gunser@ihuxx.UUCP (John M. Gunser) (08/29/84)
Last week end I bought a used copy of the Frank Zappa LP "200 Motels". It was released in 1971 and is/was appearently the soundtrack to his movie of the same name. Inside the album in fact is a book with pictures and info concerning the filming of the movie which was to star of all people Ringo Starr. There are even several pretty silly photos of Ringo dressed up like FZ. So my question is what ever became of this film. Did it ever make it to the big screen. I had never heard of the movie or the record until last week end when I found it at a rummage sale for the unheard of price of 50 cents. Any further info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks John M. Gunser ihnp4!ihuxx!gunser
bill@apl-uw.UUCP (Bill Hanot) (08/30/84)
Re: 200 Motels I don't believe it ever received wide commercial distribution, but when I was a student in Boston in the mid/late 70's it played at the "revival" movie houses fairly regularly, many times at the midnight shows. Alas, I haven't seen it, though.
clyde@ut-ngp.UUCP (Clyde W. Hoover) (09/06/84)
200 Motels is one of the truely *twisted* films I have seen.
It indeed does feature Ringo Starr, in yet another strange role in yet
another silly little film (a pattern that he continues to this day - check
'Caveman' out if you dare).
Start with Zappa (and the Mothers), throw in a cheezy set
for an imaginary midwestern town ('Centerville - A Nice Place to Raise
Your Kids Up'), add a few miscealleous bizzaros, an almost non-existant
plot and the London (or Royal) Symphony Orchestra (playing Zappa
compositions) and you get one WEIRD film.
It is a great midnight show (or any other time, but late at night the
mental condition is more suitable) and has been shown at least 1/year
at the University here.
If it comes around, SEE IT! - but be warned: This is a *not at all normal*
movie. BTW, I love it and get Zapped every chance I get.
--
Clyde W. Hoover @ Univ. of Texas Computation Center; Austin, Texas
(Shouter-To-Dead-Parrots)
"The ennui is overpowering" - Marvin
clyde@ut-ngp.{UUCP,ARPA} clyde@ut-sally.{UUCP,ARPA} ihnp4!ut-ngp!clydexchar@rabbit.UUCP (Charles S. Harris) (09/07/84)
< Is this line necessary? >
Normally, I'm a strait-laced older-generation square (old enough
to use the word "square"), who would never dream of going to a
Frank Zappa performance or movie (who IS Frank Zappa anyway?).
But several years ago, as I was driving home from some fiasco and
feeling rather glum, I noticed the "200 Motels" poster on a dinky
theater. (What? You haven't seen the poster? Someone must have
bought that album just to rip off the poster, and then tossed the
superfluous stuff into the rummage sale.) I parked, spent about
15 minutes examining the poster's intricate details (reminiscent
of the OLD comic-book Mad) and trying to guess what the film was
like. The ticket-seller didn't have the vaguest idea. Feeling
like killing an hour or two, I bought a ticket and crept in.
I LOVED IT!! I can't exactly say why. Maybe because it was so
different from anything else I had ever seen (that novelty would
no doubt be missing for anyone who has grown up on a diet of
videos). Lots of funny and outrageous bits. Lots of silliness.
Lots of visual impact (I suspect that it was filmed on videotape
--at times I thought i could see raster lines).
A couple of years ago, I persuaded the Murray Hill Cinema Club to
include it on their ballot, arguing that if they really wanted a
"varied" program for the year, this was at least three sigmas out
from anything else. With 70 or so films on the ballot (distributed
to all club members), "200 Motels" came in LAST! No show.
But it is available for rental on film, and perhaps on videotape
too by now. Hope you get a chance to see it someday.
--Charlie Harris (rabbit!xchar)
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Room 2D-505, Murray Hill, NJ 07974
P.S.: Warning: The picture book and, to some extent, the songs
and narration on the album are spoilers. I would have enjoyed
the movie less if I had seen the album first.