The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels

Jan 1, 1988

0h 59m

★ 7.5

Overview

A one-hour documentary on the making of Frank Zappa's bizarre 1971 comic musical. Vintage private footage from Frank's personal archives plus behind-the-scenes of the actual shooting and recording. With Ringo Starr, Theodore Bikel, Keith Moon and such songs as "Sleeping in a Jar," and "Strictly Genteel." The inside history of the first feature-length film to be shot on video in 6 days.

Genres

Documentary

Comedy

Music

The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Self

Frank Zappa

Self

Tony Palmer

Self (archive footage)

Phyllis Smith Altenhaus

Self (archive footage)

Dick Barber

Self

Theodore Bikel

Self

Jimmy Carl Black

Self

Peter Bos

Self (archive footage)

Napoleon Murphy Brock

Self

Phyllis Bryn-Julson

Self

Warren Cuccurullo

Self (archive footage)

Pamela Des Barres

Self

George Duke

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

7.0

Steve Hackett – Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton

Sep 15, 2023

Filmed and recorded live on his 2022 UK tour, in the coastal city of Brighton, UK, this release documents Steve and his band celebrating the 50th anniversary of the much-loved Genesis album 'Foxtrot', along with selections from Steve's solo career.

6.5

Bauhaus 100

Aug 21, 2019

In 1919 an art school opened in Germany that would change the world forever. It was called the Bauhaus. A century later, its radical thinking still shapes our lives today. Bauhaus 100 is the story of Walter Gropius, architect and founder of the Bauhaus, and the teachers and students he gathered to form this influential school. Traumatised by his experiences during the Great War, and determined that technology should never again be used for destruction, Gropius decided to reinvent the way art and design were taught. At the Bauhaus, all the disciplines would come together to create the buildings of the future, and define a new way of living in the modern world.

0.0

Irish Catholic

Oct 6, 2023

Meet Shavon O'Brien: Her family doesn't understand her, her church ignores her, even Jesus forgets about her. With only the spirit of Sinead O'Connor to guide her, Shavon battles institutional child abuse, narcissistic group think, a talking stomach and a singing poop bucket! Shavon goes from Catholic to Crusty Punk in this very, very, very, dark musical comedy!

5.0

Lonesome Cowboys

Nov 1, 1968

Five lonesome cowboys get all hot and bothered at home on the range after confronting Ramona Alvarez and her nurse.

5.7

Mangúe-Bangúe

Jan 1, 1971

The quasi-fictional story of transgender sex workers living in Rio de Janeiro's swampy red light district, who are joined by a group of hippies and a runaway stockbroker, "Mangue-Bangue" is the paradigmatic expression of the post-1968 spirit of desbunde, the Brazilian slang catchword for "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll".

3.8

60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero

Dec 22, 2011

An anthology of one-minute films created by 51 international filmmakers on the theme of the death of cinema. Intended as an ode to 35mm, the film was screened one time only on a purpose-built 20x12 meter public cinema screen in the Port of Tallinn, Estonia, on 22 December 2011. A special projector was constructed for the event which allowed the actual filmstrip to be burnt at the same time as the film was shown.

5.3

200 Motels

Nov 10, 1971

"Touring makes you crazy," Frank Zappa says, explaining that the idea for this film came to him while the Mothers of Invention were touring. The story, interspersed with performances by the Mothers and the Royal Symphony Orchestra, is a tale of life on the road. The band members' main concerns are the search for groupies and the desire to get paid.

8.1

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii

Oct 25, 1972

British progressive rock band Pink Floyd perform at the ancient Roman Amphitheater in the ruins of Pompeii, Italy in 1971. Although the band perform a typical live set from the era, there is no audience beyond the basic film crew. The Bluray version of 2025 contains the following audio streams: 96kHz / 24bit LPCM uncompressed, 96kHz / 24bit 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos (Feature film only). You can choose to watch the entire movie or just the concert.

