The average viewer will no doubt be baffled and often confused by such a film as this. It functions like a David Lynch movie but has the tone of a quirky indie comedy as directed and written by a hybrid of a former Scientologist, a surrealist pioneer, an avant garde filmmaker, and Tim and Eric. It's...really, really, really weird and breaks every possible cinematic convention in a thrilling way. Few films are as fresh and as funny as this feat of satirical cinema that seems to take place in multiple dimensions. This is the type of film in which the accompaniment of a chart would be of great use for anyone attempting to figure out the events that had just occurred before their now- squinting or boggling eyes. Scenes are repeated with different styles/dialogue, the main character has a doppelganger, characters occasionally speak in tongues that are seemingly just gibberish, some moments include actors acting extremely alien, while in others their mannerisms are uncomfortably realistic, etc. The film works mainly as a comedic and upbeat version of "Mulholland Dr."

Fletcher Munson, the lethargic employee of a pseudo-religious self help company, and his doppelganger, the friendly but dull dentist Dr. Jeffrey Korchek (both played by Steven Soderbergh).The film comparable in some ways to the earlier work of Richard Linklater (notably "Slacker"), mixed in with the visual sensibility of a Devo music video. I am not sure if this is experimental, or art house, or how you categorize something that has no real plot, and sometimes no real logic. There is a certain genius to it, though.I am not overly familiar with Soderbergh, probably having seen less than half of his feature films... but this one will definitely leave you with the impression that he is a genius, an eccentric and an artist. Whether or not this is true, I have no idea... but he wants us to think so.

Movies like Lost Highway, American Beauty and other high-profile, big-budget productions have been praised for their original takes, but in fact it was "Schizopolis" that explored those possibilities first. I find it refreshing and inexplicably underrated. The film is a very funny and bizarre look into the creative mind of its author, Steven Soderbergh. Press conferences on horse urination, marital dissolution, dysfunctional families, work, love, death, identity, the hilarious (and tragic) absurdity of life– everything is scrutinized here under a mask of randomness which makes everything unpredictable and crazy funny. "Schizopolis" gleefully delves into the absurd and blends it with satire in a most original social commentary, mocking all conventions and confinements. This type of humor is my kind. For fans of Kafka, Eugene Ionesco and Urmuz, Samuel Beckett, Kurt Vonnegut or David Lynch, this will be a blast. On a third viewing, all this "mess" makes perfect sense, and it's beautiful. "Sneeze!"

This is part of my Scarecrow Video Guide inspired movie-trek, following "The Specials." I've always been a hypocrite Soderbergh fan. I claim to be a bit of a movie snob, but really I think of Soderbergh as a guy who makes really great "Hollywood" flicks. Kind of the anti-Michael Bay. "Out Of Sight" is probably in my top 50 of all time. But I've always ignored most of his artier flicks, probably because I watched "Kafka" in college and didn't care much for it.Well, this is as out-there as Soderburgh gets...or nearly anyone. It looks like a student film, but it was actually made right before he started his commercial streak with "Out Of Sight". Any description is probably pointless- suffice to say it's a film about communication that goes out of it's way to NOT communicate with it's audience. It would all come off so absurdly pretentious if it wasn't for Soderbergh's hilarious opening and closing statements. ("Anything you don't understand is your own fault") In hindsight, it almost seems like a parody of pretentious student films, and you can enjoy it on that level. But there is a point here, even though it doesn't come remotely close to clear.Most importantly, it's pretty dang funny. There's enough silly stuff to appreciate, even if you don't "get it". Soderburgh himself is a deadpan riot in a dual role (or is it? You decide!) But "Nameless Numberhead Guy" steals the show."Schizopolis" isn't the weirdest film I've ever seen- that honor would probably go to "du-beat-E-o". But it's probably the best ratio of weird-to-watchable. Even if you're completely lost, you'll find something to like if you like film. But If you like Michael Bay, best skip it.Next up is "Jerry & Tom"