THE WEIRD WORLD OF BLOWFLY
(Jonathan Furmanski, US, 2010, 89 mins.)

Clarence Reid, aka Blowfly, is an odd-looking Miami cat with bizarre taste in clothes—especially his signature luchador-like outfit—and a fine feel for a funky groove (he has the flattened features of an ex-boxer). With his teddy-bear growl, he sings stuff so filthy that it's hard to take offense. After repeated exposure, it's like a low-level hum, the rantings of a street-corner crazy, or a sustained Tourette's attack. And if you don't take it literally, it can be pretty funny.

As Reid, the father of two, he started out by writing and/or producing safe-for-radio Miami Sound classics like Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman" and Gwen McCrae's "Rockin' Chair." It wasn't until 1971 that the Blowfly alter ego emerged. At which point, he left his wife, his children, and never looked back.

For his feature debut, cinematographer-turned-director Jonathan Furmanski (loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies) focuses on Blowfly's relationship with drummer/manager Tom Bowker, a super-fan who's made it his business to put him back in the spotlight. Over the year that unfurls in the film, Blowfly lays down new tracks and goes on the road from Florida to Germany with players including Fishbone's Norwood Fisher, but it's always clear who's calling the shots.

Bowker looks after Blowfly, but he also tells him what to do and when to do it. It's hard to tell if he really cares or whether he just sees the 69-year-old entertainer as a profitable "brand" (his term). Blowfly clearly resents his orders, but complies anyway, much like a child tethered to a domineering guardian.

Further, it soon becomes clear that Blowfly, despite the explicit imagery, has no interest in sex. He may brag about his prowess, but he's a drug-free Christian who finds women fundamentally unclean, contributing to the impression of stunted adolescence. And coming from a man with long, spindly fingernails, that's pretty rich. To be fair, though, he's got harsh words for gays, blacks, and whites, too.

If you're looking for 89 minutes of fun, The Weird World of Blowfly isn't the film for you. Though high-profile admirers, like Ice-T and Jello Biafra, testify to his influence and importance, this is a pretty sad story, though I enjoyed the footage of Henry Rollins rocking out at a show and Isaac Hayes providing piano accompaniment for his infamous Otis Redding parody "Shittin' on the Dock of the Bay." Other speakers include songwriting partners, session musicians, record label representatives, and his ex-wife, who describes him as "a loner person."

After Blowfly sold the rights to his catalog in 2003, he paid his debts, and bid goodbye to any future royalties. Without Bowker, he'd probably be holed up in a motel, watching TV and filling up on fast food, but this trained-seal act can be hard to watch. Still, there's something to be said for Furmanski's clear-eyed approach when most other music docs cling to the fall-and-rise model, though there's no mention of predecessors and protégés like Redd Foxx, Rudy Ray Moore, Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard, and 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell.

If it isn't the raunchy comedy I was expecting, it isn't a full-blown tragedy, either. Instead, it's more like a Dave Chappelle-penned horror movie where the monster lives on and Dr. Frankenstein caters to his every whim until the money runs out.

The Weird World of Blowfly continues at SIFF Cinema at the Film Center (305 Harrison St.) through Thurs., 12/1, at 8:30pm. For more info: 206-633-7151.