Customer Reviews

Wesley Willis - The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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I *love* Wesley Willis - in today's music world where every act seems to come out of either a photocopy machine or a tin can, and where image matters more than the actual music, here's someone who's not afraid to be himself and just be creative in his own very special way.
This film is a window into this guy's life - you'd figure a documentary about a 400 pound schizophrenic rock hero who writes beastiality songs and songs about whupping super-heroes' behinds on top of pieces about real and imagined crimes would be full of psychiatric analysis of the man, but instead we just get to hang around with him as he goes to the zoo, writes his songs and visits his old friends.

It might be interesting to know some historical or medical details, but it wouldn't have fit in with the rest of the film, and also you get to just feel like he's an interesting guy and that you don't really need to know his personal details any more than you would snoop around about one of your friends or acquaintances.

It's lo-fi, kind of a Gummo-style trip but somehow I couldn't imagine it any other way. What's best is that it's not insulting or condescending towards him in anyway. Instead of a freak show or an alienated analysis of an 'outsider' artist, you realize that people just genuinely love him and relate to him. Plus it's just hilarious.

If you want something human in this world of robot borg wanna be's this will get you back in touch with your creative side.

I was lucky enough to catch this documentary on the Wesley Willis a few months ago on TV here in Australia after following Wesley's music for around a year now and I can only say that it both amused and concerned me.

Wesley Willis's story and his music have a great novelty value and when you first start watching this story you have a bit of chuckle to yourself, but after just a little while the seriousness of Wesley's situation sets in.

Two thumbs up to the filmmakers in this respect. They have chosen not to portray Wesley as a comedic figure, a jolly, fat crazy man who makes some pretty crazy music.

Instead what we have is a very serious reflection of the plight of the mentally ill in modern society. As a group the a largely disenfranchised and are shifted from one treatment or medication to another as dictated by the current fashionable theories of this area of medicine.

Wesley's close friend go to great lengths to describe the impact changes in medication has on Wesley's weight, general physical well being and mental health. In that respect the story is more than a little disturbing.

In a recap of Wesley's life we are told how Wesley was abused as child, which lead to developing his mental disability. We then find out how he was discovered due to phenomenal talent as an artist and lyricist and given the second chance at life that so many people with similar conditions crave.

Yes you will probably get a laugh out of Wesley riding of the bus or of Wesley asking the guy in the souvenir store at the zoo if the have any books to help him write his bestiality songs. However the heart of this documentary is a various serious attempt to capture the challenges and triumphs of a man with a severe mental illness and for this it's makers should be commended.

I *love* Wesley Willis - in today's music world where every act seems to come out of either a photocopy machine or a tin can, and where image matters more than the actual music, here's someone who's not afraid to be himself and just be creative in his own very special way.

This film is a window into this guy's life - you'd figure a documentary about a 400 pound schizophrenic rock hero who writes beastiality songs and songs about whupping super-heroes' behinds on top of pieces about real and imagined crimes would be full of psychiatric analysis of the man, but instead we just get to hang around with him as he goes to the zoo, writes his songs and visits his old friends.

It might be interesting to know some historical or medical details, but it wouldn't have fit in with the rest of the film, and also you get to just feel like he's an interesting guy and that you don't really need to know his personal details any more than you would snoop around about one of your friends or acquaintances.

It's lo-fi, kind of a Gummo-style trip but somehow I couldn't imagine it any other way. What's best is that it's not insulting or condescending towards him in anyway. Instead of a freak show or an alienated analysis of an 'outsider' artist, you realize that people just genuinely love him and relate to him. Plus it's just hilarious.

If you want something human in this world of robot borg wanna be's this will get you back in touch with your creative side.

