know what the so-called "rock & roll life" is really about. Trust me, they don't. ~ Lindsay Planer