Frank Zappa’s cinematic legacy
November 26, 2020 7:28 AM Subscribe
Apart from 200 Motels, what were the most essential/important feature films Frank Zappa was involved in making?
I’m looking for films he produced/scored/appeared in, preferably during his lifetime. I’m not looking for soundtrack appearances or Behind the Music-style cable documentaries made after his death, unless they were especially notable or well made. (This is for an article about Alex Winter’s Zappa documentary.)
I’m looking for films he produced/scored/appeared in, preferably during his lifetime. I’m not looking for soundtrack appearances or Behind the Music-style cable documentaries made after his death, unless they were especially notable or well made. (This is for an article about Alex Winter’s Zappa documentary.)
Baby Snakes. It's part concert film, a bunch of behind the scenes stuff, and bizarre animation.
posted by SoberHighland at 8:27 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by SoberHighland at 8:27 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
tv: he was on the mike douglas show, and did a killer performance.
posted by j_curiouser at 8:30 AM on November 26, 2020
posted by j_curiouser at 8:30 AM on November 26, 2020
Not to come off like a smarty pants, but did you check his IMDB page?
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0953261/
There's tons of stuff that doesn't fit your criteria there, but you can weed through it. I also remember a great little documentary he produced called "The Amazing Mr. Bickford" which was about the man who did the crazy claymation and such in Baby Snakes. Bruce Bickford was a really talented artist, and Frank did the instrumental soundtrack to a lot of his stuff.
posted by SoberHighland at 8:42 AM on November 26, 2020
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0953261/
There's tons of stuff that doesn't fit your criteria there, but you can weed through it. I also remember a great little documentary he produced called "The Amazing Mr. Bickford" which was about the man who did the crazy claymation and such in Baby Snakes. Bruce Bickford was a really talented artist, and Frank did the instrumental soundtrack to a lot of his stuff.
posted by SoberHighland at 8:42 AM on November 26, 2020
Hi SoberHighland. I did check his IMDB page, and I had a hard time separating the wheat (feature films like 200 Motels) from the chaff (music videos and talk show appearances). Since there are a few Zappa fans here, I figured I’d ask which of his film works were considered important. Thanks for letting me know, though!
posted by pxe2000 at 8:57 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by pxe2000 at 8:57 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
In 1962 he did the score for The World's Greatest Sinner (Wikipedia link).
posted by Superfrankenstein at 10:58 AM on November 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Superfrankenstein at 10:58 AM on November 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
Uncle Meat, much of which is from roughly the same era as 200 Motels. It's like the in-joke you don't quite get.
posted by sageleaf at 12:04 PM on November 26, 2020
posted by sageleaf at 12:04 PM on November 26, 2020
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posted by FencingGal at 8:08 AM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]