Wesley Willis: The Daddy of Rock 'n Roll (Daniel Bitton, 2003)

Whatever you may think of the late Wesley Willis, the towering schizophrenic rock and roll disciple whose music evokes hero-worship among the few and looks of utter confusion among the many, there is one unarguable fact about him: never in the history of rock and roll has there been a less likely rock star than Wesley Willis. Here's a guy who stands six foot six, weighs well over three hundred pounds, and dresses in neon green sweat pants; if there is a defined rock-star look, that is certainly not it. And yet Wesley Willis' music embodies both everything good and everything bad about rock at the same time; it's simplistic to the point of brainlessness, it's repetitive, it's scurrilous and obscene and deeply, deeply funny. It points, at the same time, to the pioneers who have carved out niches in rock over the years and the brainlessness of the overprocessed radio-friendly crap that dominates the airwaves today. Despite this, Wesley Willis created music for which the term "original" would be an understatement. What better subject for a musical documentary?

Filmmaker Daniel Bitton's hour-long Wesley Willis special is a "day in the life" kind of thing, following Willis around and staying out of the way, letting the man's words and actions speak for themselves. Willis is, in many ways, like any of us; he goes to Kinko's to use the computer to type out lyrics, much to the consternation of the other patrons (having a huge black guy suddenly say "suck a baboon's dick with Heinz Ketchup!" next to you is probably not the most reassuring thing that will happen to you on any given day), he goes to the studio and records a few tracks, he noodles with a synthesizer at home, he rides the bus, he talks to people, he sees his friends, he performs a concert, he goes to sleep. So, okay, that's probably not like most of us. And even for those of us it is like, you don't have friends like Steve Albini doing your engineering at the studio. But still, there's a comforting tranquility to all this. Here's a guy who's sold more albums than you ever will, and he's gotta use a bus pass just like everyone else.

It should be obvious form the get-go that whether you like this movie or not will be inextricably tied to whether you like Wesley Willis or not. That said, I've seen some music documentaries that I've hated even when I love the band(s) in question. This is not one of those documentaries; if you like Wesley Willis, you'll like The Daddy of Rock 'n Roll. Rock over London. Rock on, Chicago. *** ½

I bought the dvd figuring "what could be funnier the a fat schizophrenic?" boy was I wrong, it's not very funny at all. In fact it's quite serious, there are moments that are very funny but Wesley Willis was quite smart and thoughtful. it is like bevis and butthead remaking the movie rainman.

A great glance in to the life of Wesley Willis, what a unique and interesting guy he was. A bit sad at times but overall an important documentary of who he really was.

Not a documentary so much as a day in the life, the lack of traditional narration seen here is both liberating and rough around the edges. The director's hands-off approach, which consists of simply following Wesley around to his various haunts in and around the city of Chicago, gives us a revealing, enlightening look at the chance encounters and everyday stimulus that led to his subject's work. It also gives us a rare opportunity to see Willis precisely as he was, unguarded and genuine. Clearly, the man has struggled with more than his share of problems. Obese, loud and medicated, he attracts wary glances and uneasy smiles at every stop, but appears to have long since left behind any apprehensions and fully embraced his own notoriety. And while the completely open direction of the film does give us a rare chance to know Wesley as the warm, brash, adventurous spirit he really was, it also leaves a lot of questions about his ways disappointingly unanswered. Though the music that ultimately led to his stardom may seem shallow and childish at first glance, a deeper look at its contents and inspirations shed light on what it truly was: a perfect exp'ression of his carefree, prolific character and a fleeting chance to escape the personal demons that chased him throughout his life. Willis makes for a great subject, but I remain undecided on the film itself.

I am a rock star. I like to make rock music. The DVD was aawwwssoommee! It took me on a harmony joy ride. Bump my head and say RA! Say Row!

great documentary on a unique mind. Wesley will suprise you, and so will the poeple in his life.

Wesley is the King of Rock n Roll

He whupped Elvis' arse

He is the greatest human being ever born

Jesus is his best friend

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Wesley be from Chicago

He really loves the Cubs

He has split personality

He says 'Cubs suck White Sox rule"

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Wesley performs live

His Casio belongs in Smithsonian

Next to John Dillenger's member

Wesley writes wicked good lyrics

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Wesley is a fat man

Wesley is a black man

Wesley is a sick man

He should whoop George W's arse

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