However, Brown feels it is important as it allowed Soderbergh to return to his independent roots again. Though the film flopped, Soderbergh was invigorated and maintained using independent methods throughout his later work. If you have an opinion at all about Soderbergh, you will find this alternate universe hilarious. For starters, you get to see Brown’s reactions to all of the commercial changes in this universe’s Soderbergh movies. Most of them are negative, though there are some instances where mainstream practices improve the work. Also, Brown mentions the lack of Schizopolis in his oeuvre has radically changed all his subsequent films except two. I wonder which Soderbergh work he is burning on here. I have my suspects lined up.
I am assuming Brown is riffing on the style of Schizopolis throughout his fan movie. It looks as raw as the original, which helps level the playing field between the two. What makes Schizopolis 2: Psycho Killer remarkable is how engaging the story is. Brown introduces the tribute layers in a way an uninformed viewer can understand why this old movie is so important to the filmmaker. Then the awesome snuff movie stuff unfurls, and we are off to the races.
“…the fan blows away the original.”
Yes, some supporting performances are a little hard to ignite, as these are buddies pitching in. However, the lead’s comic timing is laser-focused and keeps everything at a steady level. Also, since this is a super fan work that is not made to make money, Brown selects some great unlicensed music for his soundtrack. The selection is superb, and he lists all the songs in the credits for happy hunting. Thanks to him, I have been listening to Faith No More all day.
I was surprised that this ended up being a real movie that woke my a*s right up. It is fascinating that someone would care enough to make a fan sequel to Schizopolis. It is even more fascinating that this fan tribute is more fun to watch than the original. Schizopolis 2: Psycho Killer is a unique movie experience that is as free as the air and well worth the time. Come see the super rare instance where the fan blows away the original.
"…riffing on the style of Schizopolis..."
