Wesley Willis's Joyrides (2008) User Reviews

Heartwarming Film

[karenqb · 8/10 · 10 March 2008]

I had little expectation entering this film. I only knew of one or two Wesley Willis songs and little else. I was truly inspired as I watched this story unfold. Though the production quality lacked in many areas, the content could not be denied. It was a film that pulled you so deeply into the story that you stopped noticing the frame resolution and audio hisses.

This is a brilliant story of an inspiring individual. As we walk through his life, we begin to see the obstacles and 'demons' that Wesley faced on a daily basis.

If you don't want to be more than you are after watching this film, I would be very disappointed. This film forces you to realize that you are capable of doing anything and being anything you want to be.

Great film.

"Just a Weirdo"

[deproduction · 8/10 · 1 April 2010]

This is one of my favorite docs of all time (and I watch more docs than any healthy being should). The production quality is very high, and more importantly, it gives you a loving look into the complex-mind of a man so many of us knew only superficially. In the few shows I saw while he was alive, I dismissed many of Wesley's ramblings and rants and chalked him up as a big black package of innocent-yet-insane entertainment with a trademark head-butt cherry on top. This film digs so much deeper than the caricature I knew before and does not allow the viewers to see Wesley as a weirdo or single-serving performer existing only to entertain you or laugh at. It provides insight into the mental turmoil that Wesley expressed clearly though a a vocabulary he invented to express his bright "joyrides" and darker "hellrides" and "profanity demons". It lets the viewer understand Wesley on a level only a handful of friends could before. Like poetry that only reveals its deeper meaning once you get to know the author and their history, this film makes it clear that this man was not a mumbling moron, but a talented artist with a complex mind and unique perspective on the world. Like my other favorite Denver-based music doc, Friends Forever, the film takes an artist who may first appear as a jester only to reveal the guru inside through a deeper look at the wisdom these people and their lives have to offer. You can buy the DVD from their website: wesleywillissjoyrides.com (its more expensive on Amazon, with less money going to the filmmakers)

Touching, funny, sad, inspiring, disturbing, just like it's subject.

[runamokprods · 8/10 · 29 January 2017]

Wesley Willis is a true 'outsider' artist. Schizophrenic, hugely overweight, fighting physical ailments, often unwashed, but possessed of enormous talents as a visual artist, and fun, enjoyable ones as a sort of punk musician and songwriter.

But more than that, as tormented as he sometimes is, this is also a man with a huge heart, given to sharing friendly head-butts with anyone he takes a liking too -- which seems to cover a huge part of the human race. And in turn he inspires remarkable loyalty from those who love him - friends who take him in, try to keep him fed, washed, happy. Musicians who want to tour and play with him, or put his music on records, Art collectors who buy his striking line drawings of the streets and skylines of his native, beloved Chicago.

But I appreciate that the film doesn't cover up or ignore Wesley's darker sides – the internal demons that manifest and speak to him, his flashes of anger, his inability to take care of himself. This isn't a romanticized vision of being mentally unbalanced and out on the street, even if it is often a heart-filled one.

It's very frustrating that this terrific documentary is long out-of-print and basically unavailable on DVD, with copies going for hundreds of dollars. It seems like someone should pick up the rights for this - just as with Wesley's music and art, I'm sure it would find an audience.

Great Film (No spoilers)

[joebanks1138 · 10/10 · 22 April 2008]

I saw a screening of this film at the 2008 Florida Film Festival. It was an excellent film. If you get the chance, please go see a screening of this. It's an amazing story about a man that many of us don't know enough about. I myself was enlightened because during high school, I thought Wesley Willis was just a crazy bum who made music. Much to my surprise, he was a genius...among other things.

The audience was packed when I saw the movie and there were cheers after the film. And at the second screening...the audience was packed again.

So please....if you only watch one documentary this year. Check this one out. I'm not just saying this because I have no connections to the film. Other than that I met the filmmakers and they are really cool too. But you have to see this movie. It is very relevant.

Thank you Wesley Willis. And thank you Chris & Kim for making this film.

Touching and illuminating documentary

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 7 September 2015]

This documentary about the singular Wesley Willis does a remarkably moving and informative job of capturing the blazing indomitable soul, boundless creativity, and endearing gentle humanity of Willis, who despite suffering from schizophrenia still managed to achieve cult celebrity status in the 1990's alternative rock music scene with his highly idiosyncratic music. Covering everything from his troubled childhood within a dysfunctional family -- Willis grew up in a series of foster homes after his parents split up when he was a little boy -- to his issues with obesity, meditation for his schizophrenia, and even his personal hygiene, director Chris Bagley treats his unusual subject with utmost respect and compassion. The interviews with various friends and siblings really let the viewer know that Willis at heart was an extremely sweet, charming, and dynamic guy who had a special way of elevating the spirits of those around him. Moreover, we also find out that Willis was a truly gifted artist who often did intricate drawings that were quite meticulous in their thorough details. The footage of Willis on stage either by himself or with his rock group The Wesley Willis Fiasco is absolute gold; he sure knew how to work a crowd and put on a show, plus was a whiz when it came to persuading folks to buy his CDs and drawings. Essential viewing for Wesley Willis fans.