Ever heard of Gary Wilson? No? Well, welcome to a very large club, although the makers of this documentary no doubt hope that will change with this film. About three decades ago, Wilson, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Endicott, NY, made a record entitled You Think You Really Know Me. “Genius,” said some critics. “A masterpiece,” gushed others. But right after the record was made in 1977, Wilson pretty much fell off the map, departing Endicott for points unknown. Then, after the turn of the century, the folks at Motel Records, a New York City-based label, heard the album and flipped. “It's definitely eccentric and off-the-wall,” says Motel's Adrian Milan, “like James Brown meets David Lynch's Eraserhead, with a backing band that sounds like Steely Dan on crack.” Of course, to re-release it, Motel had to have Wilson's permission, which meant finding him: ultimately, Wilson turned up in San Diego, where he worked at a porn shop and played in a hotel lounge band. And so began the Gary Wilson renaissance, which led to two Manhattan club dates and, 25 years after he split, a return trip to Endicott. Of course, one's appreciation for this saga will likely depend on how much you share director Michael Wolk's enthusiasm for Wilson's music (a bonus CD features the entire ‘77 album; to these ears, it sounds dated, dinky, and mildly demented, with some pretty decent, jazz-inflected instrumental tracks torpedoed by Wilson's tuneless, affected singing and silly lyrics—but Beck is a fan). DVD extras include several early experimental silent films made by Wilson and friends. An optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)
You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story
(2008) 74 min. DVD: $24.99. Plexifilm (avail. from most distributors). Volume 23, Issue 5
You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story
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