7.3

Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon

Jun 1, 2003

Released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of this classic album, learn how Pink Floyd assembled "Dark Side of the Moon" with the aid of original engineer Alan Parsons. All four band members--Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright--are interviewed at length, giving valuable insights into the recording process. The themes of the album are discussed at length, and the band take you back to the original multi track tapes to illustrate how they pieced together the songs. With individual performances of certain tracks from Roger, David, and Richard included, this is an essential purchase for any Pink Floyd fans, and a fascinating artefact for rock historians everywhere.

0.0

Discovering Buñuel

Jan 1, 2012

Luis Bunuel, the father of cinematic Surrealism, made his film debut with 'Un Chien Andalou' in 1929 working closely with Salvador Dali. Considered one of the finest and controversial filmmakers with, 'L’Age d’Or' (1930), attacking the church and the middle classes. He won many awards including Best Director at Cannes for 'Los Olvidados' (1950), and the coveted Palme d’Or for 'Viridiana' (1961), which had been banned in his native Spain. His career moved to France with 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' with major stars such as Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve.

0.0

Casual Workers

Dec 27, 2020

An abstract perspective into two young South African workers in the heart of Johannesburg's industrial sector during Covid-19

5.3

Sweet Movie

Jun 12, 1974

The winner of the Miss World Virginity contest marries, escapes from her masochistic husband and ends up involved in a world of debauchery.

4.2

Friend of the World

Aug 15, 2020

After a catastrophic global war, a young filmmaker awakens in the carnage and seeks refuge in the only other survivor: an eccentric, ideologically opposed figure of the United States military. Together, they brave the toxic landscape in search of safety... and answers.

5.8

Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops

May 1, 2008

Halloween, New York City, 1981 Live at The Palladium with Ray White, Steve Vai, Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars, Ed Mann, Scott Thunes, Chad Wackerman

0.0

Kill Your TV: Jim Moir’s Weird World of Video Art

Nov 24, 2019

Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) explores Video Art, revealing how different generations ‘hacked’ the tools of television to pioneer new ways of creating art that can be beautiful, bewildering and wildly experimental.

8.4

Yessongs

Mar 12, 1975

Filmed live at London's Rainbow Theatre in December 1972, the innovative group Yes performs its progressive rock symphonies -- epic compositions that influenced new trends in contemporary music. "Yessongs" provides a visual record of the concert tour that became a groundbreaking tour de force in rock music. This unique concert video of Yes was filmed during their record-breaking tour and features the talents of the five original band members. The massively popular band defined the prog rock movement with their mystical epics which infused both a Medieval and Classical sound into rock music. Titles performed include "Close to the Edge," "All Good People," and "Roundabout."

0.0

Man Ray: Prophet of the Avant-Garde

Apr 9, 1997

Man Ray, the master of experimental and fashion photography was also a painter, a filmmaker, a poet, an essayist, a philosopher, and a leader of American modernism. Known for documenting the cultural elite living in France, Man Ray spent much of his time fighting the formal constraints of the visual arts. Ray’s life and art were always provocative, engaging, and challenging.

4.7

The Howl

May 1, 1970

A young bride escapes her wedding ceremony with a stranger and together they set off on an epic journey though increasingly bizarre lands. They encounter talking animals and mournful exhibitionists, converse with a discoursing rock, journey through a surrealist's psychedelic hotel, instigate a prison riot, escape from naked cannibals living in a tree and battle a wind-up midget dictator!

6.6

Genesis: In Concert

Jan 31, 1977

Genesis In Concert, filmed in 1976 during the band's tour supporting the album A Trick Of The Tail, was the first long-form concert video featuring Phil Collins as lead vocalist, taking over from Peter Gabriel who had left the previous year. Supplementing Collins at percussion during this tour was Yes & King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford, whom Collins was a fan of and who volunteered for the job until a permanent touring drummer could be found. The movie combines film of two shows: one at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland on July 9, 1976, and one at Bingley Hall in Staffordshire, England on July 10, 1976. Long out of print on VHS and laserdisc, the film resurfaced as an extra on the band's 2007 CD+DVD reissue of A Trick Of The Tail. Setlist: I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) • Fly on a Windshield [abbreviated] • The Carpet Crawlers • The Cinema Show [abbreviated] • Entangled • Supper's Ready [excerpt] • Los Endos