200 Motels

Nov 10, 1971

1h 38m

★ 5.2

Overview

"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.

Genres

Fantasy

Comedy

Music

Production Companies

Bizarre Productions

Murakami-Wolf Productions

200 Motels Trailers

Cast

Member of Mothers of Invention (uncredited)

Frank Zappa

Member of Mothers of Invention

Mark Volman

Member of Mothers of Invention

Howard Kaylan

Member of Mothers of Invention

Ian Underwood

Member of Mothers of Invention

Aynsley Dunbar

Member of Mothers of Invention

George Duke

Rance Muhammitz / Dave

Theodore Bikel

Hot Nun

Keith Moon

Larry the Dwarf / Frank Zappa

Ringo Starr

Groupie #1 (Janet Ferguson)

Janet Neville-Ferguson

Groupie #2 (Lucy)

Lucy Offerall

Lonesome Cowboy Burt

Jimmy Carl Black

Fired from his band and hard up for cash, guitarist and vocalist Dewey Finn finagles his way into a job as a fifth-grade substitute teacher at a private school, where he secretly begins teaching his students the finer points of rock 'n' roll. The school's hard-nosed principal is rightly suspicious of Finn's activities. But Finn's roommate remains in the dark about what he's doing.

6.8

Still Crazy

Oct 30, 1998

In the 1970s, Strange Fruit were it. They lived the rock lifestyle to the max, groupies, drugs, internal tension and an ex front man dead from an overdose. Even their demise was glamorous; when lightning struck the stage during an outdoor festival. Twenty years on, these former rock gods they have now sunk deep into obscurity when the idea of a reunion tour is lodged in the head of Tony, former keyboard player of the Fruits. Tony sets out to find his former bandmates with the help of former manager Karen to see if they can recapture the magic and give themselves a second chance.

5.6

No Songs of Love

Oct 26, 2005

As Tobias, a young director, supposes that his girl-friend Ellen had an affair with his brother Markus, front man of "Hansen", one year ago, he decides to shoot a documentary about the band's next tour. When Ellen joins the project, everybody's emotions boil over, although they are observed all the time.

6.7

Dreamgirls

Dec 25, 2006

A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

2.7

Feel the Motion

Jul 5, 1985

Young Tina has a big dream, she wants to become a successful pop singer. That's why she tries her luck in the music show 'Formel Eins'. There she meets all kinds of stars like Falco, Meat Loaf, Die Toten Hosen and Pia Zadora and of course the presenter Ingolf Lück. The result is a colorful mix-up and the question arises as to whether Tina can make her dream come true.

7.0

Momo

Jul 16, 1986

Momo is a young orphan girl who lives in the ruins of an old Roman amphitheater and becomes friends with everybody in the neighborhood. But when a powerful international corporation starts stealing everybody’s time, nobody has any time left for her, let alone their friends or families. Momo, together with Master Hora, the custodian of time, are the only ones who can go up against the time thieves before all is lost forever.

9.1

Mi vida entre las hormigas

Jun 14, 2017

Documental film about Jorge Martínez, leader of the spanish rock band Ilegales.

7.0

Brassed Off

Nov 1, 1996

A Yorkshire coal mine is threatened with closure and the only hope is for the men to enter their Grimley Colliery Brass Band into a national competition. They believe they have no hope until Gloria appears carrying her Flugelhorn. At first mocked for being a woman, she soon becomes the only chance for the band to win.

5.6

Kleines Arschloch - Der Film

Mar 6, 1997

Want to know what a successful day in the life of the little asshole looks like? Yes? Well, after you have successfully disturbed your parents' lovemaking, you concentrate on your own libido. This, slightly disturbed, forces you to strain the weak heart of pensioner Mrs. Koschmidder with unambiguous offers.

7.7

PlayTime

Dec 13, 1967

Clumsy Monsieur Hulot finds himself perplexed by the intimidating complexity of a gadget-filled Paris. He attempts to meet with a business contact but soon becomes lost. His roundabout journey parallels that of an American tourist, and as they weave through the inventive urban environment, they intermittently meet, developing an interest in one another. They eventually get together at a chaotic restaurant, along with several other quirky characters.

6.9

That Thing You Do!

Oct 4, 1996

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.

1.5

Daniel, the Wizard

Aug 12, 2004

Evil teenager assassins Rike & Tom want to kill and film the execution of the rock star Daniel Küblböck [or Lana Kaiser to be correct], who is spiritually supported by his dead grandfather Johnny, with the support of the mysterious Baltazar! Will our well-intentioned wizard succeed to survive this Christmas related mess and learn to forgive the others while beign kidnapped and almost executed, even if that means stickin' his finger in cakes, rollin' in tha snow like a cat or having psychedelic music dreams? (and singin' some bangers in the meanwhile!)

6.2

Just My Luck

May 12, 2006

Manhattanite Ashley is known to many as the luckiest woman around. After a chance encounter with a down-and-out young man, however, she realizes that she's swapped her fortune for his.

9.8

More Bad News

Feb 27, 1988

Four years after they were last the subject of a documentary, the heavy metal band Bad News get back together again for another film of their exploits, beginning with a reunion gig at the Flying Horse.

7.1

The Doors

Mar 1, 1991

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.

5.6

The Banger Sisters

Sep 20, 2002

In the late '60s, the self-proclaimed belles of the rock 'n' roll ball, rocked the worlds of every music legend whose pants they could take off -- and they have the pictures to prove it. But it's been more than two decades since the Banger Sisters earned their nickname -- or even laid eyes on each other. Their reunion is the collision of two women's worlds; one who's living in the past, and one who's hiding from it. Together they learn to live in the moment.

5.5

American Pie Presents: Band Camp

Nov 23, 2005

Everyone has 'moved on', except for Sherman and Jim Levenstein's still understanding father. Little Matt Stiffler wants to join his older brother Steve's business and, after everything Matt has heard from Jim's band-geek wife, he plans to go back to band camp and make a video of his own.